Introduction

The works of the faithful who combine academic and ministerial functions into one vocation have been vital to the Church since its first-century foundations. The apparent abstraction of that point is easily made concrete when a multitude of intersections shared between the Church and academy are examined. These intersections can be found in local churches, Christian and secular colleges and universities, across all diverse cultures and societies where these entities exist, and in the Christian lives of everyone who has ever discerned their gifting and calling to be from God for such a lifetime of labours. The Church is actively now considering how to fund, deliver, and maintain theological education in the wake of changes and pressures in the Higher Education sector. Parallel challenges in this regard exist in the United Kingdom, the United States, Europe, Australia, and elsewhere.