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As the church grows ever larger in areas once considered impervious to the gospel, theological training is failing to keep up with the needs of local congregations. This lack of missional capacity, alongside an overwhelming shortage of trained leadership, indicates a pressing need to revisit the aims and approaches of theological education globally.
Engaging qualitative research from South Asia, Dr. Jessy Jaison demonstrates that both formal and non-formal approaches to theological training can support the church's missional calling. However, she challenges the growing normalization that theological education is an end in itself, distant from those it was meant to serve. Dr. Jaison calls for a church-centered paradigm in which all forms of training would collaborate with and for the body of Christ. Not only will readers be introduced to theological education in the the South Asian context, they will also benefit from the practical and collaborative model demonstrated and how they can revitalize the process in supporting the church in its mission.
About the author
JESSY JAISON is Regional Director of United World Mission and Overseas Council for South Asia, as well as serving on the board of ICETE. Jessy worked at New India Bible Seminary, Kerala, India, for three decades, both as Professor of Practical Theology and as Director of Research and Advancement. She has a PhD in Practical Theology from the Queen's University of Belfast, UK, and an MTh from the University of Oxford, UK.
