Episcopal Church Foundation Vestry Papers - for leading congregations

Seminary of the Southwest forms students for vocations of ministry, service, and healing. This formation is done with great intention and care, with active and accessible faculty members who challenge not only challenge the students but also one another. The seminary continually updates its curriculum to provide fresh answers to old questions, while maintaining a tradition of excellence and faith that is the cornerstone of Southwest’s identity.

Established in 1952 by Bishop John Hines, Seminary of the Southwest was founded to be a seminary for “the whole church . . . centered around dialogue between the Christian faith and culture.” Standing at the intersection of tradition and innovation, Southwest prepares students for ordained ministry, clinical mental health counseling, spiritual direction, and chaplaincy. In addition, the seminary welcomes students who are focused on the academic study of religion. Through its Iona Collaborative, Southwest also supports small-church vitality, bi-vocational ministry, and lay-leader formation.

Our 18 full-time faculty are dedicated teachers, thoughtful scholars, and models of leadership. Our staff is knowledgeable and committed to the success of our students. Currently, 111 students are enrolled across four degree programs and one diploma program. Graduates of Southwest work in churches, dioceses, hospitals, private practice, non-profit organizations, the armed forces, and beyond. Our more than 1,500 graduates are serving in all 50 states and in 23 countries around the world, and include 22 bishops in the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion.

At a recent lunch with students, our visiting professor of Black Church Studies, Dr. Renita Weems, observed that “the world is on fire.” And when the world is on fire, we have to speak, act, study, and pay attention to what is happening. We are in a moment when war and migration are creating international instability and where, closer to home, cultural and political polarization are turning every contested issue into a litmus test of group loyalty. Compromise is seen as a failure rather than as a necessary act of prudence within a polity that contains people of different backgrounds, faiths, ideologies, cultures, and experiences. Our capacity to respect those with whom we differ is diminishing, and such respect is seen by some as weakness or infidelity to a cause.

So we find ourselves in a position in which we desperately need to talk to one another across polarized camps even as the very act of doing so is seen by some as capitulation. We need, first, to make a case for the value of engaging the other in serious conversation and, second, to develop and use tools for making such conversation as fruitful as possible. Looking through the lens of Christian faith gives us reason to believe we might learn something from anyone, since everyone bears the image of God. Further, our faith gives us hope that the Spirit can move across ideological chasms to bring understanding, healing, and restoration.

In the fourth chapter of Ephesians, Paul offers advice on how to maintain unity in the body of Christ. In these verses, he gives directions for how to speak and interact with each other, including these three tips.

1. Be receptive: In the first few verses of the chapter, Paul encourages us to exhibit humility, gentleness, and patience, “bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (4:3). In our programs, we work with students to develop the disposition of receptivity, which we describe this way: “The student shows curiosity and openness to new ideas and experiences, is eager to broaden their understanding and challenge their own assumptions, is quick to listen and seek to understand (rather than judge and dismiss) when they encounter new ways of thinking, demonstrates a commitment to continuous learning, is open to new ideas and different perspectives, does not have a habit of defensive reaction.” Being open to hearing and empathizing with another does not mean you have to agree with them, but it is the first step to understanding. It is also an indispensable step in building trust so others are more likely to consider what you have to say.

1. Be loving: Paul urges the Ephesians to “speak the truth in love” (4:15). Loving the person with whom you are speaking means you don’t start with the assumption that they are ignorant, crazy, or evil. It means accepting that they probably have reasons for their views, even if those reasons are not yours. We have our students read Jonathan Haidt’s work on moral foundations, to give them some analytical categories for understanding the positive moral affirmations of those with whom they disagree (such as care, fairness, liberty, loyalty, authority, or sanctity). Rather than assuming that the other side is morally bankrupt, our students learn to name the positive foundations to which the other side is appealing. Again, recognizing a positive moral foundation does not commit you to agreeing with how it is applied or how to rank it among other moral goods, but it is essential to remaining in conversation.

1. Be edifying: Paul writes, “Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up.” This is a way of testing our speech when we share contested views with others. We can ask ourselves: Am I speaking in a way that builds up the body of Christ or, by analogy, whatever community I am a part of? When we are committed to building up rather than tearing down, we bring a different kind of energy to hard conversations.

Approaching hard conversations in this way is not more likely to change someone’s mind—at least not right away—but this strategy humanizes those with whom we disagree and helps us maintain relationships. As a result, we see more students willing to disagree in class, knowing that their views will be taken seriously and that they will not be judged or labeled for having a different viewpoint.

Being receptive, speaking with love, and committing to upbuilding speech are practices that help shape a community that is both healthy and collegial. We do better work when we can trust this collegiality. We might not always avoid offending others or finding ourselves offended, but by using this framework, we can point to shared expectations in our speech and find ways to repair and move forward.

Seminary of the Southwest (Website)

Scott Bader-Saye is Academic Dean and the Helen and Everett H. Jones Professor of Christian Ethics and Moral Theology at Seminary of the Southwest in Austin, TX. He is the author of Following Jesus in a Culture of Fear, Formed by Love, and Church and Israel After Christendom. He has contributed chapters to the Routledge Companion to Christian Ethics, The Blackwell Companion to Christian Ethics, and The Cambridge Companion to the Gospels. His current research and writing focus on the theology and ethics of transgender identity. He holds a Ph.D. from Duke University, an M.Div. from Yale Divinity School, and a B.A. from Davidson College. As an active layperson, he has served in volunteer and staff positions for youth ministry and adult formation in various churches, most recently as Theologian in Residence at St. Julian of Norwich Episcopal Church in Austin.