The Courageous Middle
A Reflection by NTS President Jeren Rowell

Middle spaces may be mostly conceived as compromise spaces. It is often assumed that we choose the middle when we are too timid to choose a side with clarity and conviction. Middle spaces are not usually thought of as places of courage. This language of “courageous middle” is the focus of a recent book by Dr. Shirley Mullen, former president of Houghton University in western New York. In Claiming the Courageous Middle: Daring to Live and Work Together for a More Hopeful Future (2024, Baker Academic), Dr. Mullen suggests that a faithful response to the polarizations with which we have become painfully familiar is to reclaim a very Wesleyan idea: the via media, or the “middle way.”

Dr. Mullen observes of the middle way, “It is more often seen as a place of timidity or weakness or fearfulness, a place we wander about until we dare to choose a side” (p. xi). These ideas are nowhere near what John Wesley had in mind with his idea of via media. Wesley was strong in his convictions about the gospel, but he remained open to authentic engagement with Christians who thought differently about things. In his well-known sermon, “Catholic Spirit,” Wesley said, “Hold you fast that which you believe is most acceptable to God, and I will do the same.” However, this was not offered in any spirit of rigid exclusion, but of warm-hearted fellowship.

As a graduate level theological school, Nazarene Theological Seminary (NTS) is committed to the difficult but important work of middle space. We fully embrace the Agreed Statement of Belief, Articles of Faith, Covenant of Christian Character, and Covenant of Christian Conduct as set forth in the Manual of the Church the Nazarene. We also embrace our role to provide space for deep exploration of our faith, including the more troubling questions that life in this world brings to us. We are convinced that our message of holiness brings more than sufficient strength and security from which to engage lovingly with persons who think differently about many things.

This “middle way” can be a difficult space to navigate with a Church that is currently reflecting the divisions of broader culture. We don’t always get it right, as recent events painfully illustrate. Pressure to act or not act in certain ways comes to us constantly from the relatively diverse constituency that is the Church of the Nazarene. Recently, a pressure-induced decision to disinvite a workshop presenter scheduled for this year’s Preachers’ Conference sparked significant public response.

Social media responses aside, trustees expressed concern regarding process, and faculty formally requested reconsideration of the decision and renewal of the invitation. The Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees agreed that NTS’s action caused harm to Rev. Dr. Letiah Fraser, a two-time alumna of NTS, a current student in our Certificate in Spiritual Direction, an expert on the theology of disability (the subject of her proposed presentation), and an ordained elder in good standing in the Church of the Nazarene. The Committee also affirmed the request to renew the invitation. We grieve the harm caused and have personally, and now publicly, offer apology to Dr. Fraser. 

The faculty at NTS (full-time, part-time, and contingent) are vetted and approved by votes of the faculty, the Board of Trustees, and approval of the Board of General Superintendents. It is not unusual for NTS to be criticized for including guest presenters in courses and events who may not be approved as full faculty. This is misplaced concern. Our mature students are not only fully capable of dialog across theological spectra, but they also expect the seminary program to provide these opportunities for guided exploration of the most difficult questions.

Shirley Mullen writes, “Ambassadors of the middle must be creative as well as courageous in knowing how to helpfully, winsomely, and compellingly invite individuals from both sides of any spectrum of opinion to confront their limitations of capacity and their bent hearts and to listen to each other and to learn from each other” (Claiming the Courageous Middle, p. 65). “It is not as loud or as confident as the work of the poles, where we have clearly defined the problem and neatly divided the world into our friends and our enemies” (p. xi).

This is not simply the work of a graduate school of theology. It should be the work of a holiness church that, by the power of the Spirit, becomes a living sign to the world of the in-breaking reign of God in Christ Jesus. We commit ourselves to this “middle way generosity” in service to a Church that we love and are giving our lives to serve faithfully and effectively.

©2024 Nazarene Theological Seminary. All Rights Reserved. Privacy and Terms of Use | Powered by Tension Group

Log in with your credentials

Forgot your details?