The significance a degree holds in the life of a Bishop

Holding a degree is essential for every field as it signifies your learning and shows the theoretical importance that the area has. Even in religious aspects, the matter of a degree weighs a lot. Completing a degree in theology is significant to obtain a Bishop’s status. According to a study, 52.4% `of bishops have a bachelor’s degree, and approximately 10.7% hold a master’s degree. However, most bishops hold a degree in their professional life as they carry their bishop hood and careers side by side. Their balance between their two worlds teaches them to spread their religion more effectively. 

Being a bishop requires extensive knowledge of religion as they have to make laws and enforce them through the church. So, they needed to memorize everything according to the holy book. A significant part of the quest to become a bishop is the theology degree offered at any college or university across several countries. It is a bare minimum requirement in the journey toward becoming a bishop. A complete knowledge of the laws regarding religion is required for a bishop as they are inclined to place regulations in the church and judge the affairs of the church. 

All bishops are expected to be learned people. They must undergo extensive training as Deacons and several studies to understand the best ways to preach and spread the religion. They are mostly admired for the work that they do for the faith. For example, multiple bishops over the years have translated books into several languages to get the word of God over to people who cannot read them. These actions spread the word of God and allowed people to explore religion worldwide. Even at an early age, Christianity spread worldwide due to the work of the hierarchy as they spread the word of God worldwide. These are the reasons why Christianity is the most followed religion all over the world. 

Due to these reasons, the role of the bishop is only given to the person that has done such work; for example, Edik Baroni (the first Armenian/Iranian American Bishop) translated and published a book from Italian to Farsi called Augustine, One Man One History. He wrote a book regarding the Armenian and Assyrian genocide in Italian titled “IL GENOCIDIO DEGLI ARMENI E DEGLI ASSIRI,” which is available for purchase on Amazon. Through his ecumenical approach and knowledge, he contacts many church leaders of the Syriac Church, Assyrian Church, Armenian Church, and many more. They are aware of his accomplishments and watched him develop into a Bishop after completing all necessary criteria and earning a Ph.D. in Theology from Italy at the pontifical colleges of Rome.

These facts and examples show us that the post of Bishop requires an extensive degree for people from all over the world as it ensures that the potential Bishop can live up to their role. So, to summarize this, if you are looking to be a bishop sooner or later, you need to obtain a Philosophy, and a theology degree, as these are the bare minimum requirements for becoming a bishop!

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