A Case For Required Biblical Languages in SeminaryPosted on May 2, 2014 by Reed CarlsonIt is true that seminary students vary in intellectual ability and interests. It is also true that theological educators must reevaluate and innovate their offerings and methods for a new era. Nevertheless, I believe that every seminarian should study both Hebrew and Greek.But I think we can do it better.
Sustainable Theological Education: Part 3—Tending the Soil and its Natural AssetsPosted on April 21, 2014 by Jennifer ShepherdIn this three-part series of posts, I have used Matthew 13 and the parable of the sower, seed, and soil to suggest a two-stage model for pedagogical “soil” analysis in our classrooms so that we create sustainable theological education. When we help students recognize and discover the makeup of their personal interpretive soils we create sustainability by equipping students with the skills to continually reuse what they have learned to analyze, confirm, support, and uphold what they believe….
Sustainable Theological Education: Part 2—Stages Toward Pedagogical “Soil” AnalysisPosted on March 31, 2014 by Jennifer ShepherdOver 500 years ago, Leonardo DaVinci quipped, “We know more about the movement of celestial bodies than about the soil underfoot.” Amazingly, it is still true today that we know less about the living ecosystem under our feet – the soil – than we do about the far side of the moon. Yet, every plant and animal on our planet depends on these living systems that provide many of the most fundamental functions needed for life.It is also true that people know very little about the foundations of their beliefs and ways of thinking.
Sustainable Theological Education: Part 1—Consider the Soil, a Living, Complex, Natural ResourcePosted on March 5, 2014 by Jennifer ShepherdSustainable theological education considers the soil – thinks carefully about, bears in mind, pays attention to, and reflects upon the makeup of the soil so that the audience can recognize where the seed had landed, acknowledge how they have received the seed, and understand how the seed will respond to the soil in their life….
The Second Naiveté of Online LearningPosted on August 5, 2013 by Timothy SnyderIncreasingly, online learning is a part of theological education. And yet, the vast majority of current professors were trained in traditional classrooms. Many of us are finding ourselves teaching in settings we ourselves have never had to learn in. How can educators embrace a second naiveté towards online learning?While I was working on my master’s degree, I remembering attending a workshop on “developing a teaching philosophy.” I was in the early stages of applying to doctoral programs so I thought it would be a good chance to learn how many of my professors reflect on their vocation as teachers.