Education Beyond the Walls

Education Beyond the Walls

Theological Education at the Edges

By Melissa Wiginton, Vice President for Education Beyond the Walls

On long car trips, my father would begin telling my sister and brothers and me a story. Once he had us hooked, right at the suspenseful edge, he’d point across his shoulder to me in the back seat and say, “Take it.” Ipicked up the story, resolved the crisis, added some characters and a new conflict, and handed it to my sister, and on it would go. Who knew this would prepare me for “edge” work: stewarding a narrative, responding to plot twists, bringing new people into the story, and weaving together a community on a journey.

Education Beyond the Walls (EBW) advances the mission of Austin Seminary to equip not only clergy but other people of faith and even those who are searching. The work, rooted in the institution, places us at the edges of formal theological education, the church, and the world. Ecological theory identifies ecosystem “edges” as the primary place on earth with the largest number of new life species. EBW operates in this space of great possibility.

In this edge space, we lean toward practices of theological imagination, toward the underserved, toward the intersections of faith and the common good. We lean out toward searching people at the edges of Christian faith and practice and in toward those long in practice and still seeking excellence. You will see these commitments in the concrete experiences we describe in the following pages.

We value creativity, community, and diversity. We craft events focused on active, experiential learning and content that is relevant to the lives of practitioners. We recognize that church, as many people know it, is beautiful and that the beauty will show differently in coming years. Here at the edges, our work catches up many strands of learning and locations, people and practices.

We are at the edges of ecosystems of seminary, church, and the world to invite people in. As Daddy might say, “You take it.” Together we will find our way into the story of new life for the church and the world.