African postfoundational practical theology
Loading...
Date
2017
Authors
Muller, J. C.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Faculty of Theology, University of the Free State
Abstract
Practical theology is located in a fragile, vulnerable space between various
disciplines, where it is exposed to multiple different narratives. The author proposes
a postfoundational, narrative approach to practical theology that favours the local
over the global and the specific over generalisations. Africa is taken as the defining
context for the understanding and development of a specific postfoundational
practical theology. People and their stories are central, and this requires a coconstruction
of meaning with “co-researchers”. The author’s “seven movements”,
as published in other articles, is used with an Ubuntu research project as a case
study. The “seven movements” facilitate the telling and retelling of unheard stories,
particularly stories of the marginalised and vulnerable. This way of doing practical
theology takes the experiences of “co-researchers” seriously and conducts
research wíth people rather than on them. The researcher’s focus is concrete, local,
and contextual, but also extends beyond the local by engaging in transdisciplinary
conversation and developing interpretations that point beyond the local.
Description
Keywords
Postfoundational, Practical theology, African, Narrative, Ubuntu research
Citation
Müller, J. C. (2017). African postfoundational practical theology. Acta Theologica, 37(1), 86-96.