Found Theologies versus Imposed Theologies: Remarks on Theology and Ethnography from a Sociological Perspective

Some theologians have adopted ethnographic methods in their theological work. This innovation brings exciting possibilities to theological work for grasping local social situations and structures, although it also brings significant new challenges. As a sociologist who uses ethnographic methods and...

Descripción completa

Guardado en:  
Detalles Bibliográficos
Autor principal: Marti, Gerardo (Autor)
Tipo de documento: Electrónico Artículo
Lenguaje:Inglés
Verificar disponibilidad: HBZ Gateway
Journals Online & Print:
Gargar...
Fernleihe:Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste
Publicado: Brill 2016
En: Ecclesial practices
Año: 2016, Volumen: 3, Número: 2, Páginas: 157-172
Clasificaciones IxTheo:AD Sociología de la religión
FA Teología
Otras palabras clave:B Ethnography theology sociology research methodology reflexivity
Acceso en línea: Volltext (Verlag)
Descripción
Sumario:Some theologians have adopted ethnographic methods in their theological work. This innovation brings exciting possibilities to theological work for grasping local social situations and structures, although it also brings significant new challenges. As a sociologist who uses ethnographic methods and pays attention to theological orientations and their effects, I view the work of ethnography as a powerful methodology filled with both possibilities and perils. The newfound enthusiasm for ethnography among theologians may not yet adequately recognize the hazards involved in the use of qualitative research methods for generating valid empirical observations. Insights generated by participant observation are constantly at risk of imposition of personal presumptions and asserted “truths,” especially when researchers enter the field with strongly held convictions and compelling worldviews. In this paper, a distinction between “found theologies” and “imposed theologies” is offered as a heuristic for conversation in the hope of further substantiating a sound basis for future scholarship.
ISSN:2214-4471
Obras secundarias:In: Ecclesial practices
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1163/22144471-00302002