I wrote a substantial review of a wonderful new book on theological education by Charles Foster and three colleagues titled Educating Clergy: Teaching Practices and Pastoral Imagination. A much-shortened version of the review will be in Books & Culture's May/June issue.
Teaching Head, Hands, and Heart in Clergy Education
When I look back upon seminary I inevitably recall those few winsome professors who seamlessly held together love of learning and its role in ministry practice. They didn’t just teach knowledge and practice—they somehow also modeled who I wanted to become, and they gently coached me in such a way as to know without knowing that at its best ministry calls for head, hands, and heart together. Because it shows how the best clergy educators do this integrative work, and much more besides, Educating Clergy: Teaching Practices and Pastoral Imagination by Chuck Foster and his colleagues at the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching is simply the most important study of theological education in a generation.
Read the rest here.
Your comment, Chris, about our seminary professors who "seamlessly held together love of learning and its role in ministry practice...[and] didn’t just teach knowledge and practice—they somehow also modeled who I wanted to become..." seems particularly true and timely for me as we celebrate the life, mourn the loss, and claim the resurrection for Robert Harry Smith. I continue to draw on what he taught me, and perhaps more importantly what he modeled for me. Particular items from his preaching, both from our graduation and my ordination still comfort and challenge me 12 years later.
I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the review, and, inchalla, maybe even responding. But after reading just that opening paragraph I needed to add my "amen" and--even in Lent--my "alleluia" for the life and witness of Bob Smith.
Posted by: Peter Grow-Hanson | March 27, 2006 at 12:10 PM