In ministerial training, effective integration of academic excellence, spiritual formation and vocational training is critical to produce holistically trained Christian leaders. This article positions integration as an educational approach that attempts to coordinate and synthesise the major learning dimension and can bring about significant learning, since it takes account of the lifeworld of the student and engages a custom-designed curriculum. This article reports on an empirical research project on integrative theological education at Justo Mwale University, Zambia. It reports on various (...) dimensions within the formal and informal curriculum in the residential Bachelor of Theology programme. The article provides key findings and a discussion on the contextual and institutional challenges that shaped curriculum design. It reflects on the learning gained through this action research and concludes with strategies to move towards a more integrative model of theological education. (shrink)

Theological colleges aim at training well-formed, well-resourced Christian leaders who possess a compelling personality and moral authority for impactful and transformational leadership. This is achievable largely through an integrated approach to the curriculum that places equal value on the development of the “head, heart, and hands”, the institutional ideal of holding the cognitive, affective and psychomotor dimensions of theological training in equilibrium. In addition, the contextual and contemporary relevance of such a curriculum is critical for maximum effect. The initial slow (...) and hesitant approach of the Pentecostal movement to theological education has made them dependent on other Christian persuasions for models in theological education. This article reports on an empirical study to describe and evaluate the curriculum of Pentecost Theological Seminary in Ghana, in order to appreciate the extent of integration and relevance accomplished, and to contribute to institutional efforts at further integration. (shrink)

Our history in South Africa has shown that we are largely segregated and unequal, as race continues to define the opportunities of many. Post-apartheid interactions continue to be troubling in racial terms. The new interracial relationships that are created in religious organisations can become a model of social cohesion for South African society. However, Christian organisations are structured in patriarchal and hierarchical ways with their authoritarianism; hence, the roots of oppression lie deeper. Black theology is part of a larger ongoing (...) movement of liberation and must turn its attention to persistent forces such as racism that cause human alienation. This article will attempt to analyse racism by unpacking the findings of an empirical research project on diversity, and explore the transformative methodology of Black theology in raising critical awareness on identity issues within South African theological education. (shrink)