Barth-or-Bust

I guess I'm asking the same question as Averroes (again) but what exactly constitutes "down pat" or "great strides"?

If we are hijacking threads, I'm curious about the same question for New Testament? Greek and Hebrew.

A lot of things but primarily the exegetical work being done on Paul by the New Perspective people.

Thanks for all the feedback so far. I truly appreciate it. I'm schedule to visit both relatively soon and will probably have more questions to ask after that. I recognize that (which is why I mostly applied to MTS programs) however I assumed the "religion and the academy" track to be the exception. From BU: "This track is especially appropriate for students in any academic discipline who are seeking to pursue doctoral studies..." -- The Rel and the Academy requires 7 courses that could be considered "non-academic" including 2 History of Christianity with an apologetic focus, 1 Practicing Faith course, 2 Leadership courses, and 2 fieldwork courses. As of right now, that simply seems to outweigh the advantages of staying an extra year so I am leaning towards the MTS.

I have received two offers (shown below) that I am currently choosing between. I was hoping to find some advice about which program would be a better fit for my interests and aspirations. My interests primarily lie in New Testament and Theology / Philosophy of Religion (mostly religion and science). I have been particularly drawn to the work of NT Wright and the New Perspective. Note: I realize that I have a wide variety of interests. I am hoping to limit those down during my M*. I plan to pursue doctoral work after this M*. Therefore, my primary concern is which program would best prepare myself for that (and almost more importantly which program would open the most doors during doctoral applications). Boston College - MTS (2 year) -Funding: Full (and potentially a GA position as a research assistant) Boston University - MDiv (3 years) - Religion and the Academy -Funding: Full (and a small housing stipend) Luckily, a lot of the factors worth considering are similar between each program. Same city. Same funding. From my perspective, the major deciding factor is the program. The MTS would be quicker and more direct (less fluff classes to stomach) while the MDiv would allow for more time to learn languages and build up a CV. Questions: Which program would prepare myself better for graduate work? Are they roughly similar or is one substantially stronger than the other? What are the general (academic) reputation of each school? Unfortunately, public opinion matters when my future relies on getting people to notice me. In terms of doctoral applications, which would be a stronger name on my resume? Would the MDiv be looked down upon by doctoral adcoms? Even considering the intent (the religion and the academy track)? Also, if there are any students here from either program I would love to hear what you have to say. Feel free to PM me.