Helpful Models

by | Aug 11, 2015 | Newsletter Articles

Each year, the Oikonomia Network Steering Committee reviews syllabi and other materials produced by our network schools in order to identify helpful models that illustrate success in integrating work and economics in theological education. This is one of the ways the committee carries out its mission to provide resources and support to help all our network members develop pedagogical excellence.

This year, the committee focused its review on course syllabi. It reviewed a total of 91 syllabi from courses taught in calendar year 2014, as well as four significant co-curricular projects. The committee selected 33 of these as helpful models. This year’s helpful models appear below.

We can all celebrate this outcome! This is a much greater rate of success for our community in terms of both quality and quantity, compared to last year’s review of helpful models. That review examined syllabi from our network’s first four years (2010-2013) and found only 65 syllabi to review, compared to 91 in just one year for 2014. And of those 65 syllabi, last year’s review identified only 14, or 22 percent, as models that were helpful for the community to consider, compared to 33 out of 91 (36 percent) this year.

To further refine the process, the committee selected five categories to help identify where each model could be most helpful:

  • Course outcomes related to work and the economy
  • Lecture/discussion sections related to work and the economy
  • Reading related to work and the economy
  • Specific assignments related to work and the economy
  • Use of external resources related to work and the economy

We hope this will make the models of greater value to the community. The committee continues to refine and further develop the review process for next year. Comments and suggestions are very welcome!

These models are not a one-size-fits-all, cookie-cutter approach to success; every school and every faculty member is unique. Their freedom to innovate is central to the network’s success. But as our community matures, all its members have the opportunity to learn from one another’s work. The network can serve its members by identifying the examples that are the most likely to be helpful to the most people

Here are the 2014 models identified by the committee as the most helpful:

All Disciplines

Systematic Theology

Ethics and Philosophy

Spiritual Formation:

Church Leadership

Missions, Evangelism & Cultural Studies

Church-Based Small Group Curricula

The members of the ON Steering Committee are:

  • Chris Armstrong, Wheaton College
  • Gerry Breshears, Western Seminary
  • Greg Forster, Oikonomia Network & Trinity International U.
  • Donald Guthrie, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (Trinity International U.)
  • J. Hill, Wheaton College
  • Tom Nelson, Made to Flourish and Christ Community Church
  • Scott Rae, Talbot School of Theology (Biola U.)
  • Charlie Self, Assemblies of God Theological Seminary (Evangel U.)

As always, all the committee members welcome your questions and concerns. Feel free to reach out to any of them at any time.