Introducing Practical Theology

Author: Pete Ward
Publisher: Baker Academic
ISBN: 1493410830
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 253

Book Description
This introduction to the field of practical theology reclaims a theological vision for the life and work of the church. Pete Ward dispels the myth that practical theology is a distraction from the "real" tasks of ministry or from serious academic theological work. He argues that practical theology is part of the everyday life of the church and that there are a variety of possible approaches, helping readers evaluate the approach that is most appropriate to their ministerial context and theological tradition. This reliable, accessible resource will work well for those in training or in ministry.

The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Practical Theology

Author: Bonnie J. Miller-McLemore
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1444330829
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 641

Book Description
Through a series of essays contributed by leading experts in the field, The Wiley-Blackwell Companion to Practical Theology presents an introduction to practical theology as a major area of Christian study and practice, including an overview of its key developments, themes, methods, and future directions. The first comprehensive reference work to provide a survey, description and analysis of practical theology as an area of study A range of leading scholars in the field provide original contributions on the major areas, issues, and figures in practical theology Reviews an extensive range of methods for studying theology in practice, along with sub-disciplines in theological education such as pastoral care and preaching Covers developments in the discipline in a range of global contexts and distinct Christian traditions Shows how practical theology is relevant to everyday life

Biblical Theology in the Life of the Church (Foreword by Thomas R. Schreiner)

Author: Michael Lawrence
Publisher: Crossway
ISBN: 1433524635
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 233

Book Description
Capitol Hill Baptist Church associate pastor Michael Lawrence contributes to the IXMarks series as he centers on the practical importance of biblical theology to ministry. He begins with an examination of a pastor's tools of the trade: exegesis and biblical and systematic theology. The book distinguishes between the power of narrative in biblical theology and the power of application in systematic theology, but also emphasizes the importance of their collaboration in ministry. Having laid the foundation for pastoral ministry, Lawrence uses the three tools to build a biblical theology, telling the entire story of the Bible from five different angles. He puts biblical theology to work in four areas: counseling, missions, caring for the poor, and church/state relations. Rich in application and practical insight, this book will equip pastors and church leaders to think, preach, and do ministry through the framework of biblical theology.

A Fundamental Practical Theology

Author: Don S. Browning
Publisher: Fortress Press
ISBN: 9781451406900
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 338

Book Description
On congregational care, religious education, theological education, clinical pastoral education and church consultation.

Practical Theology

Author: Richard R. Osmer
Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
ISBN: 0802817653
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 257

Book Description
Every church congregation encounters challenging situations, some the same the world over, and others specific to each church. Richard Osmer here seeks to teach congregational leaders -- including, but not limited to, clergy -- the requisite knowledge and skills to meet such situations with sensitivity and creativity. Osmer develops a framework for practical theological interpretation in congregations by focusing on four key questions: What is going on in a given context? Why is this going on? What ought to be going on? and How might the leader shape the context to better embody Christian witness and mission? The book is unique in its attention to interdisciplinary issues and the ways that theological reflection is grounded in the spirituality of leaders. Useful, accessible, and lively -- with lots of specific examples and case studies -- Osmer's Practical Theology effectively equips congregational leaders to guide their communities with theological integrity.

Formation and Reflection

Author: Lewis Seymour Mudge
Publisher: Augsburg Fortress Publishing
ISBN: 9780800620547
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 164

Book Description
Can practitioners and theorists talk to each other? The answer is yes. This collection brings together top scholars in the fields of pastoral care, systematic theology, and biblical hermeneutics to offer a coherent practical theology for the pastoral mission of the church. As Christians around the world practice their faith, this important scholarly book highlights the salient struggles in contemporary Christian thought and seeks to bring together the best of church and academy for the greater good. Contents Interpreting Situations: An Inquiry into the Nature of Practical Theology Edward Farley Re-Visioning Ministry: Postmodern Reflections Charles E. Winquist The Practical Play of Theology James D. Whitehead Theology on Our Feet: A Revisionist Pedagogy for Healing the Gap between Academia and Ecclesia Thomas H. Groome Practical Theology and Religious Education Don S. Browning Thinking in the Community of Faith: Toward an Ecclesial Hermeneutic Lewis S. Mudge Practical Theology and Liberation Rebecca S. Chopp Practical Theology in the Situation of Global Pluralism David Tracy Lewis S. Mudge is Robert Leighton Stuart Professor of Theology Emeritus at San Francisco Theological Seminary and the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley James N. Poling is Professor of Pastoral Theology, Care, and Counseling at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois.

Practicing Theology

Author: Miroslav Volf
Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
ISBN: 9780802849311
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 276

Book Description
In a time when academic theology often neglects the lived practices of the Christian community, this volume seeks to bring balance to the situation by showing the dynamic link between the task of theology and the practices of the Christian life. The work of thirteen first-rate theologians from several cultural and Christian perspectives, these informed and informative essays explore the relationship between Christian theology and practice in the daily lives of believers, in the ministry of Christian communities, and as a needed focus within Christian education. Contributors: Dorothy C. Bass Nancy Bedford Gilbert Bond Sarah Coakley Craig Dykstra Reinhard Hütter L. Gregory Jones Serene Jones Amy Plantinga Pauw Christine Pohl Kathryn Tanner Miroslav Volf Tammy Williams

Churches, Cultures, and Leadership

Author: Mark Lau Branson
Publisher: InterVarsity Press
ISBN: 1514002884
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 213

Book Description
In a world that is more culturally diverse than ever, pastors and lay leaders need skills and competencies to serve in multicultural contexts. This rich blend of astute analysis and practical guidance offers a praxis of paying attention, study, and discernment that leads to genuine reconciliation and shared life empowered by the gospel.

Liquid Ecclesiology

Author: Pete Ward
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 9004347356
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 227

Book Description
In Liquid Ecclesiology Pete Ward explores the theological contours of the turn to ethnography in the study of the Christian Church. His approach rests on a theology of culture that holds in tension and paradox the expression of the Church and divine presence. This theological framework is then developed through an extended qualitative empirical case study examining the communicative practices of the contemporary evangelical Church. The case study examines how the evangelical Gospel through expression has become marginalised in the everyday life of communities being replaced by a new more individual and personalised theology seen in worship songs. The final section of the book returns to the debates around ethnographic forms of theology and the question of normativity. This book will be of interest to all those engaged in empirical and theological work, as well as those researching the contemporary Church and evangelicalism

Practical Theology and Qualitative Research

Author: John Swinton
Publisher: SCM Press
ISBN: 033404796X
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 500

Book Description
Practical Theology used to be a subject where students were left to fend for themselves, using what they had learnt from their scholarly studies in history, biblical and systematic theology and applying it where they could. Things have moved on however and practical theology is a growing discipline in its own right, and the latest thinking in practical theology; of how to use theological learning in practical situations, is fully explored in this textbook. This text examines methodologies of the social sciences and questions how they can enable the task of theological reflection. They begin by tracing the development of practical theology as a discipline and comment on current methodological practices, and trace the movement from practical theology as applied theology, ie a discipline which simply takes data from the other theological disciplines (historical, systematic and biblical theology) towards a model which understands the practical theological task in terms of the theology of practice. The authors examine the relationship between qualitative and quantitative methods and highlight the significance of both for the task of practical theology. They also take the reader through the actual process of developing and carrying out a research project using the author's own research as case study examples. Case studies include: the rise in spirituality; the decline in church attendance, evidence-based medicine compared to needs-led assessments, the growth in chaplaincy and how it is understood as separate from parish ministry.