Do Chinese Christians Still Need to Study Theology Abroad in the Online Learning Era?

在经历12年后的留学生涯（4年的基督教大学+8年的神学院），笔者对出国学习神学有一些经验与感悟。我深知国内有一批基督徒对主满怀热情，愿意舍弃在国内的一切为主摆上，去一个陌生的国家就为学习最好神学，实属感动。但笔者也看到国内严重缺乏工人的现状。一方面是学习神学知识的需要，但另一方面又是国内属灵现况的极度需要，再加上神学院的学制长，一般都在4年左右。出去4年就代表在国内的服侍至少缺失4年，笔者看到很多牧者在出国读书和留下有着两难的选择，不少牧者更是苦苦挣扎寻求神的心意。笔者愿意就这矛盾点，结合我多年在海外的留学经验以及我们今天所处在网络和人工智能时代下，谈谈今天学习神学的最优解决方案。

对于大部分的基督徒和牧者而言，我认为当今已经没有必要花费4年身处海外学习神学。因为大部分人的需求只是学习综合性神学知识，对此，现在神学院已经有了成熟的网络课程，所以在网上付费或免费都能学到。（本文在最后会附属一些免费和付费的网站仅作为参考）现在市面绝大部分的书已经电子化，在网上就能直接看或下载，再加上网上有无数其他神学内容，再加上人工智能的加持，通过学习网络神学知识已经不再是一个壁垒，反而可能比在非网络的环境中学得更快、更高效、更丰富。

很多人期望去国外实体神学院读书，很重要的一点是能和当地教授或牧者有实体的互动，从而产生链接，建造生命。但就笔者在西方留学十余年的经验看来，这可能是一种奢望。因为在西方的文化和工作制里，老师和牧者常常都是工作时间预约制（office hour），绝大部分情况下，每次约他们，他们都只会留出1小时左右和你聊天。而西方文化在下班更是自己过自己的生活，不会像东方的社群文化般把生活以社群的形式融合在一起。所以在我看来，实体与在网上约他们聊一小时没有什么太大区别。而后者性价比更高。神学院的网络课程也通常会安排一学期至少数小时和教授在网上真人互动以及问问题的机会，所以读网络课程已经能有和教授互动的机会，如果觉得不够还能私信教授再约他。

语言与文化隔阂也是一大障碍。笔者认为生命影响生命是一件高度精密的工作，如瑞士手表般，每个零件都需要绝对的完美并在复杂的环境中完美配合。基督徒的生命影响生命也是一件高度复杂且需要精密部件的工作，而语言和文化就是其中的部件，若语言和文化的差距太大，很难能有高质量的生命影响生命的工作。举个最简单的例子，在国内吃饭大家都习惯请客制，但在西方即使你和再年长的牧者出去，或你自身经济条件再差，对方也不会一定会请客，而是AA制。设想，即使在饭桌上你们聊得再好，在最后买单时教授只付自己的饭钱，国人难免会受一些文化冲击，从而生命影响生命的效果也大打折扣。这里举的只是文化冲击里最简单的例子，然而现实生活中的例子只会更加复杂。再加上语言的隔阂，可以说生命影响生命的效果在海外更是折扣上再大打折扣。

还有一个隐性的问题，也是很多人没有考虑到的一个问题，就是出去读书数年后，留学者会和自己的母会甚至和中国社会产生脱节。出去数年后，往往教会里的会众可能已经换了一批人，甚至在教会里的领导层都会发生变化。所以出去数年后回来不一定能够很快重新很好地服侍教会，甚至一些更差的情况可能是不能回到原教会服侍，从而要寻找新的服侍机会。而这还没谈到因移居产生所有时间、金钱、精力和机会成本。

但的确有一少部分情况是更合适出国读神学的，那就是：

1. 想要学习特殊专业学科是网上学不到的：的确在现在的神学院里，有部分专业的网络课程很少或者甚至没有，比如进阶学位（神硕或博士）研究圣经原文的学科，如古希腊语、希伯来语、古阿拉姆语（Biblical Aramaic）等学科；或圣经考古学、基督教特殊教育等学科；或任何需要去实地学习或和当地老师学习，无法通过网络学习等学科。

2. 想要学习当地教会或文化的：有一类求学者更看重学习当地的教会文化，或机构文化，换而言之，是需要通过在当地较长期观察的学习，而非书本知识的学习。想要着重这方面的学习者可以考虑出国留学，但在笔者看来，这方面的学习也不一定要花数年一直在国外学习，另一种更优的方案或许可以是趁休假的时候去当地游学，生活数周或数月，也能达到此目的。

3. 有特殊原因或有特殊呼召的：不排除有些基督徒因为特殊原因或特殊呼召没办法在国内生活，或者更合适出国读书并在海外服侍，在此无法一一举例。（因私心或为贪图安逸想润出者除外）

总结来说，对大部分人而言，当今读神学最好方式是通过网络。如今国内极度缺乏，而我们又身处网络+人工智能时代，我们并不一定需要出国学习神学。相反，单从学习知识方面来看，在家通过网络学习甚至会让我们学得更高效和便捷。网络学习也会大大降低上面所提到的各项成本（时间、金钱、精力、机会成本）。这样的模式可以让我们在学习神学的同时，又可以让我们不离开现有的服侍岗位，照顾到现有的教会以及服侍需要，并且读完后完美衔接服侍需要，这何不是一个两全其美的解决方案？

附属：

免费资源 

YouTube一些神学院已经把自己大部分的课程上传至此供大家免费使用，此网站字幕也提供自动翻译功能到中文。

如：https://www.youtube.com/@TheMastersSeminary/featured

Coursera – 此网站有很多免费神学或各个学科课程，但课程学校以西方名校为主，传统神学院为少，因此课程内容偏自由主意，学习和挑选课程时一定要加以辨别https://www.coursera.org/

付费资源

大部分各类神学院已经有自己的网络课程，在大部分神学生的网络毕业生能拿到和在校毕业生一样毕业证书。的此处仅提供一些例子：

浸信会 — 美南浸信会神学院:https://www.sbts.edu/the-global-campus/

长老会 — 威斯敏斯特神学院https://www.wts.edu/community-life/online-experience

After a 12-year study experience abroad (four years at a Christian university and eight years in seminary), I have some insights and reflections on studying theology abroad. I understand that many Christians in China are full of passion for the Lord, willing to give up everything at home to travel to a foreign country for the best theological education, which is indeed moving. However, I also see the severe shortage of workers in the church in China. On one hand, there is a need to study theological knowledge, but on the other hand, there is an urgent spiritual need at home. Adding to this is the fact that seminary education typically takes about four years. Going abroad for four years means at least a four-year absence from ministry in China. I have seen many pastors struggle with the dilemma of studying abroad versus staying home, many of them seeking God’s guidance in great pain. I would like to discuss this tension by combining my years of overseas study experience with the realities of today’s internet and artificial intelligence era, in order to propose the best solution for studying theology today.

Is Traditional Theological Education Still Relevant?

For most Christians and pastors, I believe that it is no longer necessary to spend four years studying theology abroad. The reason is that most people simply want to gain a comprehensive theological understanding, and for that, there are already mature online seminary courses available. You can now study theology online, either through free or paid programs. (I will provide a list of some free and paid websites at the end of this article for reference.) Most books in the field are already digitized and can be accessed or downloaded online. In addition, there are numerous theological resources available on the internet, and with the help of artificial intelligence, online theological studies are no longer a barrier. In fact, they may be faster, more efficient, and more comprehensive than traditional in-person learning.

The Rise of Online Theology Courses

Many people expect to study in physical seminaries abroad primarily to have face-to-face interactions with local professors or pastors, building personal relationships and spiritual growth. However, based on my more than ten years of study experience in the West, this might be a luxury. In Western culture and work schedules, professors and pastors often have office hours, meaning that most interactions are limited to one-hour appointments. After work, most people in Western culture live their own lives, rather than integrating life into a community as often happens in Eastern cultures. Therefore, I see little difference between in-person interactions and scheduling an online conversation. The latter is more cost-effective. Online seminary courses typically include several hours per semester of live interaction with professors for asking questions. If that is not enough, you can always contact the professors privately to schedule more time.

The language and cultural barrier is another major obstacle. I believe that life-on-life discipleship is a highly intricate process, like a Swiss watch, where every component must be perfectly aligned in a complex environment. The work of life-on-life discipleship is equally complex and requires precision, with language and culture being key components. If the language and cultural gap is too large, it becomes challenging to engage in high-quality discipleship.

The Benefits and Drawbacks of Studying Theology Abroad

To give a simple example, in China, it is customary to treat others when eating out, but in the West, even if you go out with a much older pastor or you are financially struggling, they will often follow a “split the bill” (AA) system. Even if you have a great conversation during the meal, when the pastor only pays for his own meal, it can cause cultural shock for many Chinese, and the effectiveness of life-on-life discipleship may be significantly reduced. This is just a simple example of cultural shock; real-life examples are much more complicated. Combined with language barriers, the effect of life-on-life discipleship overseas may be further diminished.

Another hidden issue, which many people do not consider, is the disconnection from one’s home church and even Chinese society after studying abroad for several years. Often, after several years of studying abroad, the congregation at home may have changed, and even the leadership in the church may have shifted. So, after several years abroad, returning home may not lead to a smooth transition back into ministry. In the worse cases, it may even be impossible to return to the original church for ministry, necessitating a search for new ministry opportunities. This does not even consider the time, money, energy, and opportunity costs of relocating.

Specialized Theological Fields that May Still Require Study Abroad

That said, there are indeed a few situations where studying theology abroad may still be suitable. These include:

1. Wanting to study specialized subjects that are not available online: Some specialized theological subjects, such as advanced degrees (Master of Theology or Doctor of Theology) that focus on biblical languages like Greek, Hebrew, or Biblical Aramaic, or subjects like biblical archaeology, Christian special education, or those that require field study, may not be available online.
2. Wanting to study local church or cultural practices: Some students are more interested in learning about the local church culture or institutional culture, which requires long-term observation and learning on-site rather than from books. If you want to focus on this, studying abroad might be an option. However, in my opinion, it’s not necessary to spend several years abroad. A better solution might be to take a study tour for a few weeks or months during a break, which could achieve the same goal.
3. Having special reasons or a unique calling: Some Christians may have special reasons or callings that make it difficult to live in China, or they are more suited to studying abroad and serving overseas. This does not include those who want to emigrate for personal comfort or selfish reasons.

A Practical Solution: Online Learning for Chinese Christians

In summary, for most people, the best way to study theology today is online. Given the severe shortage of workers in China and the fact that we live in the era of the internet and artificial intelligence, it is no longer necessary to study theology abroad. On the contrary, in terms of learning knowledge alone, studying theology online from home can be faster, more efficient, and more convenient. Online learning also significantly reduces the costs mentioned above (time, money, energy, and opportunity costs). This model allows us to study theology while continuing to serve in our current positions, taking care of our existing churches and ministry needs, and seamlessly transitioning into future ministry. Isn’t this a win-win solution?

Reference Resources

Free

• Many seminaries, such as The Master’s Seminary, have made most of their courses freely available on YouTube, complete with auto-translated Chinese subtitles.
• Coursera
• Free courses in various disciplines, including theology, are available on this website. While many are offered by prestigious Western universities, only a few come from seminaries, meaning the content may lean towards more liberal perspectives. It’s important to exercise discernment when browsing and selecting.

Paid

Many seminaries now offer their courses online, enabling students to earn the same degrees as those attending in person. Here are two examples:

• Baptist—The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
• Presbyterian—Westminster Theological Seminary

Editor’s note: This article was originally written in Chinese and was translated by the ChinaSource team.

Originally from Webpage 'ChinaSource'

CCD reprinted with permission