Testimony by Belinda Tan 

(ThM Biblical Studies 2017)

At the end of my MDiv programme at SBC, I knew I had received comprehensive training for ministry in any context, but I also felt there was more to uncover. Rather than the what, when, who and how, I longed to know more about the why. At the same time, I did not want to go into full-time studies directly after graduation. The deep analysis promised by the course descriptions, the critical thinking to be developed through thesis writing, the pace of the part-time option, and my confidence in the quality of education at SBC came together to make this ThM programme an easy choice. 

I am glad to say that my expectations were fulfilled, even as the programme stretched me to new limits. The Philosophical Hermeneutics core course challenged us to understand and evaluate why the Bible is read in so many ways. The Old Testament readings course was rigorous, so we could grasp the breadth and taste the depth of the field. The History of Interpretation core course pressed us to examine the individuals, issues, and interpretive methods in Old and New Testament scholarship. The elective course, which for my cohort was on Biblical Interpretation in the Second Temple Period, opened a new vista on a historical period and interpretive perspectives that have continuing influence.

Apart from the courses in my Biblical Studies track, we were expected to audit core courses in the Theological Studies track. These were Philosophy of Religion, in which we went ‘behind the scenes’ to examine religious beliefs and concepts, particularly in Christianity, and History of Christian Doctrines, in which we travelled through church history to consider why we believe what we declare we do today. We were also required to join reading clubs for our concentration—in my case, the Biblical Hebrew reading club. We met regularly to read the Hebrew Bible together, so as to keep up our facility with the original language and learn to use all the available scholarly tools. 

It was the thesis-writing process that was the capstone of my time in the ThM programme. From devising a proposal, to learning to work with my supervisor, to keeping to a heavy schedule of reading, thinking, writing, and revising, until the day of the oral examination, where I was expected to hold my own in conversation with three professors, and even after when the time came for revisions based on feedback from this examining panel—these were ten months of the greatest pressure and most precious learning. I came away with my thesis entitled “Tamar Is Righteous, but Judah Is Not: A Narrative Analysis of Genesis 38” and a set of research skills that will stand me in good stead for my productive lifetime.

All this would have been impossible without the foundations and exposure from the coursework, the fellowship in monthly club and lunch meetings, and the support of our SBC and visiting lecturers. Now that I am in the first year of the PhD programme in Theology and Religious Studies at the University of Cambridge, I realize all the more how thoroughly the SBC ThM programme has prepared me for research and writing at the highest level, not simply to pursue a passion but for the glory of Christ and the edification of his church. While the programme will never be an easy ride because of its demands and the regular discipline needed for its duration, I believe it will be a well of deep water for teachers and preachers in whom God has placed a thirst for more beyond basic theological training.