Every human is motivated by their core passions, whether they are aware of it or not. Passion is part of what moves us to action, manifesting as a strong desire or as a recurrent thought. People’s passions often vary, but they all share in the profound satisfaction that comes from acting in alignment with your passion.
Passions act as a driving force, guiding individuals through their studies and molding their future vocations. When these passions are in alignment with the call that God has placed on your life, there is often an outpouring of spiritual development as individuals discover their vocation. Continue reading to learn more.
For many students, seminary is a longing, a desire, an unresolved internal tension that comes from God as a calling. Christian seminary is part of a vocation, and it has been argued that the seminary system that we know today was born out of the monasteries and the early church's desire to pursue education and better know God. For most seminary students, it is more than an education, but a step in answering the call to ministry.
Within everyone lives unique passions that can influence our decisions and path in life. When you allow yourself to take a comprehensive look at your life, you begin to see where your passions truly lie. These could be linked to hobbies that captivate your attention or activities that you cannot imagine your life without. They could be related to experiences that deeply moved you and left a profound impact on your life.
Understanding and acknowledging your passion is essential before stepping into seminary. This isn’t to say you must know exactly what you want to do, but moreover, it will help guide the next steps for you. Passion leads to a sense of purpose, and when there's alignment between who you are and what you study, there's a greater potential for personal enrichment and fulfillment.
Think about the areas in life where your interests and personal values align with theological or spiritual themes. You might find that your passion for helping others could translate into pastoral care, or a love for reading and research could lead you towards theological academia.
Explore the 8 questions you should ask yourself before applying to theology school.
The intersection of passions and theological education is a dynamic space where your personal interests meet your longing for spiritual understanding and growth. Together, both can yield powerful insights and contribute to a profound grasp of faith, life, personal belonging, and more, challenging you to think critically and discover innovative ways to serve through ministry.
The influence of your passion can inspire ministry work in various forms, such as community outreach, social justice, spiritual formation, or pastoral care. This connection between personal interests, faith, and theological education provides an approach to directing your passion towards meaningful service for the betterment of others.
At Perkins School of Theology, we recognize the importance of blending passions with theological education. Our diverse programs and flexible curriculum will provide you a strong foundation to explore your interests, nurture your faith, and transition smoothly into a path of service that truly resonates with your personal values and aspirations.
We have recently renovated our curriculum to offer students more opportunities for electives, which will play a vital role in the exploration of your personal passions within seminary. You can even take a couple courses outside of Perkins at another school at SMU to incorporate even broader passions (whether that be business, art, education, etc.) into your degree plan.
Discernment also plays a vital role in your experience at Perkins, and we encourage self-reflection and prayer to guide students in aligning passions with vocational goals. Guidance and mentorship with our faculty and staff are instrumental in the discernment process.
Stephanie Bohon, a Perkins M.A.M graduate and Executive Director of The Agape Clinic in Dallas, TX, was already passionate about her job and serving others, but she wanted to help strengthen that passion by doing what she loved better.
“I want to be the best leader I can be.”
Awareness of your deepest passions can help you navigate the rigors of seminary, like Stephanie, enriching your experience and inspiring you to contribute greatly to your chosen field of ministry.
Determining the right seminary program that aligns with your passions and goals is the next significant step. At Perkins, we invite you to explore our curriculum offerings, faculty expertise, our mission and more.
Then, we encourage you to meet with us to discuss your personal passions and goals and, in turn, learn how they can be nurtured at Perkins.