ABSTRACT
In the last several years, Edward Farley, Professor of Theology at the Divinity School, Vanderbilt University, has contributed significantly to the contemporary shake-up of theological education through his historical and idealogical critiques of this discipline. 1 In one influential essay 2 Farley explored “the mystery of why the ideal of an educated clergy is found alongside a complacency over uneducated believers in the life of the church.” 3 He proposed that a “cumulative, rigorous educational process … will have to be introduced into church education.” 4 The essay calls attention to significant issues in church and theological education. However, his proposal ultimately fails because he did not attend to several significant issues which shaped church education. This essay addresses those issues.
