Teaching Theology

This post begins a small series looking at issues which are fundamentally important for the theological educator and it is appropriate that we begin by looking at

Calling

This idea is not at the forefront of our thinking today. There is plenty of literature examining theological education as a profession like others. Many colleges and seminaries have obtained secular accreditation which assumes the lecturer in theology is basically the same as a lecturer in biology, history or mathematics. Nowadays, our employers are rightly keen to embrace best secular employment practice in hiring us, paying us and supporting us.

For all the usefulness of these things, on their own, they push us towards a view of ourselves which is inadequate for what we do because, fundamentally, the task of theological education is ministry and ministry requires a sense of calling.

But teaching the Bible involves applying it to ourselves. Paul’s concept of God’s gift of teaching which, if someone possesses it, makes him or her a gift of God to the Church becomes relevant, as does James’ teaching on the stricter judgment for “those who teach”. There is a lovely passage in 1 Thessalonians 2 where Paul describes himself as called and explains that this means he has been entrusted. This an echo of the parables Jesus told about stewards and talents, where the master appoints a servant, entrusts him with a job or a talent and eventually askes for a reckoning. This is all about ministry and all about us.

Theological education though is a specialist ministry, depending on a particular gifting and calling and involving a particular entrusting. So, what are we entrusted with? Who and what are we called to serve?

We are entrusted with the truth. This is not as simple as some would make out. It requires plenty of skill and hard work academically to fulfil our calling here. It will be biblical truth; truth thought through with the help of the Spirit down through the ages of the church; truth mined with the tool of critical judgment from contemporary scholars; truth that is relevant in that it speaks to society, and to power in the church and the world. To respect our calling we must be academics in the full sense of the word.

We are entrusted with students because ministry is always to people. We are not called to teach rows of cabbages. Theological academics who do not have pastoral and spiritual objectives for those they teach are no better than – and just as inadequate as – loving spiritual teachers who do not do the hard academic work. Our job is discipleship, as it was with Christ and his disciples it is the growth in faith, hope and love of those to whom we minister, to whom we are called.

We are called to serve the Church. Paul is plain that the gift of teaching, creates the gift of teacher to bless and grow the Church. There are few more frustrating institutions for someone who thinks and feels deeply (and theological educators must be such people) than the Church today. Yet we train leaders to equip the church so it will live as it should and do mission as God intended. We have an assisting and prophetic role to church and therefore society as our ministry.

Some of us entered the task of teaching bible and theology as a calling to ministry. Others of us come to a gradual realisation of our calling after being employed in the job. Either way, it is a realisation that God himself has asked us to do this.

An awesome concept to live by; sometimes fearful, frequently joyful.

This entry was posted on January 1, 2018 at 11:23 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can subscribe via RSS 2.0 feed to this post's comments. You can comment below, or link to this permanent URL from your own site.