Supporting God’s Communities: The Role of Theological Education

Theme: Energising Community: Theological Education’s Relational Mandate: Supporting God’s Communities: The Role of Theological Education
Purpose: International Consultation for Theological Educators
Dates: 5-9 October  2009
Location: Sopron, Hungary
Full Program: C-09 Programme Booklet

Daniel Bourdanné
General Secretary International Fellowship of Evangelical Students (IFES)

I come from a part of the world where institutions for theological education are perceived as evangelical ghettos which not only are separated from the local churches, but also from the rest of the society. For many, studying theology has become the same thing as confining one’s self to the warmth of a library and retreating into a specialized world known for its use of a barbaric language and concepts which are misunderstood by the ordinary Christian. So, studying theology has become reserved to initiates, to a restricted group of experts of the ecclesial community. Theological knowledge has become a source of power in the hands of a minority which dictates to the community what it can or cannot do.

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Materials from the C-09 session are also available on the TheologicalEducation.net website. You will find the presentations under the ICETE / 2009 Sopron, Hungary link.

Each presentation is listed as a separate article. The article itself only includes a brief description of who presented the session and when. The actual presentation materials are included as links at the bottom of the article. This is also where videos will be posted as they are available. Please note that all ICETE materials are provided for your personal use. Please do not copy or distribute without permission from the original presenter. Contact information is included in each article.