Reality is Always Your Friend: Understanding the Place, Role, and Viability of Online Theological Education
Drawing from research in the field of higher education more broadly, this article describes how graduate theological education continues to experience a seismic shift. The in-person, residential college experience is no longer the only option for students today, and many are gravitating toward takin...
| Subtitles: | Graduate Theological Education: Appraisals and Prospects |
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| Authors: | ; |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
2025
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| In: |
Christian higher education
Year: 2025, Volume: 24, Issue: 2, Pages: 180-194 |
| IxTheo Classification: | FB Theological education ZG Media studies; Digital media; Communication studies |
| Further subjects: | B
Higher Education
B online education B graduate theological education B faculty development B Culture B online learning |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | Drawing from research in the field of higher education more broadly, this article describes how graduate theological education continues to experience a seismic shift. The in-person, residential college experience is no longer the only option for students today, and many are gravitating toward taking courses and programs online. However, there is a gap between faculty preparedness and student preference concerning online education, as institutions of higher education have not fully embraced faculty training and development that would best prepare faculty and serve students in the online environment. Thus, this article explores how the culture within institutions of graduate theological education must change to embrace the reality of the current landscape across higher education. To accomplish this culture change, administrators in institutions of graduate theological education should recognize three realities within the field at large. The reality of place indicates online education is moving from the fringe to the forefront; the reality of role indicates online education is moving from being tolerated to being celebrated; and the reality of viability indicates online education is moving from being optional to being essential. As administrators embrace these realities, they will be better equipped to lead their institutions into the future. |
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| ISSN: | 1539-4107 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Christian higher education
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1080/15363759.2025.2465511 |
