Menachem Mendel

There is a good article in the Forward on the dilemmas facing the Conservative Movement. (hat tip) There are a number of interesting books, some which I haven’t read at all, about religion in America that I have learned about through numerous blog posts and comments on those posts which discuss some of the issues and challenges facing the Conservative Movement. There are many other books, some of them written by Jews and for Jews. One of the books is Youth Ministry in Modern America: 1930 to the Present. Any successful movement knows that its youth are its future. Moving along chronologically, After the Baby Boomers: How Twenty- and Thirty-Somethings Are Shaping the Future of American Religion. Let’s not forgot the synagogue. Try looking at Breakout Churches: Discover How To Make The Leap. Lastly, for what looks like an interesting book about clergy see God’s Potters: Pastoral Leadership and the Shaping of Congregations.

Update: The following snippet is from an interview with Jackson Carroll, the author of God’s Potters: Pastoral Leadership and the Shaping of Congregations. It is very relevant to the challenges facing many modern religious movements.

Q. Do you think that seminary faculties have enough experience
of/understanding of congregational life to impact their students?

A. My overall answer is no. Increasingly, because of the nature of Ph.D. programs, a growing number of seminary faculty come into teaching without pastoral or other significant experience of congregational life. Also, the norms and rewards of the academy do not give any particular advantage to folks who have parish experience or who are ordained; rather promotions and tenure are based on how well they do their academic discipline. To be sure, doing well in one’s discipline is essential, but it is important for seminary faculties also to have a healthy appreciation of congregational
life.

Posted on February 12th, 2009 under Conservative Judaism • RSS 2.0 feed • Both comments and pings are currently closed