And yet the entire world is getting more and more insane every day. Indeed much of the insanity is being generated by benighted self-possessed religiionists.

All theology is useless because it is incapable of changing any one or any thing at a DEPTH level.

In fact the mind that does theology actively prevents any such change from occurring, indeed its very purpose is to keep the status quo intact.

The story of Humpty Dumpty addressed this issue. You know— all the kings horses and all the kings men (that is NO theology) can never ever put Humpty back together again

However, the older I get, the more I’m convinced that our educational systems in the West are largely to blame for the problems in the world. Maybe I’ve read too much Ivan Illich and Paulo Freire and been influenced too much by radical streams of theology that refuse to go along with the program.

My experience…real life experience…tells me that uneducated folks committed to radical living make MUCH better and more astute students than educated folks that are committed to radical ideas. Modern education has, regardless of subject matter, an embedded set of values that are often antithetical to holistic discipleship. It also limits our imaginations…making us susceptible to external agendas and better cogs in the imperial machine.

Even seminaries that, from within the inherited model of western education, try to integrate ministry and theology, tend to make too many assumptions about privilege, the educational process, what constitutes “good” theology, etc. And so, my experience tells me that while most seminarians end up being more adept at living and leading within Christendom, they are certainly less adept at helping lead people beyond Christendom. They aren’t able to challenge the Principalities and Powers because they no longer have imaginations to see beyond them.

The best of us may suspect what is wrong enough to recommend some helpful reading to those in captivity, but it is a rare person indeed who offers a way of holistic praxis and thought that can show people a way beyond.

While our world has space for academic theologians and good-old-fashioned ministers, it has a greater need of theologically minded practitioners and praxis minded theologians. But even MORE than that, we need pioneers who can move beyond Christendom to embrace new ways of ministry and new ways of pedagogy.

This is why I chose, about 6 years ago, to depart from the path that would lead to my becoming an academic theologian. And it is also why I chose, about 4 years ago, to depart from the path that would lead to my becoming an institutional pastor. But folks that know me would say that I am still a fledgling theologian and an active minister in the Body of Christ. It has been a painful (but I believe necessary) thing for me to seek a more radical path. And I am doing everything I can to make that path more feasible for as many people as possible.

I teach at Tyndale University College that not only offers liberal arts degrees but also ministry-oriented ones as well. We are trying to provide practical training for our ministry students. Our Seminary component is touted to be missional but every institution has challenges fleshing that out. Our In-Ministry degree is helpful as it is 1 day/week and does more integration.

I am re-thinking theological education as one who teaches ministry. I am doing more coaching and mentoring of pastors and students these days “on the side.”

in ministry, i am boxed as “intellectual” and thus for some, treated with suspicion. in academy, i am treated with suspicion cos i dont’ write enough theologically. it’s tough to do both.

and for a interesting catholic perspective on this – check out http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6607117.html

steve

i was thinking about this some more, and I wonder if “papacy.” is the correct analogy here. It seems that “magisterium” might be more appropriate, given the fact that publishers are not a single person. Nor is there a unidirectional influence from publisher to readership Obviously the readership to some extent determines what the publishers publish. there is a sense here in which readership gets a vote A sense in which there is a sort of democracy. And there is certainly a kind of accountability with the publishers–no ex cathedra.

I think it would be fair to say (and worth saying) that of the publishing houses, Baker–the guys who publish your own book–are probably doing the best job of producing these kind of “Tweener” books that you recommend.

But you know, as I was thinking about this last night, it occurred to me that it might be said that today publishers have less power than they did even 10 years ago. And this would be largely due to the influence that blogs have upon public thinking. Blogs are not moderated by any publishers. I think an analogous scenario might be the rise of Independent film Due to the better accessibility, but high quality, of digital media.

Phil Cooke makes the point that today, largely due to Internet media it is becoming less and less about making money and more about influence.

I guess what I’m suggesting is that with the coming of the digital age, the power of those who possess the “keys to the kingdom” (e.g. the publishing houses) is diminishing in power. That is not to say that they are completely without power. Nor is it to say that they are without significant power. But what I am saying is that it seems that the balance of power is becoming more and more equally distributed. Every one, now,can be an author and a publisher. It is not up to the publishers who visits your blog.

But the publishers do control, to some extent, the amount of traffic that gets to your blog, and thus the influence of your blog. There are also book tours and so on and so forth.

anyway I just wanted to share these thoughts. Thanks for writing.

blessings…

Adam