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Practical Theology Hub People, Episode One: Nicola Slee, Ash Cocksworth and Rachel Starr
We are excited to announce the launch of the Practical Theology Hub’s YouTube Channel with our new video series “Practical Theology Hub People.” The first video in the series (see below) is an interview exploring “From the Shores of Silence: Conversations in Feminist Practical Theology” an important book that celebrates the emergence of feminist practical theology as a powerful force that is reshaping the discipline of practical theology by challenging its traditional emphases and raising new questions. Feminist practical theology does this often with a distinctive emphasis on poetry, collaboration and prayerfulness. The book pays tribute to one feminist practical theologian in particular, Nicola Slee. Slee’s work not only typifies…
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Putting oneself in someone else’s shoes: Engaging inter-religious dialogues from within
The expression “putting oneself in someone else’s shoes” is used in situations in which we should try to understand what another person is feeling or the hardships they are going through. But sometimes we have to put ourselves in someone else’s shoes to understand that person’s worldviews, mindsets, and even emotions. Empathy, solidarity, and compassion arise from this mental and bodily action. In Mahāyāna Buddhist traditions compassion (Skt. karuṇā; Tib. སྙིང་རྗེ་), loving-kindness (Skt. maitrī; Tib. བྱམས་པ་), joy (Skt. muditā; Tib. དགའ་བ་), and equanimity (Skt. upekṣā; Tib. བཏང་སྙོམས་) arise from the developing process of the altruistic resolution to become a Buddha (Skt. bodhicitta; Tib. བྱང་ཆུབ་སེམས་), beginning with the first step of…
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Can you do theology on TikTok?
As theologians, we are used to being on established social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook and many of us will have featured on a webinar or lecture series uploaded to YouTube. Why then are so few of us practising theology on TikTok – the world’s most popular social network? Given that the church is desperate to reach a younger demographic and will often criticise the decline in religious literacy, why are we not alongside the people we so desperately want to reach? In this article I argue that theologians need to see TikTok as more than a place for ethnographic study but rather as a legitimate space in…
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When Christian Fasting Turns into Child Abuse
Introduction In late April and until end of May 2023, national and international media reported at least two hundred and twenty-seven bodies of children and adults discovered in shallow graves in a forest near Shakahola village of Magarini Constituency, Kenya.[1] The victims died from the religious directions given by Pastor Paul Nthenge Mackenzie, a taxi driver-turned-founder of the Good News International Church, that they must fast to death in order to meet Jesus. Those rescued were beyond recognition because of their emaciated conditions. Fundamental questions remain regarding the classification of religious movements. The issue now arises whether Makenzie’s organisation is a Neo-Pentecostal church or cult group, as it has now…
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The Practical Reality of Practical Theology
This paper was written collaboratively by postgraduate students and staff at the University of Aberdeen during a research seminar in Practical Theology. Contributors are listed at the end of the piece with a brief summary of their research. Click here for details on studying Divinity at Aberdeen. Introduction The field of Practical Theology (PT) is thriving at the University of Aberdeen. During the postgraduate Practical Theology research seminar in the Autumn term (September to December) of 2022, we, a group of postgraduate students and academic staff, carried out a collaborative writing exercise, seeking to define and understand Practical Theology. This was inspired by our shared reading of Collaborative Practical Theology…
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The Lord’s Supper and Eating Disorders
Introduction and Definitions Taking the Lord’s Supper is a duty of all Christians. However, many Christians have eating disorders which inhibit them. This raises vital pastoral issues which are considered a little here. I am a pastor who has had to work through this with a few Christians. Before a pastor, I was a hospital pharmacist on gastro-intestinal surgical wards. This providence has given me additional perspectives. By ‘eating disorders’ I do not limit the discussion to the psychological conditions which may first spring to mind. Anorexia, orthorexia, bulimia and others are included but what follows applies more pertinently to physical conditions.[1] Birth defects, disease, surgery and degrees of disability…
