The Hubris and Folly of Defining a Discipline: Reflections on the Evolution of The Wiley-Blackwell Companion to Practical Theology

This article describes the challenge of "defining" or "conceiving" a discipline that arose upon the request to edit a massive volume, The Wiley-Blackwell Companion to Practical Theology, as part of a series of Companions published by Wiley-Blackwell on key disciplines in religious and theological studies. It explores significant dynamics and interests behind the conceptualization and organization of the Companion and then addresses some of the benefits and limitations or growing edges, answering specific questions or concerns raised by three scholars in their papers presented at a symposium on the Companion at the University of Toronto in November 2012. The publication of the Companion to Practical Theology marks immense progress in the field in the last fifty years, making this an auspicious time for reassessment and reflection.