Theological education as an instrument of social transformation

Notes on the educational model of the Latin American Biblical University

Abstract

This article presents some general reflections on the social and political function of the theological education offered by the Latin American Biblical University (UBL) in the context of Latin America and the Caribbean. The aim of the article is to analyze to what extent the educational model of the UBL constitutes an instrument of social transformation. To achieve this objective, the article presents a general overview of higher theological education and some characteristics of the UBL educational model, among which the following stand out: critical academic thinking, the change of methodological perspective, the epistemological ruptures in the field of theological knowledge and the pedagogical approaches that underpin this model. Likewise, a brief analysis is made of the socio-political impact of this educational model in the different contexts of the people who have studied at the UBL. Most of the analysis of the categories addressed in this article are based on two research studies carried out by the UBL Research Center.