Is higher education encouraged by your faith tradition? Why do you think some religious people are so suspicious of higher education and those who earned degrees?

Higher education is not explicitly encouraged or discouraged among the general membership. For those who pursue the ordained ministry, (e.g. pastors), things are a little different. Reformed churches believe that preaching and teaching the Bible is of such high importance that it should only be undertaken by men who are able competently to do so. Reformed/Presbyterian churches, therefore, require rigorous education of men preparing for the ministry, basically a Masters level degree (M.Div.), including training in biblical interpretation, knowledge of the original languages of the Bible (Greek and Hebrew) and specific theological instruction.

There is, in some sections of Christianity, an anti-intellectualism that assumes (falsely) that dependence on the work of the Holy Spirit is somehow negated or minimized by formal training and so they downplay its importance or explicitly eschew such education. The sad result is the plethora of errors and unbiblical teaching that can be seen in many churches today.