Toward a grounded theology: reflections on a grounded theory study of faith and athletic coaching

Abstract

ABSTRACT This research note is a reflection on my recent dissertation study, in which I employed ‘grounded theology’ as a qualitative method that merges grounded theory and theological reflection. The purpose of this method is to produce new insights and frameworks that help us think theologically about a particular social phenomenon or process. Grounded theology has been explored as a possible qualitative research method (Stevens, B. A. 2017. “Grounded Theology? A Call for a Community of Practice.” Practical Theology 10 (2): 201–206; Barnsley, J. 2016. “Grounded Theology: Adopting and Adapting Qualitative Research Methods for Feminist Theological Enquiry.” Feminist Theology 24 (2): 109–124) with calls for future developments that contribute to clearer definitions, distinctive research techniques, and a better understanding of the epistemological assumptions that undergird the research project. After introducing the relationship between qualitative and theological inquiry, I will trace some of the ontological and epistemological questions that must be considered when conducting a grounded theology, followed by some methodological implications by way of examples of my own research techniques. I conclude with some avenues for further developments on grounded theology.