PDF Re-envisioning Theological Education and Formation for Mission, In-context, Using Distance Education Download
- Author: David W. Wollenburg
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- Category : Seminary extension
- Languages : en
- Pages : 294
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A top leadership theorist offers a compelling proposal for renovating the way religious education is practiced today. Christian colleges and seminaries have not been immune from the cultural influences shaping contemporary education. Challenging the conventional wisdom advanced by the educational debate during the last fifteen years, Robert Banks builds an innovative new model of theological education based on how ministry formation took place in biblical times. Banks takes full account of key issues raised by our current educational context and shows how a "missional model" of education is more holistic, inclusive, and practical than recent versions.
God’s interest in the entirety of our existence and the details of his creation is quite rightly lauded by professing Christians, including those involved in theological education. But what impact does this biblical truth have on the way in which theological education is conducted? Critics are increasingly bringing attention to the shortcomings of theological education in this regard. In this thorough examination of the issue of holistic practices throughout the operations of theological institutions, Dr Jessy Jaison provides sage and actionable solutions where others have merely observed systemic weaknesses. Jaison has applied her expertise and experience of twenty-five years in theological education in India to dissect the issues, diagnose the symptoms and prescribe a way forward that will lead to stronger leaders practicing healthier ministry in God’s Kingdom for those who have ears to hear.
Assessment of the impact of theological education has always been a challenge. In a pluralistic world where graduates are ministering in greatly varying contexts and cultures, theological education has to be context sensitive and relevant. It is no longer enough to ensure that students have mastered core theological concepts and truths, have biblical knowledge, and some basic ministry skills. The impact of a theological institution is measured by the effectiveness of their graduates in their specific ministry contexts. Therefore the theological curriculum has to be connected with the contexts of the graduates. Theological institutions need to be clear as to what they hope to accomplish and this will determine the model of theological training that they use. This book explores various models of theological education, as well as identifying steps in the logical sequence of connecting curriculum with context.
More and more seminaries, Christian universities, and Bible colleges are opting to train future ministers and missionaries online. What happens when the movement toward online education is shaped by pragmatic or financial concerns instead of Scripture and theology? Ministry training can be reduced to a mere transfer of information as institutions lose sight of their calling to shape the souls of God-called men and women in preparation for effective ministry. How might online ministry training look different if biblical and theological foundations were placed first? Teaching the World brings together educators from a wide range of backgrounds and from some of the largest providers of online theological education in the world. Together, they present a revolutionary new approach to online theological education, highly practical and yet thoroughly shaped by Scripture and theology.
As the church grows ever larger in areas once considered impervious to the gospel, theological training is failing to keep up with the needs of local congregations. This lack of missional capacity, alongside an overwhelming shortage of trained leadership, indicates a pressing need to revisit the aims and approaches of theological education globally. Engaging qualitative research from South Asia, Dr. Jessy Jaison demonstrates that both formal and non-formal approaches to theological training can support the church’s missional calling. However, she challenges the growing normalization that theological education is an end in itself, distant from those it was meant to serve. Dr. Jaison calls for a church-centered paradigm in which all forms of training would collaborate with and for the body of Christ. Not only will readers be introduced to theological education in the the South Asian context, they will also benefit from the practical and collaborative model demonstrated and how they can revitalize the process in supporting the church in its mission.
The sacred-secular divide permeates our churches, our seminaries, and our lives. By perpetuating the false belief that there are some areas of life that are not important to God, some callings that are second-class, and some spheres of society that are not worth engaging, the sacred-secular divide diminishes our understanding of God, discipleship, missiology, and the gospel itself. Seeking to liberate the global church from the power of this dichotomy, Whole-Life Mission for the Whole Church provides theological educators with the tools they need to combat the sacred-secular divide in the very realm where it is so often generated: the classroom. Filled with contributions from practitioners around the world, this book contains a wealth of insight into both the nature of the problem and the possibilities for its solution. The approaches suggested here are biblically rooted, contextually appropriate, and experientially tested, offering an excellent resource for educators desiring to transform their institutional cultures, curriculums, and classrooms into environments that envision, empower, and liberate the whole church for its role in the mission of God.
This volume looks at mission formation for all Christians and missionary formation for mission workers, agencies and churches in a changing situation of mission. The focus is on educating the whole people of God. Here is the reason for the title of this volume: Reflecting on and Equipping for Christian Mission. Theological education in the broad sense participates in the task of equipping people for God's mission in today's world. At the same time we affirm that all theological education is contextual and that no particular context should exercise dominant influence. ""Doing theological education contextually is not necessarily educating and equipping for mission. All theological education is contextual but in this book theological educators focus on missionary formation, missional leadership and theology of mission. A remarkable achievement, in which models from different global regions and churches, past and present, mutually enrich each other."" Kirsteen Kim, Professor at Leeds Trinity University, United Kingdom ""Co-participating in God's mission requires preparation, both intellectually and spiritually, which is enabled by the churches' faith in the triune God and further nurtured through multicultural, multidisciplinary and interconfessional exchanges. This volume is highly recommended since it brings interesting experiences and helpful insights for mutual equipment of the churches in order to share more effectively the good news of the gospel in today's world."" Carlos E. Ham, Pastor of the Presbyterian-Reformed Church in Cuba and President-elect of the Matanzas Theological Seminary ""Education in the 21st century has become market-driven with competitiveness, profitability and survival as significant factors that determine institutional policy and pedagogy. This new volume on theological education and Christian mission takes seriously the integral development of the human person in education seen from the optic of different contexts. Mission is a question of being which is unfolded and realized in education."" Andrew G. Recepcion, President of the International Association of Catholic Missiologists (IACM), Philippines Stephen Bevans is Louis J. Luzbetak, SVD Professor of Mission and Culture (Emeritus) at Catholic Theological Union, Chicago. Teresa Chai is a faculty member at Asia Pacific Theological Seminary filling the John Bueno Chair of Intercultural Studies and Global Mission Center Director. J. Nelson Jennings has been Associate/Executive Director of Overseas Ministries Study Center, New Haven 2011-2015. Knud Jorgensen is adjunct Professor at the MF Norwegian School of Theology and one of the editors of the Regnum Edinburgh Centenary Series. Dietrich Werner is Senior Theological Advisor to Bread for the World/Church development services in Berlin, Germany.