Virtual Virtue Video from the Wesley Symposium

For those who missed my paper at the Wesley Symposium I have embedded it below. To watch it directly on YouTube you can access it here.

 

Wisdom and Eloquence in Christian Education

A few days ago I read the beginning of Robert Littlejohn and Charles T. Evans book, Wisdom and Eloquence: A Christian Paradigm for Classical Learning. Littlejohn and Evans' thesis is simple: Wisdom and eloquence are two essential aspects of Christian education. If you're like me, you might be a bit skeptical. Take the references to wisdom and eloquence in the Christian scriptures for example. There are many places in the Bible that reference wisdom positively (e.g., 2 Ch. 1:10; Pr. 2:6, 9:10, 23:23, 31:26; Col. 2:3; Jas. 3:13, etc.) but what about eloquence? The eloquence texts tend toward the negative. Those texts provide examples whereby God chooses to work through less than eloquent people (Ex. 4:10; 1 Cor. 2:1). Actually, Paul's reference to the the abusive "super apostles" in 2 Cor. 11 appears to highlight the foolishness of their eloquence in comparison to Paul who calls himself an untrained speaker. (2 Cor. 11:6).    

Nevertheless, Littlejohn and Evans make an intriguing case for elevating the status of eloquence alongside wisdom. In their first chapter they write:

After wisdom, eloquence was the second of Augustine’s indicators of a properly educated Christian. Before Homer first composed the lyrical speeches of The Iliad in the eighth century B.C., Westerners valued oratorical skill as a sign of great leadership. Augustine had been a renowned professor of rhetoric at the time of his conversion. Though he was raised by a Christian mother in a rural part of North Africa, his recognition of the superior eloquence of the great Roman orator Cicero (106-43 B.C.) had actually prevented him from being able to appreciate the comparatively rustic, Hebraic style of the Scriptures. Augustine’s first personal encounter with a highly trained Christian orator, therefore, had profound effect. He found himself compelled to listen to and, finally, to believe the gospel as articulated by Ambrose, the towering bishop of Milan (Littlejohn and Evans, 2006, p. 15).

There might be something about a clear articulation of the gospel that requires eloquence. However, the Christian scriptures are filled with examples of wise people who struggled to speak yet where somehow empowered by God's Spirit to communicate the Good News. 

A Secular Age and Internet Education

I've started reading philosopher Charles Taylor's A Secular Age. A professor forwarded me a Call for Papers the deals with Taylor's work. I'm hoping to write and present a paper focused on online pastoral education that interacts with Taylor's concept of human flourishing. 

Contrary to the narrative of Modern society, Taylor does not see human flourishing as an end in itself. Rather, he argues for a higher good, a transcendent God, that exists beyond human flourishing. It is the human response to God that results in human flourishing. Taylor posits that secularity has displaced the very idea of God as the centre of human social life. Secularity is not part of human nature but has it origins in "... the fruit of new inventions, newly constructed self-understandings and related practices..." (p. 22). I am interested in seeing how online learning affects learners so the part about new inventions intrigues me. I'm going to examine how the interaction with technology affects a person's sense of God's transcendence and power. Before I start writing I'll need to spend a bit more time with Taylor's book. With a page count over 800, it's probably going to take longer than expected.

Stay tuned!   

Post-Presentation Recommendations from the Wesley Symposium

After presenting my paper at the Wesley Symposium a number of people asked for practical recommendations. Here is a recap of my guiding question, a summary of the findings, and some recommendations for theological educators:

Guiding Question:

“How might technology itself affect student formation?”

Findings:

The interaction of a person with technology, as is the case in online education, has the potential to diminish social well-being, train the brain to be distracted, and impede pastoral skill and virtue formation. Therefore, while online learning programs and courses offer many positive elements, they are not particularly helpful for developing character virtues and skills that are unique to pastoral ministry. Embodied mentorships, such as theological field education/internship opportunities with seasoned practitioners, are essential.    

 

Recommendations for schools offering online pastoral formation programs:

1. Schools would be wise to consider defining and prioritizing character formation for students and faculty. The current standard is for students and faculty to undergo academic assessments: Faculty are assessed in the form of course evaluations while students undergo assessment through completing tests, exams, and assignments. While academic assessments are firming in place, most schools have no formal means by which to assess character. Why not find ways to assess the growth of student and faculty character? The method of assessment would likely differ from academic assessment. Prioritizing character formation will require some changes to the way education is delivered. For example, some schools are choosing to explore Competency-Based Theological Education (CBTE) as a way to shift learning priorities (see this article by Karen Stiller for an overview). Regardless of the model chosen, assessing character is a steep hill to climb for standard, on-campus programs; for schools committed to teaching and learning predominantly online, trying to assess character formation may end up feeling like scaling an insurmountable mountain.
   
   
2. Schools committed to online education must ensure they have robust theological field education (TFE) programs in place. Since online education is not an ideal way to nurture virtues, theological field education programs must work even harder to ensure students are getting embodied opportunities with mentors. Schools committed to staffing and providing resources to their field education departments will be much further along than those with weak, understaffed programs. Research indicates that many theological field education programs function on the periphery of theological schools because field education is often seen as less important than academic coursework. Additionally, due to vast discrepancies in denominational requirements for ordination, TFE programs can vary significantly from school to school. Problems vary from choosing appropriate supervisory settings and supervisors, providing adequate field supervisor training, and determining how to mentor students, who are serving as solo pastors with full pastoral responsibilities. The more schools can do to support online students through strong field education programs, the better off those students (and field education supervisors!) will be.
   
   
3. Schools should consider making space for faculty, administrators, and students to theologically reflect on the effects of technology on teaching and learning for ministry. This could be a simple as setting aside class time at the beginning of a new semester as part of a review of the syllabus. It could also look like an annual faculty retreat where professors are invited to consider the impact of technology on their lives, their teaching, and their students. Reflecting theologically on the question, "how is technology affecting our formation into the image of Christ?" may surface interesting unspoken insights and perspectives that could shape and reshape how learning looks. This should not be a one time event. Administrators, faculty, and students should revisit this question regularly and prayerfully.