Praxis and Practice in Theology Conference
Practical theology is a discipline with many contexts and conversation partners, and our faculty are engaged in research initiatives that span the globe. In October, Dr. Claire Wolfteich gave a keynote address entitled “The study of practices: Investigations in Practical Theology and Spirituality Studies” at the Praxis and Practice in Theology Conference at Arhaus University in Denmark. Here are some of the foci and questions considered at the conference:
“In theology and practical theology the recent ”empirical turn” has encouraged comprehensive research into practices in organised and individual forms of religion. This has provided a richer understanding of the practical, social and material side of religious life as a topic for theological reflection. It has also suggested that theological reflection and knowledge is not separate from actual practices, but embedded in them. At the same time, profound questions for theology and practical theology alike have appeared. What does ”practice” refer to in the domain of religious life, and how can it be fruitfully investigated? How can theological understanding and knowledge be understood in terms of praxis, as theory formed and re-formed in practice? And what do these claims imply for empirical studies in theology and practical theology as a constructive and normative enterprise?”
We look forward to featuring insights from Dr. Wolfteich’s presentation on the website soon!