theological education
Commencement strategy
There is much hand-wringing about the future of theological education. Yet graduates still follow the Spirit's call into some form of ministry.
Do you see this prisoner? Meeting with Sing Sing seminarians
In the context of a seminary class behind bars, Jesus' question to Simon is a probing and challenging one.
Innovative moment
It would be a shame if the crisis in seminary education didn’t lead to fresh thinking about how the church calls, trains and places leaders.
Something old, something new: Innovation in theological education
Why is theological education necessary? What are the conditions of its fruitfulness? Such questions are both basic and perplexing.
M.Divs. without collars
I enjoyed Michelle Boorstein's piece of reporting on M. Div. students who aren't headed for parish ministry. She details how some seminarians seek to be ministers of a sort as part of their calling to other vocations; she also touches on the challenges of post-Christendom pastoring and the need for more flexible and affordable paths through seminary.
Revisioning seminary
It’s time for bold, creative experiments in preparing women and men for the unique challenges of 21st-century ministry.
Face-to-screen learning: Seminaries go online
The idea that students will reside on a campus and attend classes at specified times seems increasingly quaint.
Making ministry difficult: The goal of seminary
For all their problems, churches are often a good deal more self-critical and boldly innovative than seminaries.
Classroom Christianity: How theology is flourishing in China
China's leaders still speak implicitly against religions with strong foreign ties. Meanwhile, Christian theology thrives in China.
by Chloë Starr
Respectfully diverse
What is it about theological educators that allows them to get along with civility and respect in spite of wide theological diversity? I attended the recent biennial meeting of the Association of Theological Schools and was impressed with the spirit of friendship there.
Founding the Fathers, by Elizabeth A. Clark
In this deeply researched and illuminating monograph, Elizabeth Clark examines the development of early church history as an academic field in the U.S.
reviewed by Lauren F. Winner
Cell groups: Inmates and seminarians study together
Vanderbilt was not the first school to offer theological education in a prison. But it did pioneer the approach of having seminarians learn in company with prisoners.
Entrepreneurial idealism: Ministry in the 21st century
"What would happen," asks Carol Howard Merritt of Western Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C., "if we coupled baby boomers' prophetic focus with the pragmatism of my generation? What if the church unleashed us to plant churches?"
Is this relevant to ministry?
I'm a part-time student at a denominational seminary, where I'm working (very slowly) on an academic-track masters. It's generally been a good experience, but the school's not a perfect fit. Again and again, professors and coursework assume a ministry context.