Education

During my childhood my father used to talk about the rapidly changing times through a cartoon he saw. In Paris, a man was running with a new dress he bought for his wife so it would not become out of fashion by the time he reached home. Today we are living in rapidly and radically changing times. Science, technology and especially the tele-communications revolution are changing our lives beyond our imagination. In a letter dated October 5th 2015, responding to the ELCA Theological Education Advisory Committee’s (TEAC) report, the Conference of Bishops stated that: “We are at a Kairos[1] moment for theological education in the ELCA.” …The purpose of this article is to raise questions and offer a few reflections on TEAC from the margins: What is TEAC? What is its purpose? In what ways the plan outlined by TEAC has been beneficial for theological education in the ELCA? How will TEAC impact the ELCA’s TEEM programs (Theological Education for Emerging Ministry)? How does TEAC address the dreams and aspirations of people of color in our church? And finally how can TEAC be a resource in moving forward?

When approached about finding contributors to the Journal of Lutheran Ethics around a topic which was and remains particularly relevant to millennials, student debt emerged as perhaps the most important distinguishing criteria setting this generation apart from predecessor generations. Sure, many theological topics remain high priorities in the life and witness of most millennials, yet there remains a deep concern about the sustainability of these priorities given the immense debt that so many have accrued. I will be the first to recognize that I am not a financial expert, nor a person particularly fraught with debt myself. As I remind myself, this is not my own doing, it remains a gift from God. With that quite Lutheran recognition, I found two lenses that should be helpful in discerning this topic—though I recognize this topic is not new to many.

Students who enter seminary typically have experienced a call to ministry. However, pursuing that call professionally can be expensive. Melissa Curtis Powell, Director of Financial Aid at Trinity Lutheran Seminary, shares her expertise on the problems of student debt and ways to prevent students from being overly burdened.

HIGHER EDUCATION AS A PUBLIC GOOD [1] At the 2014 Laurier University Governance Dinner, Andrew Newman, an Audit Partner with KPMG’s Public Sector Audit Practice in Ottawa, described how his grandfather had gone to school through to grade eight and then went out to work. He then recounted how his father went to school through […]

Indian Residential Schools are a sinful part of Canada’s history that were facilitated and hidden by Empire. Bishop MacDonald explores the history of the schools as well as the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. Reflecting on the context of Scripture, he uses the concepts of idolatry, systemic evil, and Empire to explore the role of Christians during the schools’ existence while calling on Christians today to examine their roles in relation to Empire. ​

Archbishop Antje Jackelén addressed the Class of 2015 at the Lutheran Schol of Theology Chicago at their commencment. She notes that when Jesus prayed for the apostles to unite and protect them as they are out in the world. Jesus would not take us away from the world: we are invited into it to share the joy we have in Christ. Climate change will test our ability to hope and to care for our neighbor. Faith leaders need to be at the forefront of this movement that spans all borders.

Globalization affects all aspects of our lives, from the products available at the supermarket to the music we hear on the radio. Church is not immune to this, nor should it be. However, Rajashekar points to how theological education has not effectively embraced the gifts of globalization. Instead, the pattern has been to continue to see white male theology as universally applicable and correct, and theology coming from the global South as relevant only in its own context. Rajashekar explores how this power imbalance influences the theology being produced as well as how students of theology are being educated in the all over the world.

This issue features two presentations given at the Convocation of Lutheran Teaching Theologians meeting this past fall. The two authors focused on the relationship of globalization and theological education, or lack thereof. How could we in the United States better serve our neighbors in the Global South in terms of the theology we create and […]

Baker’s piece addresses the attendees of the Convocation of Lutheran Teaching Theologians directly, which is appropriate for his focus on context. Baker explores the importance of global experiences in theological education and asks professors to think of ways in which different global contexts can impact their students’ understanding of theology and even learning styles. On a larger scale, he also urges seminaries to establish effective partnerships that allow students from the United States to study abroad in addition to bringing students here. How can our theology reflect our relationships and our relationships reflect our theology?

Clint Schnekloth, Mediating Faith: Faith Formation in a Trans-Media Era, Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2014, 126 pages, $29.00.