Borderlands of Theological Education (The Borderlands of Theological Education)

Traditional patterns of educating and training clergy face not only crises of increasing cost and declining enrollment, but also a crisis of identity, since at present it is the academy, not the church, that shapes formation for ministry. This collection of essays outlines a history and a new vision of the church as the primary location of ministerial formation for the future of theological education. Cover Half Title Series Page Title Page Copyright Page Contents Figures Figures Preface Chapter 1: “In this Interregnum, a Great Variety of Morbid Symptoms Appear”: Seminaries and Local Formation in This Crucial Moment for Theological Education The Modern Seminary: Critique and Breakdown of the Professional Model Signs of Decline The Second Stage of Critique: Social Reproduction and the Crisis of Pastoral Care A Critical Theory of Theological Education and Its Crisis Notes Bibliography Appendix 1: Further Reading Chapter 2: The End of Seminary An Alternative Interpretation Frère Jacques The Abbot of Saint-Pierre Mary’s Breast and Jesus’s Wounds On Spiritual Awakenings The Fourth Great Awakening The Economics of the End of Seminary Romantic Realism Graceful Bodies The End of Seminary Notes Bibliography Chapter 3: The Dramatic Shifts in Theological Education: A Grounded Theory Approach Introduction A Review of the Literature: From Change to Crisis Factors Contributing to Change or Crisis Methodology of Study Data from Interviews Future Work to Be Done Conclusion Appendix A Appendix B Notes Bibliography Chapter 4: Hope, Theological Education, and the Boardwalk The Unexpected in the Ordinary Contexts for the Questions Theological Education, Apologia, and the Unexpected Reaching Beyond Elitism Embracing Changes, Preparing for the Unexpected Theological Education and Christian Hope Notes Bibliography Appendix #1: Further Reading Chapter 5: Integrity in Seminary Leadership Notes Chapter 6: Tending the Landscapes of Theological Education: Planetary Crisis and the Demands of Ecological Transition Rapidly Changing Landscapes Preparing for Widespread Transition Worldview Bias Tending to the Landscapes of Theological Education Conclusion Notes Bibliography Index Biblical Index About the Contributors "This book outlines a history and a new vision of the church as the primary location of ministerial formation for the future of theological education"-- Provided by publisher