The Role of Theory in the Supervision of Ministry

We live in a postmodern age where any claim by a particular theory to explain universal truths is vehemently challenged. No longer can any one theory exercise hegemony in understanding fully and completely a particular set of circumstances or realities. All knowledge—of which theoretical knowledge is a part—is constrained by its social location and is, thereby, limited in its ability to speak too broadly. Thus, the role of theory in general has been brought into question by postmodern thinking and consequently raises questions for us as to whether or not theory can have a role in our understanding of the supervision of ministry

Supervision in Light of September 11

Supervising in the aftermath of September 11, 2001, challenges us to resist thetemptation of returning to normalcy. At times, the articles in this symposium evoke the day itself so powerfully that they were difficult for us, the editors, to read. The articles serve as a reminder that the shock of the day and feelings connected to itcannot be minimized. We are living and working in a new reality, in which evil can jump out of the darkness to terrify us, even destroy us. We have been and continue to be surprised by evil acts and the intent to inflict more. Almost two years after September 11, weremain vulnerable in a way that we could not have conceived of prior to that day. We share and live in that vulnerable space with our students