Practical TheologyPub Date : 2023-01-29DOI: 10.1080/1756073X.2022.2160539
Caroline Yih
{"title":"Rediscovering home: an autoethnography of leaving church","authors":"Caroline Yih","doi":"10.1080/1756073X.2022.2160539","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1756073X.2022.2160539","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT In this article, I have used the methodology of autoethnography to reflect on my experience as a Christian navigating life post-church and the dis-ease of living with the new status of a ‘done’. Within the reflection, I explore some prominent aspects of the experience such as belonging, the feeling of being orphaned, and shame, as well as the related notions of ‘home’ and ‘unity in diversity’ commonly encountered in organised religious communities. The reflection joins other emerging research efforts to understand and lend a voice to those who have chosen to or have experienced being disembedded from their faith communities and to encourage the cultivation of a hospitable space for dialogue with those beyond the sacred/secular divides.","PeriodicalId":43627,"journal":{"name":"Practical Theology","volume":"16 1","pages":"513 - 523"},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2023-01-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48136864","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Practical TheologyPub Date : 2023-01-02DOI: 10.1080/1756073X.2023.2194186
Nigel Rooms
{"title":"Editorial 16-01","authors":"Nigel Rooms","doi":"10.1080/1756073X.2023.2194186","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1756073X.2023.2194186","url":null,"abstract":"A major change occurs this year in our journal prompted by the decision of the publisher not to limit the size of any issue of the journal. In the past we were given a budget number of pages for each issue and consequently the whole year’s Volume and this restriction is no longer being applied. The only remaining requirement is to publish a minimum number of articles and book reviews each year. The implication of this is that we can publish as many articles as are available as each issue goes to publication, which means the articles will move more quickly to being assigned an issue after being published online. In addition, there is no longer any requirement for ‘double issues’. Therefore, in this issue we publish ten articles and we expect two of our Special issues this year, one on Majority World Epistemologies and the 2022 BIAPT Conference Issue on Embodiment to be substantial as well. We apologise that, due to circumstances beyond our control we are not able to publish any book reviews in this issue. This will be rectified in forthcoming issues throughout the year. Our ten articles fall into two halves. We begin by placing issues of justice to the fore; care of our elders in residential homes; homelessness; gender silencing; and the environmental degradation of the oceans. We pivot with an article addressing time in relation to Christian discipleship into five articles concerned in various ways with the Church and its worship; the attitudes of Polish youth to the Church; inculturation in Eucharistic worship in Pakistan; reflection on online worship in Australia and Indonesia; and lament-driven preaching the Asian-American community. What readers of the journal might be interested to note is we have articles from two theologians within The Salvation Army and two articles studying aspects of the Roman Catholic Church, expressing the great breadth of Christian traditions we embrace in the journal. Perhaps for the first time (and definitely not the last) we have a small minority of the authors hailing from England. There are first-time contributions from a Muslim author in Pakistan, a Korean and two from Indonesia. The Practical Theology Journal is thereby stepping well outside of its origins in Britain and Ireland and this trend will continue in 2023. We begin this issue by publishing the BIAPT article prize winner for 2022, Helen Hindle. This is an outstanding piece of work, both in the original doctoral research (funded, we should note by the Methodist Homes Association) and the summary of it which is presented astutely and with aplomb here. What strikes me powerfully is the way Hindle is able to use the personal experience of a neighbour going into a Care Home as motivational fuel for the research, which leads her to care deeply and even love her research participants in four Care Homes. They are full participants in the research and everyone benefits as a result, there is a proper research ‘holiness’ demonstrated here in the methodology as i","PeriodicalId":43627,"journal":{"name":"Practical Theology","volume":"16 1","pages":"1 - 5"},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2023-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46441112","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Practical TheologyPub Date : 2023-01-02DOI: 10.1080/1756073X.2022.2163115
Leonardus Samosir
{"title":"What kind of presence? The issue of presence of the people in a Live Streaming Eucharist in the Diocese Bandung, Indonesia","authors":"Leonardus Samosir","doi":"10.1080/1756073X.2022.2163115","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1756073X.2022.2163115","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT A survey-based quantitative research project in the Catholic Diocese of Bandung, Indonesia during the Covid-19 pandemic and its subsequent lockdown is presented in this article. The Diocese instigated a temporary online Live Streaming Eucharist and researchers surveyed 771 respondents about their participation and experience. The data collected raises a specific and particular question about what it means for Catholic Christians to be present at a Eucharist – both online, virtually and offline, in person. This article elaborates not only on the question of real or virtual participation but also on the presence of the people as a communion: how they are present. The importance of active participation, how people dress, how people give money and how they choose which online worship all need to be accounted for when developing a nuanced understanding of presence at the Eucharist.","PeriodicalId":43627,"journal":{"name":"Practical Theology","volume":"16 1","pages":"108 - 117"},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2023-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43051825","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Practical TheologyPub Date : 2023-01-02DOI: 10.1080/1756073X.2022.2159687
ElianaAh-Rum Ku
{"title":"Lament-Driven preaching for a 戀 (Yeon) community","authors":"ElianaAh-Rum Ku","doi":"10.1080/1756073X.2022.2159687","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1756073X.2022.2159687","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Covid-19 exacerbated the xenophobia and hate crime associated with racism in North America, which triggered a race-based trauma. However, studies are rare that focus specifically on the suffering that Asian Americans have endured. How might a faith community envision a wholesome community while holding and honoring the experience of Asian American pain? This study suggests a form of lament-driven preaching for a 戀 (Yeon) community that has interconnective suffering narratives, that pursues justice in a faith community and envisions what we can do about race-based trauma. The article focuses on a relational way to rebuild a community that has been wounded by xenophobia and hate crimes. Lament as remembering and reconnecting contributes to our consideration of how to respond to the suffering from the injustice of Asian hate crime beyond merely articulating and complaining about the experience. This study deals with the rhetoric of lament based on the Book of Lamentations and suggests how to use Psalm 137 in preaching as a way of lamenting the hate crime against Asian Americans in the Atlanta shooting tragedy.","PeriodicalId":43627,"journal":{"name":"Practical Theology","volume":"16 1","pages":"118 - 130"},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2023-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46076711","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Practical TheologyPub Date : 2023-01-02DOI: 10.1080/1756073X.2022.2160534
H. Cameron
{"title":"The visit: a theological reflection on a justice-seeking practice addressing a wicked problem","authors":"H. Cameron","doi":"10.1080/1756073X.2022.2160534","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1756073X.2022.2160534","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT This article offers a theological reflection on a justice-seeking practice, that of a faith-based organisation inviting a member of parliament to visit a hostel that is home to people experiencing homelessness. The issue of homelessness is outlined, and the practice of the visit put into context. The practicalities and purposes of the visit are explained. The narrative of Jesus’ encounter with Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1–9) is used to reflect upon the different ways in which unrighteousness, being lost and entanglement with wickedness are evident in the visit. Finally the visit as a justice-seeking practice is evaluated before the outcome of this particular case is disclosed.","PeriodicalId":43627,"journal":{"name":"Practical Theology","volume":"16 1","pages":"20 - 30"},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2023-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42298229","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Practical TheologyPub Date : 2022-11-18DOI: 10.1080/1756073X.2022.2143348
Elia Maggang
{"title":"Blue diakonia: the mission of Indonesian churches for and with the sea","authors":"Elia Maggang","doi":"10.1080/1756073X.2022.2143348","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1756073X.2022.2143348","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT How could the Indonesian churches’ ministry of diakonia contribute to overcoming the marine ecological crisis? Because the poor suffer the most from that crisis, diakonia, which considers looking after the poor as one of its concerns, can play a critical role. However, instead of focusing exclusively on human interest, this article seeks to conceptualise diakonia as a ministry that has concerns for all creatures whose lives rely on the sea, and the sea itself. I begin with integrating the marine ecological crisis into diakonia by engaging with theological discourses on diakonia to suggest that such an integration is plausible and necessary. This integration leads to a discussion on the emerging discourse of eco-diakonia to argue that the sea should be a recipient of diakonia. Then, based on the encounter between a Christian theology of diakonia and traditional maritime cultures of Indonesia navigated by a Trinitarian pneumatology of creation, I proceed further to argue that the sea should also be perceived as diakonos. These arguments constitute the concept of ‘blue diakonia’: a ministry that acknowledges and supports the sea as an active participant in the Trinitarian Spirit’s work by feeding the poor and giving life to all creatures.","PeriodicalId":43627,"journal":{"name":"Practical Theology","volume":"16 1","pages":"43 - 54"},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2022-11-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41781878","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Practical TheologyPub Date : 2022-11-02DOI: 10.1080/1756073X.2022.2149001
Calida Chu
{"title":"How Am I Going to Grow Up? An Exploration of Congregational Transition Among Second-Generation Chinese Canadian Evangelicals and Servant Leadership","authors":"Calida Chu","doi":"10.1080/1756073X.2022.2149001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1756073X.2022.2149001","url":null,"abstract":"closure of their community. How did they view themselves and what remained of their resources? ‘Oh, that’s easy, we’re the compost for whatever comes next’ (99). This compost is intentionally created out of the death of a socially influential Church, and ‘made from the post-modern, post-industrial, post Christendom, and post-colonial North’ (100). They examine ‘ ... five ways of approaching a nuanced post-colonial contextual theology from the North of England’ (102): particularity, theological agency, coloniality, hybridisation, resistance. They argue ‘ ... that spiritual capital creates relational capital at the fuzzy boundary of Church and world’ (112), illustrating this with German churches that have shops within their outer walls. Chapter 7 draws together the themes of the research with the image of dance: joining in with what God is already doing through discernment of ‘the spark of God’ beyond and within human experience. HowGodworks is marked by ‘ ... patience, kindness and gentleness, not domination or force’ (124). The compost for Fuzzy Church embraces the situation in which the church is no longer a political and cultural force. Rather, it tends the work of the Spirit through a choice against power over and cooperates with the Spirit’s patience, kindness, and gentleness. ‘The power of the Spirit at work could perhaps be described as new life coming through death and deprivation, like new shoots pushing up through cracks in the pavement’ (128). It would augment the research if there had been a response from the participants. I wondered, if they had read the book and responded, would they recognise the insights and conclusions? Perhaps this is the next chapter which the authors hope will be written.","PeriodicalId":43627,"journal":{"name":"Practical Theology","volume":"15 1","pages":"618 - 619"},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2022-11-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47043383","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Practical TheologyPub Date : 2022-11-02DOI: 10.1080/1756073X.2022.2128273
Farman Ali
{"title":"The contextualisation of Christian Eucharistic worship in Pakistan","authors":"Farman Ali","doi":"10.1080/1756073X.2022.2128273","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1756073X.2022.2128273","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT This research paper is an attempt to explore contextual dynamics in the Christian Eucharistic liturgy of Pakistan. The debate about the adoption of indigenous elements in Christian worship is linked to the history of Christian missions in the Indian subcontinent. As a result of this debate, some intentional and unintentional inculturation has been made, especially in the Protestant Churches. However, the production of Sacrosanctum Concilium (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy) after Vatican II enabled local Catholic clergymen to adopt cultural elements, so that worship rituals may appear natural to the worshipers. For the research semi-structured qualitative interviews were used as a method and eight theologians from both Protestant and Catholic Churches were interviewed. This research concludes that because of the deep influence of western churches on the Pakistani church, local theologians are not able to fully contextualise Christian worship in the context of Pakistan. Consequently, contextualisation is mostly limited to the use of local language in Catholic Churches; however, Protestant Churches are more open to localise their liturgy.","PeriodicalId":43627,"journal":{"name":"Practical Theology","volume":"16 1","pages":"82 - 94"},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2022-11-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45952350","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Practical TheologyPub Date : 2022-11-02DOI: 10.1080/1756073X.2022.2148996
Anupama M Ranawana
{"title":"Losing ground: reading Ruth in the Pacific","authors":"Anupama M Ranawana","doi":"10.1080/1756073X.2022.2148996","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1756073X.2022.2148996","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":43627,"journal":{"name":"Practical Theology","volume":"15 1","pages":"612 - 613"},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2022-11-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43827246","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Practical TheologyPub Date : 2022-11-02DOI: 10.1080/1756073X.2022.2148988
Nigel Rooms
{"title":"Editorial 15-06","authors":"Nigel Rooms","doi":"10.1080/1756073X.2022.2148988","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1756073X.2022.2148988","url":null,"abstract":"Katie Cross, from our Editorial Board, writes in a Soap Box article in this issue addressing what practical theology is. She states that it is disparate, a ‘highly ambiguous activity’ without ‘a single, universal definition’ that we can determine. Sometimes the articles that make up an ordinary issue of our journal suggest themes and threads as they connect together, however, for this last issue of 2022 the material is indeed quite disparate, perhaps providing evidence for Cross’ hypothesis. Placing people with autism at the centre of church life, dealing with child witchcraft accusations, Judaeo-Christian responses to Covid-19, pastoral leadership, political preaching and, as noted already, the nature of practical theology itself. It is noteworthy, however, since we don’t often publish what we might call research articles that offer a ‘meta-analysis’ of existing research or writing, that in this issue there are two such contributions. One puts broadly theological material published during the first wave of the Covid19 pandemic in 2020 under a microscope and the other analyses approaches to pastoral leadership arising from published empirical research. While I have been Editor of Practical Theology, it has been noticeable the number of articles we have published reflecting on the theological and ecclesiological questions raised by people with autism. As Léon van Ommen points out what we haven’t had is a case study in an actual ecclesial community from which to learn. Thus in a fascinating description of his research at the Chapel of Christ our Hope in Singapore this gap is eminently filled. People with autism are placed at the centre of the life of the Christian community in a unique way. In some ways, it reminded me of calls from the Child Theology movement to do a similar thing, yet here it is happening! The results are rich and satisfying for everyone – neurotypical and autistic alike. What is most striking is the way the neurotypical are invited to adapt to new paradigm represented by those people with autism in their midst. If only all churches were able to change their culture and behaviour to meet with those joining them who may be different from the prevailing, dominant ethos. What is also remarkable is how this community can hold difference together – especially different views on the nature and meaning of autism in a person and be on a journey together. Perhaps van Ommen’s finding about the way the liturgy operates in this church is a clue to its effectiveness. Some articles that are submitted for consideration in our journal stand out as needing, even demanding to be published. Such is the contribution from Claire Ayelotan drawn from her doctoral research in transnational Yoruba Pentecostalism – an ecclesiological category that is fresh and important in itself. Embedded within these churches is the problem of child witchcraft accusation in which religion and culture come into sharp contrast with the protection of the child. By intervie","PeriodicalId":43627,"journal":{"name":"Practical Theology","volume":"15 1","pages":"505 - 507"},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2022-11-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48920354","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}