Re: July for the Hindmans

Hey folks,

This July, the whole Hindman family will be away from All Souls and in England for four weeks (July 1-28).

Many of you know that I began a PhD program in September at Durham University in the UK. I'm a part-time student, and one of the ways I'm attempting to organize my responsibilities pastorally and academically is by taking a month each summer to work only on the PhD.

I realize some of you might have some questions about all of this, especially how it relates to future plans, the life of the parish, etc., so I thought I'd put together a few FAQs regarding both here.

Q. Does this mean you want to leave All Souls to be a professor or something?

A. Absolutely not. I have no plans to leave All Souls.

My first vocation is to be a priest.

I pray often that God would allow me to stay at All Souls for a loooong time.

Q. A PhD is a lot of work. Why are you doing this?

A. There are three main reasons:

First, I'm trying to be attentive to what God puts in front of me.

In 2022, I completed a Master of Sacred Theology (STM) at Nashotah House Theological Seminary under the supervision of Prof. Hans Boersma (also one of Fr. David's seminary professors!) with a strong recommendation to pursue doctoral studies, particularly at Durham.

Completing that program was itself the result of the profound generosity of a near-stranger who approached me unsolicited in 2019 with an offer to pay for the entirety of the degree. This act of radical generosity was and continues to be a sign of God’s care for and call upon myself and our family. 

The degree is also an invitation to participate in global circles for theological work. Admission to the doctoral program at Durham and the opportunity to work with three world-class faculty members (Profs. Karen Kilby and Simon Oliver, and Dr. Nomi Pritz-Bennet) appears to be a “good work” (Eph. 2:10) God has prepared for our family, and we’re seeking to receive it faithfully.

Second, it is a way of participating in the re-integration of the Church and Academy.

The Church and the Academy are at their best when they are mutually reinforcing communities.

One the one hand, the Church is recognizing the need for priests and pastors who have the training and discipline for deep and informed investigation into the questions the Church faces in our time.

On the other hand, the Academy is at its best when it is directing its efforts from the context of deep conviction regarding the truth of the Christian account toward the kinds of questions that arise from the day-to-day life of the Church. 

The Church, then, is in need of scholar-pastors and the Academy is need of pastor-scholars: Individuals with real, rigorous training in the theology, interpretation, and history of the Church for the sake of the Church’s life and mission .

Durham University possesses one of the best theological faculties in the world. As a parish pastor doing the kind of deep work that a PhD from Durham will require, undertaking this program represents one of many small steps needed to affect this re-integration of Church life and Academic reflection.

Third, it is preparation to support the future of theological education.

The full-time, fully-residential seminary model for the theological formation of Christian pastors is under tremendous pressure in North America and is in the midst of a substantial restructuring.

One the one hand, large (i.e., 500-1000 students) national seminaries are recognizing that the financial viability of a full-time, residential, 3-4 year program (requiring at least two moves: to seminary and then to a new job) is diminishing.

On the other hand, this means that the future of pastoral theological education is increasingly local and ecclesial: It is more and more the case that this training will be built around regional, residential intensives and small cohorts.

This transition means that the burden of theological formation for future pastors and priests will increasingly fall on pastors and priests themselves (which is how things were for many centuries!). And if this formation is to maintain its quality, the instructing pastors and priests are going to need to have experienced academic rigor at the highest level.

Put more succinctly, we are going to need more pastors and priests with rigorous academic credentials to train the next generation of Church leadership. A Durham PhD will be just this kind of training and credentialing.

Q. Is All Souls paying for this degree?

A. Nope.

This degree and all associated travel costs are entirely funded by individuals from outside of the parish.

Q. Who is in charge while you're gone?

A. Fr. David!

Day-to-day pastoral needs will be handled by Fr. David, including preaching 3 of the 4 Sundays I'll be gone. It's also by design that I'm leaving in July, which is by far the slowest month of the year in terms of parish activities.

Q. Is this a vacation or a sabbatical?

A. Nope.

I'll basically be working M-F, 9-5, on research for my dissertation (with a few exceptions).

We are very excited about this trip (our kids are going to have a blast), but we will miss being with you, both on Sundays and through the week.

Please do pray for us that it would be a time of restoration and great fun for us as a family!

As ever, if you have any other questions, don't hesitate to reach out.

With deep gratitude,

Fr. Danny