Everybody’s Getting Into the Act

“A school without grades must have been concocted by someone who was drunk on non-alcoholic wine.”
-Karl Kraus (Austrian Writer)

Good morning, Toads and Toadettes,

When the Toad started an innocent little skewering of questionable seminaries, little did he know what would await him in the brackish pools of “continuing” Anglicanism alone. Just as there are grains of sand on the beach, so too are there “jurisdictions” of traditional Anglicans. And, with almost each of these jurisdictions—you guessed it, boys and girls, there is a “seminary”. Today we tee up on a couple of these entities and, once again, offer the opportunity to comment in defense or condemnation. Of course, the seriously odd, vicious or loony epistles will be read and savored…by the Toad. (Otherwise, this stuff won’t see the light of day, pally.)

First up, there is St. Aelred's School of Theology of the Catholic Anglican Church. This little gem bills itself as an “online school of theology offer[ing] solid theological education and preparation for ordained and lay ministry leading to the degrees of a Master of Divinity (M.Div.) and/or a Master of Arts in Theology (M.A.Theology).” Under the direction of its chancellor “Bishop +Barry”, this school lists no accreditation of its “degrees”, no faculty, and no street address—just an e-mail and telephone to “Bishop +Barry”. Tuition, however, is a modest $20 per credit hour, with “a one-time Registration Fee of $30 to cover the adminstrative [sic] and material costs of registration and grading documentation.” Perhaps that fee will also cover a new spell-checker. Such a deal!

Next is the Saint Andrew's Institute of Theology “a seminary whose primary focus is to prepare and train men for Holy Orders in the American Anglican Church.” Translation: outside this particular group your “degree” will get you into the graduate program at McDonald’s Hamburger University (“Ol’ Flip”). Here’s a familiar theme, none of the “professors” are named, there are no listed accrediting bodies, and you have to contact the “dean” even to get an idea of the curriculum. While you are on the line, they may have some attractive timeshares if you don’t buy into the academics. Rawk, rawk, rawk!*

How about it, boys and girls, anybody know anything at all about these hollowed (and the spelling is intentional, bunky!) institutions?

Yr. Obed. Serv.,


R. Toad, DD, LSMFT
*The sound of one Toad barking