One of my biggest surprises in attending Wheaton College Graduate School is to discover great divides between many of the different disciplines within the school. For instance, the Bible and Theology department doesn't have much interaction with and overlap with my department, Christian Formation and Ministry. Even within the Bible and Theology department there are great divides between the disciplines, such as between Exegesis and Systematic Theology. These divides have grown over the last 200 years and are not unique to Wheaton, but seem to run throughout the academy as a whole. Individual disciplines have a difficult time speaking to one another and integrating their conclusions and viewpoints.
Should it be that way? Is there something to be gained by this separation? I think it has advantages and disadvantages. I saw this advertisement for Bethlehem College and Seminary that promoted an "Integrated Curriculum" where an even wider range of disciplines (literature, history, theology, etc) are integrated into one course curriculum. Is this an answer to the separation of disciplines or will the combination of disciplines produce something worse than what we currently have? As Piper suggests, is Christ helpful here in proiding us with a way to draw these disciplines together allowing us to see them in not only better light, but the light they were intended to be seen in? What do you think? Have you had experience with
either?
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