Philosophy of Education
Our purpose statement reads, “Capital Seminary & Graduate School exists to prepare graduate and post-graduate students for advanced ministry opportunities by offering educational programs that integrate a biblical worldview with theory and practice.”
The key elements of Capital Seminary & Graduate School’s philosophy of education include:
- Educational programs characterized by rigor and relevance
- Faculty who live according to a biblical worldview and use it to flavor their teaching
- Theory based on current research that drives the education and provides for future learning
- Practical experience that brings life and meaning to the classroom experience
- Students with a vision to be engaged in faith-based service
Ezra, the Old Testament Scribe, can serve as our mentor. Upon returning to Israel with a group of exiles in the sixth century BC, the Scriptures declare that Ezra “devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel” (Ezra 7:10). In this same way we desire our students to master the content, to be changed by concepts being learned, and then to use the material in their work and ministries.
This process of knowing, being , and doing is embedded in our philosophy of teaching and learning that impacts all areas, including the professor, student, learning environment, and course content.
Faculty members become more like mentors and colleagues in the learning process, instead of the authoritative informational reservoir. They become caring friends who model the content in their personal walk of faith. The Capital Seminary & Graduate School student is viewed as a self-directed adult, who brings to the classroom community a wide variety of life experiences, making him or her a rich resource for learning. Therefore, the Capital Seminary & Graduate School learning environment is less dependent on one-way transmittal techniques, but emphasizes interactive methods that tap the experiences of the learner. The classroom becomes an educational workshop to systematize, evaluate, and apply the content in order to impact hearts and sharpen ministry skills. In so doing, the learners “own” the learning processes with the professor.