Resources

The cultivation of reflective practice has become a commonly accepted goal of theological education. However, theological educators must face the challenge of teaching and assessing reflective practice. Hypothesizing that this concern is best addressed in community, the authors of this article devised a collaborative action-research project using Thomas Groome's "shared Christian praxis" model. They describe the ways in which they have, over the course of the project, modified their pedagogy to improve their students' reflection on practice.

At the November 2008 meeting of the American Academy of Religion, the History of Christianity section sponsored a panel around the question: "What are the key challenges, opportunities, and goals in the History of Christianity classroom today and how best should teachers respond to them?" Beginning with brief sketches of institutional context and identification of one or more pivotal choices each makes in the course they teach, the panelists explored critical themes and issues that arise in teaching the history of Christianity, first with each other and then through interchange with the audience.

A 1000 word essay on using textbooks in introductory courses (or not).

A 1000 word essay on using textbooks in introductory courses (or not).

A 1000 word essay on using textbooks in introductory courses (or not).

One page Teaching Tactic: students take turns in the role of "teaching assistant" to increase motivation and attention to the material.

One page Teaching Tactic: an exercise that treats student groups unequally, to learn about empathetic identification with biblical figures.

One page Teaching Tactic: a treasure hunt by which students learn about the attributes of God.

One page Teaching Tactic: students compare two theology textbooks to gain a new understanding of diversity.

In an attempt to engage students' higher-order thinking skills, we developed a documentary filmmaking project for our introduction to theology course. By documenting certain aspects of the theology of John Wesley and John Henry Newman (God, creation, revelation, Jesus, the church), students were able to delve deeply into these themes, better understanding them and their interrelationships. The project helped the students to actively practice historical theology, rather than passively learn about it through lectures. In addition, the project emphasized research skills, quality of writing and creative production, and a professional presentation at a screening.