[JATE 1.

2 (2004) 117-120] ISSN (print) 1740-7141

ISSN (online) 1743-1654

Editorial

The Relationship between Church and Academy

Eighteen months ago I changed my job. While on the surface there was
significant continuity from one to the other, both focusing on my special-
ism of theological education by distance learning, one of the immediately
apparent differences was the different contexts in which this provision
was offered. My former job was in a confessional, independent theological
college in which care and attention was paid to learners’ faith and its
development; while my new employer was a large, secular university
that offered theological courses by distance learning as a result of a his-
torical progression. The Wesley Centre, into which the courses were
incorporated, was given the brief of serving the Christian Church in
recognition of the Methodist origins of the Westminster Institute of Edu-
cation, and of the Methodist Church’s continuing ownership of the cam-
pus now appropriated by Oxford Brookes University. Other tasks also
fell into the Centre’s remit: the validation of both undergraduate and
postgraduate degree courses offered by the Diocese of Oxford, the
Methodist chaplaincy for the Institute, and the provision of training for
adults candidating for Methodist ordination. Supporting the Centre was
(and is) a small staff of academic theologians, some of whom are highly
committed to the Christian faith, others of whom make no such claims.
The sharp contrast between these two work environments provoked
big questions as I grappled with the challenge of straddling the various
tensions. Given the radical shake-up of the form of theological education
being considered in Britain as a result of the Hind Report, which also pro-
moted a higher degree of collaboration between the Church of England
and university faculties such as ours, the questions included:
• Is it possible, or more precisely, practical for independent theo-
logical colleges and university faculties to continue to co-exist?
Is the confessional/non-confessional divide appropriate and
realistic?
• Might it not be financially advantageous for the Church, how-
ever defined, to consider making greater use of resources which

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118 The Journal of Adult Theological Education 1.2 (2004)

the universities can offer (electronic provision might be an

example)? If so, how might the values of Christian and Church
formation be fostered, and how might the dependency factor be
addressed?
• How should university validation of Church programmes be
understood? Precisely what does the university evaluate in order
to grant validation, and what does this say about the Church/
Academy relationship?
These questions, and others, inspired the organization of an ACATE Con-
sultation entitled ‘Church and Academy: Mutually Redundant?’ which
was held in February 2004. Three of the papers appearing in this issue
were presented at that Consultation. The subject also provided the oppor-
tunity for me to pose the question to my work colleagues and two
responded by introducing a related issue of the similarities and contrasts
between the study of religions and the study of theology. In so doing,
they also slightly adjusted the original understanding of the Church/
Academy relationship: here, within the context of a secular university,
they wrestle with the nature of theology almost as a representative of
‘Church’.
The papers in this issue therefore divide into specific categories. Kevin
Ellis and John Thomson approach the subject as practising ministers,
both drawing on their experience of parish ministry and reflecting on
this in their articles. Ellis considers the role of the minister as theologian,
arguing that theology and theological education should be at the heart of
the ministry of the parish priest, and concluding with the suggestion that
the Academe might at times act as in a prophetic way to the Church.
Thomson, turning to Gadamer, juxtaposes ‘phronesis’ and ‘sophia’ as
examples, respectively, of practised (‘church’) and academic theology,
arguing that phronesis is a more valid form on account of its embodied,
lived-out nature.
The articles by Martin Groves and Angie Pears, both colleagues at West-
minster Institute of Education (Oxford Brookes University), look at the
place of theology within a secular institution, from different perspectives
and arriving at quite different conclusions. Groves concludes that theol-
ogy can only be an ‘insider activity’, identifiable by association with a
specific religion, whereas Pears considers that it is a subject discipline like
any other, whose value lies in providing a mechanism for understanding
the world and people’s interpretation of it. Just as theology can be used to
critique culture, however, so culture must critique theology.
ACATE’s membership of WOCATI, the World Conference of Asso-
ciations of Theological Institutions, also provided us with a link with the

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 Editorial 119

Association of Theological Schools in North America and Canada.

Especially in view of the Journal’s move from the British-focused British
Journal of Theological Education to the international Journal of Adult Theo-
logical Education, we were particularly pleased to receive a paper from
Jerry McCarthy, not least because it became very clear that the Church/
Academy relationship is something also calling for attention in North
America. McCarthy’s contribution to this issue is to outline significant
dimensions of the relationship, particularly as it relates to ATS and its
history. He identifies areas in which he considers the relationship should
be ‘deepened’. These revolve around reflective practice, recruitment, fund-
ing, demographics, and modes of instruction. In conclusion, he proposes
that greater attention should be given to the communal, corporate voca-
tion of the faculty of a theological school. These are themes which, despite
certain notable differences between Christian culture and practice in
North America and in Britain, nonetheless resonate very quickly with
many issues faced in the United Kingdom.
The final paper in the issue comes from a further colleague at West-
minster Institute of Education, Brian Marshall. Marshall is Academic
Director for Learning, Teaching and Quality Enhancement at the Insti-
tute, but with an academic background in theology. Wearing his LTQE
hat, he explores the role of peer observation as contributing to good
pedagogy in Higher Education, relating this to the teaching and learning
of theology and religious studies.
As the Journal becomes specifically international, we welcome and are
keen to encourage contributions from around the world. The WOCATI
Conference held in Chiang Mai, Thailand, in December 2002, highlighted
the very significant cultural and theological differences and correspond-
ingly different approaches to theological education that those involved
in the field grapple with globally. Many of the papers presented are
accessible through the WOCATI website: http://www.wocati.org/reptoc.
html. Through the WOCATI link, we are also delighted to announce that
Namsoon Kang has accepted our invitation to be Associate Editor (Asia).
We hope this will encourage greater dialogue and cross-cultural discus-
sion through the inclusion of papers from this part of the world. Namsoon
is based at the Methodist Theological Seminary in Seoul.
It is a privilege to act as guest editor for this issue of the Journal, espe-
cially as it moves into a new era. It is opportune at this point, therefore,
to pay tribute to the hard work of Zoe Bennett who has played an indis-
pensable role in steering the Journal through a period of troubled waters
over the past two or three years as we have negotiated with new pub-
lishers, and the upheaval that has entailed. Zoe has worked tirelessly to

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120 The Journal of Adult Theological Education 1.2 (2004)

bring the Journal to its present place, as well as acting as general editor
for many years. I am pleased to be able to recognize publicly her effort
and contribution.

Alison Le Cornu
ACATE Chair
July 2004

© Equinox Publishing Ltd 2004.