Practical Theology Research Articles

The Theo-Politics of Ritual: Defining and Contesting the Sacred Order of the Church

Abstract Both sociology of religion and statistical bodies within the Catholic Church approach the question of church membership in similar ways: they take participation in religious ritual as a benchmark of affiliation to a religious community. What seems to be a straightforward criterion for measuring membership actually speaks to a complex interplay in the constitution of political and cosmological order: the constitution of social order through practices such as religious rituals is, irreducibly, also a definition of the ‘extraordinary’. Thus, starting from the assumption that the formation of community is a political–theological practice of boundary-drawing that cannot but refer to a beyond, this article offers a theological critique of ritual participation as a criterion of ecclesial affiliation. Taking the performance ‘Verantwort: ich’ (Synodaler Weg, 2023) as a case, it shows that it rests on a theological concept of transcendence that is used as a hegemonic instrument to confirm the established order of belonging in the church. Arguing that the definition of ecclesial boundaries is an irreducibly powerful, even violent theo-political practice, it asks which theological notion of transcendence can best reckon with, and consequently offer tools for managing, rather than concealing, the normative violence that is at the heart of the question of who belongs to the church.

Θεός, Father and the ‘Holy Trinity’ in the New Testament

The term ‘Holy Trinity’, not known to the writers of the Bible, is still an elusive term to use nowadays, especially when one first reads the New Testament in light of the Old Testament and not immediately in light of the Creeds and Statements of Faith. This article discusses the roles of Θεός (God) and ‘Father’ in the New Testament with reference to the Holy Trinity. The conclusion is that the New Testament does not depict a Holy Trinity, but rather portrays Θεός as a coordinator, bringing a harmony between his anthropomorphic assignments ‘Father’, ‘Son’ and ‘Holy Spirit’, as well as all the followers of Θεός on Earth.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: On the first level, this article covers the disciplines of Old Testament, New Testament (NT) and Practical Theology. On the second level, it makes use of philosophy and logics to help determine the ‘truths’ in the Bible. Who is Θεός? We propose that the NT depicts him as coordinator of his three revelations, ‘Father’, ‘Son’ and ‘Holy Spirit’. Using anthropomorphic terms, Θεός reveals himself to his followers on Earth. The Bible is used as the main source, with references to the three Creeds and four Statements of Faith.

Who Must Lead Decoloniality: A Practical Theological Interrogation on the Possible Qualification to Lead Decolonisation: A South African Study

The quest for decolonisation and Africanisation of higher education in South African higher educational institutions has reached an uncompromising stage, since colonial divisions between the natives and the colonisers are still evident in the education system. This was also demonstrated by the “#FeesMustFall” campaign, which closed the majority of South African universities in 2015. Since then, decolonisation has kept scholars, academics and researchers busy in search of appropriate responses to the quest, but decolonial projects seem to be very slow. One of the reasons is that those in the leadership of the projects may be using delaying tactics for their colonial benefits. This article questions who should lead in the projects of Africanisation and decolonisation. The author is convinced that this question cannot be avoided if Africanisation and decolonisation must take speed. Reversal of colonial inequalities (including in educational spheres) is of paramount importance for the life of the colonised in general. It is an important demand that the correct or capable and informed leaders are identified and equipped to take the lead with the project. To this effect, this article makes a few practical theological suggestions. This research is interdisciplinary in nature since it starts with decolonisation, and continues with theology—particularly practical theology. These two disciplines are engaging the current problem of the contemporary people within their immediate situation.

Development cooperation and Neo-Pentecostal churches – A decolonial perspective

Religion and development are a subject that has stimulated researchers in the recent past. Most of the religious role players in development within sub-Saharan Africa have been the historic missional churches, also known as the mainline churches – mostly founded by Euro-Western missionaries. Development with Neo-Pentecostal Churches (NPCs), who are part of Pentecostal-Charismatic churches, is fairly a new area of research. The purpose of this article is to position NPCs as potential development partners that can work in cooperation with other stakeholders in advancing development in the South African context from a decolonial perspective. A literary review on Neo-Pentecostals as development actors, is the focus of this article, positioning them as ideal development partners that contribute towards social and economic capital of communities within the context of education. The article starts by defining a working definition of development, followed by a conceptual framework of Pentecostal tenets where Christ is saviour, healer, baptiser and soon coming king, together with the holistic African worldview which does not demarcate between the sacred and the secular. The outcome is that development in NPCs is spiritual development which starts from individual development that is accompanied by entrepreneurial skills and that Neo-Pentecostals have a contribution towards sustainable development as expressed in their practice of faith and theology which naturally gravitates towards development.Contribution: Education, economics, and Pentecostalism highlight the importance of flexibility and versatility of Neo-Pentecostals in the discourse of sustainable development.

Duszpasterstwo katechetyczne – spór o pojęcie

Aim: The aim of this study was to present the dispute over the concept of "catechetical pastoral ministry" which emerged in theological reflection, especially in the fields of pastoral theology and catechesis. Methods: To comprehensively illustrate the meaning of the discussed term, the method of analyzing contemporary literature on the subject was used. Additionally, through the method of synthesis, a clarification of the meaning and application of this concept in the field of scientific reflection within practical theology was achieved. Results: The analysis revealed that the emergence and use of terms such as "liturgical pastoral ministry" or "catechetical pastoral ministry" in common church language are the result of a certain shorthand, describing the pastoral mission of the Church in the areas of liturgy or catechesis. Therefore, it is justified to use the term "catechetical pastoral ministry" in the context of a broader pastoral perspective on catechetical activities. Analyzing the ongoing "dispute over the concept" in publications, arguments were drawn, including those of Adam Przybecki, who advocates the need to clarify the discussed approach, considering it "illogical" and a form of misuse, especially when this term became widely used in the Catechetical Directory of the Catholic Church in Poland in 2001. Conclusion: In conclusion, based on the conducted analysis defining the meaning of the term "catechetical pastoral ministry," the suggestion is made to focus on practical actions and the positive evangelical outcomes that will permanently contribute to the functioning of parish communities and the conducted pastoral ministry, considering a broader pastoral perspective. Originality: Undoubtedly, in the field of practical theology, the undertaken analysis and attempt to clarify the concept constitute an important and original approach, confirming the need for discussion and even debate regarding the meaning of used terms and concepts. Keywords: parish catechesis, "catechetical pastoral ministry," sacramental catechesis, selected pastoral aspects of catechesis, liturgy, parish, practical theology.

Prayer and AI: Exploring the Impact on Orthodox Romanian Youth in a Confessional High School Context

The study’s main objective is to identify and analyze the attitude toward prayer of teenagers in a denominational school in Romania and the need to use AI-assisted tools. To find a satisfactory answer, we considered it necessary to identify how they pray, i.e., freely or by calling on the prayer book, and whether they questioned whether artificial intelligence could be an agreeable support. The research also takes into account the documents of the Romanian Orthodox Church from which the attitude of the Hierarchy towards new technologies in general and artificial intelligence in particular emerges. How attentive is the Church to these realities, and how open is it to incorporate them? Does it have any good reason to consider tools like e-rosary in the Catholic world or Alexa Pray in the Anglican world in the near future? The introduction addresses Romania’s socio-political, educational, and theological context, and the discussion focuses on how the literature on digital religion and its subchapters is received in the Romanian theological landscape. The research method includes qualitative, questionnaire, and textual analysis; it is an interdisciplinary approach, namely practical theology and the study of digital religions. The questionnaire was administered to 216 respondents, respecting all research ethics requirements. The results reveal that young people prefer to pray freely, use the prayer book moderately, and have not gathered information regarding artificial intelligence that could help them. However, they are open to a future offers from the Romanian Orthodox Church, including AI-assisted tools.

Interface between ecotheology and practical theology

The present article is an interface between ecotheology and Practical Theology from an African indigenous knowledge systems (AIKS) perspective. The article pursues to facilitate a conservationist rapport between three complementary disciplines, namely: ecotheology, Practical Theology and AIKS. The study attempts to discuss the above disciplines in the context of the phrase “theological eco-praxis”. Of particular note is the light that the above themes throw on the contemporary conservationist education. The study proposes a striking common ground through ephemeral dialogue in order to set an agenda for a detailed and contextual debate on ecotheology in (South) Africa. Admittedly, previous conversations on ecotheology and AIKS are widely documented. However, the present essay is anchored on the following two main foci: (1) it examines the interface between ecotheology and Practical Theology and their functionality in the conservation of the natural habitat and (2) it explores the phenomena surrounding ecotheology in (South) Africa from AIKS perspective. In the pursuance of the above slant, it is anticipated that the readership in general and the church in particular will find the insights from the conversation to be beneficial to cause them to participate in the productive sustenance of the ecosystem. The study invites the church to be proactive towards protecting the environment. In this article, a social constructivist theory is employed. It is argued that African indigenous communities have always constructed their own methods toward wildlife conservation.

Age, Maternity, and Allusion: Elizabeth and Other Mothers

This article explores how intertextual analysis of New Testament (NT) narratives’ engagement with the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible (OT/HB) might be fruitfully integrated with intersectional analysis of characters’ embodied lives in communities. Taking Elizabeth’s characterization in Luke 1 as a test case, I demonstrate that intersectional analysis not only deepens the insights arising from intertextual analysis but also sheds light on Luke 1’s relevance to ongoing issues of conflict and marginalization today. Intersectional-intertextual analysis thus proves particularly useful for those exegetes interested in practical theological—including specifically justice-oriented—interpretation. At the same time, as will be illustrated in relation to Luke 1’s early reception history, intertextual analysis can lessen the danger that contemporary contexts will distortively overdetermine intersectional analysis, mitigating a hermeneutical objection sometimes raised against interpretations that attend to justice concerns and other expressions of practical theology.

Contextualisation of Anglican liturgical worship in Sri Lanka with the use of cultural symbols

ABSTRACT This study was conducted as research on the intertwining of faith and culture. The main question for the study was to find how cultural symbolism depicted in liturgies was understood and approached within the context of worship and culture. The Sri Lankan Anglican Church has promoted the contextualisation of liturgies and worship from its political independence and has also become progressive in developing indigenous liturgies. Through liturgies, much of the religious-cultural context is reflected and contextual theologies are introduced. In that regard, this will be beneficial to practical theology. This research had a documentary study and an empirical element. The sample population for the study was the Diocese of Kurunagala, which is one-half of the Anglican Church in Sri Lanka. For the empirical study data collection tools of Google Forms, interviews and focus group discussions took place across cross-cultural congregations with a focus on participatory action research. The results received indicated a close relationship between worship and culture, the need for further education on theological connections, community awareness, and action as well as visible ventures such as an open museum. There is a need for further research and dissemination of contextualised liturgies and also studying factors that are leading towards local expressions of worship.

Serious games in service of Theology

Serious games (SGs) are part and parcel of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and Education 4.0 that we are living in right now. A SG is an alternative educational approach where a part of the curriculum, in this case, the practical side of Practical Theology – being one of the subjects presented to prospective theologians and pastors – is presented in the form of a game, familiarising the students with practical issues in a congregation. This article takes the educator through the main steps on how to create an SG together with an entire team of people. The underlying goal of the article is to get one educator interested in venturing on this innovative and ‘disruptive’ expedition.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: This article involves all the disciplines of Theology, especially Practical Theology, as well as Psychology and Information Technology (IT) (especially the designer and developer). The content of this article can be applied to any person in any discipline (whichever discipline it is) who wants to create an SG for their students.

Are we there yet? Probing the notion of contextualising practical theology and pastoral care in a post COVID-19 glocal African context

The article is a concise rendition of the author’s inaugural lecture and tracks his academic journey with the contextualisation of practical theology and pastoral care in an African context. It latches onto the inter-contextual dialogue between Western and African notions of practical theology and pastoral care, and positions it in a post coronavirus disease (COVID-19) glocal African context. It is argued that the post COVID-19 era signalled significant changes that will influence the path of future endeavours in the subject field, especially when it strives to be relevant in both the local and global contexts. A preliminary agenda for future deliberations is presented which focusses on the consequences of intensified pre-COVID-19 socio-economic realities, the implications of the disruption of traditional religious culture, and post COVID-19 challenges to higher education. The article concludes that the hallmark of contextualised practical theology and pastoral care in the African context is to be sought in being mindful of the challenges of the immediate local context as well as that of the global context.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: By engaging a post COVID-19 glocal African context from a practical theological and pastoral stance, the research engages social, economic and educational sciences to come to its findings. The resultant view that post COVID-19 practical theology and pastoral care should be mindful of both local and global contexts has implications for both academic practical theology and theological higher education.

An interdisciplinary approach to theological studies in a public university

Theological curriculum in South African universities is comprised of disciplines such as church history, the Old Testament, the New Testament, systematic theology, missiology and practical theology. Theology has been approached through these disciplines and their interaction with each other in an intradisciplinary way. This article argues that theology needs to be done beyond theological disciplines through an interdisciplinary approach to increase its influence in a public university such as the University of South Africa (UNISA). The limitations and drawbacks of this approach are discussed. A brief history of theological studies at UNISA is also discussed to understand how the curriculum of theology has been approached in the past. An interdisciplinary approach is proposed to maximising the research profile of theology through research outputs and postgraduate supervision. In addition, this approach can attract graduates from other fields such as law, medicine, commerce and so forth. An interdisciplinary approach is relevant in designing and developing short learning programmes to attract students to study theology. The development of interdisciplinary niche areas is also important in attracting postgraduate students. Lastly, the approach is pivotal in avoiding theology’s possible dearth and death in a public university.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: an interdisciplinary approach to theological studies is proposed as an interaction between the field of theology and other fields such as law, medicine, commerce, and others for the maximisation of student numbers in undergraduate and postgraduate studies and research outputs.

Tren Penelitian Integrasi Teologi dan Psikologi di Indonesia: Systematic Literature Review

Integration of theology and psychology is needed for more efficient services for the congregation. However, is this kind of integration familiar in Indonesia? This article seeks to examine the development of research on the integration of theology and psychology in Indonesia from 2003-2023. The approach used is Systematic Literature Review (SLR) with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) method. As a result, 17 articles were found that met the requirements for review and discussed the integration of theology and psychology. The authors come from 15 educational and service institutions, both ecumenical and evangelical. The branch of theology that is most studied is biblical theology, while the branch of psychology that is most studied is developmental psychology. The most dominant research synthesis is the integration of practical theology and developmental psychology. The amount of research on the integration of theology and psychology in Indonesia in the last two decades is still relatively low.

Chrześcijański feminizm w Afryce – kontynentalne dyskursy i lokalne praktyki

<p>This paper discusses selected research topics developed by feminist theologians connected with the Circle of Concerned African Women Theologians. The Circle was established in 1989 and was led for many years by Mercy Amba Oduyoye, a Ghanaian Methodist theologian. Today the Circle attracts women theologians from three generations and various African countries. The paper refers to feminist and postcolonial theories as well as some more African-oriented topics developed in the Circle’s writings. Complex and ambiguous reinterpretations of the so-called African Traditional Religion are framed by references to inculturation and liberation theology. The final part of the paper refers to the concept of “oral theology” and theology in practice. The author’s ethnographic fieldwork in Ghana among Catholic women is mentioned to draw parallels between the theological practical approach and the anthropological concept of lived religion.</p>

Community Organizing and the “Call of the King”

There is a pressing need for a theological approach to community organizing that addresses two key problems: burnout among organizers and an unwillingness of ecclesial institutions to commit to authentic structural change. What is needed is a new, practical theology that spiritually sustains organizers and convinces decision-makers of the centrality of community organizing for the life of the Church. The authors propose a reinterpretation of St. Ignatius of Loyola’s meditation on the call of the eternal king in the Spiritual Exercises, in which Jesus invites all to join the social project of the Reign of God. This call comes not just to individuals but to a communion of saints whose efforts throughout history contextualize current actions within the broader synodal march of the People of God toward integral liberation.

The role of religious experience: a review article

A review article of two contrasting books on the role of religious experience within New Testament studies and practical theology respectively.

Sprawozdanie z II Kongresu Teologii Praktycznej „Parafia jutra”

The 2nd Congress of Practical Theology entitled "The Parish of Tomorrow", held in Licheń on 19-21 September 2023, aimed to: diagnose the current socioreligious situation in Poland conditioned by the COVID-19 pandemic and the state of pastoral ministry, analyse it in the light of the teaching of the Church's Magisterium and indicate appropriate actions for the most optimal functioning of Polish parishes. The academics, pastoral workers and lay faithful present there discussed the prospects and challenges facing parishes in the near future. Prizes were also awarded to those parish communities that showed a high degree of pastoral activity and creativity.

Mi van a megtérésen túl?

What is beyond conversion? Part I. The theological foundations of spiritual formation Both the soullessness of our times, the spiritual overheating, and the unfolding pragmatism in the field of spiritual life call for practical theology to reflect on the field of spiritual formation. In our Church, in our congregations, evangelization, the call to conversion, is still at the heart of the matter. Little is said about what is or what should be after conversion? In this paper, we will reflect theologically on the subject of spiritual formation. We will examine the ordo salutis discussed in classical dogmatics, and within it the interpretations of justification, conversion, and regeneration. Finally, we will explore the theme of sanctification, what is the responsibility of man in the process of spiritual formation according to the Reformed theological approach. Keywords: spiritual formation, ordo salutis, justification, conversion, regeneration, sanctification

On “Living Water”: A Baptismal Practical Theology for a Time of Water Crisis

Just as baptism holds within it the possibility and even promise of life, new birth, suffering, and death, so too does its ordinary element of water: in it is the full, embodied, and vulnerable reach of life and death. In the waters of baptism is the promise of new life, but not a life absent suffering, risk, or moral complexity. This essay presents a baptismally-grounded practical theological reflection upon the precarious status of baptism’s central element, water, in a time of extreme weather, economic exploitation, and depleting stores of fresh water.

The African-American liberation perspectives of Dale P. Andrews in conversation with other practical theologies

This study endeavors a comprehensive conversation between the African-American liberation perspectives of Dale P. Andrews and other contemporary practical theologies and liberationist perspectives. A pertinent question here arises: Will Andrews’ approach to ethnic-specific liberation properly dialogue with other practical theologies in correlation? In response, the researched argument intends to evidence that his methodology does, in fact, resonate well with notable scholars from the guild, even those from other cultural backgrounds and diverse geographical locations. In that stride, consider that Westernization and its concomitant individualism has adversely affected ethnic cultures and their collectivist natures, also resulting in power imbalances between America’s elite classes and the poor and disenfranchised. African-Americans, specifically, are often marginalized and oppressed, which goes against the biblical narrative and imperative for the church to properly “love thy neighbor” (Mark 12:31) and to seek liberation for those who are poor and destitute (Ps. 9:18; Prov. 14:31). Towards potential resolution, Andrews emphasized robust ecclesiological practices, stressing the importance of a flourishing Black American church, with the additional hope that such Spirit-inspired thriving would pour over into society as a whole. The selected theologians brought into the researched dialogue are intentional in identifying and working toward solutions regarding reconciled race relations and socio-spiritual liberation. Moreover, the increasingly multicultural church of America would do well to allow itself to be openly influenced by Majority World spiritualities, most specifically the songfulness and communal/cultural aspects of African religion.