| BIBLICAL | WESTERN TRADITION |
| Predominantly relational | Predominantly academic |
| Personal relationship with a
mentor. This is the key. | Relationships with teachers not
essential. Some teachers even
discourage it to remain 'objective.' |
| Teaching method: Modeling by a
mentor. (Do it like I did. Here's why
we do it that way.) | Teaching method: A series of
courses with 'professors.' (Here's
the theory, now go out on your own
and try to put it into practice.) |
| Learn by doing. | Learn by hearing. |
| Theory and practice learned
simultaneously through real
ministry. | Theory comes before practice. |
| Academic is essential but
secondary. | Academic is all-important. |