Breaking the silos: Decolonial theological education beyond the church-academy divide in Africa

Abstract

This article interrogates the enduring bifurcation between theology and ministry in Southern African theological education, a divide historically reinforced by colonial epistemologies that separated intellectual inquiry from pastoral praxis. It argues that addressing this cleavage requires a decolonial reimagining of theological formation that resists Eurocentric paradigms, values local epistemologies, and integrates scholarship with embodied, communal, and contextual engagement. Drawing on Farley’s Athens model of theologia, Kelsey’s curricular dialectic, and Naidoo’s conceptualisation of integrative theological education, the article highlights the necessity of framing theology as praxis rather than abstract speculation. It critiques Eurocentric models such as Hiestand and Wilson’s pastor-theologian typology for their limited applicability in African contexts and advances “mission from the margins” as a decolonial pedagogical stance that centres the lived struggles, wisdom, and aspirations of African communities. The article envisions theological education as a transformative, integrative enterprise.