Sharpening Perspectives on Character and Virtue in Theological Education

Abstract

Championing the cause of virtue literacy in theological education has often been an exercise in frustration. Though instruction in virtue might seem to have fit most comfortably in theological education, attitudes toward the subject of character in seminaries often have included a significant portion of confusion or conflicting perspectives. Thus, those schools that have intentionally educated for the character have been inclined to approach the process nonspecific or subjective. In spite of a growing body of literature in character development in education, there was still a need for the clarification of what education for virtue and character actually was, and how it was necessary, so that it could be implemented in a more straightforward manner. This paper sought to clarify the current state of character education and the most helpful initiative theorized to implement it. The book Character and Virtue in Theological Education by Marvin Oxenham was used as a primary supporting reference for this investigation. KEY WORDS: character, virtue, theological, education, Oxenham, formation