Practical Theology has emerged as an important discipline in recent decades, making a major contribution both in the academy and amongst reflective practitioners on the ground. The Journal Practical Theology celebrated its tenth anniversary in 2018 and this book presents ten journal articles chosen from over 180 that were published in that period. Reflecting on the progress the discipline has made and indicating some future directions in the field, the book is a ‘showcase’ of examples of good practical theology utilising a wide range of methodologies and written by an interesting cross-section of authors from a variety of backgrounds. This is a book which answers the question ‘what is practical theology?’ with real live examples that are accessible, readable and engaging.

What can practical theology contribute to other theological disciplines and the church about the nature of God and the church's witness to Jesus Christ in the world? What can we learn about the love and power of God in Jesus Christ from the community of survivors of violence? Rethinking Faith urges all Christians to consider themselves practical theologians by drawing on their own experiences in making theological assertions. Poling couples his understanding of the tradition with his work with survivors of violence to demonstrate the resilience of Christianity.

"The best theory for fighting fires comes from actually engaging in the battle against the flames," Ray Anderson writes. "For the thousands of pastors and church leaders who are on the 'firelines' of God's mission in the world, we need a theology that sings, even as it stings, igniting the mind and stirring the heart."In these pages, then, Anderson passionately sets forth a vision of the church's work and mission based on its birthday: Pentecost. At Pentecost, Christians were given the Holy Spirit in order to understand the incarnation and come alive to God. So this key event directs and empowers the church in its service to the world.In the light of Pentecost we learn that we can come to know God only in praxis -- truth discovered through action. In the process of elucidating this praxis, Anderson seeks to construct a theology that not only truly respects and aids ministers on the firelines, but will also heal the breach between Pentecostal and mainline church theology.

This is an introductory guide to Process Theology for undergraduates. As part of Contiuum's 'Guide for the Perplexed' series, this text provides an accessible introduction to process theology, aimed at nurturing the theological imagination of undergraduates, pastors and interested laypersons. It describes the major themes of process theology and relates them to the everyday lives and spiritual commitments of people today. In addition to addressing traditional theological issues, Epperly addresses cutting edge issues in theology and ethics such as pluralism and postmodernism, matters of life and death, science (technology and genetics), and emerging forms of Christianity. This text is designed for seminary and university classes as well as congregational study. It will help readers to overcome the obstacles created by the technical language often employed by process theologians. Continuum's Guides for the Perplexed are clear, concise and accessible introductions to thinkers, writers and subjects that students and readers can find especially challenging - or indeed downright bewildering. Concentrating specifically on what it is that makes the subject difficult to grasp, these books explain and explore key themes and ideas, guiding the reader towards a thorough understanding of demanding material.

For six years, spiritual formation leaders such as Dallas Willard, Bruce Demarest, and Bill Hull came together with other colleagues to create a collection of wisdom and honest personal revelation in the areas of discipleship and spiritual formation. The result is The Kingdom Life, a book that offers a fresh approach to the spiritual disciplines through a three-pronged focus on transformation, community, and outreach. Connect in a unique way with God and His kingdom by understanding how He sees grace and doctrine, brokenness and obedience, outreach and justice. Includes seven highly practical “process” chapters as well as three theological chapters on the Trinity, the Scriptures, and the Holy Spirit.

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.

Talking about God in Practice details the challenges and complexities of real theological conversations with practitioners, whilst providing an example of appropriate process, and a model of theological understanding by which to negotiate these complexities fruitfully.