Theological Education in a VUCA World

What does VUCA stand for? This is an acronym introduced by the U. S. Army War College in the early 1990s to describe the world we entered when the Cold War ended--volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous. The term has come to be used to describe the contemporary context in which we live and work. For example, see Sunnie Giles,The New Science of Radical Innovation or Bob Johansen, The New Leadership Literacies, for strategies to lead and innovate in this environment.

Businesses are not the only enterprises affected by this way of perceiving our world. Theological education, if it is to be effective in the 21^stcentury, must take volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity into account for this is the world in which ministry takes place.

In an uncertain world, the most important resources a seminary provides are information and formation. Theological schools are the custodians of information about scripture, theology, and Christian history and the processes by which one does theological reflection based on these academic disciplines. They can also expose students to the historical spiritual disciplines that have formed believers over the centuries. In an uncertain world, theological study provides a base upon which to form and sustain a worldview.

Theological education must also address the complexity of the world in which ministry will be practiced. For example, North America is no longer defined by a Judeo-Christian perspective. The world has come to our doorstep, so we are a mosaic of faith and non-faith. Seminary must equip ministry leaders to serve humbly but clearly in a post-Christian context.

The ambiguity of our culture is impacted by but not limited the complexity of the world. God is clearly at work not only within the churches but within the larger world. Doors for ministry open in unexpected places, both within and outside the walls of the church. Theological education must equip students both to perceive and to pursue these opportunities provided by the Holy Spirit.

Finally, we live in a volatileworld shaped by conflict, immigration, changing world markets, and innovation. Ministry situations are no longer as stable as they once were and can be influenced by the factors already mentioned and many more. For example, the current immigration crisis is providing the opportunity for faith communities to engage in prophetic and helping ministries. How does a seminary prepare student for such unexpected situations?

Theological education is built on a strong conceptual base, but informed institutions are also equipping students for the new and unexpected. They are learning how to learn, how to remain true to their calling, how to perceive the leading of the Spirit, and how to read the signs of the times. In doing this, seminaries are preparing ministers for a volatile, ambiguous, complex, and uncertain world.

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