Daniels, E.R2014-03-122014-03-122014-03-12http://hdl.handle.net10539/14111A major challenge confronting the Anglican Church in Southern Africa is to maintain a tradition of critical thinking in a post-Apartheid. era. If the Church is to maintain, an activist stance it needs to cultivate critical thinking in its clergy and laity. The research uses a definition of critical thinking expounded by Brookfield (1987) as well as the Pastoral Hermeneutical Circle (PEC) of Cochrane, de Gruchy and Petersen (1991) to investigate the ways in which theological education encourages and hinders critical thinking for adult learners. The research uses a definition of critical thinking expounded by Brookfield (1987) as well as the Pastoral Hermeneutical Circle (PEC) of Cochrane, de Gruchy and Petersen (1991) to investigate the ways in which theological education encourages and hinders critical thinking for adult learners. The research results reveal that critical thinking is inhibited due to the limitations in the theological education process ranging from the institutionalised nature of the church to the training of its clergy.enThesis