Candler School of Theology (Emory)

[slicer765]

I was wondering if anyone had any insight on Candler School of Theology (Emory University)? I've been accepted into the M.Div. program there with full funding, but I've also been accepted into a couple of other schools that I know are more well-known. While funding is a significant piece of the puzzle in deciding where to attend, I don't want to go someplace just because they're offering me 100% tuition, especially when I've received slightly less but comparable financial aid at a couple of other schools.

I've done a bit of research on Candler, but I can't seem to find a whole lot of specific information on it. Answers to the following questions would be helpful:

1.) Is Candler a reputable school? Would a degree from Candler hold the same weight as a degree from someplace like Duke Divinity or Princeton Seminary?

2.) Would an M.Div. from Candler prepare and set me up well for Ph.D work later on down the road?

3.) Is connecting with professors and networking at Candler relatively easy or challenging?

4.) Anything about Candler that could a drawback or any red flags?

Any thoughts?

[True_hope]

I don't like to make any comment on the specific school in public space. But I will make a small note for you, if you need any other personal opinion, will make it. Please DM me. Candler is a good school comparison to other divinity schools which are usually related to the prestigious university such as Harvard, Yale, Chicago, Duke, Vanderbilt, etc. Basically, Candler was based on United Methodist Tradition, so you should have to consider it when you compares it with Princeton Seminary (PCUSA tradition).   

 

[exegete]

I'm a Candler alum (though I went for the MTS, not the MDiv), and I'm currently in a PhD program. I absolutely had a positive experience at Candler overall! In terms of your specific questions:

1. I think Candler is considered quite reputable. As far as I can tell, it would be on the same level as Duke Divinity and PTS.

2. As I said, my degree was an MTS, but I know of at least as many MDiv colleagues who have been admitted to PhD programs (multiple folks each year, I think). While there are a number of required courses, there is also considerable flexibility in Candler's MDiv that enables one to focus on a specific area in preparation for PhD applications. You'd want to take a class or two from Emory's GDR (Graduate Division of Religion).

3. Faculty at Candler are generally approachable, so you should be able to connect with professors fairly easily. I felt like I didn't get great mentoring from my advisor in terms of the PhD admissions process, but that was largely because he and I just didn't connect well on a personal level. A number of folks I know felt that they got excellent mentoring, as they describe in this blog post: https://candler.emory.edu/news/blog/2018/06/for-phd-bound-grads-faculty-mentors-matter.html

4. I can't think of any red flags or things I would warn people about, other than I might not recommend going to Candler at the moment for someone who's particular interest is New Testament (my field), as some prominent NT faculty members recently retired.

Feel free to shoot me a PM if you want to chat further about Candler.

[Biblica Studious]

Emory is a fantastic place to go to seminary. While it might not have the same brand recognition among folks outside academia as a Harvard Div or Princeton Seminary (which isn't actually a part of Princeton University, but again, folks outside academia tend not to know that), those within the guilds of theology and biblical studies certainly know and respect the work going on at Candler. Basically, you might have to explain to your mom why Candler is a big deal, but an admissions committee is going to know right away that Candler is a big deal. 

An MDiv from Candler will absolutely set you up for PhD work in the future. I want to qualify @exegete's comment above by noting that while Candler saw a few NT retirements recently, Musa Dube is moving into the NT dept this fall, which is a VERY big get for the school. Emory also brought in two new Hebrew Bible faculty this past fall, both of whom are doing great work. (Emory is, by my lights, the best place to be studying Hebrew Bible, fwiw).

Edited April 1, 2021 by Biblica Studious

[exegete]

1 hour ago, Biblica Studious said:

I want to qualify @exegete's comment above by noting that while Candler saw a few NT retirements recently, Musa Dube is moving into the NT dept this fall, which is a VERY big get for the school.

This is a good point. My comments were based on hearing from friends that course offerings in NT have been quite limited the past couple years due to a convergence of retirements, sabbaticals, etc. But I expect that will change. Musa Dube is a fantastic hire and should be a big draw to Emory, particularly for someone interested in NT and postcolonialism.