Theology for crisis: practical theology and the practice of giving an account

Practical theology has historically identified the problems that confront individuals and communities as a principal site for theological reflection and research. While such attention to the contextual concerns that confront communities of faith has (re)centred the field, reducing practical theology...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Benac, Dustin D. (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group 2023
In: Practical theology
Year: 2023, Volume: 16, Issue: 6, Pages: 747-760
IxTheo Classification:HC New Testament
RA Practical theology
Further subjects:B Practical Theology
B Practice
B Theological Method
B Luke-Acts
B theological interpretation of scripture
B Crisis
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
Description
Summary:Practical theology has historically identified the problems that confront individuals and communities as a principal site for theological reflection and research. While such attention to the contextual concerns that confront communities of faith has (re)centred the field, reducing practical theology to reflection on problems underestimates the complexity of the crisis/es individuals and communities face. Secondarily, a limited focus on problems understates the field’s interpretive consequence by reducing practical theology to pragmatic reflection on the social realities that surround faith. In contrast to existing focus on problems, ‘crisis’ provides a category that permits social description and theological reflection about the interplay between divine and human activity in the ordering of a common life. Representing an experience of being brought up short, crisis requires new interpretive horizons and invites individuals and communities to cultivate the practice of giving an account. First, I introduce the crisis in the field as the reduction of theological reflection to problems alone. Second, I defined ‘crisis’, noting how crisis differs from trauma, tragedy, and characteristic damage. Third, and finally, I draw upon Luke-Acts to illustrate how this reframing of practical theology around crisis requires the practice of giving an account of divine and human encounter.
ISSN:1756-0748
Contains:Enthalten in: Practical theology
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1080/1756073X.2023.2270816