Ph.D.  ?

Doctor of
Phatherhood

Personal Philosophy of Education (46 pages - long download, Word Doc)

© 1999 UnDr. Sid Galloway (Nope, I'm not a Dr.)
With Linda Galloway (Steven, Kathleen, Amy, Michael, Lisa, David)
Updated May 2003
Contact

Matthew 23:6-12 [Jesus said:] 
"They love the . . . best seats in the synagogues,  . . . and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi. [Doctor, Doctor]’ But you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’ [Doctor]; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren.  Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.  And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ.  But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

What about earning a real Ph.D.?

Working hard to get a legitimate, academic degree, when necessary, is honorable before our Heavenly Father, but be sure you don't neglect your family in the process.  There are far too many busy & "successful" ministers out there,  who have failed as fathers.   God in His grace allowed me lots of time to study, so I made A's in a genuinely accredited M.Div. degree program and then entered a legitimate doctoral program in counseling.  Soon, however, I resigned from that doctoral program, in part to avoid becoming an "absent" father to my children.  Later, a number of jobs were offered with packages that would pay my way through a legitimate Ph.D. program.  But my responsibility to be "present" with my family, so that I could adequately "socialize" my six children into the image of our Father's character, (especially in light of my middle son's heart condition), overshadowed the benefits of such job offers.  I don't regret my decision to merely pursue a Doctor of Phatherhood, and the resulting sweet fruit of family fulfillment, that has grown deeper over the years, is more than worth it.

What about Phony Doctorates?

Sadly today, some "Christian" programs are not only claiming to offer biblical counseling Ph.Ds, but also other kinds of doctorates which are not legitimate degrees according to accepted standards.  The lettering "Ph.D." in anything called "biblical" is a nomenclature that implies a research degree, through which the individual has mastered both Greek and Hebrew and often at least one other non-birth, research language (German, French, etc.).  Additionally, the rigor of the program is known to be equivalent to a 30-40 hour/week job for the length of the program. A graduate of a true biblical Ph.D. should be qualified to teach in any university, seminary, or graduate school of theology.

[Click here to see the rigorous requirements for examples of legitimate Ph.D. programs: 

1.  Southern Baptist Theological Seminary - Louisville, KY
2.  Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary - Fort Worth, TX
3.  Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary - Wake Forest, NC

While some of these counseling programs are not yet as "biblical" as they could be, their Ph.D. graduates in biblical subjects are masters of the Hebrew and Greek, and are therefore capable of studying God's Word at the deepest level.]

   It would be a better reflection of integrity, if the "non-traditional", Christian schools  used a different nomenclature such as a D.B.C. (Doctor of Biblical Counseling), or simply a D.Min., so that they do not create the appearance of fraud.  Even some secular universities are more careful to maintain integrity and avoid such misrepresentation. They use, for example, a Psy.D. for those counselors who are unwilling or unable to work through the rigor of an academic, research Ph.D. program.  I don't recommend anyone get a secular degree in counseling, so my mention of the Psy.D. degree is merely to illustrate the need to make clear distinctions, for the sake of integrity and God's honor.

(** Please note, however, that even if a doctorate is called a "Doctor of Biblical Counseling", it should have a level of requirements and rigor that justify it being called a doctorate.   It grieves my heart that many of these types of programs are actually not even equivalent to bachelor or master's level degrees.)

Financial influence, as well as the fleshly desire for titles of esteem, seem to have resulted in a dangerous level of corruption, compromise, and a lack of integrity among much of modern "Christianity", including some institutions and individuals within the "biblical counseling" field.  Dishonor of our Lord Jesus, barriers that cause others to stumble, and a loss of heavenly reward for those involved will be the inevitable consequences, if the Body of Christ fails to confront and change this deceptive and destructive trend.  For some biblical counselors to call themselves, "Dr." Counselor, without making it clear that their "doctorate" did not require the languages, rigor, and research of universally accepted, academic and professional doctorates is unethical at best, and dishonest at its worst.  Most such counselors know that counselees seeking help are looking for "experts" in counseling.  People automatically assume that "Dr" means the same, regardless of where and how it was received.  So people are more inclined to seek counsel, and "pay" for it, if the counselor is a "Dr".  But is this the way of Jesus, to get titles and degrees, that pretend to be what they really are not?  Is this really trusting our Father to reach those who have ears to hear, through us, like he did with first century fisherman, etc.?

For many years I was contacted by schools offering false Ph.D.s, some offering me a position to teach through their "schools", and promising to further reduce their already minimal degree requirements, because of my years of experience.  The temptation to pursue the path of "Competition of the Coolest" and get a quick "Ph.D." after my name was difficult to reject.  But by God's grace and His sovereign orchestration of circumstances, my conscience was convicted that to get a pseudo-PhD would be wrong.  

Many of the men who have sought after Phony Doctorates have wonderful counseling skills and great personal knowledge of our Father's Word, and did not need the little letters after their name to make them better counselors.  And if they did want more training to become more effective, there are many excellent training programs that do not falsely claim to offer PhDs.  The Master's College, for example, is a great testimony of academic integrity, offering degrees that carry a strong reputation for biblical content and rigorous study.   Please be especially wary of pursuing one of the many false Ph.D.s and other illegitimate degrees being offered today.  Please don't let the enemy deceive you.  The esteem of men can never replace our Father's Words: "Well done, thou good and faithful servant"!  Even worse is the fact that a pseudo Ph.D. will backfire on you and on God's honor, when people discover that the training behind your degree was not that of a genuine doctorate.  Can you imagine what folks would think if a school offered an M.D. (Doctor of Medicine), yet the training given was only equivalent to a good nursing school.  Oh, but some would say, "It really does teach some good medical truths and skills".   Yes, but the medical facts and skills are not worthy of being called an M.D.!  That is the same as a seminary offering a Ph.D. in a "biblical" subject, yet the students are not required to master Greek and Hebrew.   The letters "Ph.D." were intended to be used to signify a clear difference from lesser degrees like a D.Min (Doctor of Ministry) or an M.Div. (Master of Divinity), etc..  

Please think about it.  Why would someone go and get such a pseudo Ph.D., instead of a genuine Ph.D. requiring the languages, or even instead of a legitimate D.Min. or M.A. or M.Div. in biblical counseling with good and solidly biblical content?  The most common answer I have heard so far is that it increases the esteem they get from other people, when those people assume that their knowledge is that of a real Ph.D. (supposedly able to know and study Scripture using the original languages).  I realize that it is possible that some people are being misled by the offer of an opportunity to enter a program that seems to have a more biblical content, is less difficult, and still provides the title of Ph.D..  Maybe they never took the time to investigate the facts regarding academic standards, and/or have never thought through the far reaching implications that such a non-standard, false Ph.D. would have - not only on their own reputation, but for the integrity of the counseling movement in general.  The greatest responsibility for this trend is on the shoulders of the institutions who promote such programs as if they meet true Ph.D. standards.  Some of these institutions even claim to be "accredited", yet the accrediting agencies they refer to are also often phony, having been set up for the sole purpose of giving the appearance of credibility to substandard degree programs.

I have great respect for men like Dr. Wayne Grudem, Dr. Peter Jones, Dr. Gleason Archer, and others who have genuine Ph.D.s in Scripture.  And I hope that as time unfolds, many "biblical counselors" will invest the time and work to become masters of the biblical languages and ultimately earn legitimate Ph.D.s, truly representing the highest level of knowledge and capability in the field.  But if we don't stop the popular trend toward pseudo Ph.D.s, then degrees and their lettering will become meaningless at best, and destructive to the movement of biblical counseling at worst.

Accreditation?
By the way, the question of accreditation is not so crucial unless you intend to teach in an accredited school later on.  A school does not have to be accredited in order to be worth your time, effort, and money. A non-accredited school can still offer a solid Scriptural and practical program of study. But be sure their choice of lettering for their degrees is considered legitimate by respected, conservative theological institutions.  Otherwise, the degree will ultimately dishonor our Lord Jesus and our Heavenly Father in the eyes of all those who know better.

Study to show yourself approved by God!
As the World turns toward global governance, its climate is becoming increasingly anti-biblical.  Therefore, we must be even more careful to demonstrate integrity in all that we do.  The age-old, new age worldview of self-deification, that I once followed, back when I was a zookeeper, is now becoming the dominant driving force, beneath every major cultural institution.  That pantheistic, evolutionary worldview, glorified in TV shows like "Survivors" and "Weakest Link", is selfish competition (both subtle and not so subtle) that leads to violence, pain, fear, suffering, and death.  Its influence is widespread, affecting education (even some homeschool science curriculums), movies, TV, and politics.  So often, the ministerial competition for degrees, titles, and positions, is merely a manifestation of the same fleshly root, the Way of the World, rather than God's Way Home, the Way of the Son, the Way of the Cross (Luke 9:23-26).  

Like spiritual osmosis, these and other insidious beliefs and practices are soaking into even "conservative" churches, through psychotherapeutic theories, some Sunday School materials, "Christian" counseling books, tapes, and sermons.  The good news is that our Father's Word is a powerful weapon, able to slice away the veil of deception and rescue those who are held captive in the ropes of psycho-philosophical bondage (Col 1:27-2:10).  Please remember folks, that the battle to rescue souls begins at home, through Family-Discipleship, with your own little lambs.  

Pastors, you are the elder brothers representing our Father's delegated authority over His family, the church.  Are your families being equipped to stand and grow in the face of modern pressures?  Are they growing in the unique character of Christ's cooperative love, joy, and peace?  Are your families learning to walk in the ranks, roles, and responsibilities designed by God for His glory?

Men, are you attempting to hold one another accountable as husbands & fathers?   Do you know how to disciple your wife, to wash her with the water of the Word (Eph 5).  Are you taking time to disciple her and each of your children personally?  Do they understand the importance of following you as you follow Jesus?  

Ladies, do you know how to support your husband practically and effectively for God's glory?  Are you his cheerleader, or his "coach"?  (Other men in your church should be his accountability partners, not you.).  Is the personal training of each of your children one of your top priorities?  Are the ladies in your church attempting to practice a Titus 2 ministry of mutual accountability?

 

 

 

 

 

(Please see our article on the error of charging fees for biblical counseling, and for more details of our family's personal decisions in light of the current concerns, please see our "Soulcare Update" article.)