A Guide to Theological Reflection: A Fresh Approach for Practical Ministry Courses and Theological Field Education
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Overview
Feedback and evaluation, both of oneself and by others, are the lifeblood of a successful ministry experience. In A Guide to Theological Reflection, experienced practical ministry professors Jim Wilson and Earl Waggoner introduce the processes and tools of theological reflection for ministry.
Effective evaluation includes critique and potential course correction for the honest and willing minister, as well as positive affirmation of how one’s desires influence good ministry decisions. A Guide to Theological Reflection introduces tools by which a minister can interact with his or her own thoughts, beliefs, and feelings; external feedback, such as that of a ministry supervisor; and Scripture to inform deep and transformative theological reflection.
Designed as a textbook for practical ministry courses and theological field education, A Guide to Theological Reflection can also be used in ministry contexts. It provides guidance for students, ministers-in-training, mentors, and advisors, laying a theoretical foundation for theological reflection and demonstrating step-by-step how to practice it well.
- Introduces the processes and tools of theological reflection for ministry
- Examines how ministy leaders can interact with their own thoughts, beliefs, and feelings
- Provides a step-by-step guide to implementing theological reflection
Top Highlights
“Moses’s disobedience was not just a personal matter between him and God. It was not just about his spiritual health and relationship with God. He failed in his ministry practice. He did not apply the resources of faith to ministry.5 It was not enough that his ministry was successful, that the water gushed out of the rock. Neither was it enough that he knew what God wanted him to do. God requires obedience.” (Pages 20–21)
“A minister begins the thinking process by asking this question: What is really going on in this ministry situation?” (Page 29)
“Reflection and life-application must be filtered through the authoritative witness found in the Scriptures” (Page 30)
“Reflection was necessary for the disciples to understand what was happening around them and what Jesus was teaching them.” (Page 59)
“We ask not only which theology drove our actions but also which one should have been driving our actions” (Page 44)
- Title: A Guide to Theological Reflection: A Fresh Approach for Practical Ministry Courses and Theological Field Education
- Authors: Jim Wilson and Earl Waggoner
- Publisher: Zondervan
- Publication Date: 2020
- Pages: 192
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Topic: Ministry Resources
Jim L. Wilson (DMin, Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary) is professor of leadership formation and director of the Doctor of Ministry program at Gateway Seminary. He has authored many books, including Future Church: Ministry in a Post-Seeker Age.
Earl Waggoner (PhD, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary) serves as Dean, Biblical Studies & Theology, College of Adult & Graduate Studies, Colorado Christian University. He taught previously for Gateway Seminary at their Denver and Los Angeles campuses, focusing on systematic theology and church history. His research interests include ecclesiology, pneumatology, Baptist history, and the intersection of pop culture and theology. Prior to serving in theological education, he was a pastor and a television professional.