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.
A recent M.Div. graduate's complete guide to Yale Divinity School: 23% acceptance rate, degree options, essays, full-tuition aid, and what to expect.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
A Buckley Fellow reflects on God and Man at Yale, dinner with Rich Lowry, and why intellectual conservatism matters more than ever.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
A review of Catherine Cornille's Meaning and Method in Comparative Theology — her framework for studying other religions faithfully without syncretism.
Explore how Roman emperors Vespasian and Titus used Judaea Capta coins to propagandize their military victory over the Jewish Revolt and assert imperial dominance across the empire.
How Joseph Ratzinger's writings on doubt cultivate Christian humility—and why the humble submission of doubt to faith is more honest than relativism.
Ratzinger grounds theology in the Church as a living community engaged in liberating conversation with God. How Vatican II's vision transformed the purpose of theological work.
What's the difference between inclusivism and pluralism? Understand how these competing theologies address salvation, religious diversity, and the role of Christ.
In this post, I discuss COVID-19, murder hornets, the joy that is 2020, and my optimism for the future.
In this post, I write about my journey toward understanding forgiveness.
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.
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.
What is Hellenistic Christianity? A complete guide to Eastern Orthodox theology, theosis, liturgy, sacraments, and the Church's ancient roots in Christian Hellenism.
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...
A snapshot of my evangelical theology in 2007 — from Open Theism to Arminianism — before seminary reshaped everything. A starting point for tracing my faith journey.
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.
This year, Ouachita Baptist University awarded the Garrett Ham Scholarship to Sara Patterson.
How I adapted my paper writing process during a five-month lockdown while managing three major academic papers and a final exam.
How Yale Divinity School and peer institutions adopted pass/fail grading during the pandemic—and what the push for universal pass reveals about student entitlement and institutional confusion.
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.
How does Zoom change the Ivy League experience? This post reflects on the COVID-era shift to online classes at Yale Divinity School and its challenges.
Campus activists at elite colleges like Yale often appear perpetually angry. But beneath the outrage lies a deeper psychological need: the search for heroic purpose and significance.
How COVID shut down Yale's campus mid-semester, forcing remote learning via Zoom and canceling spring commencement. A personal account of pandemic disruption to campus life and academic work.
The relationship between the military and the elite has evolved significantly over the years and not for the better.
In this post, I discuss the first week of spring break, the Buckley seminar, and the start of the Coronavirus pandemic.
As I begin to grow comfortable at Yale, I am becoming more aware of the Ivy League facade that masks much of the mundane and unpolished aspects of elite universities. Explore the reality behind the prestige.
Planning summer academics at Yale Divinity? Learn how I structured German language study, navigated GI Bill regulations, and prepared for Ph.D. applications.
A theological examination of James Cone's liberation theology, his critique of white supremacy, and the challenge to Christian faith in standing with the oppressed.
How I had dinner with National Review editor Rich Lowry at Yale's Buckley Program. Reflections on intellectual humility, the danger of familiarity with greatness, and engaging James Cone's liberation theology.
An insider's look at how Ivy League students use buzzwords like 'oppression,' 'power dynamics,' and 'create a space' to such excess that they dilute the meaning of justified critique and desensitize people to real injustice.
A Yale Divinity School student shares first-hand experiences with study abroad programs, interdepartmental courses, world-famous instructors, and more.
A Catholic analysis of the incoherent 'personally pro-life, politically pro-choice' position held by some Christian leaders. Why this compromise on the value of life fails philosophically and theologically.
How Yale Divinity School's degree flexibility enabled me to take a Roman Law graduate seminar at the law school, and what I learned about course selection across campus.
How does grading work at Yale Divinity School? A personal reflection on semester grades, the H- conversion to A-, and what academic success means beyond the transcript as I transition toward PhD work in New Testament.
Seminary finals at Yale Divinity School: a firsthand account of blue book exams in New Testament, Greek, and Early Christianity. Reflections on theological education and spiritual formation.
A Yale Divinity student's personal essay on vocational discernment, Catholic conversion, and the intersection of faith, military service, and academic calling.
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.
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.
A veteran's perspective on celebrating Veterans Day at Yale Divinity School, examining the gap between institutional lip service and actual military acceptance at elite universities.
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.
How both evangelical and progressive Christianity have absorbed Gnostic tendencies—rejecting the body in different ways while departing from historic Christian teaching.
A Yale Divinity School student reflects on PhD aspirations, academic grading, and the top doctoral programs in New Testament and religious studies worth pursuing.
A conservative Yale Divinity student reflects on campus activism, social justice rhetoric, and the impossibility of civil discourse when ideology replaces dialogue.
A firsthand account of cancel culture at Yale Divinity School: how ideological conformity silences diverse perspectives, the consequences for free speech, and why this matters for conservative students.
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.
How does a theologically conservative student navigate a progressive divinity school? A candid exploration of viewpoint diversity, intellectual challenge, and finding your place 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.
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.
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.
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.
A first-person guide to BTFO at Yale Divinity School covering Berkeley Divinity, class registration, grades, campus life, and what incoming students should expect.
The complete writing sample from a successful Yale Divinity School M.Div. application, drafted from scratch after seven years out of school.
See a real seminary application essay that worked. Full personal statement from a successful Yale Divinity School M.Div. acceptance with writing tips.
Complete Yale Divinity School guide: how to apply, personal statement, GI Bill benefits, financial aid, acceptance, and thriving in the M.Div. program.
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