About

Welcome to saet-online.org, the online home of The Society for the Advancement of Ecclesial Theology (SAET).

Our Identity
The SAET is an organization dedicated to assisting pastor-theologians in producing biblical and theological scholarship for the ecclesial renewal of theology and the theological renewal of the church.

Our Mission
Operating within the historic evangelical tradition, the SAET believes the contemporary bifurcation between the pastoral calling and theological formation has resulted in the loss of a distinctly ecclesial voice in orthodox theology. The SAET seeks to resurrect this voice. In an age that has rightly emphasized the relationship between social location and theological formation, our vision is to bring together a unique kind of pastor-theologian—not simply those particular pastors who desire to pursue a theologically informed parish ministry, but even more, pastors who feel called to function as writing theologians to the broader ecclesial community.

Armed with the conviction that pastors can—indeed must—once again serve as the church’s most important theologians, it is the aim of the SAET to provide a context of theological engagement for those pastors who desire to make ongoing contributions to the wider theological/scholarly community for the renewal of orthodox theology, for the renewal of the church.

Our Fellowships
Toward this end, the SAET hosts two Fellowships (see here and here)—each representing a small nucleus of pastor-theologians from nearly every major Protestant tradition: Lutheran, Pentecostal, Episcopal, Baptist, Messianic Jewish, Presbyterian, Free Church, Methodist, and independent Bible church traditions.

The majority of our SAET Fellows are young pastors who have—or are completing—terminal degrees from some of the finest theological institutions in the world (Cambridge, Oxford), and all are committed to bringing the strengths of their respective traditions into conversation with the Great Tradition, with a view to being shaped by, and shaping, the theological reflection of the broader ecclesial community.

Our Symposiums
Each Fellowship meets annually for a three-day working symposium (Sunday evening through Tuesday lunch) at Calvary Memorial Church in Oak Park, Illinois, near Chicago, O’Hare. The Symposiums bring together a diverse body of both pastor-theologians and ecclesially sensitive academic theologians, with a view to establishing collegial relationships and collaborating on theological projects relevant to the life of the church. Meals, lodging, and travel expenses (as needed) are covered by the SAET.

The SAET is a government recognized not-for-profit organization (501c3). For more information regarding the SAET, please contact Gerald Hiestand at ghiestand[at]saet-online.org