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+---- Thread: Doctor of Arts in Theological Leadership (/Thread-Doctor-of-Arts-in-Theological-Leadership)
Doctor of Arts in Theological Leadership - sanantone - 10-03-2026
We don't see too many DA programs these days. Kentucky Christian University has what might be a new Doctor of Arts in Theological Leadership.
Tuition: $325 per semester hour
Length: 48 semester hours
I don't think this program has much substance, but that's how I feel about most leadership programs. Regardless, a lot of people seem to love leadership programs (probably because they lack substance).
https://www.kcu.edu/doctorate-of-arts-in-theological-leadership-datl/
RE: Doctor of Arts in Theological Leadership - Sagan - 10-04-2026
(10-03-2026, 10:19 PM)sanantone Wrote: Regardless, a lot of people seem to love leadership programs (probably because they lack substance).The field of leadership, participarly in strategic leadership, is incredibly robust. And it's not just advice from practitioners. New theories on workplace motivation, adult stage development, reactive systems vs. creative competencies and much more. The works of Anderson and Adams, Kegan, Linsky and Heifetz, Cook-Greuter, along with theories like Self-Determination Theory, Purposeful Leadership Development theory and the Cynefin Framework are on the cutting edge of understanding how do cope with the complexities of leading modern buisnesses and organizations.
Are there leadership programs that fail to leverage these concepts and findings? I'm sure there are. That's their failing, not the discipline's.
Having been trained at a rather high level in strategic leadership development, I was listening to a guy from the Army War College talking about leadership training. I was skeptical at first, figuring it would be the same old warmed-over Patton-was-a genius stuff. But no. They were right in the midst of the things I just wrote about above. I was floored...and impressed. They knew the same theories, the same frameworks, the same concepts I'd been working in for years.
Good, research-based theory and practice in leadership is out there to be learned. The discriminate student will seek it out.
RE: Doctor of Arts in Theological Leadership - sanantone - 10-04-2026
I've been through multiple professional leadership programs and have had the misfortune of taking leadership in multiple graduate programs. It's always the same watered-down organizational psychology. You can cover that in one or two courses.
RE: Doctor of Arts in Theological Leadership - Sagan - 10-04-2026
Universities have two basic functions: Research and teaching. The PhD typically prepared academicians for research; teaching was a bit of an after-thought. (And often left for grad students--TAs--to do.)
The DA was supposed to change that by preparing people to teach at the collegiate level. Focused on pedagogy, the DA was still supposed to be equal to the PhD. Unfortunately, it failed in one of the main functions of a degree: a proxy speaking on behalf of the holder. DA grads were not held in as high esteem for faculty positions, and the DA quickly died out. In fact, many schools converted DA holders to PhDs.
A cursory look at the curriculum of this DA reveals that it is NOT a DA in the traditional sense. It is a professional degree (the DA was a scholarly degree) preparing graduates for practice. It lists as its outcomes:
Advance executive leadership knowledge and practice
Integrate leadership theory with faith-based application
Master communication for organizational and academic leadership
Cultivate intercultural awareness and ethical decision-making
Contribute original scholarship to leadership studies
None of this is "DA" stuff. In fact, the last line is a little troubling since it blurs the line between scholarship and practice. On the other hand, pedagogy can be implied from this statement OUTSIDE of the learning objectives:
"Unlike the PhD or EdD, the DATL focuses on disciplinary expertise, leadership practice, learning theory, and curriculum design, culminating in a dissertation that integrates faith, leadership, and research."
But the list of courses does seem to support "learning theory and curriculum design."
Because of the inherent limitations of the DA award, it is advised that one be very, very clear about one's objectives for the use of this degree to ensure--to the extent possible--that it will meet one's present and future requirements.
RE: Doctor of Arts in Theological Leadership - sanantone - 10-04-2026
This is basically another one of those generic EdD programs in leadership. It's easier to build leadership programs because you don't need an array of experts to teach specific skills. It is the ultimate cash cow degree that allows people to check the doctorate box. With this plethora of educational leadership programs, have our schools gotten any better?
Murray State's DA program is more representative of what the DA is supposed to be. Honestly, the DA is more representative of what the doctorate was prior to the 1800s. In my opinion, making professors (teachers) focus on research for money-making purposes and abandon teaching, which is the whole point of the university's existence, has been a disaster. Now that research dollars for low ROI and unprofitable majors are drying up, humanities PhD programs across the country are suspending admissions. But there was already an oversupply of humanities PhDs. If the focus had been on filling available teaching positions rather than collecting research dollars to prepare artifacts few people will read, there probably would have been less of an imbalance. With the advent of LLMs, we have even more junk across all fields being published.
I haven't even gotten into the reviewer crisis. Journals have been having issues with finding reviewers. So, we have this system in which journals now want you to pay to publish so they can profit off your work, and the reviewers work for free. Insanity. While conferences are expensive, I like that the computer science field values them more than publishing articles few people will read. This cuts down on junk and forces people to present their work directly to the industry.
RE: Doctor of Arts in Theological Leadership - Sagan - 10-04-2026
I've made a very profitable living for more than 40 years in leadership development. The off-handed dismissal of leadership degree programs is laughable on its face. Notice how none of these cranks bother to actually back up their statements. This isn't an endorsement of any particular degree program, of course. But I reject the notion that degrees in leadership are "check the box" actions or other such nonsense. Prove it.
RE: Doctor of Arts in Theological Leadership - Stonybeach - 10-04-2026
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RE: Doctor of Arts in Theological Leadership - sanantone - 10-04-2026
(10-04-2026, 01:50 PM)Sagan Wrote: I've made a very profitable living for more than 40 years in leadership development. The off-handed dismissal of leadership degree programs is laughable on its face. Notice how none of these cranks bother to actually back up their statements. This isn't an endorsement of any particular degree program, of course. But I reject the notion that degrees in leadership are "check the box" actions or other such nonsense. Prove it.
Leadership development is not a doctoral program. You are making the case for non-credit, professional development programs, which doesn't help your argument that leadership doctoral programs are needed.
McDonald's has made a lot of money off selling low-quality food. Chiropractors make money off pseudoscience. What is the point you're trying to make? Crank? Highly emotional and lacking logic. Am I threatening your income?
RE: Doctor of Arts in Theological Leadership - Sagan - 10-05-2026
(10-04-2026, 04:20 PM)sanantone Wrote:Of course not. But you're also railing about something you clearly know little about. Your ad hominem is both typical and unfortunate in someone who normally posts so brilliantly. But you've done this to me before--with zero basis for it.(10-04-2026, 01:50 PM)Sagan Wrote: I've made a very profitable living for more than 40 years in leadership development. The off-handed dismissal of leadership degree programs is laughable on its face. Notice how none of these cranks bother to actually back up their statements. This isn't an endorsement of any particular degree program, of course. But I reject the notion that degrees in leadership are "check the box" actions or other such nonsense. Prove it.
Leadership development is not a doctoral program. You are making the case for non-credit, professional development programs, which doesn't help your argument that leadership doctoral programs are needed.
McDonald's has made a lot of money off selling low-quality food. Chiropractors make money off pseudoscience. What is the point you're trying to make? Crank? Highly emotional and lacking logic. Am I threatening your income?
I've taught leadership at several universities in addition to my corporate and organizational experiences teaching and developing it. My opinion is informed by both experience and learning.
I notice you still provide no support for your assertions. I'll wait for that. In the meantime, I am curious what you think leadership is and, if you could be so bold, why you think it is either not a worthy subject or why it is not aptly taught?
RE: Doctor of Arts in Theological Leadership - Stonybeach - 10-05-2026
It is difficult to ascertain one's "tone" on this discussion forum. Overall, yours comes across as condescending and arrogant. Overall, not very good qualities to have in the leadership sector. I'm sure you are a different person in "real life," and I give you the benefit of the doubt. I recommend toning it down. You are a leader with two doctoral degrees! Impart your knowledge with kindness and a sense of invitation. Otherwise, this forum will fall apart just like DI.