Wofür steht das tsc?
What does the St. Chrischona Theological Seminary (tsc) stand for, and where does it differ from other theological educational institutions? These questions about their own positioning were discussed by 18 tsc faculty and staff at their joint retreat in mid-January 2023 at the Evangelical Chrischona Congregation in Rheinfelden.
Create more clarity
In the approximately 183 years that the tsc has existed, it has already answered these questions in various ways. For example, the former «St. Chrischona Pilgrim Missionary Institution» became the «Preachers‘ and Missionary Seminary,» the «Bible School for Women» was created, and since 1994, the two have been combined to form the «St. Chrischona Theological Seminary.» So why revisit this now? Dr. Benedikt Walker, the rector of the tsc, justified the need for this with the emergence of various theological currents in the last five years. As a result, uncertainty about the tsc’s position on this issue has grown. He added that it is important to provide friends and interested parties with more clarity about the tsc’s theological, content-related, and academic positioning.
The educator elaborated on one point we can learn from Jesus. Using Bible passages, she described how Jesus repeatedly used silence before the Father as a source of strength. For example, Jesus withdrew to the mountains to pray. Gabriele Tergau also recommended consciously seeking out the mountains as «places of wonder.» She also offered practical tips for meditative exercises, such as combining a short prayer with breathing.
Clever choice of methods
The group discussions were conducted using the «World Café» method. Participants worked on six questions in changing group constellations. These included the vision of the tsc, the target audiences for its positioning, current and potential partners, the tsc’s self-image, as well as useful terms and theological content. The interim results of this process were further explored using the «fishbowl» discussion method. This method consists of an inner and outer circle. Only those in the inner circle are allowed to actively participate in the discussion.
For the first time, the newly appointed lecturers of 2022 participated: Kristina Imwalle , the new lecturer in Practical Theology, and Dr. Michael Widmer , the new Old Testament lecturer. The new constellation and the clever choice of methods led to lively, creative, and constructive discussions.
Successful retreat
The retreat was a step towards concrete answers to the question of tsc’s positioning. It became clear that tsc intends to continue the work of the past years. For example,Principles of Communicative Theologywill continue to be important. The next steps involve evaluating the findings and discussing them with other participants.
The retreat was a complete success, also due to its positive atmosphere and the positive rapport among the faculty and staff. This was evident again and again, for example, during shared Bible reading, prayer, singing, or conversations during breaks.
The tsc thanks the Evangelical Chrischona Congregation Rheinfelden, in whose parish hall the 2023 retreat took place. The congregation isNetwork partners of the tscand spoiled the participants with delicious coffee and cake.
A good atmosphere prevails at the 2023 retreat of the lecturers and staff of the St. Chrischona Theological Seminary.
The 7 principles of communicative theology
- We are so free and talk about the gospel of Jesus Christ.
- We accept the church and society as they are today and participate in the conversation about God and life.
- We are in connection with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and do what God has always done: communicate.
- We read and study the Bible as God’s book of communication, seek biblical truth, and thus gain convictions.
- We listen, teach and learn together.
- We rely on God’s work and do everything we can. We do everything we can and rely on God’s work.
- We are making progress in theology – together with you.