Download or read book The Challenge of Practical Theology written by Stephen Pattison and published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers. This book was released on 2007-01-15 with total page 303 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This engaging collection of essays showcases the broad sweep of his scholarly and personal interests and experiences, and is a key instalment in his prolific literary output which will be of interest well beyond the confines of academic theology. The challenging and sometimes controversial ideas contained in this book represent a way forward for practical theology, not because readers will necessarily agree with them, but because of their potential for stimulating lively debate. The lucidity and accessibility of Pattison's style, and the clear passion he has for his subject, mean that these ideas are destined to penetrate non-theological and non-academic circles, making this book a fitting embodiment of the public theology which its author seeks to promote.' - International Journal of Public Theology 'Regardless of our beliefs, the meaning of life becomes more profound during an episode of suffering. Pattison has found a paradigm that allows practitioners to integrate personal, intellectual and theological perceptions - hence the term practical theology. He critically explores the use of terms such as mission, vision and hope that have been transferred from religious parlance into the world of health service management. Managers wanting change sell this message with evangelistic fervour to convert staff and bring them on board.' - Nursing Standard This collection of key writings by Stephen Pattison examines the implicit and explicit beliefs and value systems that guide practice in both religious and non-religious organisations. Pattison draws on experience from his work in many different settings - including community service volunteering, working as a psychiatric hospital chaplain, NHS management and lecturing on pastoral studies - to promote a personal, practical, political and popular approach to theology, which stresses the importance of responsibility and contemporaneity. Broadly themed sections address issues of ethics and value in practice, organisation and management, Christian thought and practice, theology and the Christian tradition, and pastoral and practical theology studies. The author takes a critical stance towards traditional religious thought and practice, and argues the need for reform to make theology more generally accessible and relevant. This volume will be inspirational reading for, among others, care workers, clergy, managers, nurses, counsellors and doctors, as well as students and those involved in the academic study of theology.

Download or read book Practical Theology for Black Churches written by Dale P. Andrews and published by Westminster John Knox Press. This book was released on 2002-01-01 with total page 166 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Exploring the concept of church as refuge, offers a way to bridge the gap between black theology, with its social and political concerns, and black churches, with their emphases on pastoral care and piety.

Download or read book Theoretical Practical Theology Volume 3 written by Petrus Van Mastricht and published by Reformation Heritage Books. This book was released on 2021-04-24 with total page 1038 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Petrus van Mastricht’s Theoretical-Practical Theology presents one of the most comprehensive methods of treating Christian doctrine. In it, Mastricht treats every theological topic according to a four-part approach: exegetical, dogmatic, elenctic, and practical. As a body of divinity, it combines a rigorous, scholastic treatment of doctrine with the pastoral aim of preparing people to live for God through Christ. Students and pastors will find it a valuable model for moving from the text of Scripture to doctrinal formulation that will edify the people of God. Volume 3, The Works of God and the Fall of Man, is a book of origins—origins of the created order and of sin. Mastricht begins with a discussion of the decrees of God and how they establish His eternal purpose for everything. He then shows how the decrees are carried out in creation and in God’s continual providence. The volume concludes with Mastricht’s treatment of the apostacy of Adam from his original estate and the devastating effects of sin that followed. This is an important volume for learning how God governs all things, even the rebellious actions of those good things He created. Table of Contents: Part 1 Continued: Prolegomena and Faith Book 3: The Works of God The Actions and Decrees of God Predestination Election Reprobation Creation in General The World and the Work of the Six Days The Good Angels The Evil Angels Man and the Image of God The General Providence of God Special Providence The Covenant of Nature Book 4: Man’s Apostasy from God The Violation of the Covenant of Nature Original Sin Actual Sin The Penalty and State of Sin

Download or read book Theoretical Practical Theology Vol 2 Faith in the Triune God written by Petrus Van Mastricht and published by Reformation Heritage Books. This book was released on 2019-04-15 with total page 1066 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Petrus van Mastricht’s Theoretical and Practical Theology presents one of the most comprehensive methods of treating Christian doctrine. In it, Mastricht treats every theological topic according to a four-part approach: exegetical, dogmatic, elenctic, and practical. As a body of divinity, it combines a rigorous, scholastic treatment of doctrine with the pastoral aim of preparing people to live for God through Christ. Students and pastors will find it a valuable model for moving from the text of Scripture to doctrinal formulation that will edify the people of God. Volume 2, Faith in the Triune God , delivers a thorough treatment of the doctrine of God. Mastricht begins his consideration of theology proper with a substantial chapter on saving faith, reminding readers that contemplating God apart from true faith will fall short of the salvation of their soul. Mastricht then discusses the subject of God in three main divisions. First, he treats the existence of God and our knowledge of him. Second, he discusses the divine essence as it is revealed through the names and attributes of God. Third, Mastricht carefully details the Trinitarian nature of the one God who subsists in three persons.

Download or read book Practical Theology written by Richard R. Osmer and published by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. This book was released on 2008-07-02 with total page 257 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Every church congregation encounters challenging situations, some the same the world over, and others specific to each church. Richard Osmer here seeks to teach congregational leaders -- including, but not limited to, clergy -- the requisite knowledge and skills to meet such situations with sensitivity and creativity. Osmer develops a framework for practical theological interpretation in congregations by focusing on four key questions: What is going on in a given context? Why is this going on? What ought to be going on? and How might the leader shape the context to better embody Christian witness and mission? The book is unique in its attention to interdisciplinary issues and the ways that theological reflection is grounded in the spirituality of leaders. Useful, accessible, and lively -- with lots of specific examples and case studies -- Osmer's Practical Theology effectively equips congregational leaders to guide their communities with theological integrity.

Download or read book An Introduction to Practical Theology written by Christian Grethlein and published by . This book was released on 2016-08 with total page 268 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Serious theology is systematic theology. Or so the story goes. Practical theology--with its focus on the church, its life and its practices--has sometimes been understood as the second order application of the real work of academic theology. However, in this abridged translation of his magisterial Praktische Theologie, Christian Grethlein realizes the rigorous methodology, critical commitments, and expansive sweep of practical theology ​as both an academic and an ecclesial discipline. Grethlein roots his practical theology in communication theory, but does so in a way ordered to a specific end: the communication of the Christian gospel in the present day. He distinguishes practical theology from simply a guide to specific ecclesial praxis, on the one hand, and some general theory of religion, on the other. Grethlein then blends empirical observation with biblical texts to reveal practical theology's unique nature as a discipline oriented toward rigorous examination of both the gospel and the intentional ways in which it is shared. In so doing, Grethlein opens the possibility of a truly encyclopedic and embedded practical theology. Part 1 provides a historical introduction to practical theology, positioning it on a global stage, and in relation to other academic disciplines--particularly the modern sciences--as well as within ecclesial and theological traditions. In part 2 Grethlein develops practical theology as communication of the gospel by examining the hermeneutical, empirical, and theological foundations necessary for a systematic practical theology. In part 3 Grethlein turns his attention to ways the gospel is communicated both in time and place, as well as the forms of that communicating (telling, talking, preaching, praying, and singing). In An Introduction to Practical Theology, Christian Grethlein offers students the foundations and frameworks for practical theology while guiding its scholars in the crafting of their academic discipline.

Download or read book Collaborative Practical Theology written by Henk de Roest and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2019-10-07 with total page 381 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.

Download or read book Churches Cultures and Leadership written by Mark Lau Branson and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2023-02-28 with total page 213 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In a world that is more culturally diverse than ever, pastors and lay leaders need skills and competencies to serve in multicultural contexts. This rich blend of astute analysis and practical guidance offers a praxis of paying attention, study, and discernment that leads to genuine reconciliation and shared life empowered by the gospel.

Download or read book The Purpose Gap written by Patrick B. Reyes and published by Westminster John Knox Press. This book was released on 2021-03-16 with total page 282 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In The Purpose Gap, Patrick Reyes reflects on a family member's death after a long struggle with incarceration and homelessness. As he asks himself why his cousin's life had turned out so differently from his own, he realizes that it was a matter of conditions. While they both grew up in the same marginalized Chicano community in central California, Patrick found himself surrounded by a host of family, friends, and supporters. They created a different narrative for him than the one the rest of the world had succeeded in imposing on his cousin. In short, they created the conditions in which Patrick could not only survive but thrive. Far too much of the literature on leadership tells the story of heroic individuals creating their success by their own efforts. Such stories fail to recognize the structural obstacles to thriving faced by those in marginalized communities. If young people in these communities are to grow up to lives of purpose, others must help create the conditions to make that happen. Pastors, organizational leaders, educators, family, and friends must all perceive their calling to create new stories and new conditions of thriving for those most marginalized. This book offers both inspiration and practical guidance for how to do that. It offers advice on creating safe space for failure, nurturing networks that support young people of color, and professional guidance for how to implement these strategies in one's congregation, school, or community organization.

Download or read book Work written by R. Keith Loftin and published by SCM Press. This book was released on 2018-03-09 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Moving from biblical theology to systematic theology to practical theology, "Work: Theological Foundations and Practical Implications" offers a comprehensive theology of work. With contributions from a variety of leading theologians including Miroslav Volf and Samuel Gregg, this book brings together biblical scholars, ethicists, economists representing a spectrum of theological voices. It will bring a new academic depth to the literature on the theology of work and provide a comprehensive single-volume resource for scholars and students alike. Contributions include: “Work and the Trinity” (Miroslav Volf) “Work and Anthropology” (Jay Wesley Richards) “Sanctification and Work” (Scott B. Rae) “Economics and the Common Good” (Samuel Gregg)

Download or read book Poetry Practical Theology and Reflective Practice written by Mark Pryce and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2019-03-13 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This groundbreaking study offers an innovative critical analysis of poetry as a resource for reflective practice in the context of continuing professional development. In the contemporary drive in all professions for greater rigour in education, training, and development, little attention is paid to the inner shape of learning and meaning-making for individuals and groups, especially ways in which individuals are formed for the task of their work. Building on empirical research into the author’s professional practice, the book takes the use of poetry in clergy continuing ministerial development as a case-study to examine the value of poetry in professional learning. Setting out the advantages and limitations of poetry as a stimulant for imaginative, critical reflexivity, and formation within professional reflective practice, the study develops a practical model for group reflection around poetry, distilling pedagogical approaches for working effectively with poetry in continuing professional development. Drawing together a number of strands of thinking about poetry, Practical Theology, and reflective practice into a tightly argued study, the book is an important methodological resource. It makes available a range of primary and secondary sources, offering researchers into professional practice a model of ethnographic research in Practical Theology which embraces innovative methods for reflexivity and theological reflection, including the value of auto-ethnographic poetry.

Download or read book Practical Theology and Qualitative Research written by John Swinton and published by SCM Press. This book was released on 2013-01-03 with total page 500 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Practical Theology used to be a subject where students were left to fend for themselves, using what they had learnt from their scholarly studies in history, biblical and systematic theology and applying it where they could. Things have moved on however and practical theology is a growing discipline in its own right, and the latest thinking in practical theology; of how to use theological learning in practical situations, is fully explored in this textbook. This text examines methodologies of the social sciences and questions how they can enable the task of theological reflection. They begin by tracing the development of practical theology as a discipline and comment on current methodological practices, and trace the movement from practical theology as applied theology, ie a discipline which simply takes data from the other theological disciplines (historical, systematic and biblical theology) towards a model which understands the practical theological task in terms of the theology of practice. The authors examine the relationship between qualitative and quantitative methods and highlight the significance of both for the task of practical theology. They also take the reader through the actual process of developing and carrying out a research project using the author's own research as case study examples. Case studies include: the rise in spirituality; the decline in church attendance, evidence-based medicine compared to needs-led assessments, the growth in chaplaincy and how it is understood as separate from parish ministry.

Download or read book A Fundamental Practical Theology written by Don S. Browning and published by Fortress Press. This book was released on 1995-12-01 with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On congregational care, religious education, theological education, clinical pastoral education and church consultation.

Download or read book Spiritual Dimensions of Pastoral Care written by John Swinton and published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers. This book was released on 2001-10-01 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Written by significant researchers and practitioners within the field, this unique collection of key texts introduces the reader to practical theology. It critically explores the way in which the spiritual dimension of pastoral care has entered into constructive dialogue with other disciplines and ways of thinking, including: psychiatry, psychology, counselling, intercultural studies, educational methodology, narrative theory and political studies. Set within this multidisciplinary context, the individual contributions (a selection of articles from a leading journal of pastoral theology, Contact: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Pastoral Studies) cover a wide range of practical and theological issues that alert the reader to the spiritual dimension of pastoral care, such as bereavement, sexuality, ethics, learning disabilities, infertility, the meaning of pain, sickness and suffering and the nature of theology as a practical discipline. The book is an invaluable resource for practitioners, researchers, students and all who have an interest in the ways in which a spiritual dimension can enhance caring practices within a multidisciplinary context.

Download or read book Finding Jesus in the Storm written by John Swinton and published by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. This book was released on 2020-09-22 with total page 246 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: People living with mental health challenges are not excluded from God’s love or even the fullness of life promised by Jesus. Unfortunately, this hope is often lost amid the well-meaning labels and medical treatments that dominate the mental health field today. In Finding Jesus in the Storm, John Swinton makes the case for reclaiming that hope by changing the way we talk about mental health and remembering that, above all, people are people, regardless of how unconventionally they experience life. Finding Jesus in the Storm is a call for the church to be an epicenter of compassion for those experiencing depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and related difficulties. That means breaking free of the assumptions that often accompany these diagnoses, allowing for the possibility that people living within unconventional states of mental health might experience God in unique ways that are real and perhaps even revelatory. In each chapter, Swinton gives voice to those experiencing the mental health challenges in question, so readers can see firsthand what God’s healing looks like in a variety of circumstances. The result is a book about people instead of symptoms, description instead of diagnosis, and lifegiving hope for everyone in the midst of the storm.

Download or read book Seeing Children Seeing God written by Pamela D. Couture and published by . This book was released on 2000 with total page 154 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Seeing Children, Seeing God, Pamela Couture explores the actual and potential relation of the church and the theological school to economically and socially (relationally) poor children. She argues that the solution to the problem of child poverty requires the shared responsibility of individuals, families, neighborhoods, congregations, governments, businesses, and international organizations because children develop within these multiple systems. With their unique access to these multiple systems, churches and theological schools are in a wonderful position to transform the social ecology within which children develop and to assist in children'¬"s flourishing. Concretely, what would it mean for the caring ministries of the church and those who teach and learn about them in seminary to make the issue of children and poverty central to what we do? How would this change the way we live? Pamela Couture argues from a Wesleyan perspective that caring for poor children is a means of grace'¬ ;a grace that deepens our experience as the adopted children of God. She draws explicitly on recent writings that have updated the Wesleyan theological tradition. Seeing Children, Seeing God will be of particular interest to everyone who is concerned about children and poverty, especially from a Wesleyan perspective. Key Features: '¬¢ Brief and accessible '¬¢ Offers a constructive, theologically sound response to the problem of children and poverty '¬¢ Recognizes and shares responsibility for solutions across society, but especially with the church and the seminary Key Benefits: '¬¢ Readers will understand the dynamics and extent of the problem of children living in poverty today '¬¢ Readers will understand ways in which theology has undergirded efforts to deal with this problem in the past '¬¢ Readers will understand and identify with the specifically Christian imperative to respond to this problem '¬¢ Readers will understand how various groups can contributed to a concerted effort to deal with the problem '¬¢ Readers will understand how the church has failed to deal with this problem in the past

Download or read book Theories of Culture written by Kathryn Tanner and published by Fortress Press. This book was released on with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Since the 1970s exciting new directions in the study of culture have erupted to critique and displace earlier, largely static notions. These more dynamic models stress the indeterminate, fragmented, even conflictual character of cultural processes and completely alter the framework for thinking theologically about them. In fact, Tanner argues, the new orientation in cultural theory and anthropology affords fresh opportunities for religious thought and opens new vistas for theology, especially on how Christians conceive of the theological task, theological diversity and inculturation, and even Christianity's own cultural identity.