The members of the Episcopal House of Bishops are highly educated. Much more so than the average man in the street, or the prayerful woman sitting in the pews.

Ninety-nine-point nine percent of the current membership of the House of Bishops holds a professional theological degree -- M.Div -- or higher. Only one member of the Episcopal HOB has not been to formal seminary. He is Bishop Mark Cowell (VI Western Kansas). He "Read for Orders" under Bishop Vernon Strickland (III Western Kansas). This was a common practice of days gone by.

Clergy read for orders under the leadership and guidance of an older, wiser and experienced clergyman. Today some non-liturgical Protestant groups still allow their up-and-coming preachers to read for orders. Doctors learned about the healing arts by working with an older, seasoned horse and buggy doctor. And even Abraham Lincoln, who was a brilliant lawyer in his own right, never went to law school. He was an avid reader and became self-taught since there was no attorney close at hand that he could apprentice under.

However, Bishop Cowell does process a law degree from Washburn University Law School. He is one of eight attorneys holding court in the House of Bishops.

Research shows that in the United States, 89.8% of the populace has graduated from high school. That figure goes down with each level of higher education.

Some 61.3% have some college, but have not completed a degree program. Another 45.2% hold associate degrees and 34.9% have bachelor's degrees. Master's degrees are held by 13% of the population and only 3.5% hold professional degrees.

The 10 recognized professional degrees, which add letters behind one's name, include: Chiropractic (DC); Dentistry (DDS); Law (JD); Medicine (MD); Osteopathy (DO); Pharmaceutical (Pharm.D); Ophthalmology (OD); Podiatry (DP); Theology (M.Div); and Veterinary (DVM).

Finally, only about two percent of the population hold an earned Ph.D. of some sort.

According to Pew Research, when it comes to the education level of American Episcopalians only 2%, do not have a high school diploma, another 14% only have a high school diploma, 28% have some college and 56% possess a college degree.

American Hindus have the highest percentage of college graduates at 77%; followed by the Unitarian Universalists at 59%; both the Jews and those identifying as Anglicans come in tied at 59%; with the Episcopalians ranking fifth at 56%. All other reporting denominations have fewer than 50% of their membership holding college degrees.

Here is a breakdown of the living Episcopal bishops who hold an earned degree higher than the basic M. Div. (Master of Divinity) which is the first necessary step toward ordination as an Episcopal priest. Almost a quarter of the House of Bishops (23.8%) possess an earned doctoral degree of some sort.

For the most part, in the United States, a Doctor of Divinity is an honorific degree. So it is not being considered in this article.

"An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases 'honoris causa' ('for the sake of the honor')", Wikipedia explains: "In the United States, most Doctors of Divinity hold a degree conferred 'honoris causa' -- 'for the sake of the honor' -- by a church-related college, seminary, or university to recognize the recipient's achievements as a minister of religion."

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry has his M.Div. from Yale Divinity School, but no other earned doctoral degrees. However, he has picked up multiple honorary Doctor of Divinity degrees including from Sewanee, Virginia Theological Seminary, Berkeley Divinity School at Yale, the Episcopal Divinity School, the Seminary of the Southwest, and Church Divinity School of the Pacific.

His predecessor, Katherine Jefferts Schori's only earned doctorate is a Ph.D. in Oceanography from Oregon State University. However, she was awarded honorary Doctor of Divinity degrees from the Church Divinity School of the Pacific, Seabury-Western Theological Seminary, and Sewanee for her time spent as both the IX Bishop of Nevada and breaking the stained glass ceiling as the XXVI Presiding Bishop.

Three bishops hold two doctoral degrees. Gretchen Rehberg (VIII Spokane) has her Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) as well as a Ph.D. in Chemistry. Martha Stebbins (VI Montana) is a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) and holds a Ph.D. in Veterinary Medical Services. Former Eau Claire Bishop William Wantland is an attorney (JD) and holds an earned Doctor of Religion (D.Rel.). He is now a senior bishop in the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) College of Bishops.

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (Ph.D) or (D.Phil)

✓Bishopette Diana Akiyama (VIII Oregon) Ph.D. in Religion and Social Ethics -- University of Southern California.

✓Bishop Craig Anderson (VI South Dakota) Ph.D. in Theology -- Vanderbilt University.

✓Communion Partners Bishop Stephen Andrews (Anglican Church of Canada) Ph.D. in Divinity -- University of Cambridge in England.

✓Bishop John Bauerschmidt (IV Tennessee) D.Phil. -- Oxford University in England.

✓Bishopette Glenda Curry (IV Alabama) Ph.D. in Nursing -- Oklahoma State University.

✓Bishop Ian Douglas (XV Connecticut) Ph.D. -- Boston University.

✓Bishopette DeDe Duncan-Probe (XI Central New York) -- Ph.D. in Theology at The Graduate Theological Foundation at Oxford University in England.

✓Bishop William Franklin (XI Western New York) Ph.D. in Church History -- Harvard.

✓Bishopette Carol Gallagher (Suffragan South Virginia) Ph.D. in Urban Affairs -- University of Delaware.

✓Bishop William Gregg (VIII Eastern Oregon) Ph.D. -- University of Notre Dame College of Arts and Letters in Indiana.

✓Bishop Justin Holcomb (V Central Florida) Ph.D. in Theological Studies -- Emory.

✓Bishop Johncy Itty (VIII Oregon) Ph.D. in Political Science -- City University of New York.

✓Bishop Jacob Owensby (VII Western Louisiana) Ph.D. in Philosophy -- Emory University (Methodist).

✓Presiding Bishopette Katherine Jefferts Schori (XXVI Presiding Bishop) Ph.D. in Oceanography -- Oregon State University.

✓Bishopette Gretchen Rehberg (VIII Spokane) Ph.D. in Chemistry -- University of Minnesota.

✓Bishop Sean Rowe (III Northwestern Pennsylvania) Ph.D. in Organizational Learning and Leadership -- Gannon University in Erie, Pennsylvania.

✓Bishop Prince Singh (VIII Rochester) Ph.D. in Religion and Society -- Drew University.

✓Bishop Kirk Smith (V Arizona) Ph.D. in Medieval Church History -- Cornell University.

✓Bishopette Martha Stebbins (VI Montana) Ph.D. in Veterinary Medical Services in Micro Bacteriology -- North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine.

✓Bishop George Sumner (VII Dallas) Ph.D. in Theology -- Yale.

✓Bishop Porter Taylor (VI Western North Carolina) Ph.D. in Theology and Literature -- Emory University (Methodist).

DOCTOR OF MINISTRY (D.Min.)

✓Bishopette Laura Ahrens (Connecticut-Suffragan) D.Min. -- Hartford University.

✓Bishop Nathan Baxter (X Central Pennsylvania) D.Min. -- Lancaster Theological Seminary (United Church of Christ) Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

✓Bishopette Cathleen Bascon (X Kansas) D.Min. -- Iliff School of Theology (Methodist) in Denver, Colorado.

✓Bishop Scott Benhase (X Georgia) D.Min. -- Virginia Theological Seminary.

✓Bishop Franklin Brookhart (VI Montana) D.Min. -- United Theological Seminary (Methodist) in Trotwood, Ohio.

✓Bishopette Diana Bruce (Los Angeles-Suffragan) D.Min. in Congregational Development -- Seabury Western.

✓Bishopette Marianne Budde (IX Washington, DC) D.Min. -- Virginia Theological Seminary.

✓Bishop Clarence Coleridge (XIII Connecticut) D.Min. -- Andover Newton Theological School (American Baptist) in Newton, Massachusetts.

✓Bishop Martin Field (VIII West Missouri) D.Min. in Congregational Development -- Seabury Western.

✓Bishop Douglas Fisher (VII West Missouri) D.Min. -- Episcopal Divinity School.

✓Bishop Robert Fitzpatrick (VIII Hawaii) D.Min. in Homiletics -- Seabury Western.

✓Bishop Jonathan Folts (VI South Dakota) D.Min. -- Virginia Theological Seminary.

✓Bishopette Sally French (XIII New Jersey) D.Min. -- Virginia Theological Seminary.

✓Bishop Gary Gloster (North Carolina-Suffragan) D.Min. -- Virginia Theological Seminary.

✓Bishopette Carlyle Hughes (XI Newark) D.Min. STUDENT at Sewanee.

✓Bishop Robert Ihloff (XIII Maryland) D.Min. -- Episcopal Divinity School.

✓Bishop Don Johnson (IV West Tennessee) D.Min. -- Graduate Theological Foundation (Ecumenical Interreligious) in Oklahoma City.

✓Bishop David C. Jones (Virginia-Suffragan) D.Min. -- Virginia Theological Seminary.

✓Bishopette Shannon MacVean-Brown (XI Vermont) D.Min. -- Ecumenical Theological Seminary in Detroit, Michigan.

✓Bishop Santosh Marray (XI Easton) D.Min. -- Colgate Rochester Divinity School (Baptist) in Rochester, New York.

✓Bishop Todd Ousley (V Eastern Michigan) D.Min. in Congregational Development -- Seabury Southwestern.

✓Bishopette Bonnie Perry (V Michigan) D.Min. in Congregational Development -- Seabury Western.

✓Bishopette Gretchen Rehberg (VIII Spokane) D.Min. -- Wesley Theological Seminary (Methodist) in Washington, D.C.

✓Bishopette Audrey Scalan (XI Central Pennsylvania) D.Min. -- Hartford University.

✓Bishop Robert Skirving (VIII East Carolina) D.Min. -- Seabury Western.

✓William Smalley (VIII Kansas) D.Min. -- Wesley Theological Seminary (Methodist) Washington, DC.

✓Bishop Dabney Smith (IV Southwest Florida) D.Min. -- Seabury Southwestern.

✓Bishop Wayne Smith (X Missouri) D.Min. -- Sewanee.

✓Bishopette Ketlen Solak (IX TEC Pittsburgh) D.Min. -- Virginia Theological Seminary.

✓Bishop James Stanton (VI Dallas) D.Min. -- Claremont School of Theology (Methodist)
Claremont, California.

✓Bishop James Waggoner (VIII Spokane) D.Min. -- Virginia Theological Seminary.

✓Bishop Michael Vono (IX Rio Grande) D.Min. -- Hartford University.

OTHER EARNED DOCTORAL DEGREES
JD (Doctor of Jurisprudence)
DVM (Doctor of Veterinary Medicine)
Th.D. (Doctor of Theology)
S.T.D. (Doctor of Sacred Theology - Roman Catholic)

✓Bishop Neil Alexander (Custodian of the Standard Book of Common Prayer in The Episcopal Church) Th.D. in Liturgics -- General Seminary.

✓Bishop Jennifer Brooke-Davidson (West Texas-Suffragan) JD -- University of Texas School of Law in Austin.

✓Bishop Mark Cowell (VII Western Kansas) JD -- Washburn University Law School in Topeka, Kansas.

✓Bishop Joe Doss (X New Jersey) JD -- Louisiana State University Law School in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

✓Bishop Dan Edwards (X Nevada) JD -- University of Texas School of Law in Austin.

✓Bishop Leopold Frade (IV Southwest Florida) S.T.D. -- Florida Center for Theological Studies through St. Thomas University in Miami Gardens, Florida.

✓Bishop Samuel Howard (VIII Florida) JD -- Wake Forest University School of Law.

✓Bishop Paul Marshall (VI Bethlehem) Th.D. -- General Theological Seminary.

✓Bishopette Phoebe Roaf (IV West Tennessee) JD -- University of Arkansas at Little Rock School of Law.

✓Bishop Stacy Sauls (IV Lexington) JD -- University of Virginia School of Law.

✓Bishopette Martha Stebbins (VI Montana) DVM -- North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine.

✓Bishop Calvin Tennis (IX Delaware) JD -- William and Mary Law School in Williamsburg, Virginia.

FORMER EPISCOPAL BISHOPS WITH DOCTORATE DEGREES

✓ACNA Bishop William Wantland (IV Eau Claire) JD -- Oklahoma City University School of Law; AND D.Rel. -- Geneva Theological College in Tennessee.

✓ACNA Bishop FitzSimmons Allison (XII South Carolina) D.Phil. -- Oxford in England.

✓Former Bishop Jeffrey Steenson (VIII Rio Grande) D.Phil. -- Oxford in England. Became Roman Catholic in 2007.

✓Former Bishop John Lipscomb (IV Southwest Florida) D.Min. -- Graduate Theological Foundation (Roman Catholic) in Sarasota, Florida. Became Roman Catholic in 2009.

Mary Ann Mueller is a journalist living in Texas. She is a regular contributor to VirtueOnline.