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Digitalisation of Theological Education in the Midst of Pandemic: Opportunity or Threat?

Digitalisation of Theological Education in the Midst of Pandemic: Opportunity or Threat?

LIM Teck Peng

Digitalisation has become an indispensable strategy for theological education, understood in the broad sense of congregational and seminarian education, to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic situation. Starting from the premise that the Internet is not only a media but also a force that shapes online theological education, this paper focuses on the threat of placelessness it brought to online theological education. Tapping into the sociological analysis of network and Barry Wellman's concept of networked individualism, the paper first looks at how networked individualism, with its emphasis on subjective autonomy and downplaying of locality, gives rise to the need of reaffirming the relationship between online theological education and place.

The paper then examines the relevance of Edward Farley's concept of theologia in explicating the locality of theological education. By connecting the concepts of theologia and agency, the present author suggests that the aim of the theological education is to nurture Christian agency (both online and offline ) undergirded by a theological and educated sense of place. The paper suggests how this theologically educated sense of place can be fostered through learning processes that facilitate interpretation of situations in a manner that does justice to both the Christian faith and the multifaceted nature of reality.

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Message from the Editor of Issue 48

Editor's Note: Wu Guojie Since the outbreak of the new coronavirus, the number of people infected worldwide has exceeded 250 million, and the number of deaths has exceeded 5 million. This number does not include poor third-world countries with weak testing capabilities and inability to determine the cause of death. Due to the epidemic, the lives, economy, and travel of people around the world have been affected to varying degrees; for example, people have to wear masks when going out, maintain social distance, the number of gatherings is limited, quarantine is required when entering the country, travel has been greatly reduced, related industries have laid off employees, and unemployment has Rates thus increase and so on. In this environment, church gatherings have also been affected to a considerable extent. During the period when the epidemic was severe and gatherings were restricted, physical church gatherings were suspended, and online live broadcasts and video conversations became necessary alternative modes; even if the epidemic eased and physical gatherings reopened, online Synchronization has also become the new normal. In the face of this disaster, which is called the "pandemic of the century," what resources does the Christian faith have that can help the church respond and turn the crisis into an opportunity? This issue of "Sandow Journal" takes "Epidemics and Disasters" as the theme, and brings together different scholars to discuss it from the perspectives of the two Testaments, doctrinal theology, and practical theology, hoping to enlighten modern Christians on how to deal with the challenges of this era. ...