The Role of Syntactically Tagged Bible Databases in the Formation of Doctoral Level Ministry Practitioners at Moody Graduate School: An Equivalency-Test Assessing Bible Use Skill-Level Based on Syntactically Tagged Databases

Moody Graduate School will celebrate its twenty-five year existence with the launch of doctoral level training in 2010. The current design for that doctorate uses the DMin as a model, requiring applicants to possess an MDiv or an 'educational equivalent.' The question 'what is an educational equivalent to the MDiv?' has spawned many discussions, one of which is 'what is the role of the Bible on the doctoral level?'
Although the latter question can be answered from many perspectives, this needs-analysis begins with a profile of the student who would be an exception (ABM, All But an MDiv) and the unprecedented, promising developments in Bible software (Logos Digital library including syntax databases and a Reverse Interlinear).

This project guides and documents the faculty's discussions toward a theoretical framework for the Moody doctorate. The Carnegie study and a faculty consensus report play an integral role in arriving at the relative importance of the Scriptures in a limited curriculum. The project also provided a way to listen to prospective doctoral students and answer some major questions for the faculty. Two videos modeled how the biblical text can be studied beyond the word level to the sentence level (syntactical tagging).

Potential doctoral candidates showed an interest in studying and using the Bible in digital media on the doctoral level. The study highlights the expectations students have for the way biblical studies should function for them on the doctoral level.

Among the many recommendations from this project is a reconsideration of the design for the Moody doctorate.