Resources

Programs of theological education in Christian traditions are exploring "distanced learning" as one way to address certain challenges to their educational excellence. A major strand in a twenty-year old discussion of the nature and purpose of theological education has urged that analysis of theological schooling's failures and assessment of proposed remedies ought to be framed explicitly in theological terms as part of an ongoing inquiry into what makes theological education properly theological. This essay tries to show how following that advice can make a practical difference in assessing the merits of distanced learning. It does so by raising questions about the theological-anthropological assumptions, respectively, of theological education and of distanced learning.

As the population within our religious institutions and the United States grows increasingly diverse, the need for a greater awareness of cultural and racial differences is a challenge facing theology students who will live and work within a changing context. For European American students this challenge includes an understanding of the power dynamics inherent in "whiteness" and how the resultant social power affects persons of other races and cultures. This article focuses on the need for cultural competence among current theology students, and outlines a five-stage developmental process whereby they have an opportunity to enhance their understanding of multiculturalism and anti-racism within their own context.

Theological education has traditionally required students to come together in real (and often residential) communities and to learn in classroom settings with face–to–face teaching. Until recently, this model alone has been thought to provide the opportunity for the development of personal knowledge and the formation of character necessary for those engaged in professional ministry. This paper outlines a research project on the use of the Web in theological education, using an introductory course in biblical studies, offered for the first time this year in an online environment through the University of Exeter. The course is designed to enable the creation of a virtual community where personal theological formation is fostered. This paper describes the design of the course, analyzing the complex competencies required in terms of goals and outcomes, and identifying issues for further research. It provides some preliminary results, with an eye to making recommendations for future curriculum development.

This article reports on the findings of a study carried out with ordinands and faculty in English theological Colleges and Courses (programs). The project aimed to discover (a) how and to what extent students are trained to work in Britain's multi–faith society, and (b) how are ordinands thinking theologically about issues of religious diversity. This article highlights the examples of good practice that emerged from the study and considers what makes for good learning about multi–faith issues for ordinands training for the ministry.

Older, second-career and non-traditional students in seminaries present challenges for theological curricula and teaching in situations where theological study and the actual practice of ministry are no longer sequential but simultaneous. The author proposes a threefold response to these challenges, combining scholarly excellence and compassionate pedagogy with an eye toward seamless integration of study, formation, and life. The axis connecting past and future within this trinity is compassionate pedagogy: an approach to teaching in which passionate mutual participation yields creative contextualizing of academics and practice, guiding students toward a comprehension of their lives and work as the central arena of theological inquiry.

Seminaries have a responsibility to engage students in reflecting upon the spiritual life, as well as providing opportunities to deepen their own spiritual journeys. It also is important that they consider the intentional ways that their understandings and experiences of the spiritual life influence their leadership in the Church. Spiritual formation of seminarians provides particular challenges to faculty of liberal, ecumenical seminaries. This article describes a course designed to address these issues and argues that spiritual formation can be effectively integrated into the curricula of liberal, ecumenical seminaries.

In order to teach theological reflection well, it is necessary to teach students how to write it well. This paper probes the writing of theological reflection as a rhetorical process and a theological practice by (1) situating theological reflection broadly within a "correlation" model, adapted for theological writers; (2) identifying two "generic" styles of theological reflection papers, the pastoral reflection paper and the systematic reflection paper; (3) following a writer's progress as she writes a one-page pastoral reflection paper and constructs a working theology in the process of writing it. In conclusion, the correlation-based "Reflecting on Paper" process provides a pedagogical bridge between the writing and teaching of "pastoral" and "systematic" theological reflection, and exemplifies the dynamic interplay between teaching theological reflection and reflecting on writing as a theological practice.

While electronic learning is transforming the face of higher education today, some in the theological community question whether it is appropriate for the specific goals of graduate level theological formation for ministry. Drawing on the work of one theological faculty, this article answers yes. The author describes the school's hybrid model of distance education pedagogy. He discusses the underlying teaching and learning principles that guided the faculty in their development of this model, and, in particular, the pedagogical ideal of the learning cohort as a "wisdom community." Web-based instruction can be effectively designed to nurture wisdom communities for integrative learning. The author describes the "pedagogy of the online wisdom community" from his experience of Web-based distance education teaching. The growing demand for ministry formation programs, particularly in mission areas, underlines the urgent need for continued study of the role of technology in theological pedagogy.

This essay draws on insights from studies on learning to explore the role of formation in the classroom. Studies of intellectual development, learning styles, and the physiology of learning are reviewed. Methodologies and models for encouraging formative learning in seminary classrooms are explored. This essay was written to address one of the issues that have focused the attention of the participants in the Lexington Seminar on Theological Teaching for the Church's Ministries, a project sponsored by Lexington Theological Seminary and supported by the Lilly Endowment, Inc. It will be included in Practical Wisdom: On Theological Teaching and Learning, edited by Malcolm L. Warford, a collection of essays intended to (1) affirm the teaching ministry of theological educators, (2) raise up and discern the diverse ways in which issues of teaching and learning present themselves in institutional contexts, (3) evoke new perspectives on the challenges facing individual schools, and (4) encourage faculty to make conversations about teaching and learning a crucial part of faculty life. Peter Lang Publishing will release the book in fall 2004. Additional information about the work of the Lexington Seminar is available on the Lexington Seminar's Web site .

How can poetry be a resource for effective teaching of congregational life and leadership? Drawing on poetry from an array of sources, the author weaves a narrative to discuss specific strategies employed for using poetry in the classroom. Recognizing the capacity of poems to awaken latent imaginations and evoke new insights about church leadership among his students, the author provides details about particular methods that can serve as alternative approaches for learning about a subject.