The reading contrinues...

...and so does the writing. I have read and summarised twelve articles since my last post, and have written some 4,000 words (mostly good ones). Writing has been very enjoyable; because of all of the reading it is actually easier, not harder. My "Background to research question" document is progressing well.

Thus far it consists of the following sections:

• Toward a typology of distance education
• Successful distance education in theological contexts
• Theological concerns
• Addressing the primary issues
• Significant questions

My research question has been slightly refined:

To what extent, if any, are students of theological education at a distance disadvantaged in terms of Christian formation?

It is still largely robust even after all of the reading over the last few weeks. So far my proposal has focussed on getting to the bottom of what I actually mean when I use the term 'distance education'. It has been a reasonably complicated journey, but I think I've sorted that one now. I have a bit more reading to do on this area before I switch my attention to formation.

My initial reading about formation has been very disappointing. Everyone talks about its importance, no one defines it, and everyone assumes that it takes place in a classroom but not at a distance. Hmmm. It was timely, then, to receive the inaugural issue of the Journal of Spiritual Formation & Soul Care late last week, with what looks to be a very definitive article on the subject by R.E.Averbeck. It is a journal from the same institution that prepares the Christian Education Journal, a very impressive source that I have subscribed to.

But that's all getting ahead of myself. In the next three weeks I aim to have completed the immediate reading I have before me on theological education at a distance, and to have completed the section of my proposal based on distance education. From there my attention will swing to matters of formation, then to Christian education.

So far, not bad...