Asbury Theological Seminary Reviews

"Asbury Theological Seminary is a bit geographically isolated for us city people who graduated from Universities, but provides a wonderful theological education with a very strong focus on spiritual formation which is seen in both the classroom and in the Chapel. I greatly appreciated the practical ministry ideas that professors in my courses would share. I learned more about pastoral ministry from my preaching professor with what he said in class and in the extra books that he encouraged us to read. At that time, the intro to pastoral ministry course greatly needed to be separated into two courses as it is now. I think having a required course on the spiritual life of the minister like we did back then was an idea that needs to be considered once again. I am very happy to see that basic Church History is no longer one 4 hour course, but now 2 three hour courses which focus on the global early church and the global modern church which was not done back then. I'm also glad to see a stronger Patristics department and I'm glad to have taken their one course when I was there. I hope having a stronger Patristics department has led to a focus on the influence that the Greek Church Fathers had on Wesley's theology and particularly his theology of sanctification. I was glad that ATS required NT Greek then, but was surprised they had a competency test even when one had taken 2 years of NT Greek in college. I am glad to see now the additional requirement of Hebrew. I was blessed to have attended ATS during the closing years of President Stanger's presidency. He was an outstanding president for that day. I believe Dr. Tennent is an outstanding President for this day with his global vision for the Church and his missionary heart. If I may be so bold, I would say he is the President Stanger for the 21st century at ATS. The cost of the seminary in the 1980s was not that bad, but now people are graduating with incredible debt. Our life as a community back then was awesome particularly as single students eating meals together. I do wonder if the increase in technology and changes in the buildings still has the sense of community that we had back then. I'm glad that I listened to my retired UMC pastor friend and attended ATS. He was a graduate of both Duke and Yale Schools of Divinity. He considered Duke Divinity School to be resting on its past reputation and did not even mention Yale. His perception was that ATS had matured a lot over the years and was the place to go. I'm very glad that I went and would encourage others to go there now."

"I went to Asbury to learn about God and the Bible, as one would expect. I wanted to grow my relationship with God. The program, however, is little about God or the Bible. Most of the textbooks are lacking, at best. Far-left propaganda replaces Bible teaching in many cases. No neutrality, much like any secular university. Classwork is mostly group busy work that you won't learn anything from at all. Please also be aware that there online systems are terrible. It is nearly impossible simply to submit a financial aid application, as there is always an error. The help desk is a joke. Their refund policy is terrible, as well. They are just ripping people off in the name of Christ. If you're not in a certain group of favored people, expect to be very lonely and unsupported, especially in times of trouble. Some of the instructors cannot even understand the simplest statements, even in research papers. They have a form of godliness, but there is little to be seen of the deep roots in God that Wesley established. I would suggest that anyone who cares about his or her relationship with God, education, and ministry pray very, very hard for guidance before attempting to attend Asbury. Let me save you thousands and thousands of dollars by giving you your Asbury education in a few words: Bible is mostly parables, evolution is real, political correctness overrules Bible doctrine in most cases, give to the poor, and condescendingly minister to those from various backgrounds (they don't say that, but that's how it feels). You don't need to go to seminary to hear such as that. There are some good instructors and some level of decent teachings at Asbury, as well, from time to time. This review is just an FYI."

"Asbury Theological Seminary (ATS) strives to create a welcoming atmosphere and do everything they can to help their students develop their unique vision and purpose. The one-day New Student Orientation included breakfast, lunch, and dinner, which took the edge off of facing the unknown. Their holistic approach to students' success has been the boon I needed for this grad school adventure. Being a nontraditional, returning student who is also working full-time, I appreciate the broad spectrum support from the ATS staff. From physical fitness to mentoring and spiritual formation, to counseling services and academic assistance, I am confident ATS will launch me into the next season of life as ready as I can be for my counseling career."

"I am currently in a master degree program - Master of Divinity to be specific. Asbury Theological Seminary is a place where the curriculum are structured to help engaged minds and hearts for productivity. To flesh that out a bit, it is a place of academic and spiritual formation. The Seminary prides in her diversity which reflects a global perspective. Asbury Alumni all over the world are favorably disposed toward social justice, good-neighbourliness, socio-economic equality and the likes."

"Asbury is a place you can call home. The professors are more like friends and your friends are as highly intellectual as your professors. Overall, an excellent place to receive higher education, both academically and spiritually."

"Along with a talented and knowledgeable faculty, Asbury has two of the top New Testament scholars in the world (Keener and Witherington). The staff is helpful with the details of campus life from the initial transition to finding the aid and resources one needs. The dorms are new and well thought out and there are new family units that help to foster community. The area is safe, though a bit isolated. I am glad to be a part of Asbury."

"Pros -small town, great community, small classes, lots of personal attention, low cost, authentic Christian community, fantastic ethos Cons-still not as competitive of other major Seminaries like Duke, SMU, or Fuller -- needs better customer service"

"I truly love AST. The sense of community and the quality of education is fantastic."

"Pros: ATS does an outstanding job of hiring highly qualified and caring professors. I believe one of the qualities that makes ATS stand out amongst all other seminaries is the faculty's investment in the lives of their students. Class variety is also exceptional at ATS. Degree programs Cons: Financial cost. Many students enter and leave with debt."

"Asbury Theological Seminary's MA in Biblical Studies is a top notch academic program. The community provided by the seminary campus makes the graduate school experience one of a kind. Asbury is, unfortunately, quite stingy with financial aid. The surrounding area, also, is a very, very small town; a 30 minute drive is required to get to a medium sized city."