Between the Seminary, the Sanctuary and the Streets: Reflections on Alternative Theological Education

This brief reflection proceeds from the conviction that the goal of theological education in the North American context today should be to equip everyday disciples to overcome their sense of disempowerment and denial in order to engage in the evangelical works of mercy and service, advocacy and resistance, community building and social reconstruction. As such, theological study represents a form of leadership development, but only secondarily. Its primary purpose should be populist, that is, to nurture widely a more critical and grounded Christian literacy in Word and world in order to build capacity for the community of faith in its mission and witness.