Princeton Seminary VS Yale Divinity

[medieviophile]

I have been accepted into the M.Div programs at both Princeton Theological Seminary and Yale Divinity School, but I am having a difficult time finding out which school has better a placement rate for graduates pursuing a PhD program- specifically in Church History or Historical Theology. My plan beyond an M.Div (as of now) is to study the intellectual and cultural interactions between Christianity and Islam in the Middle Ages. While neither of these schools seem very strong in medieval studies specifically, My hope is to study theology in a broader context, both historically and practically, before focusing my studies on a specific period in a PhD program later on.

Besides pastoral ministry, Yale seems to have a stronger focus on contemporary/global strains of theological study, and Princeton seems to have a stronger focus on its Reformed/Presbyterian roots. Thus, the slightly more historical focus seems to make Princeton a better fit for me, but I would like to see what others think. Thank you for your time and any advice you may have.

By the way, I am still waiting to hear back from Fordham, which might complicate my decision.

[miotch2003]

I have been accepted into the M.Div programs at both Princeton Theological Seminary and Yale Divinity School, but I am having a difficult time finding out which school has better a placement rate for graduates pursuing a PhD program- specifically in Church History or Historical Theology. My plan beyond an M.Div (as of now) is to study the intellectual and cultural interactions between Christianity and Islam in the Middle Ages. While neither of these schools seem very strong in medieval studies specifically, My hope is to study theology in a broader context, both historically and practically, before focusing my studies on a specific period in a PhD program later on.

Besides pastoral ministry, Yale seems to have a stronger focus on contemporary/global strains of theological study, and Princeton seems to have a stronger focus on its Reformed/Presbyterian roots. Thus, the slightly more historical focus seems to make Princeton a better fit for me, but I would like to see what others think. Thank you for your time and any advice you may have.

By the way, I am still waiting to hear back from Fordham, which might complicate my decision.

If you are looking for scholars that will help you with your ultimate interest (medieval Islam and Christianity), I would go with Yale over Princeton. Yale has Denys Turner and John Hare who respectively cover the bases of the Dominican and Franciscan theological traditions. Indeed, Turner is an accomplished scholar on Aquinas, who as you know, was one of the first theologians to really engage with the Arab commentators. Anyway, just my two cents. Fordham is great, but it might not look as good for PHD apps.