Theological Students ‘More Mature In U.S.’ Than In N.Z.

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27628, 7 April 1955, Page 10

Theological Students ‘More Mature In U.S.’ Than In N.Z.

The average age of students entering one American seminary this year was 26| years, and at many of these institutipns half of the students are married. These statements were made by the Rev. D. M. Taylor, in an interview with “The Press’’ yesterday, to illustrate his claim that American theological students were, on the aver - age, more mature than those in New Zealand institutions.

Mr Tayior, who is the first New Zealand clergyman to be awarded a Fulbright scholarship in theology, went to the United States primarily to learn about methods of training men there for the ministry. The Fulbright scheme was a wonderful opportunity for Americans and those of other races to get to know each other, he said, and he hoped it would continue for years.

Only in exception? 1 cases was a student admitted to ar. merican seminary without haying i st obtained a degree of some sort from a university college, and this helped to account for the maturity of the American theological student, said Mr Taylor. Many of the wives of students went to work to help to put their husbands through “school.” The most striking difference between the students at Episcopal (Anglican) institutions and New Zealand theological students was the fact that more than half of the American students were not brought up as Episcopalians. Mr Taylor said. It was also noticeable that a great number began their training for the ministry after they had spent some years in other occupations. A member of the staff of one seminary Mr Taylor visited had worked as a member of an archaeological team in Palestine; this man now taught the Old Testament. This was an illustration of the degree of specialisation that was noticeable to a visitor from New Zealand, Mr Taylor said. “In the best schools, there are certainly firstclass scholars teaching,” he added. Various aspects of religion were

covered in the syllabuses of many of the good secular colleges, but the cream of the lecturers in these subjects were usually attracted eventually to the theological schools, said Mr Taylor. What could the New Zealand system of training for the ministry usefully borrow'from the American?, Mr Taylor was asked. ‘‘l believe we should adapt to our own circumstances the ‘clinical training’ taken by the majority of their students,” Mr Taylor replied. “Clinical training” consisted of a course of 12 weeks or so spent in institutions such as hospitals, prisons, and mental hospitals, under skilled supervision, he explained. It was a course* specially designed for those training to become chaplains, but most of those training for parish work also took thq course.