Theological education increasingly receives attention from theologians, educators and missionaries engaged in training leaders. Often missionaries are able to take helpful impulses from the cross-cultural context back to their homelands and its theological educational institutions. Theological Education by Extension was one of such enriching experiences. Another initiative, Contextual Theological Education, challenged theological educators to include the context of the learner and of her/his ministry area. Many alternatives to classical theological education are being developed on the so-called mission field that are of great help for effective leaders and viable churches. One of the emphases is that theological education, independently of where it happens, is mission work and needs to focus toward mission.
The collection of articles in this book results from a conference that attempted to bring together different experiences of theological education from different settings. The discussion took place at the International Baptist Theological Seminary during a conference on „Theological Education as Mission - Mission in Theological Education“ held from 1-5 February 2005 in Prague. Participants came from all continents although the majority represented Europe, both its old theological institutions and those established only recently after the demise of communism.
Beside the international dimension of the articles, the book also reflects a blend of different Christian traditions. It invites those interested to learn of different ways of theological education and especially to look at it from a missional perspective.