Recent comments about reading for orders made me think of a book that I recently bought and am reading - Faith and Freedom: A Study of Theological Education and the Episcopal Theological School by Rev. George Blackman (Seabury Press, 1967). Theological education, and education in general, has always been of interest to me, because I am a former teacher, and have also had a strange, meandering education myself. The book, which I scored at a used book store in Lancaster, PA, is a study of the early days of seminary education in PECUSA. It focuses on the founding and early histories of General, Virginia, and Gambier (aka Bexley Hall), and comes complete with books that were used, course listings, and more. Then it goes into an in depth study of the founding and history of the Episcopal Theological School in Cambridge, MA. It is a fascinating look into a bygone era.
In reading these histories it is amazing to see so many parallels to struggles we face today. Gambier, for instance, was equally blessed and cursed by its founder Bp. Philander Chase. General relocated to New Haven due to lack of funds at one point. Virginia was eventually shut down due to the Civil War. The Civil War also lead to the founding of the Philadelphia Theological Seminary, which was the north's "evangelical" alternative for Virginia when they could no longer send students there.
Of particular interest, though, is the history of Episcopal theological education before the advent of seminaries. Prior to 1804 men simply read for orders. Men such as Bp. White acted essentially as private tutors, and allowed postulants to use their libraries to prepare for ordination. That there were obvious drawbacks to this goes without saying. Pastoral work often prevented the tutors from spending adequate time with their students. Most received no exams along the way except the one right before their ordination. Often times education was a mishmash of tons of reading, but little thinking and processing of what was read. Then of course there was the fact that each tutor had a slightly different program and order of study. Obviously something needed to be done.
So in 1804 the Bishop's Course of Study was established by the General Convention. This was basically a standardized reading for orders. Everyone had to read the same texts in the same order beginning with a study of natural theology and apologetics. (NOTE: The book lists the actual texts that were used in each catagory, but I will not list them here.) Then came a study of the Scriptures through approved commentaries and other texts. Then came Church history, with particular attention being paid to the Apostolic Fathers. Then came Christology and Episcopacy, which was based on Hooker and others. Then came systematics (or "divinity", as it was then called), which was built in large part around a study of the Articles of Religion and the Creeds through various texts. After this came liturgics, the pastoral theology. So all in all, it was pretty exhaustive. And if I were to type out all of the books and authors that were used in each of these catagories everyone would be duly impressed. Like seminary today, they assigned more to be read and studied than one could possibly actually read and study! This course of study is generally thought to have been written up by Bp. White, though we do not know that for sure. The books used in this course of study were classics, which were still in print at the time, and were to remain in print for the next fifty years.
Reading for orders is often maligned, and sometimes rightfully so. But it is not bad in and of itself. Maybe it would be better if a standard, systematic, and well thought out formula was followed by those in charge. Obviously reading for orders was the only option available for men in the early days of the Episcopal Church, as well as other churches. Today we can still do that, if it is done right.
