Includes bibliographical references and index.

Past patterns and present challenges in online theological education -- Section I: Better foundations for online learning ; Paul and the possibility of absent presence ; Social presence and theological education ; Controversy and common ground -- Section II: Better faculty for online learning ; Online faculty and the image of God ; Online faculty and theological competency ; Shaping the spiritual lives of online faculty -- Section III: Better practices in the classroom ; Best practices for online learning ; Best practices for online ministry training ; The advantage of ministry training in context ; Conclusion: To teach, to delight, and to persuade.

More and more seminaries, Christian universities, and Bible colleges are opting to train future ministers and missionaries online. What happens when the movement toward online education is shaped by pragmatic or financial concerns instead of Scripture and theology? Ministry training can be reduced to a mere transfer of information as institutions lose sight of their calling to shape the souls of God-called men and women in preparation for effective ministry. How might online ministry training look different if biblical and theological foundations were placed first? Teaching the World brings together educators from a wide range of backgrounds and from some of the largest providers of online theological education in the world. Together, they present a revolutionary new approach to online theological education, highly practical and yet thoroughly shaped by Scripture and theology. --