“The energy, organization, intelligence, and wisdom of the editor have borne fruit in this very splendid book. It deserves to be widely read and used.” (Reviews Religion & Theology, 7 April 2015)
“The first comprehensive reference work to provide a survey, description and analysis of practical theology as an area of study.” (Native American Encyclopedia, 20 December 2013)
“This Companion has wide scope … and is surely the most definitive definition of what practical theology entails to date … An important addition to the shelves of those who teach practical theology or ministers as well as those engaged in the ministry themselves … [It] offers a new way of seeing the subject, with sets of essays that are informative, novel, and take theology in new directions.” (Regent’s Reviews, 2012)
“This edited collection is a showcase presenting how contemporary scholarship of practical theology has been developed into a wide concept of practical theology … For those who are interested in teaching Christian theology from a practical theological perspective, this book will be a useful reference.” (Homiletic Journal, 2012)
“Miller-McLemore, a leader in the field, has edited an excellent handbook on Christian practical theology. Though the essays are short, they provide excellent overviews of the various topics and, more important, helpful bibliographies for students who wish to explore certain topics further … Libraries supporting curricula in Christian theology and ministry should acquire this good introduction to the field. It is essential for acquisition for seminary libraries … Recommended: upper-level undergraduates and above.” (Choice, 2012)
“This long-awaited volume is a tour de force, providing a comprehensive, critical survey of practical theology as it has matured in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. The authors are global leaders in the field, and the chapters reveal the stunning depth and complexity of the subject. It will provide an outstanding reference for practical theologians everywhere, and will serve as a critical source for courses in practical theology and for a wide and urgent intellectual conversation for many years to come.”
―Mary Elizabeth Moore, Boston University
“This book provides a clear guide to a field that has been developing rapidly and challenges us to integrate practical knowledge and lived religion in ministerial study. For those who value the study of religion and theology within the context of our various worlds today, this is a must-read resource.”
―Emilie M. Townes, Yale Divinity School
“Modern Practical Theology, the exploration of the interactions between belief and practice, comes of age with this excellent volume. Containing articles from many of the world’s leading practical theologians, the Companion provides a unique, imaginative, comprehensive survey and resource for the exploration of this important, growing field.”
―Stephen Pattison, University of Birmingham
From the Inside Flap
The Wiley-Blackwell Companion to Practical Theology offers a comprehensive introduction to practical theology as a major area of Christian study and practice, including an overview of its key developments, themes, methods, and future directions.
There has been a remarkable growth in scholarship surrounding practical theology in recent years. Contributions by distinguished theologians from around the world reflect this growth. Their insightful essays clarify the myriad emerging uses and contributions of practical theology, including an expansion of the analysis of practical knowledge and lived religion in ministerial study, in the study of religion and theology, and in the wider public. In a path-breaking move to clarify a complex term, the volume is organized around four distinct meanings of practical theology: an activity of believers seeking to sustain a life of reflective faith, a method of understanding theology in practice by religious leaders, a curricular area in theological education, and an academic discipline pursued by scholars.
With its combined organizational clarity and scholarly authorship, The Wiley-Blackwell Companion to Practical Theology not only strengthens the discipline of practical theology, but gives scholars in other areas and religious leaders in different settings fresh tools to understand the dynamics of theology as a living reality and the knowledge that evolves out of religious practice.
From the Back Cover
The Wiley-Blackwell Companion to Practical Theology offers a comprehensive introduction to practical theology as a major area of Christian study and practice, including an overview of its key developments, themes, methods, and future directions.
There has been a remarkable growth in scholarship surrounding practical theology in recent years. Contributions by distinguished theologians from around the world reflect this growth. Their insightful essays clarify the myriad emerging uses and contributions of practical theology, including an expansion of the analysis of practical knowledge and lived religion in ministerial study, in the study of religion and theology, and in the wider public. In a path-breaking move to clarify a complex term, the volume is organized around four distinct meanings of practical theology: an activity of believers seeking to sustain a life of reflective faith, a method of understanding theology in practice by religious leaders, a curricular area in theological education, and an academic discipline pursued by scholars.
With its combined organizational clarity and scholarly authorship, The Wiley-Blackwell Companion to Practical Theology not only strengthens the discipline of practical theology, but gives scholars in other areas and religious leaders in different settings fresh tools to understand the dynamics of theology as a living reality and the knowledge that evolves out of religious practice.
About the Author
Bonnie J. Miller-McLemore is E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Professor of Pastoral Theology at Vanderbilt University Divinity School and Graduate Department of Religion. Winner of a prestigious Henry Luce III Fellow in Theology award, she is a national and international leader in pastoral and practical theologies and widely recognized for research on families, women, and children. Her publications include Feminist and Womanist Pastoral Theology (1999) and an upcoming collection of essays, Christian Theology in Practice: Discovering a Discipline (2012).
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