A Letter from Robert About His PhD Program
Members and friends of TCPC,
As I alluded to in my sermon on Sunday, I recently traveled to England for an admissions interview into doctoral studies. I passed that interview, have been officially accepted as a doctoral candidate, and will be spending the next five years in pursuit of a PhD. Now that it is official, I thought it important to answer some questions you may be asking:
Why am I pursuing a PhD?
This is the most common question I’m receiving, understandably so. While it is not uncommon for pastors to pursue a DMin (Doctor of Ministry), a PhD is an unconventional pursuit for good reason. A DMin is applying existing research to the field of ministry, while a PhD is contributing new research to the field of knowledge. While a DMin is undoubtedly a legitimate degree, it does not require the rigors and time commitment a PhD demands. Therefore, most pastors understandably opt for a DMin. So why am I choosing the more unconventional path? I believe it fits my unconventional calling.
As many of you know, my job description primarily focuses on our TCPC community but secondarily extends into the broader realms of public thought and cultural engagement, and I am incredibly thankful for a church that celebrates this unique passion God has given me. It is this part of my calling I believe will uniquely benefit from a PhD.
In 1994, Mark Noll published The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind, an award-winning critique of evangelical’s intellectual history. Noll demonstrates a pervasive anti-intellectualism within evangelical culture that has handicapped evangelical influence throughout the broader culture. I agree with Noll’s conclusions. While I agree there is a subtle marginalization of the evangelical perspective within the arena of public thought, evangelicals must humbly consider whether we are actually producing credible thought leaders for public consideration.
A PhD offers the highest level of development in thought, research, and writing; therefore, if my goal is to be used by God in the greater culture, then the training and credibility only a PhD provides is the next step.
Additionally, I’m just excited about the opportunity! This has been a dream of mine for several years, and again, I’m very thankful for a church that empowers their pastors to pursue their passions.
Where will I be attending?
I will be studying at the University of Leicester in England. To maintain my full-time responsibilities at TCPC, an American university was not an option as their doctoral programs require years of classwork before embarking on a dissertation. The British model, however, is all sink or swim on the dissertation.
Leicester is certainly not Oxford or Cambridge, but it is a highly regarded university in the UK (my program is ranked 17th in the UK and 49th in the world). Most importantly for my situation, out of all the leading UK universities, Leicester is the most accommodating for distance learning. Nearly all my supervised meetings will be via zoom, and I will only be required to visit once per year.
However, the most attractive feature of Leicester is my supervisor, Dr. John Coffey. Dr. Coffey is a renowned scholar in my area of interest—the influence of religion on culture and politics in American history. Beyond his academic expertise, he is a fellow Christian and incredibly enjoyable to work with. I am very humbled and grateful that Dr. Coffey has agreed to supervise my project.
What will I be studying?
I will be researching the life and work of American founder Elias Boudinot. Boudinot was President of the Continental Congress when the peace treaty with Britain was signed; thus, a common “gotcha” trivia is that Boudinot, not Washington, is actually our first president. Speaking of Washington, Boudinot was one of his most trusted allies, accepting two appointments at Washington’s request: Commissary General of Prisoners of War during the Revolution and Director of the United States Mint. He was very active in the newly formed House of Representatives, serving on 41 congressional committees. He published several works, including The Age of Revelation, a significant response to Thomas Paine’s The Age of Reason. He was a trustee at Princeton for forty-nine years and founder of The American Bible Society. And perhaps most compelling was Boudinot’s tireless devotion to slavery’s abolition, the closest figure America has to Britain’s Wilberforce.
Yet despite these and many other contributions to the Revolution and Republic, Boudinot remains almost completely overlooked by historians. If, Lord willing, I can complete this project, I will be the world’s foremost expert on Boudinot. Only, don’t be impressed by that because I’ll be the only expert on Boudinot. That’s how neglected he is within American historical scholarship. The field on Boudinot is wide open, which makes my research very exciting, and I hope you will join in that excitement. Because of your support of this pursuit, an important story from history will be told for the first time!
Even more compelling is the commonality I find with Boudinot. He was a devout reformed Presbyterian who tirelessly contented for the Christian worldview in the public square. My research will not only tell his story but also the broader story of Christianity’s impact upon America’s founding era.
If you want to go deeper into my project, you can read my official proposal that was approved by Leicester: Providential Patriotism: The Life and Work of Elias Boudinot.
What will this mean for TCPC?
In short, not much. On average, one week per month and three additional weeks in the summer will be devoted to my doctoral studies. However, this is essentially the rhythm we have already been following as a staff. When my job description was changed to Pastor of Preaching and Vision, it was to make room for work such as this. Mark serves as Pastor of Congregational Care, and Will serves as Pastor of Ministries, creating the needed space for my unconventional responsibilities.
In fact, I have already been working on this project for over a year. Again, the British model does not have classwork to prepare you for your dissertation, so there is a lot of research on your own to formulate a proposal for acceptance. I have been working on that proposal at the same rate I will now be working on my dissertation. The only noticeable cost to the congregation will be in five years, as the session approved (if needed) a three-month research sabbatical to complete my dissertation. However, just as my recent sabbatical demonstrated, our staff is more than capable of leading our congregation during a season of my absence. I’m not sure that will be necessary, but if so, it will be five years from now.
One final note I want to make clear to our community: This is truly not a step toward a different career path. Returning from my sabbatical, I have never been more committed to my calling at TCPC, and I hope you will view this pursuit as a means toward that end. I believe God will use the training and credibility I receive over the next five years to further empower my role within TCPC’s greater vision. Simply put, this is a PhD for the glory of Christ and the good of the Bluegrass.
I am deeply grateful for your prodigious love and support and cannot imagine a better church to serve as pastor.
Humbly your debtor,
Robert