Warfield on the Religious Life of Seminary Students

I grew up in an evangelical culture in which many depreciated the life of the mind, pitting “head knowledge” against “heart knowledge.” Those of us drawn to apologetics (a healthy and flourishing element in many of these same churches), found ourselves up against the accusation that striving to defend the faith or study Christian doctrine was the quest for “head knowledge,” allegedly connected to the sin of pride. It was charged that such an emphasis inevitably led to to “dead faith” and a cold heart. I recall a noted evangelical pastor laughing at those who went to “cemetery” (using a rather feeble bit of word-play to mock “seminary”). Of course, he was not theologically trained and this is often evident in his teaching and preaching.

When I first encountered B. B. Warfield’s tract, “On the Religious Life of Theological Students,” first published in 1911, I was greatly relieved that someone of much greater intellect and stature than I made a compelling case for uniting mind and heart. Prayer and theological study go hand in hand, or they should. This was required reading at Westminster Seminary California when I was a student and still is.

But this tract is not just for seminary students—although that is the primary audience. All Christians who love to read and study theology ought to give it a careful read. It can be found here: The Religious Life of Theological Students.

Here are a few brief excerpts, but please read it in its entirety.

The Purpose of a Seminary

The importance of the intellectual preparation of the student for the ministry is the reason of the existence of our Theological Seminaries. Say what you will, do what you will, the ministry is a "learned profession"; and the man without learning, no matter with what other gifts he may be endowed, is unfit for its duties. But learning, though indispensable, is not the most indispensable thing for a minister. "Apt to teach"—yes, the ministry must be "apt to teach"; and observe that what I say—or rather what Paul says—is "apt to teach." Not apt merely to exhort, to beseech, to appeal, to entreat; nor even merely, to testify, to bear witness; but to teach. And teaching implies knowledge: he who teaches must know.

The Importance of Ministerial Education and Personal Piety

It is only one of a long list of requirements which Paul lays down as necessary to meet in him who aspires to this high office. And all the rest concern, not his intellectual, but his spiritual fitness. A minister must be learned, on pain of being utterly incompetent for his work. But before and above being learned, a minister must be godly.

Nothing could be more fatal, however, than to set these two things over against one another. Recruiting officers do not dispute whether it is better for soldiers to have a right leg or a left leg: soldiers should have both legs. Sometimes we hear it said that ten minutes on your knees will give you a truer, deeper, more operative knowledge of God than ten hours over your books. "What!" is the appropriate response, "than ten hours over your books, on your knees?" Why should you turn from God when you turn to your books, or feel that you must turn from your books in order to turn to God? If learning and devotion are as antagonistic as that, then the intellectual life is in itself accursed, and there can be no question of a religious life for a student, even of theology. The mere fact that he is a student inhibits religion for him.

Head and Heart not Head or Heart

You are students of theology; and, just because you are students of theology, it is understood that you are religious men—especially religious men, to whom the cultivation of your religious life is a matter of the profoundest concern—of such concern that you will wish above all things to be warned of the dangers that may assail your religious life, and be pointed to the means by which you may strengthen and enlarge it. In your case there can be no "either—or" here—either a student or a man of God. You must be both.

A Danger of Which Those Who Study Theology Ought to Be Aware

There is certainly something wrong with the religious life of a theological student who does not study. But it does not quite follow that therefore everything is right with his religious life if he does study. It is possible to study—even to study theology—in an entirely secular spirit.

The Christian Must Be in Church—Especially Those Who Love and Are Devoted to Studying the Bible and Or Doctrine!

No man can withdraw himself from the stated religious services of the community of which he is a member, without serious injury to his personal religious life. It is not without significance that the apostolic writer couples together the exhortations, "to hold fast the confession of our hope, that it waver not," and "to forsake not the assembling of ourselves together." When he commands us not to forsake "the assembling of ourselves together," he has in mind, as the term he employs shows, the stated, formal assemblages of the community, and means to lay upon the hearts and consciences of his readers their duty to the church of which they are the supports, as well as their duty to themselves

I hope this whetted your whistle. If it has, be sure to read the entire essay.