Rethinking Faith: A Constructive Practical Theology

Appendix 1: Methods of Practical Theology for Congregations and Church Leaders

137 Every Christian who seriously tries to practice her or his faith is doing practical theology. Being a Christian means trying to live one’s life according to one’s best understanding of what the Bible teaches about what฀God฀wants฀us฀to฀do฀and฀fi ฀nd฀appropriate฀ways฀to฀live฀this฀faith฀in฀ the world. We try to match our everyday lives with what God wants. Teachers are called by the church to train church leaders for their tasks as practical theologians. Scholars are called by the church with responsibility for research on the issues facing the church and development of practical theology as an academic theological discipline. In the appendices that follow, I defi ฀ne฀the฀steps฀involved฀in฀practical theological thinking at congregational and professional levels.1 In this appendix I discuss two levels of method: level-one method for local congregations, and level-two method for church leaders in local churches and judicatories. In the following appendix I discuss level-three method for teachers and scholars in practical theology. Living faithful Christian lives is not a simple matter because we are faced with decisions about confusing situations and we must cooperate APPENdIx ONE Methods of Practical Theology for Congregations and Church leaders What are the appropriate methods for engaging in practical theology in local congregations? How are these methods shaped by the Scriptures and traditions of the church and the situation in which฀we฀fi ฀nd฀ourselves฀in฀the฀ world? 138 Appendix 1: Methods of Practical Theology for Congregations and Church leaders with other people when we don’t understand either ourselves or the others . It is not an easy matter to understand our own motives for what we do, to have valid insights into the motives of others, and to know what to do when we are faced with contradictory information and painful consequences. It has long been part of Christian wisdom that we need to be active members of local communities of faith so that we can be in constant dialogue with others about what Christians are called to do in our confusing times. We also need church leaders, teachers, and scholars who can attend to the many complexities of what it means to be a Christian in a world where there are powerful institutions such as the media, governments, and economic structures, and dominating ideologies such as individualism, patriarchy, racism, capitalism, and so forth. Every฀Christian฀is฀responsible฀to฀find฀appropriate฀ways฀to฀live฀in฀the฀ world, but each Christian cannot be a specialist in everything needed. So the church calls leaders, teachers, and scholars who dedicate themselves to special problems that face the church as it seeks to be faithful. Bringing all our knowledge in practical theology together so that our Christian faith makes a difference in the world is the task of individuals and congregations. Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. . . . God has appointed teachers. . . . [but] are all teachers? . . . for knowledge will come to an end. . . . And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love. (1 Cor. 12:4, 27, 29; 13:13) lEvEl-ONE METhOd OF PRACTICAl ThEOlOgy—FOR CONgREgATIONS When we are active members of a local congregation, we engage in regular worship and hear interpretations of the Bible and its relevance for our time. Preaching and worship include constant references to the Bible and its understanding of God and human life. Over a lifetime of worship and hearing about the Bible, believers continually recommit themselves to conforming their lives to their understandings of the Bible. In this sense, we are all engaged in doing practical theology: trying to discern the attitudes, decisions, and practices that are consistent with what God wants. We are trying to practice the theology in which we believe. But฀Christians฀are฀always฀faced฀with฀complications.฀The฀first฀type฀ of complication comes because of the tension between our theology and Appendix 1: Methods of Practical Theology for Congregations and Church leaders 139 the world. For example, if we believe that God wants us to be honest and truthful in most situations, what do we do when faced with pressure from other people or from our workplaces to be dishonest? If we believe that God cares for people who cannot care for themselves because of illness or disability, what do we do when we encounter negative stereotypes of people who seem to be...