From time to time on this blog I mention the King’s Evangelical Divinity School, an institution that has provided me with much support and theological succor over the years. You will perhaps recognise it by its former name “Midlands Bible College”.
The School provides an excellent and comprehensive undergraduate programme in Biblical Hermeneutics, with exit points allowing students to graduate either with a full B.Th, a Diploma, or a Certificate in Theology badged with “Biblical Hermeneutics”. The school is fully accredited, well organised and represents excellent value for money. As I look back over my few years of association with the college, I think it is amazing how quickly the college has embraced new technologies allowing electronic delivery of teaching and assessment, without compromising academic standards. I believe the college are now stand at the forefront of the e-learning movement within theological education and they are likely paradigmatic of what other colleges would like to achieve with their distance learning programmes.
You might have guessed that I’m trying to wax lyrical about the college, but I also want to draw attention to their two new programmes: The MA in Evangelical Theology and their PhD programme. If they are anything like as well organised as their undergraduate programmes, they will represent both superb learning experience and value for money.
I respect King’s for pinning their Evangelical credentials to the mast in such an unambiguous way. Despite this, I’ve never felt any pressure to “toe the line” on specific matters of doctrine – occasionally I’ve dialogued with students and staff, but I’ve always been struck by how well-reasoned and structured their responses have been, even in matters of disagreement. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why I continue to find Evangelicalism attractive. I’ve never been penalised for being “in journey” – I once submitted an exegetical paper that strongly argued for a replacementist view of Israel, against the College’s position, and I received a first class grading. I really would encourage anybody who is thinking of enrolling at King’s to do so.
