Theological Education: Foundations, Practices, and Future Options

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1 Australian college of theology Annual professional development conference Theological Education: Foundations, Practices, and Future Options Hosted for the Australian College of Theology by Sydney Missionary and Bible College Thursday 07 Friday 08 December, 2017

2 Introduction. The organizing panel is glad to welcome you to the 2017 ACT Professional Development Conference. This is the third such conference. The panel is hopeful that this year s conference will extend the trajectory of improvement in format and delivery, and in perceived usefulness, established by the two previous conferences. The theme was suggested by the title of the book that will be launched in the opening session of the conference. The appearance of such a book edited by two ACT faculty members and dominated by contributions from within the ACT community presented a unique opportunity which the organizing panel could not forgo. It shows that the learning and teaching culture in the ACT has reached a point at which a production of this nature and quality is possible. This is a development for a conference to celebrate and utilize as a platform on which to build. This is the aim of the conference. The ACT welcomes our two guest presenters, Kathryn Harden-Thew and James Dalziel. Neither is uninvolved in the operations of the ACT Kathryn as a Director and James as a member of the Academic Board but both also bring substantial expertise from, and experience of, the higher education sector at large. We thank them for their willingness to bring together their understanding of advanced higher education practice with the pedagogical needs of the ACT. The highlight of the two previous professional development conferences has been the fellowship and collegiality experienced by participants. The great hope of the organizing panel is that this year s conference will be at least as good in this respect as last year and the year before. We commend the conference program to you. Cathy Harris (Chair) John Coulson BST Jim French YWC Geoff Harper SMBC Iris Leung CTCA Geoff Treloar ACT

3 PROGRAM Thursday 7 December 10:00am - 10:30am Registration/Morning Tea 10:30am - 11:30pm Welcome SMBC Acting Principal, ACT Dean (Weekley 1) Launch of Theological Education: Foundations, Practices and Future Options 11:30am - 1:00pm Guest speaker: Kathryn Harden-Thew, The reflective practitioner (Weekley 1) 1:00pm - 2:00pm Lunch 2:00pm - 3:30pm Elective Session 1 Stream 1 Stream 2 Theological Perspectives on Theological Education Room: Weekley 3 Chair: Jim French (Youthworks College) Kit Barker (SMBC): Theological Interpretation in Theological Education David Starling (Morling): The Scribe, the Steward and the Wise Congregation: three New Testament images to inform the shaping of contemporary theological education elearning Room: Weekley 1 Chair: Nathain Secker (Timothy Partnership) Ben Chenoweth (MST): Facilitating Faculty-Student Communication with Moodle Stephen Bray (Morling): Teaching online: Beyond answering s and marking papers.

4 3:30pm - 4:00pm Afternoon Tea 4:00pm - 5:30pm Elective Session 2 Student/Spiritual Formation Room: Weekley 3 Stream 1 Stream 2 Chair: John Coulson (Brisbane School of Theology) Diane Hockridge (Ridley): Re-thinking our Approach to Student Formation in Australian Theological Education Ian Hussey (Malyon): Spiritual Formation in an Australian Baptist Theological Education: a survey-based case study Transforming Theological Education Room: Weekley 1 Chair: Cathy Harris (Mary Andrews College) Karina Kreminski (Morling): Theological Education for Missional Church Leadership Megan Powell Du Toit (ACT): Women in Theological Education in the ACT in the 21 st Century 5.30pm pm 6:00pm pm Pre-dinner drinks Dinner

5 Friday 8 December 9:00am - 9:30am Worship (Weekley 1) 9.30am 11 am 11:00am - 11:30am Guest Speaker James Dalziel, Is theological education built on a house of sand? Reflections on the importance of practices for learning (Weekley 1) Morning Tea 11:30am - 1:00pm Elective Session 3 Stream 1 Stream 2 Asian Perspectives 8 December am-1.00 pm Room: Weekley 3 Chair: Tallis Tien (Chinese Theological College Australia) Wally Wang (BST): A Chinese Perspective on Theological Education Andrew Prince (BST): The Centre for Asian Christianity elearning 8 December am-1.00 pm Room: Weekley 1 Chair: Ian Hussey (Malyon College) Darrell Jackson (Morling): It ll be better next time around: an online field visit to a Buddhist Temple Graham Stanton (Ridley): Towards more effective field education 1:00pm - 2:00pm Lunch

6 2:00pm - 3:30pm Plenary Session (Weekley 1) Chair: The Dean (ACT) Andrew Bain (QTC) and Ian Hussey (Malyon): Five Years On: the Long-term Value of Theological Education Brian Harris (Vose Seminary): The Challenges for Theological Education in Australia Q&A and close 3:30pm- 4.00pm Afternoon Tea 3.45pm-4.00pm Departure for airport

8 Elective Sessions Chapter Synopses Stream 1 Session 1: Perspectives on Theological Education Kit Barker (SMBC): Theological Interpretation in Theological Education When asked to write on the topic of Old Testament perspectives on theological education, it was possible to understand the brief in two ways: 1) What (if anything) does the Old Testament say about theological education? or 2) How should theological education be undertaken in the field of Old Testament studies? My primary interest lies with the latter question, though, of course, the two are fundamentally related. Rather than examine how various texts in the Old Testament might inform our pedagogy, I offer my reflections on how an evangelical understanding of what we are teaching should shape how we teach it. Put simply, ontology should inform praxis, but I am not convinced that, within evangelicalism, such consistency is always maintained. I believe that recent discussions of theological interpretation provide a helpful platform upon which we can evaluate the relationship between our ontology and praxis. David Starling (Morling): The Scribe, the Steward and the Wise Congregation: Three New Testament Images to Inform the Shaping of Contemporary Theological Education This chapter focusses on three New Testament images Matthew s image of the scribe trained for the kingdom of heaven (Mt 13:52), the image in Tit. 1:7 of the overseer as God s steward, and the image in Col. 3:16 of the Christian congregation as a community of mutual, wise instruction exploring each within its original context, then discussing the implications of the three for our contemporary task of shaping the curriculum, aims and strategies of theological education. Session 2 Stream 1: Student/Spiritual Formation Di Hockridge (Ridley): Rethinking our approach to student formation in Australian theological education Spiritual formation of students remains an important element and consistent goal of theological education programs in Australia. However, the changing Australian higher education context, along with changes in student demographics, modes of study, and uses of educational technology present new challenges for theological education institutions that seek to effectively address student formation. This chapter outlines some of the challenges of addressing spiritual formation in the current Australian theological education context and suggests some ways in which theological colleges might respond. Spiritual formation of students will be well-served where colleges: a. Develop a clear institutional approach and commitment to formation and clarity about their formational intentions; b. Grapple with the challenge of addressing formation in a formal educational context and develop educationally sound solutions which employ relevant learning and teaching approaches and methods of assessment;

9 c. Consider how spiritual formation might be addressed in the variety of learning environments and modes of study chosen by students; d. Recognise the limits and boundaries of these learning environments and of formal theological education itself, and partner with appropriate others in the goal of ongoing spiritual formation of theological students. Ian Hussey (Malyon): The Contributors to Spiritual Formation in Theological Education: What the Students Say. This chapter reports on research into the contribution of various aspects of a student s experience of theological education to their spiritual formation in a Baptist theological college in Queensland, Australia. Students were invited to participate in a survey and focus groups to identify and explore which aspects of their theological college experience were contributing most to their spiritual formation. This article reports on these findings and discusses the implications for theological education at the College. It also integrates the findings with current theories about spiritual formation in theological education to develop an enhanced model of spiritual formation. The findings and the conclusions regarding spiritual formation are suggestive for other theological training institutions. Session 2 Stream 2: Transforming Theological Education Karina Kreminski and Michael Frost (Morling): Theological Educational for Missional Church Leadership Those scholars who have promoted a missional paradigm for the church have argued that such a paradigm requires a new kind of leader. This chapter will explore the distinguishing contours of a distinctly missional approach to leadership, including the need for such shifts as moving from an internal to an external focus; from program delivery to people development; from a spirituality of retreat to a spirituality of engagement; and from traditional churchbased leadership to apostolic leadership. When these shifts are properly understood they have significant implications for the kind of theological education needed for developing missional leaders. This chapter will explore what is uniquely needed for the formation of missional leaders within the academic environment, using the rationale for and design of the Masters of Missional Leadership as a case study of such formation. This course, which commenced at Morling College in 2016, was specifically designed by the authors to provide a learning experience which would suit practitioners who needed to further their leadership skills within a missional framework. The chapter will also explore future opportunities for missional leadership studies, where we will look at what opportunities and challenges exist for further developments in the field of missional leadership within an academic context. Megan du Toit (ACT), Kara Martin, Jill Firth (Ridley) & Moira Dale (MST): Women in Theological Education in the ACT in 21st Century Australia In the last century or so, the halls of higher education, including theology, have opened to women. This chapter explores the place of women in the Australian College of Theology today. Looking at both faculty and students, it asks about their numerical presence, and their experiences, as teachers, and as learners, within the context of evangelical theology. What do women take from their involvement in theological colleges? and what do they bring? The chapter discusses the place of collegiality, and how different forms of mentoring can be used to strengthen women s involvement in this field.

10 Session 3 Stream 1: Asian Perspectives Wally Wang (BST): A Chinese Perspective on Theological Education The research reported in this chapter investigated the interplay between Chinese culture and theological education through the eyes of six lecturers teaching in the three Chinese programs within the Australian College of Theology consortium. It looked at how Chinese culture would influence the teacher-student relationship, classroom delivery method, choices of lecture materials and assessment instruments. The research found that the Chinese cultural background of these lecturers was a valuable asset in their teaching, especially in their choices of lecture materials and assessment instruments. However, their cultural background, as well as their students, did affect their interaction with their students as well as the classroom delivery method. Andrew Prince (BST): The Centre for Asian Christianity Many ACT Colleges have established Centres of Excellence. Eighteen months ago Brisbane School of Theology launched the Centre for Asian Christianity (CAC). This session will consider some of the differences between CAC and other ACT Centres, including the ideas behind its inception, foci, path taken to establish the Centre, highlights from the past eighteen months, lessons learnt along the way, and plans for 2018 and beyond. It is hoped that this seminar might spark some ideas for those currently involved in ACT Centres, and those considering starting new Centres. Plenary Session Possible Futures Ian Hussey (Malyon) and Andrew Bain (QTC): Five Years On: The Long-Term Value of Theological Education Amongst others, Christian educationalist Perry Shaw advocates that theological training institutions need to engage with the stakeholders who they serve in order to ensure the training they offer is relevant. One such stakeholder is the student themselves. Little research has been done to investigate how well pastors/ministers believe their theological education has prepared them for their ministry. This research investigated the perceptions of ministry practitioners of how effectively their theological education has prepared them for their current vocation. The sample was composed of practitioners from two different religious traditions (Presbyterians and Baptists) who completed their theological education in the last three to eight years and are still in vocational ministry. The qualitative method of telephone interviews was used to collect the data. Findings are discussed and conclusions drawn. Brian Harris (Vose): The Challenges for Theological Education in Australia Taking the title of the paper literally, this chapter systematically explores three areas of challenge facing theological educators in Australia, namely the theological challenge, the educational challenge and the Australian challenge. It argues that the changed context in which we theologize necessitates theological educators equipping their students to counter claims that the Christian faith is intellectually vacuous, morally suspect and experientially empty, and proposes that theologians need to do theology not only for the church but also for the marketplace, to help ensure that the Christian faith is not marginalised in society.

11 In exploring educational challenges, the paper suggests that an area of increasing complexity is finding ways to form students for Christian ministry in an increasingly on-line environment where face to face contact is often limited. Australian challenges discussed include training students for pastoral ministry in an increasingly post-denominational era, the challenge of adequately funding theological education and the opportunity provided by the increasing number of new immigrants who are enrolling in our colleges.

12 Session 1 Elective Sessions elearning Ben Chenoweth (MST): Facilitating Faculty-Student Communication with Moodle: a look at some of Moodle's built-in functionality and optional plugins In this session I will look at some of the ways Moodle can be used to facilitate faculty-student communication. Functionality that is built into Moodle will be addressed (messaging, forums, and course participant pages). Of perhaps greater interest to those who have not yet come across them, two plugins will also be described and (if time) demonstrated: Analytics Graphs and Configuration Reports. Stephen Bray (Morling), Teaching Online: beyond answering s and marking papers. You seem to be a reasonably effective classroom lecturer, but you re thinking that your online students might be getting a raw deal. This session looks at some strategies and practices for engagement and interaction, providing your students with a chance to learn and grow, even without your awesome physical presence. Session 2 Darrell Jackson (Morling): It ll be better next time round : an online field visit to a Buddhist Temple This session will introduce some simple tools for increasing the interactivity of online learning relating to virtual field visits to non-christian places of worship (linked to the ACT s EM D Living Faiths Unit). Graham Stanton (Ridley): Towards More Effective Field Education This session will initiate a discussion about improving the efficacy of the ACT s field education units. Facing the challenges of teaching Field Ed in the online context has identified critical elements of Field Education as an opportunity for ACT students to develop skills for life-long learning. The presentation will share from the experience of teaching Field Ed at Ridley College and raise discussion points for considering possible reform of the field education units in the future.

13 Conference Participants Name Institution Bain, Andrew QTC Barker, Kit SMBC Bergman, Jon Vose Brammall, Anthony SMBC Bray, Stephen Morling Brooking, Stuart ACT Cairns, Kristen Morling Chatfield, Graeme ACT Chenoweth, Ben MST Cohen, David Vose Condren, Janson SMBC Coulson, John BST Cross, Graeme Vose Curley, Mandy YWC Dalziel, James Guest speaker Davies, Simon ACT De Hoog, John RTC Du Toit, Megan ACT French, Jim YWC Fung, Nancy CTCA Harden-Thew, Kathryn Guest speaker Harper, Geoff SMBC Harris, Brian Vose Harris, Cathy MAC Hockridge, Di Ridley Holdaway, Tara ACT Honor, Kathryn Timothy Partnership Hussey, Ian Malyon

14 Hyam, Michael Jackson, Darrell Klein, Witali Kreminski, Karina Law, Dennis Leung, Iris Lukabyo, Ruth Maddock, Ian McClean, John Meres, Kiara Mills, Margery Morgan, Di Murphy, Edwina O Neil, Monica Ochs, Christoph Patston, Kirk Pratt, Jonathan Prince, Andrew Ray, Karen Salier, Bill Secker, Nathain Sessions, Erin Silberman, Tim Sloane, Andrew Stanley, Trinette Stanton, Graham Starling, David Stoneman, Jackie Sutherland, Martin Tien, Tallis YWC Morling BST Morling CTCA CTCA YWC SMBC Christ College YWC MAC MAC Morling Vose MST SMBC Christ College BST MAC YWC Timothy Partnership Morling SMBC Morling YWC Ridley Morling MAC ACT CTCA

15 To, Dennis Treloar, Geoff Trist, Richard Vink, Jonathan Vose, Cate Wang, Wally Williamson, Michael Yeates, Paul CTCA ACT Ridley SMBC Vose BST YWC ACT

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