New books in theological education

As the shape of theological education shifts, scholars are putting their heads together to describe the altered landscape and understand its challenges. Some of the most exciting new books in theological education are volumes of essays from multiple viewpoints that reflect the nature of this ongoing collaboration.

“Theological schools are about ideas, big ideas that begin with the love and grace of God, continue with the goodness and justice of God, and end with hope in the mercy of God,” writes Daniel Ale­shire in the afterword to Disruption and Hope: Religious Traditions and the Future of Theological Education (Baylor Univer­sity Press), a collection of essays edited by Barbara G. Wheeler, who founded the Auburn Center for the Study of Theo­logical Education. Aleshire directed the Association of The­ological Schools for two decades, and this collection of essays in his honor seeks to address some of the biggest questions the ATS asked under his leadership—questions prompted by demographic shifts in Christianity, loss of cultural trust in institutions, and financial pressures on seminaries. The six contributors to the book struggle with these topics while explicitly drawing on their own deepest theological commitments. The result is a rich set of reflections representing a variety of perspectives, from Catholic to Lutheran to evangelical to multifaith.

In Looking Forward with Hope: Reflections on the Present State and Future of Theological Education (Cascade), editor Benjamín Valentín gathers the wisdom of nine scholars representing a variety of faith traditions and social locations. From Sharon Welch to Willie Jennings to Nancy Ammerman, the contributors to this volume reckon honestly with the ways theological schools have unwittingly limited the scope of their mission—and thus their efficacy. They also propose models for changing this reality, some by telling the stories of new models enacted by particular seminaries, and others drawing more generally on broad-based research and theory. Former ATS director Daniel Aleshire captures the situation vividly in his essay, alluding to the calling of Abraham in Genesis 12: “it is not clear whether theological schools are going somewhere they have never been that holds great promise or if they are leaving a land of kindred and houses for a future of diminished possibilities.” Most of the contributors express at least some hope that theological schools can still head in the direction of promise.