Metacognition and the End of the “Pastor?”

Lev Vygotsky was a Soviet Belarusian Psychologist who stressed that the fundamental role in social interaction was cognition (understanding through thought). Plainly stated, his claim was that communities [in this case: churches] play a major role in creating and sustaining meaning.

There are many seminarians, clergy persons, and even their congregations who believe that the weight of responsibility for inculcating theology comes down to the role of the pastor. This is highly problematic due to the fact that it creates psychic stress within the individual to perform a saviour-like role. In today’s ever-changing landscape is there a way in which we can respond to both the culture we live and the beliefs we hold so dear? Maybe one possible response lies in metacognition…

Thinking about Thinking

Metacognition is quite simply put, ‘thinking about thinking’. Self-reflection. Being aware of one’s own cognitive processes. If you wanted to stretch it, you could even employ the conventional buzz word: consciousness. We all do metacognition everyday:

• Awareness that you have difficulty remembering people’s names in social situations
• Reminding yourself that you should try to remember the name of a person you just met
• Realizing that you know an answer to a question but simply can’t recall it at the moment

The typical individual function for the pastor to be the primary theological developer of his or her congregations must now be put to question, solely for this very reason; that as fellow humans, we develop more comprehensively in a communal setting.

Metacognition Begins with Me

We as pedagogical practitioners must not fall prey to the allure of academic, “sage on the stage,” status, but rather endorse this new disciplined model (i.e. metacognition) as a way in which we can strategically develop ourselves. Also, being aware of how we develop ourselves and how that development effects every facet of our human experience, especially theological development is a key component to developing the most effective theology. The words we choose, the lectures we deliver, and the classroom experiences we create are all effected by how we see/think ourselves.

There is another element here [as demonstrated in the picture above] the difference between “Who I am” and “Who I think I am.” This is an element that isn’t dealt with in most academic institutions today; the inner development of the person beyond the student. Psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud used the term the ego, and the ego-ideal to explain the separation inside each of us. That we essentially are two people. That we are structured with this drive toward presenting ourselves as a certain person, but when the lights go down, someone else emerges.

Out of The Office

This is why the theory of metacognition offers significant promise as a new form for theological training to those who feel called to speak the Gospel. Notice I did not use the word “preach,” why? Because the visceral baggage that materializes with such a word creates unnecessary psychosomatic pressure [i.e. there have been countless stories of pastors who became physically sick their first week preaching]. Not to mention that if we are to take Vygotsky at his word, then those in a pastoral role can no longer develop theology in the confines of their “cushy” island-like offices. But rather work together with their fellow church members to develop theology together.

The Apostle Paul once encouraged his communities to be self-aware. “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Philippian 4: 8). So, how do we extract the importance of self-knowledge from this context? Paul is speaking of thinking, and for one to truly think, one has to be aware that they are thinking, Aware that their thoughts are present with them, otherwise how else would we be able to think about anything else. The challenge is to then be aware when we are not thinking and also that this loss of awareness affects our self-development as well as those we develop and the information that is developed along with it.

Many seminary students enter seminary with the expectation of developing theology, and for the most part they do, but essentially, this is where a lot of seminaries fall short because they place so much pressure on the role of the person to perform in this role otherwise known as “Pastor.” That their identity is directly tied to this symbolic self, hence why so many fall under pressure, because they are trying to a fulfil a role rather than being themselves. It is so important that speakers, churches and faith-communities begin transitioning out of the western model and begin ushering in a new model which preceded it.

The Individual vs. Community

No one is called to be the early church, but there are some Eastern elements that get lost in translation. Where this does so explicitly is the pseudo-eisigesis of the individual self that takes over the communal self. Which in the early church, the community was the purpose. The Christ-element in the community was the stitching point that drew the community together, rather than the individual. So, then the point of metacognition, on first sight would seem to be to develop the individual for the sake of the individual, but as we see through Vygotsky’s vision, the individual develops themselves for the sake of the community, including the pastor.

So, in practical terms, how is metacognition employed in a seminary setting? In one sense, it’s quite easy and can be encapsulated in one word: exploration. Do you remember the one sheep who got lost and Jesus went and found him? Let your students explore. Give them space to discover themselves, and to discover who they aren’t. Empower them with viable space to practice the art of discovery.

Seminary should not just be about knowledge dissemination but also about the development of the theological human. That we should be about developing comprehensive people not just pastors. That it should be a safe haven for self-development, and not in the stereotypical new-age sense, but rather someone who is prepared to enter a church as a fellow-member ready to develop themselves theologically in community.

A lot of the time when the Apostle Paul uses the word ‘you’ in his letters, it’s a communal “you.” He is developing people to then develop communities, should this not also be the role of the seminary professor?

Photo Credit: “communal sleep” by gabemac  – CC by 2.0

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