From RBA's website:
Reformed Blacks of America, Inc. (RBA) is pleased to announce in partnership with Reformed Theological Seminary – Orlando (RTS-Orlando) the creation of the African-American Imagination and Theology Project. The African American Imagination and Theology Project with its corresponding scholarships seeks to unearth and impregnate a generation of Black seminal thinkers to reflect upon and interact with the experiences, thoughts and lives of Black people and the world theologically.
For you black guys who are looking at seminaries you should be encouraged by this. Also, keep in mind that there are black scholars that you can (relax) and study under at Trinity, Covenant, Southern, and Southwestern Seminaries. Also, Bill Edgar at Westminster has a legacy of black church involvement; and do not forget about Rene Padilla at Gordon-Conwell. All of these schools have close connections to black churches locally. You have lots of good options if you want to attend great schools that will allow you to remain black. Also, don't simply go to a school because it offers money. Make sure the culture there is ready for you.
Read Bruce Fields' cautions about going to a white evangelical school. If a school does not have many black students you may want to consider somewhere else.
Dr. Fields discusses these are RBA's site:
First, there is both a subtle and sometimes blatant pressure to conform in more ways than just the doctrinal statement of the institution. It is as if you must suppress any characteristics or thoughts that are the products of your emergence from the experience of being an African American. In order to be considered as worthy of engagement, you must speak a certain way and about certain things. This manner and the required topics happen to be that which is considered mainstream to the community and therefore, “safe.” Since there are often small numbers of sisters and brothers with darker skin around the school, one can want fellowship and acceptance but it often comes with a price. A particular price may be letting someone else of the dominant community tell an African American what he/she “really thinks,” or should think, on a given matter.Another type of experience available at an evangelical institution is a marginalization of burdens unique to the student and to the African American community.
The rest of these cautions are here.
Posted by anthony at January 28, 2008 10:18 AM | TrackBackAnthony,
I am a Hispanic 27 year old from New Mexico, I am currently an Access Student with Covenant and was out in STL this past week for Residency. I was very impressed with the diversity of the campus, I saw all kinds of ethnicities and felt like I could be myself.
For me I feel at times the pressure to conform to white suburban Reformed Christianity, but really appreciate Covenant's approach to diversity and to allowing us to be us, you know?
I do wish however that I knew of other Hispanic Reformed Scholars, as I often feel quite alone in my views, in my culture here in NM that is majority Hispanic and Catholic.
Just wanted to endorse what you were saying, that for all minorities you need to find somewhere that allows you to be comfortable in your skin and ethnicity, cause after all that is what we see in Rev. 5 right?
-Los
Posted by: Carlos Griego at January 28, 2008 11:33 AMThis is awesome. I was really pumped to hear about this a couple of days ago. Makes me even more convinced that I chose the right school.
Posted by: Jake Belder at January 28, 2008 11:36 AMLos,
Glad to hear that you were able to come out. In terms of hispanic Reformed scholars you should contact Manny Ortiz at Westminster Seminary in Philly. Also, Rene Padilla at Gordon-Conwell could help you on your search as well.
You are correct in your assessment of Covenant! It's a great place for than in a major US city. Can't wait to have you full time some day!
Posted by: Anthony at January 28, 2008 12:33 PMJake, if you ever want to get out of Florida and experience 4 seasons in the midwest, just let me know :)!!
Posted by: Anthony at January 28, 2008 12:34 PMAnthony, I considered it and did originally apply to Covenant, but it's 71° right now and I'm wearing shorts. That's hard to give up, especially growing up in the frigid north. :)
Posted by: Jake Belder at January 28, 2008 02:20 PM"71° right now and I'm wearing shorts"
Ok, good point. I can't argue with that!!
Posted by: Anthony at January 28, 2008 02:30 PMThis may come across as shameless self-promotion (since I started teaching Old Testament there last year), but if you are looking for an evangelical Reformed seminary with a large number of black students then Erskine Seminary would win hands down. As a conservative estimate, I would guess that on average at least half of the students in my exegesis classes so far have been black (one class was entirely black students). Other Reformed seminaries have a lot to offer (thinking especially of Covenant, my alma mater), but Erskine actually has an established track record on the race issue that is pretty impressive. They also have some dynamite faculty (not referring to yours truly) such as Don Fairbairn, one of the top patristics scholars you'll ever come across.
It's not the best-known school, but regionally it is having a significant impact on the black church. E.g. I get to teach a lot of AME pastors, and how cool is that? The main campus is in Due West, SC (where???), but there is also a new campus in Columbia (where I'm based) that is intended to become a degree-granting in the next couple of years. I love the city and the situation here, and as a transplant from the Pacific Northwest (THE most beautiful location in the world) that is saying a lot...
It's worth checking out as you're considering a seminary to attend.
Ahhh, guys, if any of you are thinking about going to one a seminary that is NOT near a major US city with a sizable black population and community, e-mail me first.
Posted by: Anthony at January 31, 2008 02:01 PMDr. Bradley,
I would love to know your thoughts on what it means to be authentically black and evangelical. I read Dr. Fields article and the term seems to be vague. Maybe this is the nature of the term. Maybe it resists an objective definition.
Posted by: Leroy at January 31, 2008 04:38 PM