Around 50 theological institutions, publishers and media resources showcase their ministry work at event
The first theological education expo was held at Forman’s Christian College, Lahore on Dec.10. (Photo: Kamran Chaudhry)
Amid declining theological education in Pakistan, a Christian network is trying to connect Bible training centers for a healthier Church.
“Graduate principals of several seminaries are offering doctorate degrees and MPhil programs without any accreditation. There is no merit, the faculty is untrained and even the curriculum is barely developed,” Qaiser Julius, general secretary of the Theological Educator’s Forum, told UCA News.
“Churches are the main stakeholders in this regard but there is a non-serious attitude towards theological training and a tendency to rely on foreign funding for such studies. Bishops are more interested in running the institutes,” he said.
“All of them work in isolation. People also expect free theological education. Budget constraints and government regulations are other challenges.”
Julius was speaking on the sidelines of Pakistan’s first theological education expo he organized on Dec. 10 at Forman’s Christian College, Lahore. Around 50 theological institutions including Bible schools, laity institutes, seminaries and Christian recording ministries showcased their ministry work.
Live worship, gospel singing, a Bible quiz and sessions on creating better content as well as student-teacher relations were held on the colorful stage as visitors posed for photos by the media wall. The stalls offered a variety of products from Christian literature, music CDs and cassettes to Christmas decorations.
“You can see the impact on laity who can’t properly address God”
More than a hundred Bible institutes and seminaries are presently educating thousands of Christians in Muslim-majority Pakistan. However, Julius is skeptical of the majority of them, ranking them in the “less than fair” category.
Father Emmanuel Asi, executive secretary of the Catholic Bible Commission Pakistan, who also had a booth for the expo, lamented the declining standards of seminary staff and theses written by their students.
“Theological diction and vocabulary have declined in both sermons and Christian magazines. There are more social examples. We are behind Sri Lanka and India when it comes to using theological terms either traditional, liberation or modern. There is no depth to sacramental and catechetical analogies,” he said.
“You can see the impact on laity who can’t properly address God while offering supplications on the pulpit. People don’t even refer to the Holy Trinity, saints, the Second Vatican Council or the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences.”
The leading theologian blames priests for taking shortcuts instead of studying.
“They deliver sermons after looking at WhatsApp at the weekend. We pray for Pope Francis, share his photos on social media but don’t quote his teachings or follow where he wants us to lead,” said Asi.
“They stopped coming once they got jobs”
“Reading habits have declined as well. Libraries are only visited for assignments. Despite the low literacy rate and few buyers of books, we remain strong in our conviction. There is no profit in publishing theological books amid the devaluation of the rupee.”
Aniqa Shaukat, a librarian at Loyola Hall, agrees. The Jesuit retreat and educational center houses more than 25,000 books in the biggest Church-run library in Lahore archdiocese.
“We used to have at least five students as daily visitors a few months ago. They stopped coming once they got jobs. Now we only see a few researchers and interfaith leaders. Readers find it more convenient to browse books on their laptops and phones,” she said.
Latest News
Credit: Source link
