Comments on: Future of theological education? http://boyinthebands.com/archives/future-of-theological-education/ Scott Wells on the practice of Christian faith Sat, 05 Jul 2008 03:47:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: Jaume http://boyinthebands.com/archives/future-of-theological-education/#comment-47501 Jaume Tue, 22 Apr 2008 14:17:07 +0000 http://boyinthebands.com/?p=2523#comment-47501 For a religious tradition that reclaims the sovereignty of congregations and not just the priesthood but even the "prophethood" of all believers, it makes little sense to keep a subclass of ordained people at the helm. On the other hand, many people find in ministry their personal and professional fulfillment, and an honest way of earning their daily bread. Congregations have the responsibility to decide if they need a minister or not (and be prepared for either answer). As for UU theological education itself, perhaps it could be equivalent to a master's degree, a sort of specialization after completing regular ministerial education in any liberal school of theology. For a religious tradition that reclaims the sovereignty of congregations and not just the priesthood but even the “prophethood” of all believers, it makes little sense to keep a subclass of ordained people at the helm. On the other hand, many people find in ministry their personal and professional fulfillment, and an honest way of earning their daily bread. Congregations have the responsibility to decide if they need a minister or not (and be prepared for either answer). As for UU theological education itself, perhaps it could be equivalent to a master’s degree, a sort of specialization after completing regular ministerial education in any liberal school of theology.

]]> By: Derek http://boyinthebands.com/archives/future-of-theological-education/#comment-47471 Derek Sun, 20 Apr 2008 00:44:00 +0000 http://boyinthebands.com/?p=2523#comment-47471 I've begun to ask what might be even larger scale questions about ordained ministry, and have many days when I am very skeptical about it being a neccesity. Perhaps the Unitarian Fellowship Movement and the Quakers had it right, and we can exist quite nicely "without benefit of clergy"? This is a sobering thought for me - having earned my M.Div. and now in my 9th year of ministry. And if we can exist without benefit of clergy, how do we nurture leadership and gifts for ministry? How do we have a theologically intelligent universal priesthood? It seems to me that the present day systems of seminary education do not work well for non-ordained ministry. Neither am I very hopeful about the UUA's various programs to certify religious educators, church administrators, and musicians. Those particular programs also feel to me, to be infused with the spirit of centralized identity crafting, and I think they have an unconscious effect of weeding out dissenting voices in the UU community (eg. How many of these certification programs can you get through, if you have major pincipled objections to recent anti-oppression dogmas that are being promoted?). And those who have completed these processes often do not inspire me with their giftedness; although they take much pride in their certificates. I’ve begun to ask what might be even larger scale questions about ordained ministry, and have many days when I am very skeptical about it being a neccesity. Perhaps the Unitarian Fellowship Movement and the Quakers had it right, and we can exist quite nicely “without benefit of clergy”? This is a sobering thought for me - having earned my M.Div. and now in my 9th year of ministry.

And if we can exist without benefit of clergy, how do we nurture leadership and gifts for ministry? How do we have a theologically intelligent universal priesthood? It seems to me that the present day systems of seminary education do not work well for non-ordained ministry. Neither am I very hopeful about the UUA’s various programs to certify religious educators, church administrators, and musicians. Those particular programs also feel to me, to be infused with the spirit of centralized identity crafting, and I think they have an unconscious effect of weeding out dissenting voices in the UU community (eg. How many of these certification programs can you get through, if you have major pincipled objections to recent anti-oppression dogmas that are being promoted?). And those who have completed these processes often do not inspire me with their giftedness; although they take much pride in their certificates.

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