Talking about God in practice: Theological action research and practical theology

Abstract

For them, practical theology is an interactive performance as insiders and outsiders engage in critical theological discussions, which are informed through a variety of data collection methods to solve problems. The authors map out models of interaction between the insiders (clergy, laity, and stakeholders in the faith based organization) and outsiders (university based or professional researchers from various disciplines) for building alliances, designing data collection techniques, and analyzing data.

Book Details Cameron, H., Bhatti, D., Duce, C, Sweeney, J., & Watkins, C. (2010). Talking about God in practice: Theological action research and practical theology. London, UK: SCM Press, 187 pages, paperback, ISBN: 9780334043638.

Reviewer

Jonathan Chad Roach

Synopsis

This volume is the first book length product from this team of authors who for the last four years have been developing a fresh approach to practical theology. This ecumenical and interdisciplinary team from the University of London and Ripon College Cuddesdon includes theologians and researchers from the Anglican Church, the Roman Catholic Church, and the Salvation Army. The authors believe that any split between pastoral practice and academic theology is detrimental to both. They propose a Theological Action Research approach that engages academics and church leaders in a formal process of collaboration to solve problems in faith based organizations.

The authors outline two major outcomes of their project: a description of a theological action research methodology and a model of four voices theological reflection. They describe their method as a critical conversation that is discerned into theological text. For them, practical theology is an interactive performance as insiders and outsiders engage in critical theological discussions, which are informed through a variety of data collection methods to solve problems.

Action Research is a participatory research methodology between participants and researchers in a context based reality that addresses real-life problems, which resembles the KoIb Learning Cycle (p. 37). The authors outline three models of action research: the Northern Industrial Model, the Southern Participatory Model, and the Research into Professional Practice Model (p. 39) . They argue that "Action research derives its credibility from whether participants' problems are solved and whether they achieve control over their situation" (p. 36) . The authors offer a model for Theological Action Research that engages theological reflection all the way through social and organizational analysis as a spiral in a four-voice theological reflection process.

The authors map out models of interaction between the insiders (clergy, laity, and stakeholders in the faith based organization) and outsiders (university based or professional researchers from various disciplines) for building alliances, designing data collection techniques, and analyzing data.

The four-voice reflection process engages normative, formal, espoused, and operant theologies in a conversation approach that empowers faith-led change. The normative voice engages the theological tradition of context, the espoused theology explores what the group says they believe, the operant theology asks what the practices of this community discloses about its lived theological practice, and the formal theological voice brings 'professional' theologians into the conversation. Throughout the process of designing, collecting, and sharing data, the team of insiders and outsiders engage this process of four voices theological reflection from their own perspectives and from a joint perspective.

The team offers three examples of their methodology and four voice process: One example is from an Anglican parish, one is from a Roman Catholic Diocese, and the final is from an ecumenical faith based non-profit.

Evaluation

Far from being choppy, this team-based approach to theological writing has produced a clear, smooth, and approachable text. This is an excellent theological approach for researchers, church leaders, and both graduate and undergraduate students to explore, which advances earlier see-judge-act models. Although their histories of practical theology and action research are thin, there are a number of other sources that may be pared with this text to provide this background. The authors offer a number of these other texts at the end of each chapter for further reading. From the Action Research side, Burns (2007) Systemic Action Research, and Greenwood and Levin (2007) Introduction to Action Research are especially helpful, while from the practical theological aspect, Heitink (1999) Practical Theology: History, Theory, and Action Domains provides an excellent overview.

The highlight of this approach is the authors' development of the four-voice method of theological reflection. The flexibility of using this model allows individuals from different denominational traditions to move back and forth among the four voices and access different understandings of each voice without breaking down in dogmatic debates. Each voice discloses the other voices in an interrelated process of meaning building. This provides a theological methodology that can easily move across denominational divisions, engage professional theologians, church leaders, and laity in authentic problem solving, and illustrate a model of mutual support and interaction between the church and the academy.

In the Author's Own Words

"A photo would expose our working method. A large table covered in papers, laptops, cups of tea, coffee and juice... At one end of the room a white board, with lists and diagrams. A tape recorder to capture the vigorous conversations... But this is only half the story; most of the work of the project has been done by our partners in their contexts whether alone or in dialogue with us. These conversations have been just as lively, with laughter often signalling a fresh epiphany. We hope you will read this book as an invitation to join the conversation" (p. 4).

References

References

Burns, D. (2007). Systemic action research: A strategy for whole system change. Bristol, UK: Policy Press.

Greenwood, D. J., & Levin, M. (2007). Introduction to action research: Social research for social change. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Heitink, G. (1999). Practical Theology: History, theory, and action domains. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.