Biblical studies – troublesome or catastrophic? Strategies in ministerial re-formation

ABSTRACT

Ministry students from conservative backgrounds have well-known difficulties when they first meet critical approaches to the Bible. However, as educators start to meet this challenge more frequently with intakes swelled by numbers from the global Pentecostal Diaspora, the pedagogical issues arising warrant further thought. Noting recent appeals to Threshold Concept theory, I suggest that we may rather underestimate Scripture’s unique type of ‘troublesomeness’ for some students, and that the applicability of such approaches to those from ‘intratextual’ faith contexts may need some qualification. Nuancing the problem via faith development and deconversion studies, I suggest the importance not so much of winning arguments, but of seeking to naturalise scriptural criticality within indwelt piety and discussing concrete ways of negotiating continuity of identity, integrity and vocation.

KEYWORDS:

• ministry training
• biblical studies
• Pentecostalism
• threshold concepts
• formation

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes on contributor

John R. L. Moxon is Principal Lecturer in Biblical Studies.