In these days when theological education is facing significant
challenges, many are asking, “What is theological education supposed to
accomplish?” Friend Eddie Hammett posted
this comment on his Facebook page this week:
“I value my seminary training but the longer I'm in ministry the
more I realize they trained me for a world and church that no longer exist.
Much of what was taught was programmatic, building focused, denominational
loyalism.... Today I find myself, and many others, needing relational and
coaching skills to function in diversity, partnership development skills to
create teams and resources for the new, navigating skills through the
challenges for control, unrealistic expectations of pastoral care when the need
for leadership is so great. Seems to me that seminaries and divinity schools
miss the boat, more often than not, of preparing clergy. Maybe shifts need to
happen.... what shifts would you recommend for the next decade?”
The post elicited a number of responses, some agreeing and
others disagreeing, but most sharing appreciation for their theological training
and indicating how they have coped with the demands of church leadership over
the years.
This stimulated my thinking about what a person should really
expect from a seminary education.
First, a student should develop or enhance a basic knowledge of
the biblical, historical, and theological roots of the faith. This does not mean that the student will
learn everything he or she needs to be an effective minister for the rest of
her or his ministry. What the student is learning is a mindset for discovery,
interpretation and application.
Second, the student should learn skills to become a lifelong learner. These skills build on the mindset formed in
the biblical, historical, and theological disciplines. Knowing information is important, but knowing
where to find it and keeping abreast of current scholarship and application is
an ongoing concern for any practicing minister.
Third, spiritual formation is a significant part of one’s
theological education. I think we
assumed at one point that everyone came to the seminary with an understanding
of what it means to have a relationship with God. We were wrong. Most people of my era came to theological
education with an idea of how their particular church or denomination did
spiritual formation without having internalized spiritual practices. Spiritual formation does not begin or end in
seminary, but the time spent there should challenge a student to deeper and
regular spiritual practices that will continue to provide sustenance for a lifelong
journey.
Fourth, seminary should be a time for students to enhance or
develop their relational skills. This
includes understanding who they are, how they relate to others, and how they
can facilitate healthy relationships with others. Some entering students are better at this
than others, but the seminary provides an opportunity to develop self-awareness
and other-awareness so that these practices become engrained in the individual.
These competencies are addressed in the new Master of Divinity curriculum
at Central Baptist Theological Seminary.
The curriculum has “pillars”:
formation, interpretation, contextualization, performance, and
contextual learning. Although the
traditional theological disciplines are important in the degree, the primary
interest is in helping the student become a person who can learn, relate, and
grow over a period to time. In other
words, the goal is for the minister in formation to become a lifelong
learner. We don’t know what the next day
will bring, but we can have our tools sharpened and ready to address those
challenges.
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