The 30-Minute Seminary
ATLANTA – Mercer University’s James and Carolyn McAfee School of Theology will partner with Atlanta Interfaith Broadcasters Inc. to bring viewers in the Atlanta area an inside look at what professors teach in their classes in a new 30-minute program, airing on AIB TV. “The 30-Minute Seminary” will feature professors delivering half-hour summaries of such courses as the Old Testament, the New Testament, theology, church history, ethics and worship – 14 different subjects in all.
“‘The Thirty-Minute Seminary’ is an idea that came from the McAfee faculty, and it posed a daring challenge for them: take your whole discipline and present it for a general audience in one 30-minute segment,” said Dr. R. Alan Culpepper, dean of the McAfee School of Theology. “McAfee is committed to serving the church and to being a resource for pastors and churches. Our hope is, that through this series, viewers will be challenged to advance their understanding and education in their faith. Churches may choose to use these short video presentations with Sunday Schools, study groups or Wednesday evening programs. Viewers can also get a taste of the curriculum at a seminary—and McAfee in particular.”
“The 30-Minute Seminary” will air on AIB TV for 14 weeks, beginning Jan. 28, 2010, and will air Thursdays at 5 p.m., Fridays at 1:30 p.m., Saturdays at 7 a.m. and Sundays at 6:30 a.m. AIB TV can be viewed on Comcast – channel 5, AT&T U-Verse – channel 6 and Charter Communications (Smyrna, Roswell) – channel 22.
Scheduled program line-up:
Professor Program Subject
Dr. David G. Garber Jr. Old Testament
Dr. Peter Rhea Jones Sr. The Parables of Jesus
Dr. R. Alan Culpepper The Gospels
Dr. Thomas B. Slater Revelation
Dr. Nancy L. deClaisse-Walford Biblical Languages
Dr. Graham B. Walker Jr. Christian Theology
Dr. William Loyd Allen Baptist Heritage
Dr. Ronald W. Johnson Evangelism and Mission
Dr. David P. Gushee Christian Ethics
Dr. Larry L. McSwain Leadership
Dr. Denise M. Massey Pastoral Care
Dr. James N. “Dock” Hollingsworth Jr. Supervised Ministry
Dr. Brett Younger Preaching
Dr. Karen G. Massey Worship
More information HERE
Hmmm… sort of sounds like eight minute abs. I know what I would have yelled out if I was in the room, “Dibs on Jude!”
Alexander Pope in his An Essay on Criticism wrote, “A little Learning is a dang’rous Thing; Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian Spring.” There is probably a reason these courses are traditionally offered over a semester (or longer), and usually will take students years to master. But I shall reserve judgment. If anyone is in the Atlanta area and sees an episode be sure to pass on the utility of these programs. Hopefully, they are not theology’s version of the Naked Archaeologist.
I’m not a doctor, but I play one on TV (at least when these air, and yes I actually have a Ph.D. — just my lame attempt at humor).
I definitely agree with your Pope quote, and must say that this was a daunting task for us. The idea is not to cover everything, but to whet the appetite for future learning. To that end, I based my OT lesson on educating the public about how reading the Bible as a seminarian is much different than the way many read the Bible in congregational life and personal devotions.
Hopefully, we will generate interest in theological learning/thinking rather than serve as a 30 minute substitute.
The format was a bit restrictive. We were given about 23 minutes for a presentation and a few minutes for question and answer to introduce the general population to our respective fields.
Dang, Dave: my online course begins Jan 16th, and I want to begin them on exactly what you’re talking about (how our coursework differs from devotional or apologetic readings of the texts). Guess I’ll have to earn my own paycheck that week, but seriously, I think the way you describe it is the best choice for the venue.