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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…
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Take Off Your Shoes – Hospitality and Practical Theology: BIAPT 2023 Annual Conference
The BIAPT 2023 Annual Conference, Take Off Your Shoes – Hospitality and Practical Theology, allows us to explore a theme that has come under increasing theological scrutiny in recent years. Hospitality is a universal virtue, one that is claimed by every culture, but what does it mean to welcome another into our country, home, space or personal narrative? “Take off your shoes” was chosen as the title for this conference because it communicates very well the ambiguities, complexities and contradictions of the act of hospitality. On the one hand, it does not hide the power imbalance of the relationship between host and guest that will surely be explored during the…
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Welcoming the Stranger: Aligning Hospitality, Justice and Charity with Righteousness
This article explores hospitality, the theme of BIAPT’s 2023 annual conference to be held on 11th to 13th July 2023. If you want to explore these sort of themes further, please consider joining us for the conference. For details visit the conference website here. In the Tanakh (the Bible) there are many instances where we are commanded to treat the stranger with charity, justice and righteousness. Why? Perhaps it is based on the idea of reciprocity, a payback for having been guests, presumably quite good guests: “Because you were strangers in a strange land” (Exodus 22:20) This seems reasonable; the good guest becomes, hopefully, the good host. After all, every…
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Seeking New Associate Editor for Practical Theology
Due to the internationalization and growth of Practical Theology, the trustees of the Contact Pastoral Trust wish to appoint an Associate Editor, who will make a significant contribution to the continuing development of the journal. The appointment is with the expectation that after approximately three years the person taking up the role will then become the Editor for at least the following two years. This is therefore an appointment for at least five years beginning in Sept/Oct 2023. The first two years will allow the current Editor to induct the Associate Editor into the business and tasks of editing and withdraw at the appropriate point. The third year will involve…
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In the image of God: Perfection and disability
What is perfection? In this article, we consider views of disability, perfection, and where this fits with our view of the image of God. We argue that our view of the image of God has been affected by our own perceptions. We propose that these perceptions can come from our own personal thoughts, and things such as advertising, and social media. This suggests that perfection has become key to understanding the physical attributes that people associate with the image of God. Considering disability theology, we argue that by our image of God we are able to understand what it means for everyone to be counted as exhibiting God’s image. This…
