Such pastors will bring critical thinking to the arena of practices which grow from current secular and religious questions. Their studies will teach them how to understand a concrete situation, how to select a practice based on biblical, historical and systematic theology, how to defend that practice critically, and how to identify means and strategies necessary for its implementation. Their dissertations will show that they are prepared to apply theology to contemporary practice. Candidates for the Ph.D. in Theology and Culture program are required to have an M.Div. degree with the level of competency in biblical languages expected of Concordia Seminary graduates. This differs from eligibility requirements for the other areas of concentration in the Ph.D. program at Concordia Seminary.
Less preparation seems to shortchange the thinking.
Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, offers the only Ph.D. degree program in the LCMS with emphases in various disciplines of theological study.