Practical Theology Research Articles

Allan Anderson’s African Pentecostalism theology and the ‘othering’

Allan Heaton Anderson is one of the few white South Africans who succeeded in getting out of the entrapment of racial prejudices when it came to the written history of African-initiated churches. He became aware of the fact that an authentic theology can only be examined within context, and thus his theological analysis of African independent churches (AICs) reflects his status in the margins. Anderson not only conducted research among the poor and the downtrodden, where he challenged assumptions made by his white contemporaries, but he also identified with the ‘othering’, those who were powerless and marginalised – contributing immensely to African theology of inclusivity. This article comprised three sections: firstly, it traced Anderson’s journey within and his contribution to the theology of African Pentecostalism; secondly, it explored the notion of typology of AICs using the lens of ‘othering’; and thirdly, it concluded with recent trends in neo-Pentecostalism. Following the philosophical axiom of critical theory, the article was involved in dialogue with Anderson, interrogated European missionary typologies of African-initiated churches and, finally, critiqued the convergence of ‘progressive Pentecostals’ and ‘globalisation’ in shaping a new mission paradigm.Contribution: This article paid closer attention to intersectionality of historiography and hybrid theological subjects such as practical theology and African theology. The contribution of interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research by white African scholars on African theology was appraised. The article further appreciated the contribution by a white theologian who had mastered African epistemology of being and living by critiquing the theory of paternalistic ‘othering’.

Vězeňská duchovní služba v perspektivě pastorální teologie

The study responds to the lack of theological reflection on prison spiritual ministry in Czechia. Although the Czech Republic has a well­-developed ecumenical prison ministry of chaplains, its operations are primarily of interest in the sociology of religion and penitentiary sociology. The reflection in pastoral or practical theology is significantly weaker. Thus, this study aims to describe the essential elements for the first theological conceptualisation of the prison spiritual ministry in the Czech Republic. It is based on the analysis of the current discourse in the sociology of religion, penitentiary sociology, pastoral theology, and partially other helping professions. Such an analysis serves as the basis for pastoral­-theological evaluation and hermeneutics. The study attempts to draw the core lines for the possible pastoral conceptualisation of the Czech prison spiritual ministry of chaplains with a background in Christian churches.

Role of Forgiveness in The Grief Process for Children in Crisis

Children are a group of people who often experience trauma, which then leads to a cycle of cycle. Various psychological help has been sought but has not addressed spiritual recovery. This study discusses forgiveness in the process of children who are in crisis so that spiritual development occurs in children. The author uses various library sources and analyzes the biblical text in discussing the topic. This study uses hermeneutical approaches to promoting biblical texts as applicable to everyday life. Forgiveness plays an essential role in the recovery process. Children need help identifying what they are grateful for regarding the forgiveness process. Gratitude produces liberation and leads to hope, thus leading to change thatresults in spiritual healing. To help children forgive, children need reconciliation with the creator. To meet this need, spiritual directors play an important role in assisting children to meet their spiritual needs. Spiritual directors can help traumatized children replace their distorted view of themselves, others, and God with a proper view of the truth. This study aims to involve the contribution of existing practical theology to propose the idea of the role of forgiveness in the grieving process for children experiencing a crisis.

Kin/folk: on queer models of collective beholding

ABSTRACT This paper seeks to investigate how ancillary modes of kinship are present in the lives of Black queer folk as opposed to solely any biological or given relationship structure. And, as a practical theologian in training, I offer an analysis of these kinship structures that, despite their necessity, explore their ingenuity and their resilience as a form of collective care, or collective ‘beholding.’ In the face of institutional neglect and cultural and religious ostracism, I am interested in how these kinship structures, notwithstanding their given complexities, might serve as a model for theological epistemologies of care. I draw upon scholarship from queer theory, quare theory, performance studies, and queer theologies to serve as examples of this type of collective relational orientation. Furthermore, I turn to the FX Television show POSE as a case study of how this kinship structure is made apparent even in the realm of artistic expression.

C. L. Wren Radford, Lived Experiences and Social Transformations: Poetics, Politics and Power Relations in Practical Theology

C. L. Wren Radford, <b><i>Lived Experiences and Social Transformations: Poetics, Politics and Power Relations in Practical Theology</i></b>

Worshiping, Witnessing, and Wondering: Christian Wisdom for Participation in the Mission of God

This review of Thomas John Hastings, Worshiping, Witnessing, and Wondering: Christian Wisdom for Participation in the Mission of God (2022), offers comments on its contextual and biblical foundations and engages it on the topics of Christian education, pneumatology, practical theology, and World Christianity. The review praises the careful research and crafting of the book and appreciates its clever use of triads to identify and integrate diverse approaches to Christian education.

Interdyscyplinarny charakter teologii praktycznej małżeństwa i rodziny

Pope Francis’ apostolic constitution Veritatis gaudium and analysis of practical theology emphasize the essence of an interdisciplinary approach to research, emphasizing the need for “strong transdisciplinarity” in learning various aspects of the analyzed topic. Practical theology, also known as pastoral theology, aims to respond to contemporary challenges by taking into account both the theological and social, cultural and psychological dimensions that influence the life of the Church and society today. This article emphasizes the need for an interdisciplinary approach to research on marriage and family, striving to cooperate with various scientific fields in order to consolidate the vision of marriage and family in accordance with the natural intention of the Creator.

Towards Friendship-Shaped Communities: A Practical Theology of Friendship, by Anne-Marie Ellithorpe

Towards Friendship-Shaped Communities: A Practical Theology of Friendship, by Anne-Marie Ellithorpe

Traité des premières vérités by Claude G. Buffier

Reviewed by: Traité des premières véritésby Claude G. Buffier Jeffrey D. Burson Claude G. Buffier. Traité des premières vérités. Édition, présentation et notes par Louis Rouquayrol. Textes cartésiens en langue française. Paris: Librairie Philosophique J. Vrin, 2020. Pp. 379. Paperback, €32.00. Born in Poland to French parents, Claude G. Buffier, SJ (1661–1737) emerged as one of the most influential of the Parisian scriptores librorumin the first decades of the eighteenth century. Buffier is perhaps best known as one of the founding editors of, and contributors to, the influential French Jesuit periodical Mémoires de Trévoux, but his works on general grammar, metaphysics, moral philosophy, and logic earned him widespread renown. His Grammaire françaiseachieved translation into Spanish, German, Italian, and English, and his Cours de sciences sur des principes nouveaux et simples pour former le langage, l'esprit, et le cœur dans l'usage ordinaire de la vie(1715) was widely adopted in France and Spain throughout the eighteenth century. Buffier's eclectic approach to philosophy, science, moral philosophy, and practical theology developed across several significant works: Principes du raisonnement(1714), Traité des premières vérités(1724), Éléments de métaphysique(1725), and Exposition des preuves les plus sensibles de la véritable religion(1732). In these works, Buffier was prescient in selectively adopting perspectives from Descartes, Malebranche, and Locke, evincing thereby his avid interest and participation in early Enlightenment discussions. Many of Buffier's texts proved to be influential on contributors to the Encyclopédie, on Voltaire, and perhaps later, as harbingers of Scottish Common Sense philosophy. Given the growing recognition of Buffier's importance thanks to the work of Kathleen Wilkins, Catherine Northeast, Jeffrey Burson, Katharine Hammerton, and others, Louis Rouquayrol's new critical edition of Buffier's most influential work, Traité des premières vérités( Treatise of First Truths) is most welcome. Rouquayrol's critical edition of the Traitéis replete with helpful [End Page 156]intertextual explanatory notes to the texts and debates that Buffier addressed, and it includes an insightful synthetic introduction, which summarizes the Traitéand addresses aspects of its philosophical and historical significance. The editor also helpfully includes a detailed chronology of Buffier's life and works, a note about the textual bases for the edition, several instructive appendices to later editions and related works by Buffier, and a profoundly helpful bibliography that includes existing editions, copies, and translations of the Traité, in addition to scholarly studies of Buffier's life and work. Rouquayrol's critical edition is, in short, the best one currently available, and it is likely to remain the standard published edition for some time. In the editor's view, Buffier's primary significance is as the inaugural eighteenth-century figure who attempted to redress the weaknesses at the heart of Cartesian "innate ideas" in ways that might have avoided Berkeley's or Malebranche's immaterialism or Hume's skepticism: "pour lutter contre les 'conséquences idéalistes du cartésianisme,'" Buffier "avait eu plutôt recours au sens commun comme à un 'complément nécessaire du sense intime, qui garantit l'existence du monde extérieur'" (13n2, quoting Étienne Gilson). This "solution mitigée" allowed for a certain reconciliation between Descartes and the "empirisme tempéré" of Locke, and more broadly, a way of moderating "les principes des Modernes" with "les poncifs des Anciens" (13). This conciliation of Lockean empiricism and certain strands of Cartesianism found in Buffier was in fact a central point made by my earlier work on Buffier's contribution to eighteenth-century Enlightenment Catholicism (see Rise and Fall of Theological Enlightenment[South Bend, IN: University of Notre Dame Press, 2010]; also "Claude G. Buffier and the Maturation of the Jesuit Synthesis in the Age of Enlightenment," Intellectual History Review21 [2011]: 449–72). Rouquayrol's effort to revisit the complexities of this conciliation in his introduction is a welcome development. He explicitly reminds us that while Jesuits such as Buffier were prohibited from teaching particular theses associated with Descartes after 1706, they were nevertheless increasingly influenced by aspects of Cartesianism (15–17). In many...

Ikonostas crkve Svetih Apostola Petra i Pavla u Vrčinu - rad Lazara i olge Krdžalić

The paper analyzes the iconostasis of the Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, located in Vrčin. The iconostasis was painted in 1896 by Lazar Krdžalić, an artist who studied in Russia for about six years. The artist began his studies at the icon painting school in Moscow, and finished at the Saint Petersburg Academy of Fine Arts. His wife, Olga Krdžalić, helped him paint the iconostasis. The size of the iconostasis partition of the church in Vrčin influenced the iconographic repertoire and the selection of icons with the most prominent saints. The images on the iconostasis are read horizontally, starting from the lower zone and the most important throne icons. In the first and second zones, the most important events from the cycle of major holidays are shown. The Resurrection of Christ is depicted in the central part of the second zone. The icon is larger than other icons, which was intended to highlight the most important event in Christian history. Icons of St. Nicholas and St. John are attached to the scenes from the Great Holidays cycle. The high iconostasis partition ends with a cross on which the Crucifixion is depicted, carrying important symbolic meaning. The crucifixion is completed with the figures of the Virgin Mary, John the Baptist, Michael the Archangel, Saint George, and the scene of the Lamentation of Christ. The iconostasis of the church in Vrčin was painted following Serbian theological practice, heavily influenced by Russia during this period. The application of the iconographic solution that Lazar Krdžalić adopted during his schooling in Russia and its adaptation to the clients indicate that the design of the Vrčin iconostasis follows the practice that was established in the Kingdom of Serbia during the second half of the 19th century.

Mesterek és tanítványok. Különös tekintettel Kovács Albert hatására a 20. század eleji kolozsvári homiletika-oktatásra

"Masters and Disciples. With Particular Focus on Albert Kovács’s Influence upon the Teaching of Homiletics in the Early 20th Century in Kolozsvár/Cluj-Napoca. In this paper, I examine the influence of Albert Kovács (1838–1904), Professor of Practical Theology between 1865 and 1904 at the Theological Seminary in Budapest, upon the teaching of homiletics in the early 20th century in Kolozsvár. After the sudden death of Albert Molnár (1849–1901), Lecturer of Practical Theology at the Theological Seminary in Kolozsvár (1895–1901), Béla Kenessey (1858–1918) continued his work (1901–1907). As former disciple of Albert Kovács, Kenessey used his personal notes from Kovács’s lectures. László Ravasz (1882–1975), Professor of Practical Theology (1907–1921), as the disciple of Kenessey in Kolozsvár, was directly influenced by Albert Kovács’s homiletical thoughts. In this paper, I attempt to demonstrate the influence of Albert Kovács by identifying Kenessey’s homiletical notes (1902) in the Manuscript Collection of the Theological Institute in Kolozsvár, by using an early (1909), handwritten version of László Ravasz’s homiletical handbook (1915) from the inheritance of his disciple Sándor Tavaszy (1888–1952). I also examine the value of László Ravasz’s thoughts in the context of the history of Hungarian and European Protestant homiletics and preaching. Keywords: Albert Kovács, Béla Kenessey, László Ravasz, history of homiletics and preaching "

Drawing on the Implications of Indonesia's Founding Father's Transformative Theological Practice for the Development of Inclusive Education for Students

This study analyzes the inclusive theology adopted by the Indonesian founding fathers in promoting Pancasila as an indigenous global theology for Indonesia. During the early days of the formation of the state and nation of Indonesia, it is evident that the founding fathers embraced inclusive theology. This paper aims to analyze the inclusive theology of the Indonesian founding fathers, highlighting their role in promoting Pancasila, particularly its first pillar of Ketuhanan Yang Maha Esa (the oneness of God), as an indigenous global theology for Indonesia. Moreover, their inclusive approach serves as an exemplary model of global theology for future Indonesian Muslim generations. Using a qualitative approach, this study analyzes historical documents, such as the debates and discussions in BPUPKI and PPKI, as well as religious texts like the Quran and Hadith. The findings demonstrate that the Indonesian founding fathers practiced inclusive theology by integrating their religious identity with the national identity of Indonesia. By adopting inclusive perspectives and drawing from the rich heritage of inclusive thought in Islamic civilization, their approach to theology provides valuable insights for fostering pluralism and unity within Indonesian society.

Ruthless Critique of All That Exists and a Poetic-Political-Prayer

Abstract This article responds to Robert Tally, For a Ruthless Critique of All that Exists. It relates his ideas to practical and public theology. Tally bemoans the negative attitude towards critical theory within the humanities. This tendency, away from theory towards surface reading of contexts, phenomena, and texts, is something that the theological disciplines in practical and public theology also need to take cognisance of, but it is also clearly visible in the public debate. I specifically focus on public and practical theology as these are the disciplines that directly engage with contemporary public discourses. Surface reading of texts and contexts might be the only option left if one understands the world as a capitalist world without any alternatives, or a universe of technical images, and yet in this article, I will seek to argue with Tally that there is more, namely that which calls these texts forth.

Intimate Diversity. An Anglican Practical Theology of Interreligious Marriage, written by Paul Aidan Smith

Intimate Diversity. An Anglican Practical Theology of Interreligious Marriage, written by Paul Aidan Smith

Studying Digital Pentecostalism

Abstract One of the most important developments in recent history has been the invention of the internet and this has led to many academic disciplines developing digital research competence. However, there has been limited practical-theological research completed in the area of digitally mediated Pentecostalism. Therefore, this article addresses this important area, as conceived within the discipline of practical theology using empirical research methods. Even before the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, many Pentecostals had embraced an online delivery of worship and ministry. Nevertheless, the capacity for the digital mediation of beliefs and practices has developed considerably in 2020 and 2021, and these recent developments invite further critical attention. To develop competence in the study of digital Pentecostalism, practical theologians will be required to acquire competence in “virtual ethnography,” sometimes referred to as “netnography,” that is, the academic study of online communities, including online churches. As part of this competence, there is a need to reframe virtual ethnography within an empirical-theological approach as a subset of practical theology, and this includes attending to hermeneutical issues as well as technical competence (that is, methods of gathering and evaluating online data). In this article, I shall explore some of these methodological concerns and suggest ways in which scholars can develop approaches to the research of digital pentecostal and charismatic Christianity.

Book Review: Fragments for Fractured Times: What Feminist Practical Theology Brings to the Table

Book Review: <i>Fragments for Fractured Times: What Feminist Practical Theology Brings to the Table</i>

African-initiated churches and environmental care in Limpopo, South Africa: A missional enquiry

Climate change in South Africa is increasingly threatening the most vulnerable populations in rural areas of the country, such as the Limpopo province. Religious communities could be important actors in South Africa, and their role in sustainable development could be critical. Research on the capacities of religious communities for climate change adaptation is vital for reaching the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 13, 14 and 15. This article drew on empirical research focusing on adaptive practices to climate change. It asked the following question: how do African Independent and Pentecostal churches located in the province of Limpopo relate to climate change in their communal and individual activities? To answer this question, qualitative semistructured individual interviews, group interviews and results from focus groups were used for data collection. The research learned that eco-theology is not the most prominent topic in the majority of the participants’ congregations and their communal activities. However, all the participants had noticed the effects of climate change in their immediate surroundings. As a consequence, these individuals took care of their surrounding environments. Focus groups were formed with the hope of consolidating individual efforts into a collective toolkit. This article concluded that the majority of the research participants are not knowledgeable about climate change as a concept. However, they are cognisant of the impact climate change has on them.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: This article was practical theology research. It was strengthened by research findings from agricultural sciences, ecology, development sciences, missiology and intercultural theology to propose an eco-theology from below based on individual adaptive measures to climate change.

Homiletická otázka je otázka otevřená

The Homiletic Question is an Open Question. The professor of practical theology, Josef Smolík (1922–2009), whose hundredth anniversary of birth was in March of this year, concluded his textbook on homiletics with the remark that until the arrival of the Kingdom of Heaven we will seek means of conveying the Gospel to our contemporaries. The present article points out several contemporary homiletic questions. It focuses, for instance, on the views of Manfred Josuttis, Christian Möller, Isolde Karle, Albrecht Grözinger, Helmut Schwier, Birgit Weyel, Wilhelm Gräb, Hans-Günter Heimbrock, etc., on the power of God, on the role of the pastor as a witness, on the reflection of the listener and his world, and also on the place of the sermon in a church service. The article is divided into five sub-chapters: sermon, listener, pastor, Bible, church service. Special focus is given to topics in material homiletics.

Zambezi Evangelical Church’s role in addressing poverty in Malawi: A public practical theological reflection

The high poverty levels in Malawi are a cause of concern resulting in many questions being asked. Among these questions is what role the faith communities can play to meaningfully contribute towards addressing this. Importantly, these high poverty levels challenge the church to reflect on the following questions: Beyond the clerical paradigm, what role can the church play in poor communities? How can the church effectively contribute to addressing the challenge of poverty? Thus, using the case of Malawi, in this article is considered the role that the church can perform to address public social issues. It reflects on literature and empirical data that were collected from the Zambezi Evangelical Church in Malawi to assess the role that the church has been playing to address poverty in the country. The article concludes by suggesting ways that the Malawian church could consider strengthening its role in addressing poverty.Contribution: Through using an empirical approach, this article provides insight into the contribution that churches can make to address poverty. It locates such a ministerial approach as an endeavour in public practical theology that could be employed effectively on congregational level.

The Logic of the Body: Retrieving Theological Psychology

The Logic of the Body: Retrieving Theological Psychology