Is Yale Divinity School Worth It?
Is Yale Divinity School worth the cost, time, and challenge? An M.Div. graduate evaluates the academics, community, career outcomes, and spiritual formation at YDS.
· 16 min read
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God and Man at Yale Divinity
A weekly blog series from inside Yale Divinity School — from orientation to finals, GI Bill tips, and what it's really like as a conservative at Yale.
In August 2019, I left my JAG Corps assignment and enrolled in the Master of Divinity program at Yale Divinity School as a William F. Buckley Fellow. This series — "God and Man at Yale Divinity" — is a week-by-week chronicle of that experience, from orientation through graduation.
You'll get an unfiltered look at what Yale Divinity School is actually like: the classes, the culture, the ideological tensions, and the moments of genuine spiritual growth. I write as a conservative evangelical veteran navigating one of the most progressive academic environments in the country — and finding more common ground than you might expect. Topics range from the GI Bill and Ivy League grading to cancel culture, viewpoint diversity, scriptural inerrancy, and the work of James Cone.
Start here: If you're a veteran considering divinity school, a prospective Yale applicant, or just curious what happens when a JAG officer walks into a seminar on liberation theology, start with my personal statement and follow the series from Week 1. For the veteran-specific logistics, see Using the GI Bill at Yale.
Ph.D. Programs in New Testament: An Insider’s Guide to the Top Doctoral Programs
A candid guide to the top PhD programs in New Testament studies. Faculty, funding, placement, and honest drawbacks for Yale, Duke, Harvard, Oxford, Cambridge, and more.
· 22 min read
Yale Divinity School M.Div. Degree Requirements: A Complete Guide (2025 Curriculum)
A complete breakdown of Yale Divinity School's current Master of Divinity degree requirements — the 2025 cohort-based curriculum, prescribed courses, Integrative Seminar, internship, and electives.
· 12 min read
Yale M.Div. Degree Requirements: Pre-2025 Curriculum Guide
A complete breakdown of Yale Divinity School's pre-2025 Master of Divinity degree requirements — the five-area distribution framework, credit hours, content areas, language courses, placement exams, and electives.
· 11 min read
A Conservative's Guide to Seminary: What I Learned at Yale Divinity School
What is it like to be a conservative at a liberal seminary? A Yale MDiv graduate shares lessons from three years as one of the few conservatives at Yale Divinity School.
· 12 min read
Is Yale Divinity School Liberal? What a Conservative Graduate Discovered
Is Yale Divinity School liberal? A Yale MDiv graduate examines the Buckley Institute data, shares firsthand experience, and answers the most common questions about YDS.
· 8 min read
The Numbers Are In: The Buckley Institute’s Yale Divinity School Ideological Diversity Report
Yale Divinity School has zero Republican faculty. The Buckley Institute's 2026 report confirms what one conservative MDiv graduate saw firsthand. Here's what the data shows.
· 8 min read
The Buckley Program at Yale: Intellectual Diversity on a Progressive Campus
A firsthand account of the William F. Buckley Jr. Program at Yale—what it does, why it matters, and what it's like to be a conservative Fellow on a campus that would rather you weren't.
· 11 min read
God and Man at Yale: Why Buckley's First Book Still Matters
A personal reflection on William F. Buckley Jr.'s God and Man at Yale—what it got right and why its core argument is more relevant now than in 1951.
· 6 min read
What Rich Lowry Taught Me About Conservatism at Yale—and Why It Matters Now
A Buckley Fellow reflects on God and Man at Yale, dinner with Rich Lowry, and why intellectual conservatism matters more than ever.
· 14 min read
Why Conservatives Should Read Their Opponents
The case for engaging the strongest progressive arguments rather than caricaturing them—drawn from Buckley's example, Mill's logic, Aquinas's method, and three years at Yale Divinity School.
· 8 min read
The Parallels Between Cana and Calvary in John's Gospel
The wedding at Cana and the crucifixion share extraordinary parallels — drink, thirst, the hour, and the mother of Jesus. These connections are the key to understanding John's Gospel.
· 17 min read
Why Did Jesus Call His Mother 'Woman'?
Jesus addresses Mary as 'woman' at Cana and from the cross — a choice that puzzles modern readers. Here's what the Greek actually means and why it matters for understanding John's Gospel.
· 14 min read
Why Did Jesus Give Mary to John at the Cross?
Jesus bypassed his own brothers to commend his mother to the Beloved Disciple. This wasn't just filial care — it was a theological act that reshaped how we read John's Gospel.
· 12 min read
Women in the Gospel of John
From the mother of Jesus to Mary Magdalene, women play a more prominent role in John's Gospel than in any other. Here's a comprehensive analysis of every major female figure in the Fourth Gospel.
· 25 min read
Meaning and Method in Comparative Theology
A review of Catherine Cornille's Meaning and Method in Comparative Theology — her framework for studying other religions faithfully without syncretism.
· 5 min read
Judaea Capta Coins as Imperial Propaganda
In this post in my series “God and Man at Yale Divinity I share my paper on...
· 4 min read
Joseph Ratzinger, Doubt, and Humility
How Joseph Ratzinger's writings on doubt cultivate Christian humility—and why the humble submission of doubt to faith is more honest than relativism.
· 9 min read
Joseph Ratzinger and the Purpose of Theology
In this post in my series “God and Man at Yale Divinity I share my paper on...
· 7 min read
Pluralism v. Inclusivism: Salvation and Diversity
What's the difference between inclusivism and pluralism? Understand how these competing theologies address salvation, religious diversity, and the role of Christ.
· 7 min read
The Year of COVID-19 and Hope for the Future
In this post, I discuss COVID-19, murder hornets, the joy that is 2020, and my optimism for the future.
· 2 min read
What Is Forgiveness?
In this post, I write about my journey toward understanding forgiveness.
· 2 min read
The Council of Chalcedon (451): How Political Rivalry Reshaped Christendom
The Council of Chalcedon (451 AD) resolved a Christological crisis but reshaped the political map of Christendom. How it destroyed Alexandria, elevated the papacy, and set the stage for the Great Schism.
· 24 min read
The Mother of Jesus as a Named Source in John
An analysis of John 19:26-27 arguing that Mary, the mother of Jesus, served as a named source for the Gospel of John. Based on a paper from Yale Divinity School.
· 30 min read
Eastern Orthodoxy Explained
What is Hellenistic Christianity? A complete guide to Eastern Orthodox theology, theosis, liturgy, sacraments, and the Church's ancient roots in Christian Hellenism.
· 17 min read
Anti-Catholic Evangelicals
During this time of quarantine, I have had the opportunity to dialogue with some old-school anti-Catholic evangelicals, and it has left me wondering how...
· 2 min read
My Theology Circa 2007
My Theology Circa 2007
In this post, I provide an overview of my theology as it stood in 2007. It serves as a good starting point for me as I reflect upon my faith journey over...
· 16 min read
Waiting to Reopen
As life has hit the pause button amid this pandemic, I will choose to be grateful for what I have as we are all waiting to reopen.
· 2 min read
Sara Patterson Named 2020 Garrett Ham Scholar
This year, Ouachita Baptist University awarded the Garrett Ham Scholarship to Sara Patterson.
· 5 min read
Paper Writing and Basement Dwelling
This post discusses the paper writing process without access to a library or even the ability to leave my house.
· 4 min read
The Ivy League on Pass/Fail
This post discusses the sudden implantation of pass/fail grading systems at Yale and the sense of entitlement surrounding it.
· 7 min read
Enough with the Deference to the Military
In this post, I discuss faux deference to the military and how it has warped the ability of military personnel and veterans to interact with society.
· 5 min read
Zoom, Yale, and the New Ivy League Experience
This post discusses the beginning of the Zoom era at Yale and how managing the COVID fallout has given birth to a new Ivy League experience.
· 6 min read
Angry All the Time in the Ivy League
In this post, I discuss why I think students on elite college campuses seem angry all the time.
· 6 min read
COVID, Yale, and a Brave New World
In this post, I discuss COVID, its ramifications on Yale’s campus, and the new normal after the end of spring break.
· 13 min read
The Military and the Elite
The relationship between the military and the elite has evolved significantly over the years and not for the better.
· 5 min read
Spring Break, Buckley, and the Coronavirus
In this post, I discuss the first week of spring break, the Buckley seminar, and the start of the Coronavirus pandemic.
· 5 min read
The Ivy League Façade
As I begin to grow comfortable at Yale, I am becoming more aware of the Ivy League façade that masks much of the mundane and unpolished aspects of elite...
· 8 min read
Making Summer Plans at Yale
As the semester begins to progress, I have started making summer plans, largely settling on taking additional classes back home in Arkansas.
· 8 min read
The Work of James Cone
In this post in my series “God and Man at Yale Divinity I discuss the sixth...
· 10 min read
My Dinner With Rich Lowry
I dined with National Review editor Rich Lowry after his Yale Buckley Program lecture on nationalism. Reflections on humility, plus his full lecture video.
· 9 min read
Ivy League Buzzwords
In this post in my series “God and Man at Yale Divinity I discuss the fourth...
· 7 min read
Opportunities at Yale Divinity School: A Student's Perspective
A Yale Divinity School student shares first-hand experiences with study abroad programs, interdepartmental courses, world-famous instructors, and more.
· 10 min read
Abortion and the Christian Left
In this post in my series “God and Man at Yale Divinity I discuss the second...
· 8 min read
Roman Law at Yale
Roman Law at Yale
In this post in my series “God and Man at Yale Divinity I discuss the...
· 10 min read
Grades at Yale and the End of the Semester
In my final post of the Fall 2019 semester at Yale Divinity School, I reflect upon grades at Yale and the end of my first semester here. This content...
· 10 min read
Week 14 at YDS: Finals at Yale
In this post in my series “God and Man at Yale Divinity I wrap up the semester...
· 4 min read
Week 13 at Yale: Discerning Vocation
In this post in my series “God and Man at Yale Divinity I discuss my thirteenth...
· 9 min read
The 2019 Harvard-Yale Game Protest
A Yale Divinity student's firsthand reaction to the 2019 Harvard-Yale football game protest — the climate demands, the virtue signaling, and what it reveals about elite campus culture.
· 8 min read
Week 12 at Yale: Finishing the Semester
A weekly update from Yale Divinity School — progress on final papers, preparing for exams, visiting the Yale Art Gallery's Dura-Europos exhibit, and thoughts on the curriculum.
· 5 min read
Week 11: Veterans Day at Yale
In this post in my series “God and Man at Yale Divinity I discuss my eleventh...
· 10 min read
The Obsession with Oppression at Yale Divinity School
A conservative student's firsthand account of oppression culture at Yale Divinity School—the fetishization of victimhood, the woke scold minority, and the silent reasonable majority.
· 7 min read
Neo-Gnosticism in Evangelical and Progressive Christianity
How both evangelical and progressive Christianity have absorbed Gnostic tendencies—rejecting the body in different ways while departing from historic Christian teaching.
· 9 min read
Week 10 at Yale: Ph.D. Aspirations
A Yale Divinity School student reflects on PhD aspirations, academic grading, and the top doctoral programs in New Testament and religious studies worth pursuing.
· 7 min read
The Social Justice Warriors: Week 9 at Yale Divinity School
In this post in my series “God and Man at Yale Divinity I discuss the social...
· 10 min read
Week 8 at Yale: Cancel Culture Comes to YDS
In this post in my series “God and Man at Yale Divinity I discuss my first...
· 11 min read
Week 7 at Yale: Struggle with Scriptural Inerrancy
What does scriptural inerrancy really mean? A Yale Divinity student explores how to define biblical errors, reconcile contradictions, and understand Scripture as a reliable guide for faith.
· 13 min read
Week 6: Viewpoint Diversity at Yale Divinity School
In this post in my series “God and Man at Yale Divinity I discuss my sixth...
· 11 min read
Week 5: Conservatives at Yale Divinity
Is Yale Divinity liberal? Yes. But conservative students thrive. A candid account of being a conservative at Yale Divinity School and finding your place there.
· 11 min read
Week 4 at Yale: Appreciating The Authority of Community
In this post in my series “God and Man at Yale Divinity I discuss my fourth...
· 8 min read
Using the GI Bill at Yale — A Veteran's Guide
How I used the Post-9/11 GI Bill to attend Yale Divinity School — tuition, Yellow Ribbon, housing allowance, and what veterans should know about Ivy League graduate programs.
· 17 min read
Week 2: Opportunities for Spiritual Growth at Yale
Spiritual growth at Yale Divinity School — the Annand Program, communal prayer, academic workload, and what seminary life really looks like from inside the M.Div. program.
· 19 min read
Week 1 of the M.Div. at Yale Divinity School
What the first week of Yale Divinity School is really like — classes, community, and culture shock. A veteran's firsthand account of the M.Div. program.
· 16 min read
BTFO (Before the Fall Orientation) at Yale
A first-person guide to BTFO at Yale Divinity School covering Berkeley Divinity, class registration, grades, campus life, and what incoming students should expect.
· 22 min read
Writing Sample from Yale Divinity Application
The complete writing sample from a successful Yale Divinity School M.Div. application, drafted from scratch after seven years out of school.
· 11 min read
Personal Statement from Yale Divinity Application
See a real seminary application essay that worked. Full personal statement from a successful Yale Divinity School M.Div. acceptance with writing tips.
· 6 min read
God and Man at Yale Divinity
Complete Yale Divinity School guide: how to apply, personal statement, GI Bill benefits, financial aid, acceptance, and thriving in the M.Div. program.
· 21 min read
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