The 'Real World' of Ordained Ministry: Making sense of training for priesthood

This article explores elements of the vocabularies that a group of theological students use and acquire in response to their experiences of training for the priesthood. In particular, it will focus on the pragmatic and 'real world' vocabularies used by the trainees in order to manage the exposure and 'heightened vulnerability' experienced in beginning full-time, residential training for ordained ministry. The article further demonstrates the significance of 'anticipatory socialization' in the construction of unofficial versions of professional knowledge and 'occupational habitus' for the trainees.