I chose the article by Cahalan (2017) on Integrative Knowing and Practical Wisdom because I studied theology in my undergrad and currently work in a ministry setting. This article was well written, insightful and I found myself tracing my steps of development as a minister through her descriptions.
Cahalan starts off by illustrating two different experiences she had observing ministers presiding over funerals and questions the process of how one priest turned out one way and the other differently(Cahalan, 2017). She asks the question: “How did this priest learn to be this kind of minister?” (Cahalan, 2017). She then goes on to describe an overview of what does developing “practical wisdom” entail under the title “The Intelligence of Practice” (Cahalan, 2017). This sets up her descriptions for the stages in development that she outlines afterwards (Cahalan, 2017). I chose to summarize the 4 titles after”Intelligence of Practice” in her article because it seemed the most fitting for this assignment.
In terms of ranking them in importance, I do not think with this particular article there is a place for that, as from what I understand all the stages Cahalan described are important to the growth of a minister and so I labelled them as Stage 1, 2, 3 and 4 in the order that they are written in Cahalan’s article. She defines the people in the stages of development as: novice, practitioner, professional and finally expert (Cahalan, 2017).
Stage 1: “In the Beginning”
To start novices have limited “practical wisdom” and rely on: theory, rules, steps and mimicking others. They generally struggle with: being self-conscious and have limited ability to read dynamics (Cahalan, 2017).
Stage 2: “Advancing in Practice”
With practice and time novices become practitioners meaning they are less dependent on theories, models and rules and become more intuitive. They grow in reading and assessing situations through comparing other situational experiences (Cahalan, 2017).
Stage 3: “Competence in Practice”
Practitioners become professional with more time and practice and this takes the form of both skill and character development. Skill development produces more competency and character development produces authenticity (Cahalan, 2017).
Stage 4: “Another Kind of Competence: Expertise or Unknowing?”
Becoming an expert is not something everyone attains or strives for in their fields, but when pursued requires hours of practice in honing skills and it requires in some ways going back to the beginning and becoming a novice again (Cahalan, 2017).
Cahalan’s stages of development were very well-rounded and described and I see that process in my life as a minister. I guess I wonder though in relation to her article, what about those people who do not develop accordingly? Maybe they get stuck in Stage 1 or 2 and how much does personality, natural skills, background and deeper rooted unresolved issues have to do with it? Also for some, is it just that they chose the wrong profession and therefore are not advancing?
References
Cahalan, K.,Foley, E. and G. S. Mikoski eds. (2017). Integrative Knowing and Practical Wisdom in Integrating Work in Theological Education. Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock.
Monica, I chose the same article to summarize for this assignment and I’m glad to see you enjoyed it as I did. I’m also glad to see we reached similar conclusions so you’re giving me confidence about what I wrote!
Like you, I’m in a ministry setting so I read this through the lens of this course but also through the lens of not only my current job but really the whole of my life. I’m really grateful for Cahalan’s ability to clarify something I’ve known intuitively about my own work and those around me.
As far as your question, it’s a good one. Should we assume that everyone who enters into some kind of vocational practice has the potential to reach this stage of expertise and unknowing? I’m not sure that’s true. It’s certainly not what I’ve seen from everyone around me who has gone in to vocational ministry.
One encouragement that I would take to heart from your question is the role of mentors for beginners and novices. I’m asking myself how I can be a better mentor for those who are at early stages in their practice.
Thanks again for your summary and your great thoughts in response to this article.