Practical theology is the practical application of theology to everyday life. Richard Osmer explains that the four key questions and tasks in practical theology are:
- What is going on? (descriptive-empirical task)
- Why is this going on? (interpretative task)
- What ought to be going on? (normative task)
- How might we respond? (pragmatic task)
Practical theology consists of several related sub-fields: applied theology (such as missions, evangelism, pastoral psychology or the psychology of religion), church growth, administration, homiletics, spiritual formation, pastoral theology, spiritual direction, spiritual theology (or ascetical theology), political theology, theology of justice and peace and similar areas. It also includes advocacy theology, such as the various theologies of liberation (of the oppressed in general, of the disenfranchised, of women, of immigrants, of children, and black theology). Practical theology may also include practices of Christians caring for others as Christ cared for the poor. Dr. Christian D. Boyd also writes about a new perspective of practical theology called "convergent practical theology" which has emerged out of the combined studies and practice of missiology with organizational development since the publication of "Missional Church" by Darrell Guder et al.
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Famous quotes containing the words practical and/or theology:
“After all, the practical reason why, when the power is once in the hands of the people, a majority are permitted, and for a long period continue, to rule is not because they are most likely to be in the right, nor because this seems fairest to the minority, but because they are physically the strongest. But a government in which the majority rule in all cases cannot be based on justice, even as far as men understand it.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“A theology whose god is a metaphor is wasting its time.”
—Mason Cooley (b. 1927)