A Bible college, sometimes referred to as a Bible institute or theological institute, is an

evangelical Christian Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being " born again", in which an individual expe ...

Restoration Movement The Restoration Movement (also known as the American Restoration Movement or the Stone–Campbell Movement, and pejoratively as Campbellism) is a Christian movement that began on the United States frontier during the Second Great Awakening (17 ...

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι� ...

institution of

higher education Higher education is tertiary education leading to award of an academic degree. Higher education, also called post-secondary education, third-level or tertiary education, is an optional final stage of formal learning that occurs after compl ...

which prepares students for

Christian ministry In Christianity, ministry is an activity carried out by Christians to express or spread their faith, the prototype being the Great Commission. The ''Encyclopedia of Christianity'' defines it as "carrying forth Christ's mission in the world", ...

with theological education,

Biblical studies Biblical studies is the academic application of a set of diverse disciplines to the study of the Bible (the Old Testament and New Testament).''Introduction to Biblical Studies, Second Edition'' by Steve Moyise (Oct 27, 2004) pages 11–12 ...

and practical ministry training. Bible colleges primarily offer

undergraduate Undergraduate education is education conducted after secondary education and before postgraduate education. It typically includes all postsecondary programs up to the level of a bachelor's degree. For example, in the United States, an entry-le ...

degrees, but may also offer graduate degrees, lower-level associate degrees, certificates or diplomas in specialized areas of Christian training where a full degree is not required.

History

Former Falkland Park, South Norwood Hill - geograph

Bible colleges differs from other theological institutions in their missionary perspective. In Europe, the first schools that could be classified in this category are Theologisches Seminar St. Chrischona founded in 1840 by

Christian Friedrich Spittler Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρ� ...

Bettingen Bettingen ( Swiss German: ''Bettige'') is a municipality in the canton of Basel-Stadt in Switzerland. History Bettingen is first mentioned in 777 as ''Bettingen''. Geography Bettingen has an area, , of . Of this area, or 34.1% is used for ...

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

and the and Pastors' College (renamed

Spurgeon's College Spurgeon's College is an evangelical Baptist theological college in South Norwood, London, UK. It is affiliated with the Baptist Union of Great Britain. History The school was founded in 1856 by Pastor Charles Spurgeon as "Pastors' College" in ...

) established in 1856 by Pastor

Charles Spurgeon Charles Haddon Spurgeon (19 June 1834 – 31 January 1892) was an English Particular Baptist preacher. Spurgeon remains highly influential among Christians of various denominations, among whom he is known as the "Prince of Preachers". He wa ...

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...

. In the United States and Canada, the origins of the Bible college movement are in the late 19th-century Bible institute movement.History: Biblical Higher Education
, American Association of Bible Colleges website (accessed November 19, 2007) The first Bible schools in

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and th ...

were founded by A. B. Simpson (

Nyack College Alliance University (formerly Nyack College ()) is a private Christian college affiliated with the Christian and Missionary Alliance and located in New York, New York. Enrolling just over 1,000 students, the school is organized in three academic ...

in 1882) of the

Christian and Missionary Alliance The Alliance World Fellowship is the international governing body of the Christian and Missionary Alliance (The Alliance, also C&MA and CMA). The Alliance is an evangelical Protestant denomination within the Higher Life movement of Christiani ...

, and D. L. Moody (

Moody Bible Institute Moody Bible Institute (MBI) is a private evangelical Christian Bible college founded in the Near North Side of Chicago, Illinois, US by evangelist and businessman Dwight Lyman Moody in 1886. Historically, MBI has maintained positions that have ...

in 1887). Many were established as a reaction against established theological colleges and

seminaries A seminary, school of theology, theological seminary, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called ''seminarians'') in scripture, theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy, ...

, which conservatives believed were becoming increasingly liberal and undermining traditional Christian teachings, such as

Biblical inerrancy Biblical inerrancy is the belief that the Bible "is without error or fault in all its teaching"; or, at least, that "Scripture in the original manuscripts does not affirm anything that is contrary to fact". Some equate inerrancy with biblical ...

. The American Bible college movement developed in reaction to the secularization of U.S. higher education. The "Bible institute/college movement" has been described as "a protest to the inroads of secularization in higher education and as a base for the education of lay workers and full-time Bible teachers, evangelists, and pastors". As one historian put it, "It is not a coincidence that the Bible institute movement grew up during the very period when the philosophy of naturalism became prevalent in American education". Between 1882 and 1920, 39 Bible schools were founded in the United States.

Programs

Bible colleges generally confer

bachelor's degrees A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

, most often in

biblical studies Biblical studies is the academic application of a set of diverse disciplines to the study of the Bible (the Old Testament and New Testament).''Introduction to Biblical Studies, Second Edition'' by Steve Moyise (Oct 27, 2004) pages 11–12 ...

and various divisions of

, pastoral ministry and worship ministry or

church music Church music is Christian music written for performance in church, or any musical setting of ecclesiastical liturgy, or music set to words expressing propositions of a sacred nature, such as a hymn. History Early Christian music The ...

. Some Bible colleges offer degree programs in ministry-related areas that also have secular application, such as

Christian education Catechesis (; from Greek: , "instruction by word of mouth", generally "instruction") is basic Christian religious education of children and adults, often from a catechism book. It started as education of converts to Christianity, but as the r ...

. Beyond the undergraduate level, some others have established

and graduate divisions. At some Bible colleges, associate's degrees,

diplomas A diploma is a document awarded by an educational institution (such as a college or university) testifying the recipient has graduated by successfully completing their courses of studies. Historically, it has also referred to a charter or offici ...

, or certificates are available. These programs are generally designed for laypersons (such as

Sunday school A Sunday school is an educational institution, usually (but not always) Christian in character. Other religions including Buddhism, Islam, and Judaism have also organised Sunday schools in their temples and mosques, particularly in the West. ...

teachers) who neither want nor need a bachelor's degree to perform their Christian service, but who desire additional training in such areas as Bible studies or the teachings and practices of their denomination. Many Bible colleges offer correspondence or online training. Many Bible colleges in the United States and Canada that offer intercollegiate athletic programs are members of the

National Christian College Athletic Association The National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) is an association of Christian universities, colleges, and Bible colleges in the United States and Canada whose mission is "the promotion and enhancement of intercollegiate athleti ...

or the

Association of Christian College Athletics The Association of Christian College Athletics (ACCA) is an organization of collegiate athletics. It was incorporated to provide an opportunity for smaller Christian college members to compete on an equal level of competition with schools of like ...

Accreditation

The

International Council for Evangelical Theological Education International is an adjective (also used as a noun) meaning "between nations". International may also refer to: Music Albums * ''International'' (Kevin Michael album), 2011 * ''International'' (New Order album), 2002 * ''International'' (The T ...

was founded in 1980 by the Theological Commission of the

World Evangelical Alliance The World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) is an interdenominational organization of evangelical Christian churches, serving more than 600 million evangelicals, founded in 1846 in London, England, United Kingdom to unite evangelicals worldwide. WEA ...

. In 2015, it would have 1,000 member schools in 113 countries.

Affiliations

Bible colleges are usually associated with

evangelical Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being " born again", in which an individual expe ...

conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

Christian fundamentalist Christian fundamentalism, also known as fundamental Christianity or fundamentalist Christianity, is a religious movement emphasizing biblical literalism. In its modern form, it began in the late 19th and early 20th centuries among British and ...

denominations. Their primary purpose is to prepare people for roles in

.Bible Schools
in The Canadian Encyclopedia (1st page in online version of article) The Bible-centered curriculum is typically supplemented by structured programs of Christian service.Bible Schools
in The Canadian Encyclopedia (3rd page in online version of article)

Professor salary and teacher-student ratio

In the United States the average salary for a full professor at a Bible institute was around $49,000 in 2012. The student-to-faculty ratio is around 13 students to one instructor.Todd C. Ream, "Protestant Bible Institutes in the United States", in ''The International Handbook of Protestant Education'', ed. William Jeynes, David W. Robinson, Springer, 2012, pp. 123-136.

History

Programs

Accreditation

Affiliations

Professor salary and teacher-student ratio

See also

Notes

References

See also