New Book Warns Shifts in Episcopal Priests’ Formation is Creating a “Wild West” of Training Options
NEW YORK November 21, 2024 – The General Theological Seminary is excited to announce the publication of The Varieties of Episcopal Theological Education by the Rev. Robert D. Flanagan, DMin, GTS Chaplain. The book examines significant changes to the way Episcopal priests and deacons are being formed.
In The Varieties of Episcopal Theological Education, Flanagan highlights notable shifts in theological education since the early 2000s. His analysis of newly collected data reveals that a growing number of ordinands now complete their training at diocesan schools or through local formation programs, rather than at traditional residential seminaries.
Flanagan finds that large residential seminaries with denominational identities are no longer seen as the ideal training ground for new priests and deacons. Instead, a diverse array of programs has emerged, maximizing adaptability to meet the evolving needs of The Episcopal Church.
He describes the current training landscape as a “Wild West” where each diocesan bishop and Commission on Ministry chooses a different path for their ordinands. While the diversity of options enables ordinands to complete their training more quickly and at a lower cost, the resulting effects on the priesthood, diaconal ministry and The Episcopal Church are only just being felt.
Flanagan warns that the diversity of training options is leading to a weakening of The Episcopal Church ethos, a lessening of priestly solidarity, and the creation of different classes of priests, with today’s graduates speaking different Episcopal dialects and struggling to see how other colleagues see the Church and the world.
The Rev. Robert D. Flanagan, DMin, said: “The breadth of recent changes in theological education puts our denomination at a pivotal moment, which may drastically change how The Episcopal Church knows itself and is known. The question is whether seminaries will consolidate around a few models or splinter further as AI and other technologies further influence classrooms.”
The Rev. Robyn M. Neville, Ph.D., Director of the Center for Spiritual Formation at St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church, Boca Raton, Florida, said: “This study contributes in useful ways to ongoing conversations, in both the academy and in the Church, about the state of theological education in The Episcopal Church. The qualitative analysis of diocesan school data in this study in particular sets the stage for further research and provides an intriguing look at the state of field education.”
The Very Rev. Ian S. Markham, Ph.D., Dean and President of Virginia Theological Seminary and President of The General Theological Seminary, said: “Data is essential for wise management of theological education in The Episcopal Church. This is the first data survey of all the options for training in The Episcopal Church. Dr. Flanagan has provided an extraordinary gift to the Church.”
You can purchase The Varieties of Episcopal Theological Education here: https://www.amazon.com/Varieties-Episcopal-Theological-Education-Formation/dp/B0FRG53X8H
Notes to editors:
For media inquiries, please contact Nicky Burridge, Senior Vice President for Communications and Institutional Advancement at Virginia Theological Seminary and The General Theological Seminary. Tel: (703) 461-1782 Mobile: (703) 300-2876 Email: nburridge@vts.edu
About The General Theological Seminary:
The General Theological Seminary of The Episcopal Church was founded in 1817. It is the oldest seminary of The Episcopal Church and has educated and formed leaders for the church in a changing world for more than 200 years. The Seminary was chartered by an act of The Episcopal Church’s General Convention and its name was chosen to reflect its founders’ vision that it be a seminary to serve the whole church.