2.4 Written Qualifying Examinations
Three
qualifying examinations must be taken for the major in practical theology, one
of which (examination #3) is wholly devoted to the student's concentration.
The Doctor of Theology Degree Handbook of Boston University School of Theology calls for a "core bibliography" in each
major and minor field of study (§2.4). The bibliography printed below in §2.5 (Core Bibliography; serves
as that core bibliography for the major, and it is on the basis of this core
bibliography that each of the first two qualifying examinations is prepared.) For each examination, the candidate will
develop with his or her major advisor a fuller bibliography that builds on the
following core bibliography and adds additional readings based on the student's
practical, theological, and methodological focus. Along with other practical
theology faculty, the major advisor will read the answers to these questions
with an expectation of precision, depth of knowledge, clarity of expression,
richness of understanding, and ability to achieve appropriate interdisciplinary
connections and integration. Examination #3, the "concentration"
examination, will be customized based on the particular concentration field and
in conversation with the student's concentration advisor.
2.4.1 Examination #1 – Practical Theology as a
Discipline
The first examination
in practical theology is one that is likely to bear great similarity from
student to student, much more so than the second examination, which is far more
customized. Examination #1 asks questions about the very nature of practical
theology as a discipline, or movement within the larger theological enterprise
and about the body of literature that has grown up around questions of the
history and nature of practical theology. Examination #1 asks about how the
student's theological understanding shapes her or his own approach to practical
theological questions and how that understanding is related to particular
descriptive approaches, whether those be more philosophical, historical, or
social scientific. The examiners reserve the right to ask questions of any
kind; however, the following are the kinds of questions students should expect
to answer:
- "What
is Practical Theology? In your answer, provide
- a brief definition of
Practical Theology,
- a discussion of what you take to be the key issues in
the field,
- an analysis of those issues with reference to at least three
authors in the bibliography, and
- an argument for your own position on these
issues.
- Demonstrate your
understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of the field of practical
theology by discussing the relationship between theology and a particular
methodological approach (historical, social-scientific, philosophical) to
describing and analyzing "the situation." In this discussion, be sure to
analyze and illustrate the role of description in practical theology. In the
course of your answer, make detailed comparisons among the proposals of at
least three authors in the bibliography.
- Consider two major Christian
theologians (agreed upon ahead of time with your major advisor) and discuss the
relevance and contribution of those individuals to how one might understand the
nature of practical theology and how one might actually go about the tasks of
practical theology.
2.4.2 Examination #2 – Ecclesiology, Context, and
Practices
The second major
examination in practical theology affords the student the opportunity to
demonstrate her or his grasp of the discipline of practical theology as it
pertains to her or his concentration. While all students will be asked here
about their understanding of the church, this second examination will ask
students to relate their ecclesiology to their own particular field of
concentration. In addition, this examination will ask questions about
- how context and culture shape practical
theological research in the concentration field
- how cognate fields of study and the student's
own methodological approach to the concentration contribute to and shape the
practical theological study of that concentration
- how various philosophical, moral, and
hermeneutic schools of thought bear upon how one understands the relationship
of practice to truth and the interpretation of Christian practices in the
concentration field
Because this
examination is customized, the purple book does not here include sample
questions for this exam except the following sample question related to
ecclesiology (some version of which every student should expect).
- How do you
understand the nature and mission of the church and, in particular, the
relation of the church to its contemporary setting or culture? Discuss your
answer in dialogue with other relevant positions on these questions (including
positions with which you agree and positions with which you do not agree) and,
in particular, with at least three authors in the bibliography.
2.4.3 Examination #3 – Concentration Exam
The third
examination in practical theology is wholly focused on the student's field of
concentration. Each student should consult with his or her concentration
advisor to develop a bibliography and to discuss the types of questions that
may appear on this exam.
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