Theological Field Education as a Bridge across Disciplines

Theological field education—also known as contextual education—operates as the explicitly embodied nexus of seminary-based learning, placing both practical theological and broader theological, religious, and/or spiritual educational frameworks in dialogue with one’s experiences within a particular site context. Drawing upon the example of the events that took place in March 1965 at the Edmund Pettus Bridge connecting Selma to Montgomery, as well as the bridge’s enduring function as a material and symbolic site of transformation, connections are made to the ways that theological field education bridges both practical theology and other areas of theological education, generally and as actualized specifically within one theological school’s field education program, through three overarching themes: Embodiment, reflection, and formation. In the acts of bridging that occur in each of these areas, points of commonality are discussed and illustrated. Finally, initial suggestions for further bridging between disparate academic fields and theological field education are offered toward the cultivation of a more integrative, transformative curriculum.

The Supervisor as Mentor-Coach in Theological Field Education

This article examines the role of the field education supervisor as it relates to function and process. It is the writer's contention that observed emphases in supervisory paradigms, as these are appropriated in the arena of theological field education, may be largely descriptive of two primary responsibilities: mentoring and coaching. This treatment explores the development of the roles of “mentor” and “coach” as a means to clarify and extend the task of overseeing students in theological field education.