Life-changing learning for Christian discipleship and ministry: a practical exploration

Abstract

This paper draws on the experiences and practices of theological educators in the UK to offer pedagogical and theological insights into transformational learning in discipleship and ministry training contexts. Our work suggests that engaging the whole person, encouraging real encounters, stimulating the imagination and identifying threshold concepts are noteworthy pedagogical tools that enhance transformational learning. We describe examples of teaching and learning that illustrate these qualities and suggest that the way in which learners relate to themselves, to others and to the process of learning are indicative of transformational learning. We conclude that these pedagogical approaches involve fostering a theological imagination. Individuals and institutions that aspire to life-changing teaching and learning, however, face some challenges: dispelling myths about what constitutes learning; creating more time and space for designing new approaches; and prioritising relationships and the assessment of ‘deep learning’ over learning outcomes determined by higher education frameworks.

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