The Society for the Advancement of Ecclesiological Theology

July 20, 2009 by Gerald Hiestand

The Pastor-Theologian: Regarding Definition

A continuing challenge for the SAET vision is overcoming the contemporary understanding of the term “pastor-theologian.” For the most part, the term is understood in the common vernacular to signify a pastor who ably services the theological needs of his own local congregation. Working from this definition, there is a real sense in which every pastor is called to be a pastor-theologian.

But the SAET vision of a pastor-theologian is not for every pastor. We’re not simply advocating theological engagement on a local church level (though we are doing that too), but we’re looking to encourage those particular pastors whose theological calling extends beyond their local church to the broader theological conversations. In other words, we’re looking to come alongside pastors who have a heart to actually write theology for the broader ecclesial community.

I’ve wrestled with how best to communicate the SAET’s vision of the pastor-theologian. In many ways, using a term that has a truncated meaning hampers our ablity to communicate the vision we’re looking to embody. When I say, “The SAET is a theological society for pastor-theologians,” people immediatley think of the first definition and thus don’t really grasp what we’re about. But I can’t think of a better term. Any thoughts?

Categories: Pastor-theologian