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ABSTRACT
The entrance of international practical theologians of all faiths and none into the traditionally Western-centric, Christian-dominated field in the UK prompts the review of its scope and methodology. This paper argues for a shared conversation on how to achieve constructive and authentic participation for all. A recent survey of alumni from four UK-based Professional Doctorates in Practical Theology highlights omissions and opportunities, and points towards an agenda for intentional and effective pluralisation. Evangelical principles and Christian liberation theology suggest internal strategies to counter possible resistance to undoing the Christian hegemony.
Acknowledgements
Based on ‘Widening participation in practical theology in the British Isles: international and multi-religious challenges and opportunities’, BIAPT conference, Liverpool, 8 July 2019. My thanks to respondents, editors and anonymous reviewers for constructive comments.
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Correction Statement
This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.
Notes
1 Dominant theological references are European and North American.
2 For similar multi-traditional developments in public theology, see Pirner et al. (Citation2018).
3 I use this Gramscian concept to denote unequal power relations between Christianity as normative and dominant, and subordinate traditions under pressure to adopt Christian-derived models of practice and thought in order to participate.
4 See Baker (Citation2013) and Foley (Citation2015) on rhizomatic ordering principles necessitated by diversity.
5 Van den Berg and Ganzevoort (Citation2014) refer to ‘church’.
6 See Bennett and Graham (Citation2008).
7 Accessed on September 17 2019. https://www.biapt.org/about/.
8 Accessed on September 17 2019. https://www.biapt.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Short-History.pdf.
9 Whether the name ‘practical theology’ is sustainable for a multi-traditional field with varying ideas about the significance of the divine is an exciting question for future discussion.
10 Conversely, it discourages the study of Christianity from outsider perspectives.
11 Bennett et al. (Citation2018, 30) define the practical theological researcher inclusively as ‘a reflexive, critical and constructive inhabitant of an action-guiding world-view’ (30).
12 The project ‘Widening participation within faith-based professional doctoral provision’ (QR361) with Elaine Graham as principal investigator and Katja Stuerzenhofecker as co-investigator was funded by the University of Chester in February – July 2018.
13 The language of publications is also significant for multilingual students.
14 See the authors’ location statements in Bennett et al. (Citation2018).
15 See also Greider’s (Citation2012, 494) vignette about the practical theologian considering to write their own textbook.
16 See several chapters in Mercer and Miller-McLemore (Citation2016) and Fernandez (Citation2014); also Beaudoin and Turpin (Citation2014).
17 See Hess’s review (Citation2017, 193): ‘My only criticism is that given his desire to consider reflective believing across religious traditions, it would have been helpful for him to include in his appendices examples from other religious traditions. There are many varieties of such practices emerging in the comparative theologies context, as well as in inter-religious education’.
18 Greggs (Citation2010a) discusses UK-based bi-traditional youth work training.
19 Some PrDs use action learning sets, ‘a continuous process of learning and reflection that happens with the support of a group or ‘set’ of colleagues, working on real issues, with the intention of getting things done (McGill and Brockbank Citation2003, Chapter 1)’.
20 Separatist moves might be useful for specific endeavours. BIAPT supports several Special Interest Groups but none of them relate explicitly to non-Christian traditions.
21 For this categorization see Graham (Citation2017b, 74f).
22 Accessed on September 17 2019. https://www.dur.ac.uk/common.awards/modules/outlines.titles/.
23 See also the Christian ecumenical Cambridge Theological Federation’s motto ‘roots down, walls down’ (Bennett Citation2006).
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Katja Stuerzenhofecker
Katja Stuerzenhofecker is part-time Lecturer in Gender Studies in Religion at the University of Manchester. She has a special interest in contemporary Christianity and Judaism, pedagogy and participatory research methods. Her publications include the special issue on gender in Jewish Studies of Melilah: Manchester Journal of Jewish Studies 13 (2019).