In between changing wet nappies and trying to rock my newborn daughter to sleep I’ve found some time to catch up on reading. One of the books I started a little while ago, paused, then picked up again is this ebook – Surviving and Thriving in Seminary by Danny Zacharias. (available from Amazon only as an eBook as far as I can tell).
My theological college has a rather special place in my heart. It was probably the most fruitful and best three years of study I’ve ever had. I know other minister friends who didn’t really jump into the College life scene, but with entrance into a relatively small college I took the opportunity to be a part of the community as much as possible. I got to know my fellow students and lecturers fairly well and count them as friends not only in ministry but also in life. In some ways I can’t speak highly enough of my time at study.
So I brought a whole heap of experience to this book that I only picked up really at the beginning of this year. Surviving and Thriving is a very practical book on what it looks like to enter theological study.
Most book reviews outline the content of a book before reviewing its strengths and weaknesses. This time around I’m just going to look at the practical and not-so-practical aspects of the book with particular reference to what it is like to study in Australia.
Let me say from the outset: this is a must read book for those considering or about to enter into theological study.
There are two main sections to the book. The first part is primarily about preparing yourself for the intricacies and challenges of studying theology. Chapters 1-3 include preparation for the mind, for your relationships, and for the discipline of study itself. Zacharias very helpfully outlines what it means to study the bible and in particular some of the discomfort some students feel while studying – in particular being introduced to new concepts, challenging ideas and new ways of reading the scriptures. He encouragingly warns:
‘[Theological Study] will force you to rethink your [theological beliefs] and articulate [them] better. Or you may change your mind altogether. Change is uncomfortable. But uncomfortableness is good for us. More than that, it is essential if you want to keep growing as a human being.’
Added to that:
‘You also need to firmly remind yourself of the fundamentals of your own faith. You will very often be challenged on many fronts, but very rarely are students being challenged on the fundamental sof orthodox Christian faith. Remember, unless you’ve chosen to go to a seminary that is very different from your own faith tradition, most of your professors will hold to the same fundamentals too.’
That last paragraph should be a cornerstone of studying theology. If you’ve been guided towards a helpful college then you should try to remember that despite some of the strange and challenging ideas and readings of scripture you will have to interact with, your lecturers are your friends and are there to help – because they most likely believe the same things as you!
As intimidating as it is though there is this encouragement:
‘In short, you are now the one being given all sorts of arguments on all sorts of topics and being asked to think through which argument is best and which aligns best with scripture. It is a daunting and overwhelming task. And it is absolutely worth it!’
Take it not only from Zacharias, but also from me – it is absolutely worth it!
In some ways I found these first three chapters to be the most pivotal in the book. They are primarily about your mindset going into College, and getting this right means at least half the battle is won before you open up your Greek and Hebrew textbooks.
The rest of the book focuses on lots of practical tips from managing debt, managing homework, very helpful tips on how to read a lot of material very well and how to write an essay. Zacharias infuses a lot of his charm and personality through the pages so while there is heaps of practical tips there’s never a sense that you’re being talked at: he’s more like a friend who has been there and done that and is sharing his own experiences with you as well.
So the book is very practical. Where is it less practical?
The answer is in its Americanness. Specifically, the chapter dealing with debt.
I don’t fully know the American system of higher education, but the chapter dealing with debt (though practical!) seemed a little foreign. From all accounts Zacharias is firmly encouraging his readers to not accumulate any student loan debt for their studies by the time they finish their degrees. That’s wise counsel for sure, but Australia’s socialist leaning governance has allowed studying for Australian citizens to be much less stressful.
So while I encourage applying the helpful tips on debt management and use of money, the tips on student loans are less to consider if you’re studying in Australia. Here’s why: FEE HELP.
Here’s what I can gather from the Australian Government websites on studying and FEE HELP as well as my understanding of how it works (best to check with your local government contact to find out more though!):
- FEE HELP is designed to assist with the payments of degrees during study. Once a student graduates and begins full-time work, and once their income reaches a certain threshold, the Australian Tax Office automatically deducts a small percentage to pay off the FEE HELP loan over your working life.
- If a person dies the outstanding balance of the FEE HELP debt is cancelled (all other required taxes are to be paid by the deceased’s estate).
- A Pastor’s ‘wage’ is often legally worked (by means of fringe benefits) to substantially reduce the amount of taxable income they might otherwise be required to pay.
- Therefore if someone remains in ministry for the remainder of their lives, the will never pay off their FEE HELP debt.
- The Australian Government was made aware of this when they moved from HECS to FEE HELP but is still willing to include theological studies under FEE HELP as they recognise pastors and ministers perform a necessary social work/benefit they do not provide.
So there you go, studying in Australia, thanks to an incredibly generous government, is made possible and less stressful for Australian citizens. We should keep praying the government remains as generous!
Now, all that said, it’s still worth investigating what options are available for you (Australian citizen reader) for theological study.
Coming back to the book, I still think it’s a must read for those thinking about or about to enter into study. The practical tips are things I wish I knew beforehand, and other tips (especially the opening chapter) I whole heartedly agree with.
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