| April 1998 Newsletter |
Association of Professors and Researchers in Religious Education | |||
| 98 Meeting Theme
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1998 APRRE Annual Meeting
November 21-24, 1998 "There are many ways to describe the function of religious educators but a perspective that many find illuminating is to think of ourselves as working in "the between" - between religion and culture, between faith traditions and people's everyday lives. In "the between" we function variously - as exegetes, as two-way interpreters, as mediators, as correlators, and more. To be effective requires us, among other things, to know well both sides of "the between" - our faith traditions and contemporary reality. To paraphrase Barth's oft cited dictum, religious educators need to hold their sacred texts in one hand and the morning newspaper in the other. "Social and cultural commentators are convinced that a major shift is happening in both the philosophy and lifestyle of our time - at least in Western cultures. "The philosophical shift - most often dubbed Postmodernism - threatens to deconstruct the whole Enlightenment project (indeed religious educators have had their own critique of it). "The lifestyle shift is illustrated in this generation of young adults - and there are 55 million between 20 and 35 in North America. The infelicitous but common designation is "Generation X" - I don't like it either but it is the one most often used by the cultural commentators. (Authors of papers should feel free to use other designations). "However we name these contemporary phenomena, they present significant challenges for religious education and great opportunities as well. They must be addressed by religious educators in both academia and congregations. Taking them as our theme will correlate readily with the one chosen by REA - "Teaching for Spiritual Meaning and Religious Commitment."
SCHOLARLY UPDATE Enclosed you will find a form calling for information about your scholarly and professional activities over the last year. Here is your opportunity to let your colleagues know about your work, your interests, recent publications and current research. Information submitted by paid-up members will be published in the June Newsletter. If possible, please submit your entry in e-mail format, to save the Executive Secretary having to type the data over again. If you do not have access to e-mail, either fax or postal mail is quite acceptable.
APRRE WEBSITE & Listserver APRRE's web page is located on the Internet. There you will find a statement about APRRE, information about membership, about last year's Annual Meeting, past Newsletters, and plans for the coming Annual Meeting, etc. APRRE members can also communicate with each other via the APRRE listserver - a good way to make announcements and enquiries among the one hundred plus subscribers. (Subscription is free.) The list can be reached at aprre@listserve.bc.edu.
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CALL FOR PAPERS Members should find their "call for Paper" in their postal version of the newsletters. At Orlando's Clarion Plaza Hotel, APRRE and the Religious Education Association will be sharing hotel space and many sessions of the weekend meeting (much as we did in New Orleans in 1996). The registration fee for the two organizations will be the same, and one registration will provide access for APRRE members to all events, including those of the REA. (The only events which will be restricted are the APRRE Task Forces and Research Interest Groups.) It is important that APRRE members register through APRRE and identify yourself as APRRE members when you register at the hotel. Each organization will bear its share of the costs, based upon the percentage of registrants for each organization. Full details of registration for the Annual Meeting and for the Clarion Plaza Hotel will come in a later Newsletter.
DOCTORAL
STUDENT FORUMS Last year's first offering of Doctoral Student Forums and Post Sessions were very well received both by student participants and by APRRE members who attended. Though only a limited number of doctoral students participated, those who did were enthusiastic about the assistance provided by the conversations about their research-in-progress. Selected doctoral students presented their current research in forum sessions designed to allow questions and discussion (up to four students each session). In doing so established scholars would both learn of new lines of inquiry and be able to offer suggestions, while students would benefit from observing other students who are at different stages in the process, and listening in on the discussion. There were also "poster sessions" by doctoral students who were not as far along as having proposals accepted by their home institution. These students presented an outline or brief description of their research, mounted on a poster board and displayed in the room with the book exhibits, allowing conversation with visitors about their materials. Details about participation in these sessions will be mailed directly to all current doctoral student members, and to advisors in doctoral programs.
FACULTY OPENING San Francisco Theological Seminary invites applications for a full-time, tenure-track faculty position in Christian education. Primary teaching responsibilities will be in the seminary's master of divinity curriculum. Additional responsibilities, in rotation, will be in the seminary's doctoral and other masters degree programs. SFTS desires an individual who will embody, as well as teach, the theology, theory, and practice of education in the church. As appropriate, this individual will consult on instructional issues within the seminary and on linking the academy with the cultures of the church at large. An earned doctorate in an appropriate field is expected. The ideal candidate will be committed to developing the educational dimension of congregational life. Candidates should be prepared to teach at a Presbyterian seminary within the collaborative, ecumenical setting of the Graduate Theological Union. Preference will be given to applicants informed by the theological perspective and values of the Reformed tradition. Rank: negotiable; salary commensurate with rank and experience. SFTS is an equal opportunity employer. A cover letter, curriculum vitae, three letters of recommendation, and a sample of scholarly work should be sent to Dr. Ronald C. White, dean San Francisco Theological Seminary 2 Kensington Road, San Anselmo, CA 94960-2905
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