Rooted in Reason, Guided by Faith: Dr. Scott Woodward on the Role of Lay Ministry and Theological Education

Over the course of nearly five decades in ministry and education, Dr. Scott Woodward, Ph.D. has remained steadfast in his commitment to forming compassionate and intellectually grounded leaders. Though not ordained, his work as a lay minister and educator has shaped generations of students, community leaders, and mission-driven Catholics. In conversation, he offers thoughtful reflections on the changing landscape of theological formation, the integration of faith and reason, and the enduring call to serve “the least among us.”

Dr. Woodward’s path began with a college conversion experience in Louisiana, which led to studies at Seattle University in religious education and religious studies. After fifteen years in diocesan and parish work, he joined the Oblate School of Theology (OST) in San Antonio, where he would spend the next 34 years teaching and shaping formation programs. He retired in July 2024 but remains deeply engaged with the mission of the Oblates and with theological education as a vital ministry of the Church.

“The Church should be a place that reaches out to the least and tries to heal wounds in society,” Woodward said. “That’s always been at the heart of my ministry.”

Finding a Home with the Oblates

Though he didn’t originally seek out the Oblates, he found a profound alignment with their charism.

“I didn’t know the Oblates before I started working with them,” he admitted. “But once I arrived, I found a home.”

For Woodward, theological education is not simply about intellectual formation. It’s about cultivating the whole person. He observes how formation models have shifted over the years, from emphasizing psychological wellness to doctrinal precision, and now to integrated personal development.

“You have to know the doctrine, yes,” he said. “But you also have to be someone who’s happy in life, a person of prayer and faith who can communicate that with others. That takes more than cognitive understanding or balanced psychology. It takes all of it together.”

He sees experiential learning and theological reflection as growing aspects of formation, especially in retreats and parish missions.

“With ACTS groups or others, I start very basically and work forward from there. I’ll ask how many people have read an entire book in the Bible—not just a passage or a daily reading. Most haven’t. I encourage them to start simple. The Gospel of Mark. Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians. Read the whole thing. Buy a Bible with footnotes and let that be the entry point into deeper understanding.”

Challenges and Opportunities for Lay Leaders

Asked about the challenges lay leaders face, Woodward speaks plainly about exclusion and imposter syndrome.

“Sometimes I’ve gone to groups and it was clear they didn’t want me,” he said. “It wouldn’t have mattered if I had doctoral degrees in six varieties of theological study. But I’ve also been welcomed into spaces where people were more than happy to receive what I had to offer.”

He advocates for lay people knowing and embracing their role fully, rather than trying to be something else. In his own teaching and speaking, he’s always careful to clarify his identity—not as a priest or Oblate, but as someone who has lived within that community, studied its charism, and contributed meaningfully over decades.

“Lay people have their own unique perspective on how faith is lived in the world,” he explained. “That needs to be brought to bear on theological study.”

Synodality and the Call to Speak with One Voice

He views Pope Francis’ emphasis on synodality as a watershed moment—one that invited voices from across the Church, including women, lay leaders, and people from the margins. Once those voices are heard, he believes, they cannot be silenced.

“I’m a teacher, not a preacher,” he said. “And when I come across issues that I think need addressing—both in teaching and in preaching—I speak to people about them. We figure out how to say something in common that makes sense to people wherever they are.”

Throughout the conversation, Woodward returns again and again to the importance of staying rooted not just in faith but in reason.

“Theological study is faith seeking understanding,” he said, referencing Saint Anselm. “We need rooted footing so we’re not blown from trend to trend. Understanding what we believe allows us to live it more fully and more faithfully.”

Lifelong Learning and Formation

He encourages lifelong learning among all ministers, ordained and lay alike.

“Never stop learning. Develop sources you turn to regularly. People you listen to. Groups that help you grow. If you stop and think you know it all already, you’re like a musician who doesn’t think he needs to practice.”

Asked what legacy he hopes to leave, Woodward pauses.

“I don’t think much about legacy. Maybe I should,” he said. “But I do think we’ve created a layer of lay leaders in the Church who are doing the theological work that was once done solely by clergy and religious. Whether in universities or parishes, lay men and women are contributing significantly. I don’t think the Church yet knows what to do with us, but I hope that someday it figures it out.”

A Theology that Begins with the Poor

Referencing theological voices such as Karl Rahner, John Sobrino, Bernard Lonergan, Yves Congar, and David Power, Woodward said these thinkers helped shape his understanding of theology as a space where free will and authentic relationship must come before doctrine.

“We can’t be manipulative in formation or evangelization,” he said. “It’s about giving people the opportunity to make free choices. To be invited in.”

That invitation, Woodward believes, must always center on one critical question: How does this affect the poor?

“If the Church can keep the least among us in front of everything it does, then it can stay rooted,” he concluded. “That’s what the Oblates do, and it’s what Pope Francis urges. It’s simple to say but hard to do. When we forget the little people, we lose track of the mission.”