Why I chose a Master's in Theology over an MBA
Clearly, the world needs new ways of thinking and acting. As we confront the challenges of climate change, emergent authoritarianism, income inequality, and a crisis of access to housing and healthcare, our global community can no longer operate with yesterday's frameworks, models, and thought patterns.
Four years ago, I decided to take a vocational risk. At a time that many of my colleagues were applying for business programs at Michigan and Wisconsin, I enrolled in a master's in theology program at Luther Seminary in St. Paul (their Minnesota campus is beautiful, and frigid, in early January). I was (and am) interested in everything an MBA has to offer, but I felt I could learn management, finance, and administration through experiences outside of the classroom.
I wanted instead to develop a flexible yet grounded framework for effective leadership that could sufficiently balance the need for results with the imperative to serve the neighbor. When I applied to Luther Seminary, it was out of a desire to deepen my ability to think ethically and act meaningfully on contemporary challenges. While it was certainly the road less traveled, I knew I would learn to challenge the assumptions about how our society, and its organizations, must operate.
As a part-time student, I have balanced graduate coursework with full-time employment in the technology industry. At first, the confluence of theology and software might seem peculiar, given how many of my classmates will go into full-time employment in the church - and how few of my co-workers go to church! But I have found my studies in mission development, ethical reflection, social justice, and servant leadership to be an ideal fit for the technology industry's pace of innovation. Given the rate of change I have experienced at companies like Google and Zendesk, I have found tech firms to be completely amenable to new ways of thinking, processing, and acting. The industry has a strong commitment to social justice, diversity, and inclusion - topics covered extensively at Luther Seminary.
I have found theological thinking (long thought to be the domain of the church) to be remarkably useful in secular settings like the tech industry because of its ability to pull new voices into the conversation, challenge conventional points of view, and hold decisions up to ethical standards.
As a way of thinking and being, theology is not confined to the practice of religion. It is thought is not merely concerned with The Bible, though it often brings the moral arc of scripture and its narratives on justice into the dialogue. It is never reducible to vague platitudes like "What Would Jesus Do?" or "What is God Doing?" - though such questions might be useful in specific contexts. And it is not constricted to denominational boundaries - though theology is often done by those who come from a particular spiritual social location.
Instead, theology is concerned with reflecting on what is happening, holding it up to a higher standard, considering what ought to be happening, and charting a course of action. To think theologically is to contemplate, then to act - to carefully consider, then to decide.
When we do theology, we are uncovering biases, scrutinizing inferences, and speaking truth to power. We are also reflecting on the voices that have been left out of the conversation - and how we might listen more intently to their perspective.
Theologians ground our thought processes based on what is normative (what should be happening) and what is pragmatic (what could be happening). By doing so, we perpetually press "pause" on the world around us to ensure our organizations' actions originate from a deep place of love and service, as opposed to a desire for unmitigated productivity. We carefully scrutinize - then we get stuff done. Theology is, in many ways, the antithesis of gut-reactions, automatic thought processes, and hasty choices made with a short-term outlook. It is perhaps one of the few methods for challenging the ills of a consumerist society, without rejecting that which remains intrinsically valuable within it.
A master's in theology is not for everyone. When I graduate this May, I won't be getting a lucrative job offer from a major consulting firm (I'm actually quite content working as a learning and development professional at Zendesk). But I will be equipped with an original toolkit for leadership that is applicable in all types of organizations, yet novel to typical business practice.
In four upcoming blog posts, I'll go deeper into the application of theological thinking to the business world. We'll loosely follow Rick Osmer's practical theological framework as a guide, considering what it means to think empirically, interpretively, normatively, and pragmatically - but in a secular context.
The world is crying out for new ways of being. You don't need a master's degree to think theologically - you simply need a willingness to innovate. Theological reflection in the cultural mainstream is a bold experiment for unconventional leaders called to serve, committed to results, and determined to make a difference.
@ryanpanzer will graduate from Luther Seminary in May 2019. He works at Zendesk, designing learning, coaching, and leadership development programs. He thought you might enjoy a blog post that doesn't mention Donald Trump.
Four years ago, I decided to take a vocational risk. At a time that many of my colleagues were applying for business programs at Michigan and Wisconsin, I enrolled in a master's in theology program at Luther Seminary in St. Paul (their Minnesota campus is beautiful, and frigid, in early January). I was (and am) interested in everything an MBA has to offer, but I felt I could learn management, finance, and administration through experiences outside of the classroom.
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| This building is haunted. I kid you not. |
As a part-time student, I have balanced graduate coursework with full-time employment in the technology industry. At first, the confluence of theology and software might seem peculiar, given how many of my classmates will go into full-time employment in the church - and how few of my co-workers go to church! But I have found my studies in mission development, ethical reflection, social justice, and servant leadership to be an ideal fit for the technology industry's pace of innovation. Given the rate of change I have experienced at companies like Google and Zendesk, I have found tech firms to be completely amenable to new ways of thinking, processing, and acting. The industry has a strong commitment to social justice, diversity, and inclusion - topics covered extensively at Luther Seminary.
I have found theological thinking (long thought to be the domain of the church) to be remarkably useful in secular settings like the tech industry because of its ability to pull new voices into the conversation, challenge conventional points of view, and hold decisions up to ethical standards.
As a way of thinking and being, theology is not confined to the practice of religion. It is thought is not merely concerned with The Bible, though it often brings the moral arc of scripture and its narratives on justice into the dialogue. It is never reducible to vague platitudes like "What Would Jesus Do?" or "What is God Doing?" - though such questions might be useful in specific contexts. And it is not constricted to denominational boundaries - though theology is often done by those who come from a particular spiritual social location.
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| Beer and theology make a great pairing. |
When we do theology, we are uncovering biases, scrutinizing inferences, and speaking truth to power. We are also reflecting on the voices that have been left out of the conversation - and how we might listen more intently to their perspective.
Theologians ground our thought processes based on what is normative (what should be happening) and what is pragmatic (what could be happening). By doing so, we perpetually press "pause" on the world around us to ensure our organizations' actions originate from a deep place of love and service, as opposed to a desire for unmitigated productivity. We carefully scrutinize - then we get stuff done. Theology is, in many ways, the antithesis of gut-reactions, automatic thought processes, and hasty choices made with a short-term outlook. It is perhaps one of the few methods for challenging the ills of a consumerist society, without rejecting that which remains intrinsically valuable within it.
A master's in theology is not for everyone. When I graduate this May, I won't be getting a lucrative job offer from a major consulting firm (I'm actually quite content working as a learning and development professional at Zendesk). But I will be equipped with an original toolkit for leadership that is applicable in all types of organizations, yet novel to typical business practice.
In four upcoming blog posts, I'll go deeper into the application of theological thinking to the business world. We'll loosely follow Rick Osmer's practical theological framework as a guide, considering what it means to think empirically, interpretively, normatively, and pragmatically - but in a secular context.
The world is crying out for new ways of being. You don't need a master's degree to think theologically - you simply need a willingness to innovate. Theological reflection in the cultural mainstream is a bold experiment for unconventional leaders called to serve, committed to results, and determined to make a difference.
@ryanpanzer will graduate from Luther Seminary in May 2019. He works at Zendesk, designing learning, coaching, and leadership development programs. He thought you might enjoy a blog post that doesn't mention Donald Trump.
You read my mind! When I first saw the title, I thought, 'Ryan should do a mini series on theology in daily life.'
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great post. I'm thinking the same, am currently enrolled part-time in a MA in theology & ministry while working in consultancy.
ReplyDelete