Seminary vs Religious Studies Professor Pay?

[coffeekid]

So, here comes a question about salary. I'll brace myself for the capitalist critique the best I can.

Does anyone here have a general sense about how salaries for professors in seminaries/divinity schools compare to straight up religious studies departments in liberal arts colleges or universities? I ask because I might accept an offer for a program that's really geared toward preparing people for work in seminaries, and not RS departments. It would be nice to have a rough idea if this is a downgrade in pay or not, but it's hard to find anything clear. I understand that there will be extremes in both settings. I'm mostly wondering about the average for both.

[Perique69]

Both salaries are pitiful, but I assume everyone knows that already.  No one ever does it "for the money," right?  Speaking to averages, it's usually a slight downgrade in pay to teach in seminaries. 

Edited March 25, 2013 by Perique69

[coffeekid]

Ha! Yes, I knew I couldn't avoid that. Of course I'm doing it for the passion, but I would like to eat, have insurance, and maybe even retire someday. So there's that.

That said, it doesn't make a huge difference to me about working in a seminary or a religious studies department, which is why I ask. Does anyone have any more specific points of reference?

[Balatro]

http://chronicle.com/article/Average-Faculty-Salaries-by/126586/

 

 

Philosophy and religious studies

 

Professor: $85,073

Assoc. Prof: $63,998

Asst. Prof:$53,598

New Asst. Prof: $52,270

Instructor: $43,579

 

Chronicle's source is the CUPA-HR

 

Even as an instructor this is enough to live comfortably - sure, you're not Bill Gates rich but you're in the wrong profession if that's the lifestyle you want.

Edited March 26, 2013 by Balatro

[Lux Lex Pax]

http://chronicle.com/article/Average-Faculty-Salaries-by/126586/

 

 

Philosophy and religious studies

 

Professor: $85,073

Assoc. Prof: $63,998

Asst. Prof:$53,598

New Asst. Prof: $52,270

Instructor: $43,579

 

Chronicle's source is the CUPA-HR

 

Even as an instructor this is enough to live comfortably - sure, you're not Bill Gates rich but you're in the wrong profession if that's the lifestyle you want.

Theology and religious vocations:

Prof $74,267

Associate $59,593

Assistant $52,241

New Assistant $50,620

Instructor $46,042

[HazelMotes]

That said, it doesn't make a huge difference to me about working in a seminary or a religious studies department

 

This makes absolutely no sense to me. 

 

I understand that the job market is horrible and most of us will just take what we can get, but how can it not make a difference to you? The two contexts have vastly different approaches and aims. I just don't understand how you have no preference. 

[coffeekid]

This makes absolutely no sense to me. 

 

I understand that the job market is horrible and most of us will just take what we can get, but how can it not make a difference to you? The two contexts have vastly different approaches and aims. I just don't understand how you have no preference. 

You know, that's a fair point, and I appreciate you challenging me on this. Perhaps I'll have to think about this more seriously in the coming years.

A lot of this has to do with my personal history. I'm deeply and personally religious, but don't come from a religious family; I have constantly been the incognito Christian in philosophy departments; I have been the heretic in conservative theological circles; I've been more traditional in a largely progressive divinity school. In short, I'm passionate about an honest and critical approach to sophisticated topics in religion, philosophy, and psychology. My experience has been that the setting (seminary vs divinity school vs religious studies department) has not had a particularly strong effect on the ability to do this well. I should definitely respect the fact that, especially in seminaries, particular theological and creedal commitments are taken very seriously. Personally, I do too. In an academic context, however, I mostly care that people are willing to think and communicate honestly. This is why I have a pretty flexible approach to an eventual teaching setting.

Now I'm curious to hear more about this! Perhaps I should start another thread, though. 

[sport1]

You know, that's a fair point, and I appreciate you challenging me on this. Perhaps I'll have to think about this more seriously in the coming years.

 

 

that was very gracious.

 

cheers,

s

[11Q13]

http://chronicle.com/article/Average-Faculty-Salaries-by/126586/

 

 

Philosophy and religious studies

 

Professor: $85,073

Assoc. Prof: $63,998

Asst. Prof:$53,598

New Asst. Prof: $52,270

Instructor: $43,579

 

Chronicle's source is the CUPA-HR

 

Even as an instructor this is enough to live comfortably - sure, you're not Bill Gates rich but you're in the wrong profession if that's the lifestyle you want.

 

wow, I actually had no idea it was that bad.

 

 

Frankly, a bigger concern for me would be collegiality, or, put differently, if your co-workers share similar values and/or religious background. This has been something I've really enjoyed about teaching (adjunct of course) at a Christian college. Then again, it is much harder to teach historical-critical method in a context where faith is presumed.

[xypathos]

Instructor pay seems high, or is there a difference between instructor and adjunct (say a PhD student)?

Edited March 26, 2013 by xypathos

[11Q13]

as an adjunct, I can tell you there is a huge difference

[Kuriakos]

This makes absolutely no sense to me. 

 

I understand that the job market is horrible and most of us will just take what we can get, but how can it not make a difference to you? The two contexts have vastly different approaches and aims. I just don't understand how you have no preference. 

 

I'm equally comfortable in both settings. It makes no difference to me. 

[Josh J.]

Instructor pay seems high, or is there a difference between instructor and adjunct (say a PhD student)?

My experience is that instructors don't have PhD's, are full time, but do not hold professor rank, while adjuncts may or may not hold the PhD and are part time or contract.

I've also had professors who don't hold PhD's. So, I think it really depends upon the institution.

[marXian]

This makes absolutely no sense to me. 

 

I understand that the job market is horrible and most of us will just take what we can get, but how can it not make a difference to you? The two contexts have vastly different approaches and aims. I just don't understand how you have no preference. 

 

Of course it makes a difference. But I think, as coffeekid has pointed out, someone with religious convictions who has a lot of experience working well in a secular setting could be comfortable in either setting because he/she knows the rules of the game, so to speak, in either context. I'm in the same boat: I have one MA from a public university, one from an evangelical seminary, and I'm currently in a secular religious studies department working on historical theology. There are pros and cons for both settings given one's own personality and convictions, but someone with experience in both could navigate either quite easily.

[Seatbelt Blue]

 I have constantly been the incognito Christian in philosophy departments; I have been the heretic in conservative theological circles; I've been more traditional in a largely progressive divinity school. In short, I'm passionate about an honest and critical approach to sophisticated topics in religion, philosophy, and psychology. My experience has been that the setting (seminary vs divinity school vs religious studies department) has not had a particularly strong effect on the ability to do this well. 

 

Me too, buddy. In seminary I was the bomb-throwing anarchist. When I withdrew from seminary, I suddenly became the most conservative person in my social circle.