Biblical Studies Department

Why Taylor Biblical Studies?

At Taylor, we aren’t looking at just your next 4 years. We are looking at the impact you can make for God’s kingdom in the next 40+ years. U.S. News and World Report has ranked Taylor as Midwest’s #1 regional college for the last 6 years, and they stress our emphasis on teaching. In our Biblical Studies department, this is evident with the focus that our faculty places on helping you develop your critical thinking skills as you strengthen your faith.

Dr. Michael Harbin, Captain, U.S. Navy (retired) and now Chair of the Biblical Studies, Philosophy, and Christian Education Ministries, answers a few questions that he is frequently asked. Don’t see an answer to your question? Please contact Dr. Harbin today, or come for a visit!

The most obvious answer is that you can become a pastor or a missionary. But we have found that our graduates really are spread out in a wide number of fields. Check out our graduate and careers page for more information.

I would suggest that the foundational question should be:

A recent survey of various employers found that the top five items that employers see as areas that need emphasis in a college education are:

1. Written and oral communication
2. Critical and analytical thinking
3. Applied knowledge in real-world settings
4. Complex problem solving
5. Ethical decision making

All are viewed as priorities by at least 75% of the employers surveyed.¹ Not only are these all key components of a liberal arts degree, but each is integral to a Biblical Studies major at Taylor

¹ AAC&U survey from the winter 2010.

One of the basic premises of Taylor is that a truly educated person is one who knows and understands the Bible as a foundation for the rest of life, and the better the understanding of the Bible, the more solid the foundation.  While our General Education program provides the basics, our Bible major helps flesh those out so that a student who graduates with a Bible major is much better prepared for an increasingly anti-Christian culture.  In addition, the Bible major is designed so that our majors can work towards second majors in a number of different areas.  Consequently, our Biblical Studies graduates can and do go into a wide variety of fields, including working for various corporations in management positions.

Here are a few other reasons why you should study Biblical Studies at Taylor:

• Scholarly and Committed Faculty. All of our departmental faculty are committed to a high view of Scripture. They are also dedicated to providing the best possible education to each of our students, whether they are in Gen Ed courses, or in Major courses. They are also intentional with research. Faculty have published books ranging from textbooks to popular faith building books to in-depth scholarly reference works. They have also published innumerable articles in scholarly journals such as Tyndale Bulletin or Philosophia Christi as well as key magazines such as Christianity Today.
• Strong Biblical Languages Programs. Students can use either Greek or Hebrew to meet the BA foreign language requirement. Students can also minor in Biblical languages along with any major. And, students who take two years of either language can almost always validate at least one year of the language in a seminary program!!
• Taylor World Outreach (TWO).  These “Lighthouse” trips provide short term missions opportunities in either January or over Spring Break.
• Travel Opportunities.  Check out our Travel section for more information on the opportunities students can have for global engagement at Taylor.