Faculty featured in major new resource on global theological education
05-20-2010
The Rev. Dr. David Esterline, Director of the Institute for Cross-Cultural Theological Education and Associate Professor of Cross-Cultural Education and Ministry at McCormick Theological Seminary, is co-editor of The Handbook of Theological Education in World Christianity (Regnum Books International).
Scheduled for publication in time for the landmark Edinburgh 2010 centennial conference on global Christianity and mission on June 2-6, the 800-page reference book is reportedly the first-ever comprehensive study of theological education in Christianity of its kind. It gathers together the work of 90 international scholars, including the late Dr. Ogbu U. Kalu, former Luce Professor of World Christianity and Mission at McCormick, to whom the publication is dedicated.
The underlying premise of the resource is the necessity of theological education for the renewal of churches, their ministries, mission, and commitment to Christian unity. The publisher’s synopsis makes the following case:
“If theological education is neglected by church leaders or in funding, the consequences are far reaching; they might not be visible immediately, but they will certainly become manifest over time in the theological competence of church leadership, the holistic nature of mission, and the capacities for ecumenical and interfaith dialogue and the interaction between church and society. Investment in theological education is investment of hope in the future and mission of World Christianity.”
The audience for the book includes theological educators, associations and individual theological institutions needing current information on global trends and issues as well as reliable contact data; church leaders and denominational boards planning for theological and higher Christian education; missiologists; theologians, biblical scholars, church historians, and other scholars interested in global developments in theological education.
The Handbook of Theological Education in World Christianity will be available for purchase online ad in select bookstores on June 4, 2010. For more information on McCormick’s investment in Edinburgh 2010, global Christianity, and cross-cultural theological education, visit www.mccormick.edu.
