An ethical investigation of the teaching and practice of moral formation at St Augustine College, the College of the Transfiguration and the South African Theological Seminary by ETHEL CAROLINE TUCKEY Submitted in accordance with the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF THEOLOGY IN THEOLOGICAL ETHICS at the UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA SUPERVISOR: PROF L KRETZSCHMAR NOVEMBER 2015 Student number: 03283704 “I declare that An ethical investigation of the teaching and practice of moral formation at St Augustine College, the College of the Transfiguration and the South African Theological Seminary is my own work and that all the sources that I have used or quoted have been indicated and acknowledged by means of complete references.” ________________________ 10/11/2015 SIGNATURE DATE Ms E. C. Tuckey ii Abstract This research investigates the teaching and practice of moral formation at three theological education institutions in South Africa. The theological institutions, while acknowledging moral formation in their aims and teaching ethical theory, have difficulty developing and implementing a moral formation programme. Among the reasons for this are the complex nature of moral formation and the numerous and wide ranging expectations placed on the institutions. In this research, morality is described in terms of relationship with God, with self, with others in the Church and society and with the environment. The findings of the research suggest that the teaching and practice at the institutions that involve relationships are most effective for moral formation. Hence it is recommended that the institutions find ways to foster the students‟ relationship with God, with themselves, with others and with the environment. Modes of moral formation that involve thinking and knowledge are important, but so are those modes that encourage emotional development and character and spiritual formation. Through projects and assignments, students can be exposed to the harsh realities of life and opportunities created to reflect on these experiences in the light of faith. Practical suggestions such as encouraging students to pray, meditate, reflect, journal and study are made. Other suggestions are that lecturing staff make more use of participative teaching methods such as discussions, case studies and stories, including the stories of the students. The mentoring role of staff and the importance of the faith community are affirmed. These relational teaching methods and activities are easier to implement in a residential seminary than in a distance learning situation. In order to fully implement the relational aspects of a programme for moral formation, it would be helpful for the theological institutions to explore various forms of blended education and to develop partnerships and work with local churches. Key terms Theological education; moral formation; relationship; ethics; morality; discipleship; spiritual formation; virtues; wisdom; social justice; community of faith; modes of moral formation iii Table of Contents Dedication ............................................................................................................................ xii Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................. xiii List of Tables ...................................................................................................................... xiv List of Figures ...................................................................................................................... xv List of Abbreviations ............................................................................................................ xvi Chapter One: Introduction ..................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................. 1 1.2 Definition of key terms and concepts ........................................................................... 3 1.2.1 Ethics .................................................................................................................... 3 1.2.2 Theological ethics ................................................................................................. 5 1.2.3 Morality ................................................................................................................. 6 1.2.4 Moral formation ..................................................................................................... 9 1.2.5 Theological education ......................................................................................... 11 1.3 Motivation .................................................................................................................. 12 1.3.1 Personal experiences as a student ...................................................................... 12 1.3.2 Personal experiences as an educator ................................................................. 13 1.3.3 Students‟ experiences ......................................................................................... 14 1.4 Problem statement..................................................................................................... 15 1.5 Research objectives .................................................................................................. 18 1.6 Research questions ................................................................................................... 19 1.7 The significance of this research ................................................................................ 19 1.8 Assumptions .............................................................................................................. 20 1.9 Outline of the chapters ............................................................................................... 21 Chapter Two: Research design and methodological framework .......................................... 24 2.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................ 24 2.2 Objectives and research questions ............................................................................ 25 2.3 Scope of the research and fields of study .................................................................. 27 iv 2.3.1 Theological ethics ............................................................................................... 27 2.3.2 Spirituality ........................................................................................................... 28 2.3.3 Practical theology ................................................................................................ 28 2.4 The literature review .................................................................................................. 29 2.5 The theoretical paradigm and relationship ................................................................. 30 2.5.1 Relationship: theological foundations .................................................................. 31 2.5.2 Relationship: moral philosophical foundations ..................................................... 33 2.5.3 Experience as a foundation for relationship ......................................................... 34 2.5.4 Relationship and wisdom .................................................................................... 36 2.5.5 Implications for research methodology ................................................................ 37 2.6 The hermeneutical spiral............................................................................................ 38 2.7 The empirical research methodology ......................................................................... 39 2.7.1 Qualitative research ............................................................................................ 40 2.7.2 Appreciative inquiry ............................................................................................. 42 2.8 The three theological education institutions ............................................................... 44 2.8.1 Selection criteria for the institutions ..................................................................... 44 2.8.2. A description of the selected institutions ............................................................. 45 2.8.2.1 St Augustine College of South Africa ............................................................. 45 2.8.2.2 The College of the Transfiguration ................................................................. 46 2.8.2.3 The South African Theological Seminary ....................................................... 47 2.9 Data collection ........................................................................................................... 48 2.9.1 Document analysis .............................................................................................. 48 2.9.2 Questionnaires .................................................................................................... 49 2.9.2.1 The structure of the questionnaires and the use of narrative .......................... 50 2.9.2.2 The respondents ............................................................................................ 52 2.9.2.3 Ethical considerations .................................................................................... 52 2.9.2.4 Pilot interviews ..............................................................................................