Political Theology
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After Hegemony: On the Future of Practical Theology in Ireland
Friends now tire of me talking about the future of practical theology in Ireland. I suspect some have begun carefully changing the subject whenever they see me approaching it. Unfortunately for them, and perhaps for you, I remain fascinated by the question. Part of the problem is that I find practical theology in Ireland frustratingly difficult to locate. Beyond those forms associated with ministerial education (often named ‘pastoral theology,’ and often rather dubious about the designation ‘practical theology’) or those tightly wedded to mission and ministry (where it is frequently renamed ‘applied theology’), it often seems strangely elusive.[1] Yet whenever I raise the matter with colleagues, I encounter an optimism…
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Reflections on “Pastoral Ethics and Belief Baggage: A Critical Look at Animal Symbolism in Witchcraft” by Claire Ayelotan
Claire’s piece can be read here: https://practicaltheologyhub.com/?p=1298 Fear and the Desire for Control Why are our societies so obsessed with witchcraft? While I was reading Claire’s brilliant piece, I could not help but remember that we used the same Christian text – Pope Gregory IX’s papal bull Vox in Rama – regarding fear of black cats (but my piece was on another topic: https://practicaltheologyhub.com/?p=1268). Black cats and other animals are widely associated with magic and beyond natural (or supernatural) powers. Trying to answer the question, we all abhor death, disease, famine, poverty and not being able to get what we want [in Buddhist terms these are part of what is understood as…
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Reflections on “Who do you say that I am?” by Tim Livesey
Published April 25, 2024 Direct Link: https://practicaltheologyhub.com/?p=1404 I was deeply moved by Tim Livesey’s reflections on identity, labelling, and empathy, sparked by his interfaith pilgrimage through Israel and Palestine. His analysis of Jesus’ powerful question—“Who do you say that I am?”—strikes at the heart of how we see, understand, and ultimately treat one another. Tim compellingly shows how labels, whether religious, ethnic, or political, profoundly shape our interactions, often distorting our capacity to acknowledge shared humanity. This reflection comes at a time when the dark shadow of abandonment, death, neglect, hunger, and pain overwhelms innocents caught in a conflict not of their own making, while much of the world watches…
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Reflections on Body Theology
Bodies matter. They shape how we experience life—through our senses, movements, and our interactions with the world. Yet, our bodies are frequently sites of inequality and violence. In 2025, state-sanctioned war and genocide (in Palestine and Ukraine to name just two places) targets and seeks to erase the bodies of entire communities, both physically and culturally. The COVID-19 pandemic has left lasting physical, mental, and societal scars, with millions facing health challenges like long COVID, deepening inequalities, and strained healthcare systems. Physical and sexual violence, especially gender-based violence, remains a global public health crisis. The bodies of Black people, ethnic minorities, immigrants, and refugees are still treated as though they…
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Lamentation of Dehumanisation: Theological Resistance and the Sacredness of the Accused Child
Atlanta, Georgia “If there’s somebody out there like that has him, I just wish they knew that somebody here loves him; that a whole lot of people love him. This whole community loves him and they want him back, too.” Camille Bell.[1] On the 21st of October 1979, nine-year-old Yusuf Bell ran an errand for an elderly neighbour at a nearby grocery store. He never returned home to his mother, who called out for him. His body was later found in an abandoned school building eighteen days later.[2] His cause of death was classified as a brutal hit on his head and strangulation. Yusuf was one of the thirty African-American…
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Something must be done, my friend: Reflecting on “I’m Still Here” from a Buddhist view
Mas não vou ficar calado No conforto, acomodado Como tantos por aí É preciso dar um jeito, meu amigo É preciso dar um jeito, meu amigo[1] (Erasmo Carlos – É preciso dar um jeito, meu amigo) Flowing through my mind, these are the words of Erasmo Carlos’ 1971 song “É preciso dar um jeito, meu amigo.”[2] This song is also part of the “I’m Still Here” soundtrack—a Brazilian masterpiece that evokes resistance against military coups and authoritarian regimes. MPB (Música popular brasileira, or Brazilian popular music in English) was an incredible driving force not only in denouncing the horrors of the military dictatorship in Brazil, but also in giving hope…
