The Fruits of Listening
Applying Qualitative Research Methods in the Design of Contextually Responsive Theological Education
- Discipleship & Christian Education
- Publisher: Wipf and Stock
- Published: 2024
FritzSearch.com earns a commission on purchases made through Bookshop.org links.
Publisher's Description
Theological seminaries and Bible institutes find themselves at the crossroads of preserving biblical faithfulness and of maintaining contextual relevance. What does faithful contextual relevance look like? How can theological institutions steer a course that will engage and serve the church through the men and women they equip for ministry and service? In pursuit of answers to those questions, a qualitative research project was designed and conducted in the Protestant evangelical community in Madrid, Spain. It presented a unique situation where seminary faculty and students and church attenders could be invited to share their perspectives, experiences, and hopes for transformative theological education. Congregants offered a vision of theological education that equips leaders to relationally empower the church to give witness in the society. Intentional listening was prioritized on three seminary campuses where faculty and students shared their stories of theological formation and described the unique contextual challenges they face as Protestant believers in Spain. They voiced narratives of how they must find ways to persevere amid pervasive scarcity and in a rapidly changing society. Seminaries and churches around the world may recognize details of their own experiences in these stories and, importantly, receive resources for relevant contextualization in this work.
Endorsements (4)
“As westernized theological education is being exported globally and uncritically, this careful study on the need for indigenous and contextualized voices, for teaching in ways which engage people with the mission imperative in their own cultures, is welcome and necessary. Its conclusions call for theological educators to resist the temptation of adopting homogeneous western structures, pedagogies, and curricula, and instead listen and respond to the stories of the soil.”
“Listening yields lasting fruit! This book is a must-read for anyone who desires to see theological education flourish. Dr. Weaver’s work provides students and professionals with tools to sharpen their listening skills. Employing The Fruits of Listening is indispensable at a time when theological education is examining its roots in pursuit of a preferable future.”
“Colleen Weaver's work encapsulates the importance of listening, a skill that is needed in our time. For theological education to impact people's lives, it must begin with attentive listening to the community, taking the time to understand their dreams, hopes, and aspirations as this opens doors to contextualize teaching and learning in meaningful ways. This book is a valuable resource for theological educators and researchers committed to entering the sacred space of listening and responding thoughtfully.”
“Ironically, theological schools teach students to observe and respond to society, but we often fail to do that ourselves when developing our curricula or teaching model. For all of us teaching theology outside of the culture in which we were raised or in which we studied, The Fruits of Listening gives essential insights and examples to challenge us to take time to humbly think about how we can better contextualize our schools to be more effective in developing Christian workers who can impact society where they are.”
See something wrong on this page? Report a problem