It seemed to me that practitioners of ministry skills tend to draw on their history of theological education to empower their ministries and shape the gifts that they offer in their work. Each day they draw differently on their experience for inspiration. At each encounter in their work they base their goals, motivations and the words that they offer on different, but specific parts of their theological knowledge.
Different ministries and different experiences will force them to specialise in the passages and thinking that they regularly draw on, building interest and experience with some areas and falling back on their more juvenile understandings of other areas of life and theology.
This seemed to me to contrast with the relatively general nature of academic learning. Wether the learning is thematic or overviews, it can’t help but be more generic than will be needed in different situations. This is as it should be, because course developers and teachers can’t expect to know what situations their students will face.
As far as this goes, this is all as it should be.
The difficulty comes when (a) increasing levels of generic knowledge is what is seen to qualify people for particular ministry positions, and (b) generic knowledge becomes, through sermons, to be the focus or most valued part of a church service.
This can possibly be balanced by giving equal weight, in church services etc, to the “faith journeys” of individuals within the congregation.
ralphreilly's 
Leave a comment