Pittsburgh Seminary professor develops church leaders who understand intersection between theology and church life
The Rev. John Burgess
Thinking about the ways theology can strengthen the life of the church has been central to the work of the Rev. Dr. John Burgess and continues to be an emphasis in his work as a professor at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.
It’s about considering theology in terms of “the way a pastor preaches or organizes a worship service, or celebrates the Lord’s Supper, or provides pastoral care,” said Burgess, the James Henry Snowden Professor of Systematic Theology at Pittsburgh Seminary.
“How do our basic convictions as Christians help to guide the way we shape a session meeting or work for social justice or live together in community in a congregation?” he said.
All of that contributes heavily to the way in which Burgess develops church leaders in his role at the seminary, where he has taught since 1998. Previously he was professor of religion at Doane College and associate for theology in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s Office of Theology and Worship.
“I think that my sense of call has always been that the church has these great resources from the Bible and from the great theological figures of the past and present and that these are not just academic resources ... but these resources are life-giving for how we actually live out our faith,” he said.
The challenge is how to make these resources more accessible to pastors and congregations and to always make the connection between theology and practice, Burgess continued.
At Pittsburgh Seminary one of the classes Burgess teaches is called Church and Sacraments, described as a study of the nature of the church. The class is devoted to discussing social forces redefining the church in North America and to developing a theological vision for the church for the 21st century.
Most people in congregations get their theology from worship, which includes the hymns sung, prayers said, sermons heard and Lord’s Suppers received, said Burgess, a Presbyterian minister.
The goal is not just to give students “academic information so that they can reproduce what John Calvin once said ... but I want them to think about how they will take their theology and use it to shape worship,” he said.
Then when they are pastors, people in their congregations will have a true encounter with the living God, “and they will hear what is being asked of them; they will be challenged to live in a different way,” Burgess said.
“Theology is not just abstract formulations, but it is imbedded in the way that we worship together and the way that we live together and the way that we are encountered by God in the sacraments,” he said.
Burgess said it is an especially good time to be at Pittsburgh Seminary because there is a core of professors who share that same vision.
They are teaching in a way that says “this is the difference that Bible and theology make for pastors,” he said. They are helping students take theology “and make it live on the ground, on the church corner.”
Burgess said Pittsburgh Seminary emphasizes cultural context and has among its offerings various mission trips and cultural immersions.
“Pastors need to be finding a new language for our theology, new strategies for relating church and culture,” he said.
