Assessing Biblical Spirituality in the Culture of the Master of Divinity Program: Implications for the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary

Problem. A significant number of students in the Master of Divinity program, covering a time span from the years 2002 – 2013, have reported that they perceive that their relationship with God has either remained the same or has decreased while enrolled in the MDiv program. This academic program is sponsored by a number of employing conferences of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. A study identifying what factors are contributing to this perception of stagnant or diminished spirituality among a significant number of MDiv students would provide a basis for determining what steps can be implemented to effectively address this concern. Methodology. The websites of 15 non-Adventist ATS seminaries were reviewed to determine the role of spiritual formation in their MDiv curriculums. In addition, the curriculums of three Seventh-day Adventist seminaries were examined to determine the prominence of spiritual formation in their MDiv programs. The undergraduate theology/religion curriculums of four Seventh-day Adventist universities or colleges were also studied to ascertain how pronounced spiritual formation featured in their programs. An email questionnaire was sent to six seminaries with three questions related to how students are spiritually formed in their MDiv curriculums. The three seminaries who responded were contacted thereafter by phone or email for additional information and clarification. MDiv students participating in a focus group were given a questionnaire which requested basic demographic information. This questionnaire also asked students to respond in writing to seven quantitative questions and two qualitative questions designed to determine the impact of the MDiv program on their spirituality. The quantitative responses were tabulated and analyzed. The qualitative written responses provided an introduction to an in-depth focus group discussion of four questions related to the MDiv program’s impact on their spirituality. The qualitative responses from the focus groups were analyzed for common themes that ...