Rethinking Faith: A Constructive Practical Theology

Appendix 2: Methods of Practical Theology for Teachers and Scholars

149 In฀this฀appendix฀I฀summarize฀my฀insights฀and฀experience฀for฀the฀benefit฀ of teachers and scholars who are responsible for teaching and research in practical theological thinking. Practical theology is the academic theological discipline that studies the practices of the churches in conversation with other branches of theology and the modern social sciences and designs programs and strategies for salvation/transformation of the church and the world. Other branches of theology include biblical studies, historical studies, systematic theology, and ethical theology. The most common social sciences used in practical theology are psychology, sociology, anthropology , economics, and ecological studies. Physical sciences sometimes are influential, including biology, brain science, and environmental studies. A bRIEF hISTORy OF PRACTICAl ThEOlOgy Christians have always been interested in the practical aspects of Christian faith and life and understand faith and practice as a unity. Edward Farley calls the unity of faith and practice a “habitus” (habit of faith) in distinction from the Enlightenment dichotomy of religion and science .1 Modern practical theology begins with Friedrich Schleiermacher’s 1811 book, Brief Outline of the Study of Theology,2 which organized all theology into philosophical theology, historical theology, and practical APPENdIx TwO Methods of Practical Theology for Teachers and Scholars 150 Appendix 2: Methods of Practical Theology for Teachers and Scholars theology. He understood practical theology as theological reflection on church practices, but focused most of his attention on the leadership of clergy. Farley criticized his perspective because it overemphasized the “clerical paradigm” rather than the full range of church practices organized by its mission in the world.3 Practical theology as an academic discipline is primarily a development of twentieth-century dialogue between theology and the new social sciences. First to emerge, around 1900, were professional groups, journals, and research centers in particular practices of church life: Christian education, pastoral care, homiletics, liturgics, and mission studies.4 Since the 1940s there have been efforts to coordinate these separate guilds into shared research and the development of an integrating discipline of practical theology.5 Since 1990, practical theologians have generated several national organizations and journals, an international academy, and an international journal.6 From these efforts has come significant฀literature฀that฀creates฀an฀academic฀field฀with฀recognition฀by฀ universities and interdisciplinary professional societies.7 Practical theology was recently recognized as full member of the American Academy of Religion, one of the largest international meetings of religious scholars.8 Given that practical theology is a recent development as an academic field,฀there฀are฀many฀aspects฀that฀wait฀for฀development.9 SIx TyPES OF PRACTICAl ThEOlOgy In 1985, Donald Miller and I developed a description of six types of practical theology, depending on one’s view of the relationship of the church and the world, and depending on one’s approach to the relationship of theology and science.10 Some types of practical theology see the church and the world working in close collaboration with one another, while other types see tension or a dichotomy between church and world. For example, magisterial churches such as Roman Catholics, Lutherans in Europe, and Anglicans in England understand the church as the conscience of society, calling the state as well as individuals to be faithful to the gospel. Many Protestant churches in the United States and elsewhere insist on separation of church and society and do not expect the society to be able to live up to the demands of the gospel. Scholars in universities often prefer the term “critical correlation” to describe the relation- Appendix 2: Methods of Practical Theology for Teachers and Scholars 151 ship of church and world in practical theology.11 By this term they mean that the church must translate its insights into language the world can understand and evaluate the merit of the church’s beliefs and values by public standards. This means that the revealed gospel and the insights of secular disciplines have essentially equal opportunities to make their case and persuade others to follow their lead. Some types of practical theology are comfortable with the methods of the social sciences and see them as entirely appropriate for study of the church and its practices. Other types are uneasy about the theologyscience relationship and place them in a more antagonistic relationship. For฀example,฀there฀is฀currently฀much฀scientific฀research฀about฀whether฀ religious faith plays a positive role in the mental and physical health of individuals. Some sociological and psychological studies show that persons...