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ListeningreportoftheWorldConferenceofAssociationsofTheologicalInstitutions(WOCATI)

ConsultationJohannesburg(SouthAfrica),2011

IsabelApawoPhiri

1) from4to8July2011representativesoftheWorldConferenceofAssociationsofTheologicalInstitutions(WOCATI)metatLakeviewAirportLodgeinJohannesburg,SouthAfricafora

consultationonChallengesandPromisesofQualityAssuranceinTheologicalEducation:

EcumenicalandMulti-ContextualInquiries.

2) Duringthesessiononparticipantintroductions,itbecameclearthatthiswasahistoricoccasionin3ways:

a. Forthefirsttime,allthemajordenominationsarerepresented.Theseinclude:RomanCatholic,Orthodox,Protestant,PentecostalsandAfricanInstitutedchurches(AICs)associationshavecometogethertodiscussissuesofqualityintheologicaleducation.

ThepresenceoftheAICswasparticularlyimportantbecausetheyfeelmarginalizedin

theologicalinstitutions.Therefore,thisconsultationgavethemaplatformtogain

internationalrecognitioninWOCATI.

b. ItwasparticularlyhistoricforAfrica,becauseitwasafirstWOCATImeetingofitskindontheAfricancontinent.

c. ItalsocreatedanopportunityforAfricanTheologicalInstitutionstocometogethertodiscusschallengesandpromisesofqualityassuranceinTheologicalEducation.Thiswas

importantbecausetheAfricanTheologicalInstitutionsaretryingtofindtheirjointvoice

afteralongperiodofdormancy.

3) Duringthesessiononreceptionbythelocalcommittee,therewasscreeningofaSouthAfricanfilmentitledWhiteWedding.Afterthescreeningofthemovie,theparticipantsengagedin

alivelydiscussiononissuesofrace,gender,culture,hybridity,traditionandmodernityas

partoflifeafterapartheidinSouthAfrica.Thediscussionsshowedanappreciationofan

exposuretosomeaspectsofchangeinhumanrelationshipsinSouthAfrica.Critical

reflectionsonthemoviecontinuedtoinformthediscussionatvariouspointsofthe

Consultation,andparticipantsdrewontheinsightsofferedinthemovietohighlightissues

particularlyrelatedtocontextualityandtheologicaleducation.

4) Atthreeofthemorningreflections,theparticipantswereintroducedtoContextualBiblestudieswhichprovokedseriousconversationsamongtheparticipantsasreceivedreadingsofbible

passageswerechallengedandtransforminginterpretationswerepromoted.Inthefirst

biblicalreflection,anewreadingoftheGenesis1creationstoriespromotedthecreationof

mutualityintherelationshipsbetweenwomenandmenbasedoncommunityofequality.In

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thesecondbiblicalreflection,thereadinganddiscussionofthenarrativeofthe

Canaanite/SyrophonecianwomanasrecordedinthegospelsofMatthewandMarkbrought

totheforechallengesofinterreligiousrelationshipsandtheneedtotransformourdeep

seatedprejudicesofotherreligions.ThethirdmorningreflectionwasfacilitatedbyaMuslim

theologianwhosharedareadingandareflectionfromtheQuran.Inhisreflection,he

highlightedthestruggleofallreligiouspeoplewholivewithcontradictionsinourfaith,

particularlywithregardtooursacredtexts.Westruggletomakesenseoftheambiguous

Godportrayedinoursacredtexts-alovingGodandatthesametimeaGodwhoavenges.

Hehighlightedtheinconsistencyinthewaysinwhichpowerrequiresdifferentand

contradictoryresponsesfromIslam.Heprovidedthefollowingexamples:Whencommunists

ruledAfghanistanpowerrequiredIslamtorespondwithjihad,whichinturnreliedonan

understandingofaGodofvengeance.Intheaftermathof9/11powerrequiresamore

moderateIslam,onethatreliesonanunderstandingofGodasloving.Inthefinal

morning,attherequestofsomeoftheparticipants,asessiononhowtodesignand

facilitateaContextualBibleStudywasheld.Thepedagogicalprincipleswhichundergirdthe

ContextualBibleStudymethodwerediscussed.

5) Duringthesessionsofpaperpresentationsbytheparticipants,itbecameclearthatqualityassuranceandqualityenhancementtakeplaceinavarietyofdifferentways.Insome

contexts,theworkofqualityassuranceandenhancementisdonebydifferentorganizations,

includingstate-relatedaccreditationagencies,independentsecularaccreditationagencies,

andchurch-relateddenominationalormulti-denominationalaccreditationagencies.Italso

becameclearthatthereisnoglobalagencytoaccreditinstitutionsoftheologicaleducation

withsimilarstandardsallaroundtheworld.However,thereareincreasedexpectationsto

havesomecommonunderstandingbetweenallChristianinstitutionsoftheological

educationonwhatconstitutesessentialelementsofqualityassuranceandenhancementin

theologicaleducation.

6) Furthermore,fromtheparticipantspapersitalsobecomeclearthatqualityassuranceandimprovementintheologicaleducationisamultidimensionalprocessthatinvolvesseveral

interrelateddimensions,including:thedimensionsofcontentandcurriculumintheological

education,institutionalresourcesfortheologicaleducation,competenciesandskills

achievedbytheologicalstudents,contextualization,andoutcomesoftheologicaleducation

amongothers.Abalancedconceptofqualityintheologicaleducationshouldinclude

academicproficiency,spiritualformationandpastoralcompetencies.

7) Fromsomepapersanddiscussionsthatfollowed,oneofthedominantissueswastheimportanceofmakingalinkbetweenofferingaqualitytheologicaleducationwithmultiple

oppressionsanddiscriminationsaffectingallpeopleregardlessofgender,race,nationality,

religionorrace.Givinganexampleofgender,itwasassertedthattheinclusionofgenderin

thecurriculumneedstobetwo-fold.Ontheonehandmainstreamingiscrucial.

Mainstreamingrequiresnotjustgendersensitivityinthecurriculumbutacritical

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awarenessofhowpowerrelationshipsbetweenwomenandmen,inform,restrictor

contributetothescholarshipinparticulardisciplines.Ontheotherhand,specializedstudy

intheareaofGenderandReligionisalsorequiredsothatstudentscanobtainspecialized

qualificationsinthisdisciplineinandofitself.Anotherpointraisedherewasalsotheissue

ofevaluationhowcanthosewhosupportpatriarchythemselvesbetheevaluatorsof

whetherthestudyofgenderisneededwithintheologicaleducation.

8) Anothermajorissuethatcamefromsomepapersanddiscussionwasthatdespitedenominationaldifferencesonwhatconstitutesqualitytheologicaleducation,thereismuch

morewhichcanbeheldincommonbetweenallChristianchurchesintheunderstandingof

theologicaleducation.Duringdiscussions,examplesofcollaborationinTheological

Educationacrossdenominationsweregiventoshowthatitispossibletoworkecumenically

withoutcompromisingondenominationaltheology.Asawayforward,oneofthepapers

presentedaproposaltoformulateaCommonguidelineonwhatconstitutesbasicelements

intheunderstandingofqualityintheologicaleducation.Duringdiscussionsofthisproposal

callfortheneedtorespectcontextualexperiencesandfocusonoutcomeswerevoicedout.

9) Participantsraisedanumberofimportantissueson-KairostheologiesinSouthAfricaandPalestineandtheirimplicationsforTheologicalEducation.Oneofthesewasthenotionofa

theologyoflandasespousedinthePalestinianKairosDocument.

10)AtthemeetingoftheWOCATIexecutivewhichtookplacebeforetheConsultation,thememberswereinformedabouttheplansofWCCtoprepareamajorassemblyin2013in

SouthKoreawhereattemptsareunderdiscussiontoalsohaveanEcumenicalTheological

Institutepriorandduringtheassembly.Furthermoretheexecutivewerealsoinformedthat

discussionsincludedthepossibilityofcreatingavisiblespacefortheologicaleducatorsand

associationsoftheologicalschools.

11)WherearewegoingwithWOCATIDiscussions

HowcanWOCATIbehelpedasaninstitution?

Whatisthenexttangiblestapestogoforward?

HowcanWOCATIsrelationshipbeimprovedwithregionalchurchorganization

James:onthebasisofthepapersthatwehavereceived,wecanempowertheexecutivetoconcritsethe

pointsthatwehaveheard

OrformasmallgroupofexpertstobeadoptedinSouthKorea

Groupdiscussionshavebeenlessreflectedon