This paper uses a critical pedagogical lens for evaluating North American theological education within Black and Brown communities. A Latin American epistemology, exemplified in Freire's (2000) concept of "conscientização," is highlighted throughout. Four major pedagogical themes from Latin American Liberation Theology are applied to…

Institutions of higher learning are located within the context of neighborhoods. But to what degree do they see themselves as neighbors? What does it mean to be an engaged institutional neighbor? Inspired by this question, I utilize place-based community engagement principles, combined with self-study research methods, to trace the development of…

The increasingly pronounced distinction between educational institutions that retain their ecclesial identity and those that jettison religious commitments reflects a bifurcated educational landscape in which institutions are characterized either as a "church-related" or a "Christian college and university." This development…

This article examines today's functioning of Christian seminaries. In contemporary America, the overwhelming percentage of seminaries focus on student intellectual development and theological accuracy. The author observes, however, that such an emphasis is a major departure from seminary historical practices in the United States and is contrary to…

Theological schools seek to educate both women and men to serve the church and promote the study of religion. This education involves constant messaging through multiple channels. This article explores the central messages received by theological students at one free-standing Presbyterian seminary in the United States. Women commonly reported two…

Open educational resources (OERs) represent a new frontier in education. There are several examples of individuals and institutions providing open educational resources; this openness is also specifically manifest in the field of Christian higher education. Different levels are discussed in which OERs can be "open" and the implications of these…

Theological studies as a discipline committed to religious practice has come increasingly under fire from both adherents of dispassionate "religious studies" and partisans of ecclesial communities. A false solution is on offer that also emphasizes religious practices; this move, however, reinscribes the problem it seeks to solve because of its…

In his groundbreaking article "The Theological and Apologetical Dimensions of Muslim Evangelization," Samuel P. Schlorff states that "for far too long evangelical missions have been limping along without an effective apologetic to Islam" (Schlorff, 1980, 335). Since his article was published some work has been done, yet there remains a great need…

Many theological educators ask how on-line classes can provide students with the kind of personal teacher-student interaction that is needed in a healthy and holistic approach to preparation for ministry. A quantitative study was undertaken for the purpose of examining the relationships between three major types of teacher-student interaction…