tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8060035053217737074.post3472125859897609841..comments2014-08-31T21:10:48.650+03:00Comments on Africa Outreach: The tragedy of the ‘brain drain’ in evangelical theological education in AfricaAfrica Outreachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11099162912846616339noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8060035053217737074.post-56604880743072688672014-08-31T21:10:48.650+03:002014-08-31T21:10:48.650+03:00I think it us more important to foster a global ev...I think it us more important to foster a global evangelical christian culture of solidarity which emulates the example of Paul's collection for the poor in Jerusalem. The aim is not that some should be hard-pressed, but that there might be equality. Not an equal division of wealth at the point of a gun as the communist tried to do, but one done voluntarily because we have been taught to be generous and to be doers of the word and put into practice what it means to do unto our brothers in need what we would like to have done to us if ever we would be in that position. After all what we do, or do not do to them, we do to Christ.Africa Outreachhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11099162912846616339noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8060035053217737074.post-4499221236704713862013-08-28T21:56:31.021+03:002013-08-28T21:56:31.021+03:00Even theological work requires material underpinni...Even theological work requires material underpinnings. In the US we have a two-tiered system of higher education. Some people teach as professors, with living wages, sabbatical structures, professional development funding, limited teaching loads, etc. Others teach as adjuncts and would have to teach 30 to 40 courses a year to earn what other faculty earn teaching 6 to 8 courses a year, or less. Not surprisingly one is not likely to provide top intellectual leadership through research and writing if living the life of adjunct. Similarly, in much of the world, there is a two-tiered system of higher education within theological education. There are those who come from elsewhere with full support packages (from Korea, England, US) and there are those from the local country doing the work of theological education. And those who are local often struggle to make ends meet financially, lack resources for books, limited access to quality libraries, limited professional development funds, limited sabbatical support, etc. Like adjuncts in the US they do not regularly produce high quality scholarly writing. It is not that people of Peru or Gambia are incapable of high quality scholarly work, but that they cannot produce high quality work from within the educational structures of their home country. That is, Samuel Escobar did not become a top theological writer from within theological institutions within Peru, or Lamin Sanneh from within theological institutions within Gambia. The challenge you raise is how to foster at least some high quality theological educational institutions within the continent of Africa, that are high quality precisely because the material underpinnings are in place to allow for top levels of theological work to be done. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com