TEEnet is pleased to announce the publication of “Anthology of Extension Seminary Bulletin Volume 1 to 4,” edited by Volker Glissmann. The books are available for free and are fully accessible e-books. This aligns with TEEnet’s vision to encourage open access to theological learning materials (see our blog: TEEnet and Open Access Learning Materials). We are grateful to the author and other copyright holders for their willingness to forfeit any royalties and publish the book under a Creative Commons licence. Please click here: for all e-books of the Anthology of Extension Seminary Bulletins. A hardcover version of the book is also available and sold by TEEnet solemnly to cover production and shipping costs. Inquiries for purchase of the hardcover version should be directed to [email protected].
The Anthology of Extension Seminary Bulletins brings together for the first time the complete collection of the Extension Seminary Bulletin, which was published from 1970-1985 by the Evangelical Presbyterian Seminary of Guatemala, where Theological Education by Extension (TEE) began. The complete anthology consists of four volumes: Volume 1 (1970-1973), Volume 2 (1974-1976), Volume 3 (1977-1979) and Volume 4 (1980-1985). Volume 1 also contains an introduction to the Extension Seminary bulletin within the historical, church and theological educational context of the 1950s-1970s. A summary of all titles of the Extension Seminary bulletins and where to find them in the Anthology can be found in our summary file: TEEnet Extension Seminary Publication Summary.
Theological Education by Extension (TEE) was originally conceptualised in the late 1950s/early 1960s in Guatemala by the Evangelical Presbyterian Seminary of Guatemala. TEE was not developed in a vacuum but evolved in response to internal challenges, external input, and discussion with other theological educators. The origins of TEE have always been a decentralised movement, with innovations happening in many different churches and concepts worldwide that have responded to contextual local challenges. The Extension Seminary bulletin was thus created to aid the exchange of ideas of the emerging global theological extension movement. The Extension Seminary is in itself a significant historical bulletin that helps understand the growth, development, networking, experimentation, spread and difficulties of a distinct renewal movement of theological education, namely theological extension education also known as Theological Education by Extension.
The reason for republishing the bulletins in a new and accessible form is to help: a) contemporary TEE practitioners appreciate TEE’s history and the early developments within the movement; b) bring some methodological and content discussions back to the consciousness of the TEE movement; and c) further reflection on TEE: its strengths, weaknesses, shortcomings and tensions within the broader theological educational landscape. At its core, TEE is a renewal movement of Theological Education. The bulletins witness TEE’s innovative responses to widely perceived challenges to global theological education in the mid-20th century. The bulletins also provide well-written explanations of the theological visions that led to TEE’s conceptualisation. The bulletins contain important reflections from early key TEE thinkers like James H. Emery and Ross F. Kinsler. The bulletins are written in a very accessible and concise style that will help contemporary TEE practitioners appreciate the vision behind TEE.
David Burke, in “TEE for 21st Century: Bibliography of Recent Works” (in TEE in Asia, Increase Association, 2018), lists several important TEE-related publications before the year 200. Four key articles have also been published in the original Extension Seminary bulletins. With the republication of the complete collection of the Extension Seminary, we hope to increase access to some of these otherwise difficult-to-access key texts that Burke had identified, like
Ross Kinsler, “Theological Education by Extension: Service or Subversion?” in Extension Seminary 1977:4, p. 1-10
Ross Kinsler, “Mission by the People” in Extension Seminary 1979:4, p. 1-8
Ross Kinsler, “Equipping God’s People for Mission” in Extension Seminary 1984:1, p. 1-10
Kenneth Mulholland and Nelly Castillo de Jacobs, “Presbyterian Seminary of Guatemala: A modest Experiment becomes a model for change” in Extension Seminary 1982:1, p. 1-6 (The article is a pre-publication print from “Ministry by the People” but has an introductory note from the editor of the Extension Seminary).