General
The course is offered as a freestanding course. It is part of the Pre-Master in Religious Studies and Theology, 60 credits.
Course Description
How does theology relate to the practical life of faith? Practical theology sometimes defines itself against the negative foil of systematic theology, and practical theologians worry that systematic theology neglects the role of context in Christian thought. But is this really a fair way to assess systematic theology? In this course, we explore the relationship between Christian theories and the practice of faith, and in re-imagining the relationship between these two, the course sheds light on the relation between theory and practice, as well as between systematic theology and practical theology.
Learning Outcomes
After completion of the course the student should be able to:
1. Knowledge and understanding:
1.1 relate various positions on the dichotomy between theory and practice to various thinkers in the field of theology, and identify how they apply theories to a variety of materials and research objects
1.2 identify common positions in the current scholarly discourse of qualitative and empirical methods in the field of theology
2. Competence and skills:
2.1 independently formulate and solve problems related to qualitative research, within the field of theology, even with limited information
2.2 identify and analyze critically the two perspectives of Christian doctrines and lived faith, with the use of appropriate critical methods within a given time frame
3. Judgement and approach:
3.1 select and argue for appropriate methods for studies related the reflection of faith and practiced faith, and the limitations such methods impose on the object of study, from both a disciplinary, social and ethical perspective
3.2 assess and argue for the limitations of qualitative research, and the need for ongoing research in the field as well as the ethical problems and social concern that relates to empirical methods and qualitative research.
See course plan for more information.