James L. Knapp, Ph.D.
Provided by CN Building Adult Ministries Resource Center
Are Seminaries doing a disservice to ministerial students and the churches they will pastor?
When the 20th century began, life expectancy in the United States was 47 years. By the end of the 20th century, a typical American lived into his or her mid-70s. The phenomenal increase in life expectancy can be attributed to a number of factors including better nutrition, improved sanitation, and a myriad of advancements in the healthcare field.
Taken together, these factors have allowed millions of Americans to live longer, healthier lives and, at the same time, have led to the emergence of professional areas like geriatrics which focuses on the biological and medical aspects of aging as well as gerontology which focuses on the psychological, social, and economic impact of an aging population. More recently, the field of social work has used a generous grant from the Hartford Foundation to develop a specialty for those interested in working with individuals in the later stages of life.
Noticeably absent from the list of professionals who are being trained to work with older individuals are those who focus on spiritual matters. The graying of the American population and the importance of religion in the lives of older adults suggests that members of the clergy need to be well informed regarding the processes and realities of aging. However, research conducted in this area over the last 35 years indicates that such is not the case.
In a survey of 131 seminaries fully accredited by the Association of Theological Schools, I found that the level of interest in this area remains marginal. Provided below are five major findings from my study:
1) Only 7% of the schools indicated that they had at least one required course that focused predominately on the needs and concerns of older adults
2) 48% had an elective course focused predominately on older adults and 72% offered an elective in which at least a portion of the content focused on older adults
3) The overwhelming majority of the courses were offered in the areas of pastoral care and counseling though some courses could also be found in Christian education
4) 65% of the responding schools indicated that they did not plan to modify their curriculum to increase the emphasis on the needs and concerns of older adults
5) Of the limited number who indicated that they did plan to modify their curriculum, only 2% said they were planning to add a required course that exposed their students to the processes and realities of aging
For more than three decades, gerontologists have been encouraging theological educators to place an increased emphasis in their curriculum on the needs and concerns of older adults in order to better equip pastors to minister to, and with, older adults. While there appears to be a small glimmer of hope, for the most part, gerontological content remains a minor consideration in the vast majority of seminaries. More disturbing, however, is that an alarmingly small number of schools plan to increase the emphasis on older adults in their curriculum.
Just as gerontologists have come to realize that understanding the aging process involves recognizing the importance of spiritual matters, theological educators must also recognize that effective ministry involves an understanding of the changes that occur as one moves through the life cycle. It would seem difficult for a pastor to effectively respond to the needs of an older parishioner if the pastor had a limited understanding of the process and realities of aging.
Seminaries must infuse their curriculum with gerontological content in order for their graduates to be adequately prepared for ministry in 21st century America. To do otherwise is not only a disservice to their students but also to the churches that will eventually be pastored by their graduates.
James L. Knapp is professor of sociology at Southeastern Oklahoma State University in Durant, Oklahoma.