An article entitled “The Church as Theological Education” which originated from a lecture I delivered in April of 2023 in the Calvary University Evening Lecture Series has just been published in the Interdisciplinary Journal of Biblical Authority (IJOBA).
Here is the abstract for the article. IJOBA can be purchased through Amazon at this link.
Abstract
Christian theological education is fundamentally a matter of leadership development. Its original purpose was to develop leaders for the Church. Thus, the question must be asked: Can the decline of the modern Church be attributed—at least in part—to the methods and structures of Christian higher education? How one answers this question can lead to other questions of assessment and change: has the Church been helped or hindered by the historical rise of universities and seminaries? Why is the training of leaders for the Church almost completely disconnected from the local church setting—and does it matter? How has the setting impacted the goals and objectives of leadership development?
The intent of this article is threefold: First, we will explore the New Testament for principles related to leadership development and the original intent of theological education. Second, we will compare and assess modern practices in light of those New Testament principles. And third, we will propose innovative solutions for strengthening theological education in the future.
