Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! ==Academics== Aside from theology, the school offers a wide variety of graduate majors such as apologetics, biblical counseling, Christian education, divinity, Islamic studies, missiology, and music.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://swbts.edu/academics/degrees/masters-degrees/|title=Master's Degrees {{!}} Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary|website=swbts.edu|language=en|access-date=2019-01-28}}</ref> Since 1908, Southwestern Seminary has graduated more than 44,000 students. Southwestern's current student body represents 46 states and 45 countries.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://swbts.edu/academics/|title=Academics {{!}} Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary|website=swbts.edu|language=en|access-date=2019-01-28}}</ref> The seminary's academic journal, ''[[Southwestern Journal of Theology]]'' has been published since 1958.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.baptisttheology.org/BackIssues.cfm|title=Home | Baptist Theology|website=www.baptisttheology.org}}</ref> It is conservative and Baptist in orientation. In the fall of 2005, the seminary converted its undergraduate program into the [[L.R. Scarborough College]], later renamed [[Texas Baptist College]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://scarboroughcollege.com/degrees/|title=Degrees {{!}} Scarborough College|language=en-US|access-date=2019-01-28}}</ref> In 2007 the seminary began an initiative for engaging and transforming culture, its new Center for Cultural Engagement, named in honor of [[Richard Land]].<ref>See {{Cite web|author=Collins, Keith|date=22 October 2007|title=WRAP UP: Seminary trustees fall 2007 meeting|url=http://www.swbts.edu/pressreleases/story.cfm?id=C97924C9-15C5-E47C-F948B0777A244E91|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071105072153/http://www.swbts.edu/pressreleases/story.cfm?id=C97924C9-15C5-E47C-F948B0777A244E91|archive-date=November 5, 2007 |url-status=live}}</ref> In line with this initiative, the seminary employed prominent [[intelligent design]] advocate [[William A. Dembski]].<ref name="swbtspr01">{{cite web| last = Tomlin| first = Gregory|author2=Thompson, Brent | title = SWBTS trustees elect new deans, faculty, and vice president; expands program in San Antonio| publisher = Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary| date = April 2006| url = http://www.swbts.edu/publicrelations/story.cfm?id=6AF30AD4-F56F-42A0-AECAE37C070C8424|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060901205340/http://www.swbts.edu/publicrelations/story.cfm?id=6AF30AD4-F56F-42A0-AECAE37C070C8424 |archive-date=September 1, 2006 |url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2016, the seminary added a master's degree program in Philosophy. The program was approved by the board of trustees and, in January 2017, by the accreditation body, the [[Association of Theological Schools]] (ATS).<ref name="Philosophy-MA">{{Cite web|last=Sibley |first=Alex |date=23 January 2017 |title=Accreditors approve new M.A. in Philosophy |publisher=Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary |url=https://swbts.edu/news/releases/accreditors-approve-new-ma-philosophy/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170203081942/https://swbts.edu/news/releases/accreditors-approve-new-ma-philosophy/ |archive-date=3 February 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref> Southwestern's then President, [[Paige Patterson]], stated ''Everybody is a philosopher, the question is are you a good one or a bad one? We are committed to having good philosophers and to making good thinkers and philosophers out of our people.''<ref name="Philosophy-MA" /> In June 2023 the university was placed on Warning status by its [[Educational accreditation|educational accreditor]], the [[Southern Association of Colleges and Schools]], after the accreditor's board found significant non-compliance with its standards for institutional governance, financial resources and financial conflicts of interest.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://sacscoc.org/app/uploads/2023/06/Disclosure-Statement-SWBT-J2023.pdf |title=Disclosure Statement Regarding the Status of THE SOUTHWESTERN BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY |access-date=2023-09-11 |publisher=[[Southern Association of Colleges and Schools]]}}</ref> Southwestern is divided into six schools: * The School of Theology * The School of Church Music and Worship * The Jack D. Terry School of Educational Ministries * The Roy J. Fish School of Evangelism and Missions * The [[Texas Baptist College]] ===School of Theology=== Established in 1908, the School of Theology trains seminary student for master's or doctorate degrees in theology. Concentrations include biblical languages, apologetics, theology, church history, preaching, pastoral ministry, etc. Students are able to obtain a master's or doctoral degree designed as an entrypoint into Christian ministry in a variety of contexts. The current interim dean is W. Madison Grace II.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://swbts.edu/academics/schools/school-theology/|title=School of Theology {{!}} Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary|website=swbts.edu|language=en|access-date=2017-08-25}}</ref> ===School of Church Music and Worship=== Originally a department within the School of Theology, the School of Gospel Music was established in 1921. The school was renamed to the School of Sacred Music in 1926, a name which it bore until 1957 when the school was renamed the School of Church Music. In 2019, the school was renamed the School of Church Music and Worship.<ref name="swbts.edu">{{Cite web|url=https://swbts.edu/about/history/|title=History & Heritage {{!}} Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary|website=swbts.edu|language=en|access-date=2017-08-25}}</ref> The current dean of the school is Joseph R. Crider.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Leo Day: Dean of the School of Church Music and Professor of Voice |publisher=Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary |url=https://swbts.edu/academics/faculty/church-music/leo-day/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170204165821/https://swbts.edu/academics/faculty/church-music/leo-day/ |archive-date=4 February 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://swbts.edu/academics/schools/school-church-music/|title=School of Church Music {{!}} Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary|website=swbts.edu|language=en|access-date=2017-08-25}}</ref> ===Jack D. Terry School of Educational Ministries=== The Terry School of Educational Ministries offers several different master's and doctoral degrees such as the Master of Arts in Christian Education (MACE). The school was originally a department within the School of Theology until the School of Religious Education was established in 1921. The school was renamed to the School of Educational Ministries in 1997. The school was officially renamed in 2009 in honor of Jack D. Terry.<ref name="swbts.edu"/> Current concentrations provided in this school include biblical counseling, children's ministry, collegiate ministry, and student ministries. The current dean is Chris Shirley.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://swbts.edu/academics/schools/cfm/|title=Jack D. Terry School of Church & Family Ministries {{!}} Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary|website=swbts.edu|language=en|access-date=2017-08-25}}</ref> === Roy J. Fish School of Evangelism and Missions === In 2005, the division of evangelism and missions in the School of Theology was reorganized as the Roy J. Fish School of Evangelism and Missions.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.bpnews.net/26638/|title=Evangelism prof Roy Fish honored at SWBTS|last=Collier|first=Keith|date=18 October 2007|newspaper=Baptist Press|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170627182549/http://www.bpnews.net/26638/|archive-date=27 June 2017}}</ref> This division provides students with spiritual ''mentorship, a solid theological grounding in Scripture, and coursework that equips'' them ''to share the Gospel with intelligence, relevance and boldness.''<ref name="Fish-2">{{Cite web|url=https://swbts.edu/academics/schools/evangelism-missions/|title=Roy Fish School of Evangelism & Missions|publisher=Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160706131645/http://swbts.edu/academics/schools/evangelism-missions/|archive-date=July 6, 2016|df=mdy-all}}</ref> The current dean is John D. Massey.<ref name="Fish-2" /><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.bpnews.net/20543/former-muslim-el-salvadoran-among-17-new-swbts-faculty|title=Former Muslim, El Salvadoran, among 17 new SWBTS faculty|last=Thompson|first=Brent|date=7 April 2005|newspaper=Baptist Press|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170627183826/http://www.bpnews.net/20543/former-muslim-el-salvadoran-among-17-new-swbts-faculty|archive-date=27 June 2017}}</ref> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission! Cancel Editing help (opens in new window) Discuss this page