Academic Capitalism and Theological Education: A Critical Analysis of the Commodification of Ministerial Vocation in the Neoliberal Era

Authors

  • Jabes Pasaribu Institut Agama Kristen REAL Batam, Indonesia Author https://orcid.org/0009-0009-7546-5834
  • Oniaman Buulolo Institut Agama Kristen REAL Batam, Indonesia Author
  • Frank Hammond-Essel University Of Ghana, Legon Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53547/dqmxcc97

Keywords:

academic capitalism, commodification of education, theological education, ministerial vocation, coloniality

Abstract

Christian theological education faces serious challenges as academic capitalism increasingly shapes higher education. Market logic emphasizing efficiency, competition, and profit shifts theological education from spiritual formation and vocational calling toward economic investment and expected returns. This article critically examines how the commodification of education affects theological institutions, particularly graduates’ orientations toward ecclesial ministry. Using a critical interdisciplinary literature review, the study integrates sociology of education, practical theology, and postcolonial studies, engaging international scholarship alongside literature and policy sources from Indonesia and Asia. It argues that rising educational costs, market-oriented accreditation, and the declining role of churches as financial guarantors intensify tensions between ministerial vocation and post-study economic needs, risking the reduction of ministry to a materially rewarded profession. The article’s novelty lies in connecting academic capitalism with Maldonado-Torres’s concept of coloniality and interpreting educational and economic pressures through a Global South perspective. It concludes by proposing theological education reform that integrates spiritual formation, communal responsibility, and financial sustainability.

Abstrak

Pendidikan teologi Kristen menghadapi tantangan serius seiring semakin kuatnya pengaruh kapitalisme akademik dalam pendidikan tinggi. Logika pasar yang menekankan efisiensi, kompetisi, dan keuntungan menggeser pendidikan teologi dari proses pembentukan spiritual dan panggilan vokasional menuju investasi ekonomi yang menuntut imbal hasil. Artikel ini secara kritis mengkaji bagaimana komodifikasi pendidikan memengaruhi institusi teologi, khususnya orientasi lulusan terhadap pelayanan gerejawi. Dengan menggunakan tinjauan literatur interdisipliner kritis, penelitian ini mengintegrasikan sosiologi pendidikan, teologi praktis, dan studi pascakolonial melalui dialog antara literatur internasional dan sumber literatur serta kebijakan dari Indonesia dan Asia. Artikel ini berargumen bahwa meningkatnya biaya pendidikan, akreditasi yang berorientasi pasar, dan melemahnya peran gereja sebagai penjamin pembiayaan memperkuat ketegangan antara panggilan pelayanan dan kebutuhan ekonomi pascastudi, yang berisiko mereduksi pelayanan menjadi profesi yang berorientasi pada imbalan material. Kebaruan artikel ini terletak pada pengaitan kapitalisme akademik dengan konsep coloniality Maldonado-Torres serta interpretasi terhadap tekanan pendidikan dan ekonomi melalui perspektif Global South. Artikel ini mengusulkan reformasi pendidikan teologi yang mengintegrasikan pembentukan spiritual, tanggung jawab komunal, dan keberlanjutan finansial.

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Published

2026-09-30

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Vol. 5 No. 2 (2026): September

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How to Cite

Academic Capitalism and Theological Education: A Critical Analysis of the Commodification of Ministerial Vocation in the Neoliberal Era. (2026). Manthano: Jurnal Pendidikan Kristen, 5(2), 115-129. https://doi.org/10.53547/dqmxcc97