Articles
Forming the Practice of Theological Education
As a teacher, Ted Ward valued and practiced holistic inquiry into truth, learning in community, and responsible service (not just knowledge for knowledge’s sake). He was one of the chief influences on my life. A Different View of Education: I will not forget my first seminar as a new doctoral student with Ted. My notion… read more
Book Review: Ferenczi, Jason. Serving Communities: Governance and the Potential of Theological Schools.
I have been serving for more than a decade as the President of a theological school in the Majority World: Arab Baptist Theological Seminary in Beirut, Lebanon. Questions of contextual relevance have been at the forefront of our thinking for many years. As our context changes rapidly, we have been able to respond through innovative… read more
The Purpose of the Journal: For Such a Time as This
“For such a time as this.” When asked why we would start a new journal at this time, the answer may be found in Mordecai’s words to Esther: we hope that the Journal may, in fact, be just the right resource “for such a time as this.” The church has overused these words, sometimes appropriating… read more
Research-Based Curriculum Review: Learning from the Africa Leadership Study
Introduction Leadership development is a buzzword found in the vision and mission statements of many evangelical theological institutions in Africa. The irony, however, is that the more theological institutions claim to be developing transformational leaders for the African church, the more leadership crises the church continues to encounter. Elliston (1988) used graphic words like over-functioning,… read more
On the Economics of Theological Education
Leaders rightly focus considerable energy upon the financial stability of their institutions. According to a 2013 survey conducted by The Chronicle of Higher Education and Maguire Associates, fundraising and balancing budgets occupy the greatest amount of time in the daily schedules of University Presidents in North America. For many leaders of theological schools, keeping their… read more
Olive Oil, Theological Education, and Economics
Our town in Italy is famous for the flavor and quality of its olive oil. A neighbor has 3,000 mature trees, well-spaced and perfectly pruned, located on a hillside with ample sun exposure. He is experienced and competent, and his family has been producing oil for generations. Yet he loses an average of €8 per… read more
Theological Education: A Delicate Enterprise
Introduction Economics are always a problem for theological schools in the Majority World due to various historical, cultural, and structural issues. In addition, factors such as lack of resources, little financial support from churches, and enrollment of mostly poor students make the management of a theological school particularly challenging. Schools must consider internal factors, such… read more
Third Stream Income: The Case of the Ethiopian Graduate School of Theology
The Challenge When the Ethiopian Graduate School of Theology (EGST) was established in 1997 as the first and only graduate theological institution in the Horn of Africa, the founders did not plan for it to have its own campus, faculty, and full-time staff. The plan was for all teaching activities to take place at the… read more
Book Review: González, Justo L. The History of Theological Education
If we imagine the great Church Fathers and ancient theologians graduating summa cum laude from the most prestigious seminaries of the ancient world, then Justo González has a surprise for us. Seminaries are actually a recent development, established less than 500 years ago to prepare those called to ministry. How in the world did the… read more
Book Review: Shaw, Perry. Transforming Theological Education: A Practical Handbook for Integrative Learning.
In Transforming Theological Education: A Practical Handbook for Integrative Learning, Perry Shaw, Professor of Christian Education at Arab Baptist Theological Seminary (ABTS) in Beirut, Lebanon, addresses problems familiar to theological educators around the world. These challenges include providing alternatives to the classic tripartite curriculum (i.e., biblical, dogmatic, and practical theology), overcoming an almost exclusive reliance… read more
