New integrated praxis/reflection model to begin Fall, 2008

April 2, 2008

Preparing ministers for the challenges and opportunities in the 21st century requires an effective balance of theory and practice inspired by curiosity, introspection, reflection, compassion and a collaborative spirit. At Meadville Lombard we address this challenge throughout the curriculum and through a new first-year integrated praxis/relfection program entitled Changing Lives to Change the World: Forming Ministries through Community Partnerships. This course will be run as an experiential learning seminar. It will include 10 hours per week throughout the academic year of participation in a work environment with select community agencies, combined with weekly classroom sessions, led by faculty in Religious Education, Theology, Ethics and Arts of Ministry. Through this new course, faculty, in conjunction with community partners, will work diligently with students to nurture ministerial formation in the context of community partnerships.

Through this collaborative first year practicum, students will:

• Gain an understanding of the complexities and possibilities of contemporary societal issues.
• Develop skills transferable to further ministry in congregations and community settings.
• Enhance multicultural competencies.
• Engage in a transformative experience that will launch a life-changing ministry. 

James A. Hobart, BD '64, Director of Field Education at Meadville Lombard, describes this historical context for this program:

Experiential learning in ministerial education and other "helping" vocations has a long and honored history both in higher education and in society. At the University of Chicago, for example, one thinks of John Dewey as an experiential philosopher. Within the U of C Divinity School, where many generations of Meadville Lombard students were and are educated, experiential learning has been a cornerstone of ministerial preparation, beginning with the social gospel movement. "Inspired" or "integrated," "curiosity, introspection, reflection, compassion and a collaborative spirit" lie at the center of ministerial discernment and preparation. That is the purpose of CPE, ministerial internship and other forms of praxis which make up  one-quarter to one-third of Meadville Lombard's education for ministry. It was characteristic of the kind of ministerial education I received at the U of C and Meadville Lombard more than 40 years ago, and I then have practiced in parish ministries throughout my career.

In my view, this current and important venture in public ministry preparation is not a new approach. Rather, it is in keeping with the best practices both of Meadville Lombard and the U of C. This history and tradition can and should be spelled out to show that the new program is firmly grounded theologically, ethically and politically in the best examples of liberal religious history and traditions, including our Unitarian, Universalist and UU movement.

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Contact:
Tina Porter tporter@meadville.edu
(773) 256-3000 ext. 236