A Cathedral Model Seminary

Holy Scripture and the early writings of the Apostles and  Early Church Fathers show us that the Apostles and bishops of the Ancient Church trained the next leadership based on Christ’s model of disciples traveling with Him. Eventually, theological education became centered around the cathedral and the bishop supporting theologians and a community of scholars under him. The method of training was tutorial—reading through the masters who had gone before; some lecturing but usually in conjunction with the daily office at the cathedral. Spiritual formation was in the context of the rhythm of the worship of the cathedral and local parishes.

Unfortunately, theological education has been separated from the church progressively through history. Universities that were once under the church separated due to corruption in order to preserve Biblical education; then theological education separated from the universities for the same reasons; seminaries became church and independent board sponsored; Bible chairs at American universities became “religion” chairs, which have since been folded into sociology and psychology departments.

It is the intent of the Diocese of Mid-America of the Reformed Episcopal Church, and that of Cranmer Theological House, to mindfully return to the cathedral model of seminary, bringing forward to the present the method of teaching, tutoring, training, and theological education founded in the Ancient Church. Read more about Spiritual Formation.