Constructive conversations about current-day theological education
When people talk about how to navigate the changing landscape of theological education, it's common to hear divergent opinions. What's less common is meaningful dialogue. That's what makes At This Time unique: it brings diverse thinkers together to engage in constructive conversations about the meanings and purposes of theological education today.
Contributors to At This Time come from many different educational contexts. Some of the contributors work at formally accredited seminaries; others help lead innovative initiatives that create new kinds of opportunities for theological education. But all are attuned to trends in church and society that affect theological learning communities, and all bring years of leadership experience to the table.
In its emphasis on critical theological reflection in community, this volume serves as a fitting capstone for the Theological Education between the Times (TEBT) series. Conversations have always been at the heart of the project, and this book brings them more directly to the fore. Here, readers will find essays and dialogues that not only resonate with one another but also crackle with the life and intensity of real-world relationships. The aim of At This Time is to spark equally dynamic conversations among readers who care about theological education's past, present, and future.
Contributors
Corwin Malcolm Davis, Grace Y. Kao, John Kartje, Ann E. Killian, Caleb Maskell, Juan J. Molina Flores, David Nacho, Janette H. Ok, Julian Davis Reid, Angela D. Sims, Ted A. Smith, Joanne Solis-Walker, and Matthew Wesley Williams
About the Author :
Corwin Malcolm Davis is assistant professor of Africana religions, theologies, and culture at Pacific School of Religion. He also serves as associate director of the Theological Education between the Times project.
Ted A. Smith is Charles Howard Candler Professor of Divinity and associate dean of faculty at Emory University's Candler School of Theology. He also serves as director of the Theological Education between the Times project.
Review :
"No issue is more consequential for faith in our time than the what, why, and how of theological education. This collection, from some of the field's emerging and already renowned scholars, offers great wisdom for this most strategic enterprise."
--Thomas Groome, Boston College
"At This Time makes eminently clear that theological education has never been a singular enterprise but a number of interlocking and diverse efforts. With compelling essays and informative dialogues, the book invites us into vital conversations in a time of pressing challenge but also significant opportunities for theological education. Taken together, these conversations make the powerful argument that the future will not consist of a single path to success but many, interrelated avenues toward faithfulness, vocation, and God's callings upon our lives."
--Eric D. Barreto, Princeton Theological Seminary
"The dialogues in At This Time are much needed in our time--a period fraught with intensifying culture wars and polarization within the church and the academy. Our conversation partners in this volume may not have been able to fully anticipate the current attacks on higher education and, by extension, graduate theological education, but Davis, Smith, and their colleagues--who are writing from a wide variety of ecclesial, ethnic, and cultural contexts--will be welcome companions for theological educators who need encouragement and wisdom in the work of theological formation for the second half of the 2020s."
--Amos Yong, Fuller Theological Seminary
"At This Time--a collection of creative, perspectival essays and accompanying collaborative discussions--provides a compelling invitation for continued and intentional interrogation, research, conversation, and publications on a prism of possibilities for theological education."
--Teresa L. Fry Brown, Candler School of Theology, Emory University
"This powerful and timely book highlights the sacred wisdom that emerges from the margins and invites us to reimagine pastoral formation through the lens of liminality. I was especially moved by the testimony of the Mexican American Catholic College's work--its mission to form ministers who serve faithfully in spaces between cultures, languages, and experiences. This is the kind of theological education our church needs today: one that listens to the people, honors their stories, and prepares leaders to walk with them. I wholeheartedly recommend this book as a contribution to the ongoing renewal of our church's pastoral mission."
--Gustavo García-Siller, MSpS, Archbishop of San Antonio
"Timely and engaging, this book challenges us to think about theological education outside the box! The lively conversations point to the innovative contexts in which theological education is happening and broaden our imagination about grassroots-based, inclusive, and justice-oriented theological education in our time."
--Kwok Pui-lan, Episcopal Divinity School
