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In Taking on Practical Theology, Courtney T. Goto explores the regnant paradigm that shapes knowledge production and that preserves power, privilege, and historic communal injury even as scholars intend to enlighten and transform communities. Approaching “context” as a case study, Goto illumines how this commonly used, taken-for-granted concept is “idolized.” Though practical theologians are sensitive to context, researchers often fail to consider how their own assumptive world dictates and influences their practices of research, teaching, and engaging in scholarly conversations. These practices unwittingly validate scholars who enjoy the most social capital while inflicting harm on both communities they research and on colleagues and students who do not fit (or fit less well) the norms of the majority.
In "Equality and the Family" Don Browning pulls together essays he has published in the past in order to shed light on the path we should take in the future. He contends that practical theology can be envisioned as a practical research program, and he uses the very concrete example of the family to illustrate how this works.Though it may sound unlikely that equality in the family can be based on Christian ideas, Browning insists that it can and that it should. His desire is to be pro-family and pro-marriage in ways that create justice and equality within the family. Based on this goal, he argues for the church's ideal model of the mother-father partnership to be balanced with an understanding and acceptance of the pluralism of family forms as a part of modern life, including church life. A brief introduction of each essay is included to help the reader understand the original context of the piece.
(Peeters 1992)
The charisma of prophecy is found throughout the history of the global Pentecostal movement. Within the movement, prophecy is seen as the communication of an inspired, spontaneous revelation, bringing edification to the faith community. Despite its prevalence, academic research has mostly focused on the biblical-theological aspect, neglecting the actual contemporary practice. This book addresses this gap with a study on the practice of prophecy within the Assemblies of God of Singapore. The book investigates the nature, purpose, and significance of the phenomenon. It also identifies theological variables that are correlated with its practice and explicates these relationships. The investigation employs the empirical-theological method of Johannes van der Ven, utilizing both a qualitative and a quantitative study. The results provide a rich description of the actual reception, delivery, and judging of prophecy. Significant findings include relationships between prophecy and courage, love, personality types, prayer types, and evangelism.
This textbook offers a fresh approach to modern theology by approaching the field thematically, covering classic topics in Christian theology over the last two hundred years. The editors, leading authorities on the history of nineteenth- and twentieth-century theology, have assembled a respected team of international scholars to offer substantive treatment of important doctrines and key debates in modern theology. Contributors include Kevin Vanhoozer, John Webster, Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen, and Michael Horton. The volume enables readers to trace how key doctrinal questions were discussed, where the main debates lie, and how ideas developed. Topics covered include the Trinity, divine attributes, creation, the atonement, ethics, practical theology, and ecclesiology.
What does it mean to believe in the church? What is the relationship between the church we believe in and the church we experience? Is there an invisible church that is different from the visible? This book is an argument for an ecclesiology of the visible. The only church, the real church, is a concrete reality made up of people, just like any other fellowship. What distinguishes it as church is the presence of the triune God among those who gather in the name of Jesus, making it a sign and anticipation of the fellowship of the kingdom of God. From this premise Dr. Hegstad analyzes such issues as the relationship between church and world, mission and diakonia, church as fellowship and organization, ministries in the church, worship, and the unity of the church, as well as discussing the relationship between a sociological and a theological understanding of the church.
Seeking to dynamically alter the way that theologians, ecclesiologists, students of religion and ministers look at the relationship between church and society, this book takes religion, politics and society as basic categories and explores how oft-overlooked issues are in fact highly significant for the shaping of theological and ecclesiological horizons. The Ecclesial Canopy is not, however, simply about reading meanings into religion, politics and society. Rather, it sets out to faithfully interpret much of the material that surrounds us, yet is often taken for granted or unnoticed. Paying close and patient attention to beliefs, language, artefacts, rituals, practices and other material - ...
Classic theories of Aristotle, Kant, and Mill have influenced Christian thought in morality and ethics for centuries. But they can go only so far, Wyndy Corbin Reuschling writes in Reviving Evangelical Ethics. While the philosophers' approach to three key elements--virtue, duty, and utility--have been used widely in forming ethical and moral practices, Corbin Reuschling sees spiritual danger in their limitations. She probes deeply to deconstruct each philosophy, then reconstructs a broader, biblically based framework for personal and group ethics. This introductory text provides helpful biblical and theological reflection for students of Christian ethics.
In Collaborative Practical Theology, Henk de Roest documents and analyses research on Christian practices as it can be conducted by academic practical theologians in collaboration with practitioners of different kinds in Christian practices all around the world.
Interest in psychology permeates our culture, with psychological solutions advanced for a host of moral dilemmas. How should ethically minded Christians include insights from such disciplines as psychoanalysis, cognitive moral development, and neuroscience in their theological reflection? Don Browning offers a serious proposal for combining these disciplines with the best in ethical reflection from a Christian standpoint. Along the way, he introduces readers to the moral psychology work of Sigmund Freud, Carol Gilligan, Antonio Damasio, and others, opening up a dialogue between their work and the hermeneutics of Hans-Georg Gadamer and Paul Ricoeur. Browning also recognizes the potential limits of the conversation between Christian ethics and the moral psychologies, pointing out where they must diverge.