New book looks at formative theological education
一本由电子游戏软件神学与事工学院的教职员工撰写的新书，从形成性教育的敏感性和承诺的角度，为神学教育的艺术提供了指南. 由共同编辑的神学实践教授Colleen Griffith和神学与教育副教授Hosffman Ospino描述, 形成性神学教育包含一种寻求“鼓励属灵成熟”的属灵异象, ethically responsible lives, and leadership in the pursuit of justice.”
Formative Theological Education (保利斯出版社)在最近的校园庆祝活动上正式启动，庆祝神学与事工学院成立15周年，并包括STM院长迈克尔麦卡锡的讲话, S.J., and Provost and Dean of Faculties David Quigley.
School of Theology and Ministry faculty members (front row, left to right) Hosffman Ospino, Theresa O'Keefe, Melissa Kelley, Andrew Davis, (back row, l-r) John Baldovin, S.J., Thomas Groome, Colleen Griffith, Callid Keefe-Perry, and Fr. Richard Lennan contributed chapters to the new book. (Photo by Ann Hermes)
“Boston College is a leader in formative education,” said Griffith, faculty director of spirituality studies. “霍斯曼和我都觉得，不列颠哥伦比亚省下一步要努力强调形成性教育作为其使命的核心，那就是让各个学科阐明这一愿景在各自的电子游戏正规平台领域意味着什么. So, we set out to provide an articulation of what formative theological education would look like.
“We knew the STM had a distinctive contribution to make here. STM拥有一支在国内和国际上享有盛誉的宗教教育师资队伍, 一群对教学策略进行创造性思考并在这方面发挥领导作用的男女学生. STM是一个在愿景和方法方面有很多东西可以提供的地方，其他神学教育者可能能够学习. Because we're a school of theology, ministry, 以信仰为基础的服务，我们从实际的角度来思考，丰富的神学见解是如何落地的, how they get appropriated, 以及牧师和以信仰为基础的服务领袖如何在变化的季节中维持自己的使命.”
“This book is a sampler of what formative theological education is,” said Ospino, who chairs the STM’s Department of Religious Education and Pastoral Ministry. “It doesn't exhaust the concept; there are many other aspects that could be and should be considered about formative theological education, 但无论谁读这本书，都将接触到形成性神学教育的10个最佳切入点. And we are privileged to have most of these voices at Boston College.”
At the book launch, 格里菲斯和奥斯皮诺谈到了他们对这本书的看法，并介绍了为本书撰写论文的STM教员 Formative Theological Education. Along with Griffith and Ospino, contributors are John Baldovin, S.J.; Andrew Davis; Thomas Groome; Callid Keefe-Perry; Melissa Kelley; Fr. Richard Lennan; and Theresa O'Keefe. 每位贡献作者都分享了他们如何理解和做形成性神学教育的见解. Not present at the event was contributor Nancy Pineda-Madrid, a former STM faculty member who now teaches at Loyola Marymount University.
The book is organized into three sections. In the first section, “Grounding the Discussion,” Davis, Griffith, and Fr. 莱南谈到圣经和精神传统如何鼓励一种特殊的“认识方式”，这种方式是形成性神学教育的基础.
The second section, “Foundational Commitments,” features essays from Groome, Ospino, and Pineda-Madrid on faith formation, the primacy of cultural contextuality, and educating in the way of justice.
The third section, “Hopes and Outcomes,” includes essays from Fr. Baldovin, Keefe-Perry, Kelley, 和奥基夫(O 'Keefe)提出了指导和想象力以及培养社区和弹性的重要性.
Formative Theological Education was written to invite primarily theological educators in colleges, seminaries, 高中以及在教区进行成人信仰培育的宗教教育者更有意识地思考他们所做的事情. “但我认为，这本书中有一些东西对任何扮演塑造角色的人都有吸引力，这些人对与人一起进入更深的精神领域感兴趣,” said Griffith.
Added Ospino: “In a Catholic university, the different fields, schools, 各院系需要努力解决“形成性教育意味着什么”这个问题?“我认为这本书是任何在天主教机构或宗教大学任教的人必读的书.”
“即使另一个系不想与神学本身进行对话,” added Griffith, “关于形成性教育所说的一切都指向精神愿景. That's what needs to really be engaged.
“We're stepping forward with theology as our discipline, but we hope every part of our University will do this. It asks us as educators to think about content choices, practical relevance of the discipline, advisement, 你要让什么在课堂内外的教学动态中占据主导地位.”
“我们不能像生活在16世纪或19世纪那样进行神学教育th century, or even the middle of the 20th century. In the 21st 世纪，我们需要电子游戏正规平台鲜的神学教育方法，这显然是形成性的."
奥斯皮诺指出，这本书是在美国和世界各地神学教育格局发生巨大变化的时候出版的. He cited demographic, social, cultural, and technological changes, but also changes in the role of religion in society, the future of theology in Catholic universities and Catholic high schools, 以及机构教会在年轻一代中保持可信度和相关性的斗争.
“One thing is clear,” he said. “我们不能像生活在16世纪或19世纪那样进行神学教育th century, or even the middle of the 20th century. In the 21st 世纪，我们需要电子游戏正规平台鲜的神学教育方法，这显然是形成性的. From a Catholic perspective, 断言神学教育是形成性的，就是把这一重要任务设想为一种练习，它调解了我们作为信徒所接受的基督教传统的丰富性，同时始终准备好回应上帝子民在这里和现在的问题和需要.”
He continued: “Formative theological education must be deeply ecclesial, prophetic, contextual, imaginative, embodied, collaborative, 对人类经历的复杂性有着广泛的理解. It must be inclusive of voices, texts, and experiences of the baptized and others, with particular attention to those who have been marginalized, ignored, or forgotten. 它必须对人类的需求和问题做出回应，因为我们要为自己的历史存在赋予意义, honoring commonalities and differences.
“So in a sense, this is a book that breaks open the idea of theological education, improving and strengthening what happens in the classroom, but looking at the much bigger picture.”