Steve Prost: A Military Chaplain Undertakes a PhD at TEDS
Jan 31, 2025
Many of the textbooks Blaise Brankatelli read as an undergraduate student at Moody Bible Institute were written by faculty members from Trinity Evangelical and Divinity School (TEDS). So, when it came time to apply for graduate programs, Blaise kept in mind the school’s reputation.
“I wanted to go to the best school I could find and was considering Trinity alongside many prestigious universities,” Blaise says. “In the end, I chose TEDS because it had all the rigor and reputation of any Ivy League school while maintaining a confidence in Scripture and a commitment to the Church.”
In addition, while Blaise’s background gave him a framework to understand Christianity, he considered himself an atheist by middle school because of the intellectual challenges he had with the Christian faith and its adherents.
“By God’s grace, through personal study and covered in much prayer, I was saved in high school at a local youth group,” Blaise says. “My own struggles with intellectual issues shaped my personal mission to support the mind of the Church, which ultimately led me to Trinity and service in Christian higher education.”
At TEDS, Blaise pursued a Master of Divinity with a specialization in the academic track, which existed at the time.
“I knew I wanted to dedicate myself to serving Christian higher education, and our MDiv gave me the breadth of knowledge to prepare for that setting,” he says. “Learning ancient languages alongside courses on contemporary culture like social and cultural exegesis provided me with the exact type of experience I was looking for.”
One of Blaise’s favorite things about his time at Trinity was the friendships he made along the way.
“When I was looking at graduate programs, I really never accounted for the way the student body adds to your experience,” he shares. “While in school, I found Greek study groups in the morning, board game meets in my afternoons, and prayer partners needed at all hours. Years out, I have a network of lifelong brothers and sisters serving Christ and His Kingdom across the globe.”
Throughout his studies at TEDS, Blaise focused on building his relationship with Christ.
“I turned every homework assignment, from a Greek translation to a paper critically evaluating my local church, into an opportunity to worship and grow in faith,” he says. “TEDS presents you with a myriad of opportunities to benefit your relationship with God alongside scholarship. You just need to be intentional about participating in them.”
Blaise was fairly certain he wanted to serve in Christian higher education from the onset of his time at TEDS. His experience as a student solidified this.
After earning his MDiv in 2012, Blaise took a role as executive director of graduate, adult, and alumni enrollment at TEDS, serving in that capacity for nearly five years.
Today, Blaise serves as the director of graduate and professional admissions and external partnerships at Malone University in Ohio. He is also the father of four kids and married to “the most wonderful woman in the world.”
Blaise firmly believes that when one’s journey is formed by faith, that journey rarely looks as anticipated. “Yet in faith, we trust the curves we encounter,” he says.
This certainly rings true for Blaise, as his first son was born with a developmental disorder that impacts his physical and intellectual abilities.
“An event like this disrupts your plans, your relationships, your career, and even your view of God,” Blaise says. “However, I can honestly say that the guidance, support, and theological framework to walk through that grief was forged and provided through Trinity.”
Moving forward, Blaise knows his experience at TEDS will continue to have an impact on him.
“I have developed a hunger for a deep and robust understanding of Scripture, an eye toward critical evaluation of our world through a variety of disciplines, and a cloud of co-laborers to look to for inspiration, advice, and support,” he says.