Approach

Part One was to gather a group of ten strong theological educators for conversation on the topic round essays that each contributed to an anthology titled Formative Theological Education (forthcoming, Paulist Press, Fall, 2023), and the second segment of the project is to prepare a course through our Continuing Education Arm at the School of Theology and MInistry that, as an online module, can go out to theological educators worldwide on this topic. This course, grounded in the book as its primary text, is being planned now.

Why conduct this research?

The language of "formative education" is popping up everywhere, and Boston College, in particular has a strong commitment to it. But what theological and spiritual values will it ground itself in? And what does this way of educating look like in the discipline of theology? This book, co-edited by Drs. Colleen M. Griffith and Hosffman Ospino addresses both questions.

The primary target audience is theological educators in colleges, universities, high schools, and adult formation programs.

This project is a unique contribution to the field.  While scholars in theological education have urged a more intentionally formative way of engaging in theological education, this research project (book and course) looks to what this actually demands.

Questions this project addresses:

• What is the way of knowing sought in formative theological education? 
• How is theology itself formative?
• What historical spiritual traditions help us to grasp the power of formative education?
• What are concerns for contextuality that must be honored when educating this way?
• How is formative theological education necessarily one form of education for justice?
• How does formative education foster resilience?
• What is the role of imagination in formative theological education?