Illustration by Ellen Marello

We need theological education more than ever, precisely because of the wider context in which our students imagine and unfold their work. Now is a critical time to train students to carry both voice and vision into the public square.

It is necessary to develop sources of funding in the first place so prospective students are able to consider pursuing theological education. Board leadership may be energized by this moment’s demand for prophetic religious voices, rather than surrender to narratives of church decline. The need for a posture of possibility is especially vital given the absence of strict correspondence between degree training and subsequent professional specialization. Today it is clear that a career as parish priest or chaplain is not the only path for those with a degree in theology.

It is indeed exciting that most students at Union Theological Seminary imagine their vocations beyond the traditional work of the Church. Novel alternatives are not a liability but an opportunity for reanimating and reimagining theological education. If we once thought of our work as inside church walls only, a radical reorientation now helps us consider how it is happening in the world.