01.11.2024 / Volker Glissmann
Since the conceptualisation of TEE (theological education by extension) in the mid-1960s, the TEE movement held and maintained a broad and inclusive view of theological education. TEE practitioners, as well as the initial TEE developers and thinkers in Guatemala, located themselves, their theological vision, and the pedagogical method firmly within the field of theological education. In Guatemala, TEE initially developed through a few creative responses to contextual challenges and opportunities within a denominational training setting that catered initially for ministerial and leadership training within an educational, linguistic, and economically diverse church comprising affluent urban churches and poor rural churches. TEE started as an extension of a residential seminary, extending ministerial training geographically and by schooling qualifications. Nearly immediately, the geographical extension of ministerial training brought other congregational members into the training environment. This is because leadership included lay elders. Additionally, leadership training included those who are not yet leaders but show potential. Ultimately, the clue to the theological understanding that TEE developed is in the name: theological education by extension. “Extension” describes the modality of extending training to everyone-everywhere.
Other theological educators, thinkers, practitioners and movements distinguished between Christian education (initially for lay training) and theological education (initially for leadership training in the church). Unfortunately, the broad binary generalisation of Christian education vs Theological education does not account for further fragmentation and specialisation of terminology. Nowadays, Christian education can also refer to a Christian educational framework for primary and secondary schools in contrast to “secular” education, while in many contemporary contexts, theological education refers more specifically to theological education in institutions of higher learning like Bible schools, Seminaries or Theological Colleges.
The educational endeavours of the church and for the church are and have been for a substantial time marked by an increasing specialisation, fragmentation, academicisation, and silofication. Interestingly, for at least the last 100 years, the educational endeavours of the church have often been (rightly or wrongly) identified as the culprit for all the failures of the church, its call, and its vision/mission but also individual failures of members/leaders or the inadequacies or biases of theologies for today. Calls for the intensification of training, or the realignment of priorities, for greater indigenisation/contextualisation/decolonisation, or simply calls for reformation or renewal and ultimately a better integration is often suggested. Additionally, some propose properly centring the education on a unifying centre (or educational approach/theology/methodology core) of a programme/curriculum/institution. Additionally, the educational endeavour of the church has significant overlaps with other fields in the humanities, including of course education/pedagogy and specifically religious education, which are not always consulted.
The last decades have seen an unprecedented increase in the depth and breadth of human knowledge driven by rigorous scientific investigations and discoveries in all areas affecting human life. These discoveries also lead to a deeper understanding of the contexts in which historical and modern theology developed and how theology expresses itself effectively in pastoral ministry in light of a better psychological and sociological understanding of human needs and behaviour. These discoveries and developments help to explain the fragmentation of theological knowledge in ever more specialised theological sub-fields. These sub-fields often develop their own subject-specific words and phrases to define concepts, theories, and ideas. These specialisations frequently lead to fragmentations of knowledge whereby one sub-discipline develops independently with its own academic jargon and possibly without input from developments in other related theological fields. These developments can lead to silofication. The image is taken from agricultural storage units – silos – where different crops are kept isolated from each other in their own silos without being contaminated by other crops. Silofication happens in theological education, where a single theological idea, tradition or method is given prominence, often to the exclusion of different streams. Another global educational trend that significantly impacts theological education is the increasing academicisation of post-secondary education. Therefore, it is not surprising that the educational endeavours of the church follow a similar pathway to more and more academic theological education. However, there is also a growing concern among educationalists and the public about whether the academicisation of all post-secondary school education is counterproductive.
One way to combat all forms of fragmentation within theological education would be to emphasise the vision of a broader definition of theological education. This is precisely what is happening at the moment. The last few decades have seen a heightened and renewed interest in the field of theological education as both a practical and academic discipline. Theological educators from diverse backgrounds, traditions and target audiences started reflections, discussions, and a growing number of exceptional publications on theological education and its scope were produced that helped re-evaluate the impact/range of theological education as a global enterprise that is used in diverse contexts.
Similarly, the last decades have seen a growing consolidation of the terminology and concepts around the term “theological education” as the umbrella term used to describe various and diverse forms of activities that were previously called training, formation, education or education programmes like Christian education, Christian formation, Christian training-sometimes with additional qualifiers like leadership, biblical, mission, ministerial or clergy, congregational, academic, church-based as well as denominational or “systematic theological” qualifiers (ecumenical, evangelical or reformed), etc. This also includes recognising that formal, non-formal and in-formal theological education contributes to theological formation. Overall, there is a recognition that all forms of theological education share more than divides, especially the core pedagogical centre of teaching, learning and pedagogical tools (like the curriculum). A good example of broadening the understanding of theological education is the 2023 ICETE (International Council for Evangelical Theological Education) manifesto. Which says,
“This Manifesto uses the term’ theological education’ in a broad sense. We can define this wide understanding of theological education in three ways:
– Beyond ‘professional ministry’: We understand theological education in a broader sense than merely education for ‘the ministry’ of the professional and ordained clergy. It is about appropriate theological education for all God’s people.
– Beyond ‘academic’: While higher education, with its emphasis on academic teaching, scientific reasoning, research, and interdisciplinary dialogue, makes an essential contribution to Christian theology, theological education must not be limited to academic discourse.
– Beyond ‘formal’: We understand theological education in a broad sense including formal and non-formal education and learning.” (ICETE Manifesto, 2023, https://icete.info/resources/the-icete-manifesto/)
Theological education is an important tool to strengthen the witness of the church and its members. Especially, a broad definition of theological education is helpful to continue incorporating theological education into life-long learning and practises of all members. Theological education by extension (TEE) as a vision and a pedagogical method is centrally located within this broad understanding of theological education. More importantly, the extension of theological education to everyone-everywhere will continue to play an important role in the ongoing development, reflection, practice, and ongoing broadening of theological education in the years to come. Theological education by extension is well positioned to continue play a vital role in the extension of theological education.