CHALLENGES FOR THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION IN THE 21st CENTURY

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1 CHALLENGES FOR THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION IN THE 21st CENTURY Based o the book: Theological Educatio i Cotemporary Africa Edited by Grat Le Marquad ad Joseph D. Galgalo Prited i Eldoret, Keya Papers from the Limuru Cosultatio o Theological Educatio at St Paul s Uited Theological College i Nairobi

Joseph D. Galgalo Prited i Eldoret, Keya.

2 NEED ORIENTATED CURRICULA Click to edit Master subtitle style With special referece to the situatio i sub- Sahara Africa

3 START WITH THE NEEDS OF THE LEARNER The curriculum should be developed from the startig poit of the eeds of the learer, irrespective of the cotet ad boudaries of existig subjects (Dewey, 1927:74)

4 THE CHALLENGE OF SPRITUAL FORMING REFLECTION: Where is the emphasis give durig traiig? Is it i the itellectual traiig or i the spiritual ad character buildig? Is it i both?

5 SPIRITUAL MATURITY Quite ofte, theological colleges take the spiritual maturity of their studets for grated. - Sammy Githuku May studets are still ifats i spiritual ad life issues Theological colleges should icorporate ito the programme of studies courses ad experieces i which spiritual formatio of the studets is ehaced

- Sammy Githuku May studets are still ifats i spiritual ad life issues

6 Ecourage spiritual maturity Through Bible study Teachig o the habits of Christia life Practical spiritual work Life i prayer I the ed the churches may fid out that they have ordaied cadidates who durig their years of traiig did ot grow to the maturity of a miister of Jesus Christ - Sammy Githuku

churches may fid out that they have ordaied cadidates who durig their

7 TRAINING OF LAY CHURCH WORKERS Theological Istitutes should admit ad trai lay me ad wome who have a call to serve the church i miistries other tha the ordaied miistry. These people ca be of good use i the local churches after completio of courses. They will brig the realities of the world ito theological colleges

8 URBAN MISSIONS The majority of theological istitutes are more rural orietated this should chage Urba missios should be part of curriculum here life is more complex, people are more busy, more idividualistic. People are crowded i slums ad use less their mother togue

curriculum here life is more complex, people are more busy, more

9 Curricula should be more relevat to eeds Courses relevat to the eeds of the churches should get priority Courses should be evaluated for their relevace Before a ew course is itroduced it should be evaluated carefully for it s relevacy

should be evaluated for their relevace Before a ew course

10 NEW COURSES SHOULD INCLUDE: Theology of Developmet, Crises Maagemet, Peace ad Recociliatio, Law, Missio ad Evagelism, Elemetary Accoutacy, Miistry to the poor, Miistry i the cotext of HIV/AIDS

11 RELEVANT RESEARCH Theological Colleges ad churches should work closely together to establish the eeds of the churches Studets should do research ad write dissertatios o relevat topics for the church

12 THE CHALLENGE OF BECOMING AN UNIVERSITY This is a good idea but if our istitutios would like to remai Christia, the Theology Departmet must remai cetral. Studets of other faculties brig with them other stadards of behaviour. Proper guidelies should be i place.

13 THE COST OF EDUCATION The cost of theological educatio is high ad this effect theological educatio Some studets live outside campus i poor coditios Good practical work also eeds moey it should be budgeted for A year of I-miistry traiig is a good idea if fuds are available

poor coditios Good practical work also eeds moey it should be

14 RESIDENTIAL AND DISTANCE EDUCATION The theological istitutes that form part of NetACT follows a traditioal, osite residetial system of educatio Here, traditioally, the lecturer is the library ad the authoritative source of all kowledge ad iformatio. The studet is a more passive recipiet of this iformatio

traditioally, the lecturer is the library ad the authoritative source of all

15 THE DRAWBACK OF TRADITIONAL SYSTEM The major drawback of the traditioal system is that it limits access to theological educatio to oly a few selected people this i a time whe churches i sub- Sahara Africa eed more traied leaders.

theological educatio to oly a few selected people this i

16 DISTANCE LEARNING Distace learig refers to learig while at a distace from oe s lecturer usually with the help of pre-recorded or packaged materials Distace educatio systems have bee established to deal with icreasig educatioal eeds that caot be met by traditioal systems

packaged materials Distace educatio systems have bee established to

17 CORRESPONDENCE STUDIES This form of learig uses prited materials that may be supported by tape recordigs, videos, computer use etc. This has bee developed ito what have become kow as Virtual Uiversities

18 AFRICA VIRTUAL UNIVERSITY (AVU) The missio of the AVU is to use the power of moder iformatio techology to icrease access to educatioal resources throughout Sub-Sahara Africa - Magdalle Juma

19 OPEN LEARNING Ope learig refers to opeig up learig opportuities to a wider rage of people eablig them to lear more productively Derek Rowtree s defiitio: Arragemets to eable people to lear at the time, place ad space which satisfies their circumstaces ad requiremets.

Rowtree s defiitio: Arragemets to eable people to lear at the

20 Theological Educatio by Extesio programmes TEE is already playig a importat role Colleges should itegrate TEE courses ito their curricula REFLECTION Colleges with TEE to iform others of the way they are workig together

itegrate TEE courses ito their curricula REFLECTION

21 INTERNET AND E MAILS Iteret has revolutioized higher educatio i may ways This help the studet to lear at his pace ad accordig to his eeds. The teacher plays ow more the role of iterpreter, guide ad course developer.

22 AFRICA NEEDS MORE TRAINED CHRISTIANS The oly way to correct this situatio is for theological educatio to supplemet programmes that are beig offered through residetial istitutios to icrease their erolmet ad the umber of graduates released each year to serve i the growig church. - Godfrey Nguru

23 Cotextualisatio of Theology Cotextual realities that should receive attetio i curricula: Neo-coloialism ad exploitatio Dictatorial ad oppressive goverace Poverty Social iequality ad ijustice Huger ad diseases especially HIV ad Aids

24 CRITICAL AFRICAN THEOLOGY The pertiet questio should always be: How best the gospel message may be icarated ito Africa Curricula should take otice of South Africa Black Theology ad the Africa liberatio theology Curricula should reflect racism, tribalism, oppressio, ijustice, poverty etc.

25 Wester theological models Teachig of theology i Africa cotiues to be a perpetuatio of wester theological models. The biggest problem is the hermeeutical gap a gulf betwee orthodoxy ad orthopraxis ad a problem to itegrate doctries ito the thought system of the Africa recipiets. Joseph D. Galgalo

26 RE-WRITE CURRICULA This is all the more reaso for us to cosider the re-writig of curricula, the review of our theological methods ad the way we teach theology i Africa to be urget tasks. It is of little comfort to possess the ecessary theoretical kowledge regardig soud doctrie whe such kowledge caot be brought to bear o our worship, life ad faith, ad everyday livig. Joseph D. Galgalo

27 A CURRICULUM THAT EXPLORES THE CAUSES The curriculum should begi by explorig the causes of pai ad sufferig i the lives of our people ad seeks to idetify what has brought fulless of life to people i the midst of destructio ad death. - Nyambura J. Njoroge The curriculum should take seriously the pedagogy of the oppressed ad the educatio for a critical cosciousess Paulo Freire

28 PASTORAL THEOLOGY Give the dysfuctioal reality of so may family lives i Africa, pastoral theology should be more developed. - Polygamous relatios - Sigle-paret homes - Abset fathers - Sexual abuse - Youth ad childre

29 OTHER AREAS THAT NEED ATTENTION Relatios betwee rich ad poor Youg ad old Leaders ad followers Literate ad o-literate Ordaied ad o-ordaied Taboos Domestic violece Rights of wome ad childre

30 TRIBALISM AND RACISM Curricula should ot shy away from tribalism ad racism that etered also the church Pastoral theology must lead to selfawareess ad recogitio that tribalism ad racism are sis that call for repetace, forgiveess, recociliatio ad healig

31 OTHER AREAS THAT NEED ATTENTION Ecumeism The wome s movemets Liberatio movemets Africa Traditioal Religio Islam ad other faith commuities Studies that urture peace, recociliatio, justice, dismatlig a culture of violece, etc Huma rights

32 HIV ad Aids ad other challeges I am beggig for a theology that will help us ask critical questios about our iactivity of wrogdoig; a theology that will help the child, youth, wome ad ma i the pew ad streets to cultivate a dialogue that will lead to life-givig actio i the midst of sufferig, misery ad death - Musa W. Dube

33 NetACT ad HIV ad Aids The Curriculum proposals of the NetACt workshops should be take seriously Reflectio Are your istitutio aware of these proposals? Have your istitutio started implemetig it?

34 APPEAL We should be relevat i our curricula. Thigs ot relevat should go or get less attetio Curricula should regularly be revised to see if we are still addressig the eeds of the studets, the church ad the commuity that we serve

The Importance of Media in the Classroom

The Importance of Media in the Classroom 01-TilestoVol09.qxd 8/25/03 3:47 PM Page 1 1 The Importace of Media i the Classroom As teachers, we have a wealth of iformatio from which to choose for our classrooms. We ca ow brig history ito the classroom