The Future of Seminary Education: Admit What We Don’t Know

Last updated on: November 14, 2011 at 12:20 pm by Deborah Arca

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The Future of Seminary Education: Admit What We Don’t Know 2011-11-14T12:20:27+00:00 Deborah Arca

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As we head into the final week of our Symposium on the Future of Seminary Education, we are delighted to offer a few last perspectives for your pondering. Perhaps one of the wisest thus far, and a fitting piece to conclude with, is from David Lose, professor of Biblical Preaching at Luther Seminary and one of the founders of WorkingPreacher.org. He invites us to a piece of humble pie in Thriving Seminaries Admit What They Don’t Know, contending:

It’s at the edges of our knowledge, the places where we recognize and embrace what we don’t yet know, that the potential for salutary learning and growth is greatest.

Popular columnist Brian McLaren also chooses to follow up to his widely read – and contested – piece: “The Seminary Isn’t the Problem — The Church Is” with some clarification (and gentle push-back on Patheos Editors) in his new piece: The Church and the Solution. Offering a hopeful perspective for the future of the church, McLaren says:

Yes, I do meet too many young leaders who have been damaged, even savaged, by the dysfunctional churches I wrote about in my seminary column. But I also meet amazing, wonderful, thriving church leaders and vibrant, beautiful, encouraging congregations. I don’t know what the exact percentages are, but my hunch is that this Sunday, more churches will be moving into the latter category than a year ago, and next year, more will be there than today.

He then goes on to relay a beautiful story from a recent Sunday morning that illuminates what churches do so well.

Lastly, don’t miss this piece from one of our Evangelical contributors, Associate Dean Kurt Fredrickson from Fuller Seminary — who offers a vision for a seminary that prepares more than just ordained ministers, but also seeks to train and equip the business person, the musician, the artist and the professional:

It is vital that seminaries engage in the process of developing people who are encouraged to think deeply and creatively about theology, cultivate new skills, and nurture their hearts, so that they might pursue their calling with excellence and passion. This training is not just for those who are pursuing advanced degrees. Seminaries need to make excellent theological education available to a broad range of eager learners.

We hope the conversation of the past month has been fruitful, and inspired conversation within your communities on the future of theological education. I’m grateful for the many thoughtful and inspiring voices that are leading the way forward in the seminary landscape. Thanks to all of you for contributing to this conversation at Patheos.

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