Shared Wisdom: Seminary Philosophers and Philosophical Practitioners in Dialogue

The world of seminary philosophy studies and that of the philosophical practitioner seem, at first, irreconcilably divergent: the first couched in a medieval religious institution of higher learning, the other working as a nondenominational independent agent. Both, however, use the skills of philosophy to assist individuals and groups in finding intellectually coherent and valuable relationships with themselves, others, and society at large. This article gives the context for the study of philosophy in the seminary and argues that, with five shared philosophical competencies, philosophical practitioners and seminary students have a basis for shared interests and future mutual concerns, potentially beneficial to both worlds.