Doctored

EIMT, or the EUROPEAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT & TECHNOLOGY IN COLLABORATION WITH CAREERERA has been diligently advertising its wares on social media. One of its ads has been making its merry way onto my feed:

WITH GREAT 'DR.' TITLE COMES GREAT LEADERSHIP! DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (Ph.D)

And how do I obtain a doctorate from this ‘Globally Recognised Online Program’ (sic)? Well I receive ‘1:1 Mentoring by Global Dr.’ over a period of ‘36 Months Online’.

This certainly sounds easier than having to obtain so prestigious a degree by the ordinary means of joining a university and completing some actual research- mentoring sounds so much more convenient. And if I get to wear a red cloak after the degree is conferred, so much the better! Sadly, I am not convinced that a great ‘doctor’ title does result in great leadership. Many Anglican bishops, Methodist and Congregationalist leaders have PhDs in this or that, and they exhibit as much leadership as broken knicker elastic. This little advert caters for people’s pride, if not their fashion sense.

I recall a fellow student from university whose ambition was to become a ‘reverend doctor’, which he now is. I found him online and listened to him preach. I do not know what his doctorate was in, but it was certainly not preaching the gospel, a sermon topic with which I suspect he was largely unfamiliar. Wanting to be a ‘doctor’ just so one can sound more impressive suggests one is vain and unworthy of the title. Wishing to buy such a title without putting in the requisite work suggests one is lazy, or stupid, or both. And those doctors of the church with full heads but empty hearts are 'always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.'

 Lose sight of Jesus and his cross,
 And soon we fall a prey;
 Our lust and pride, by power or craft,
 Will carry us away.

-Wm Gadsby