The importance of life and faith histories in the methodology of Practical Theology

The basic questions of Practical Theology concern the development of a community of faith built on, and building the faithful lives of its members in their particular contexts. This article is an exploration of the biographical method – as a means of qualitative empirical research – to obtain data concerning the possibilities of people in their everyday life of coming to an understanding of their particular situation in the light of their understanding of the Christian tradition. This understanding, individual faith develops in conjunction with the particular theological context in which a person lives her/his life. The author chooses to listen to the life and faith histories of people as a feminist. This means that the role gender plays in life and faith, is taken seriously

A challenge to change developments in feminist theology and feminist Christology

Contextual theologies have made it clear that context, and the particular experiences a context gives, shapes thinking about the Divine and the world into a particular, contextual theology. Feminist theologians stress the point that the life-experience of women in general – and every woman of flesh and blood in particular – works as a context, seeing the world, thinking about the Divine from a particular perspective. The critique of feminist theologies is aimed in the first place to the presumptions and assumptions underlying texts, customs and politics. Feminist theologians ask basic questions about the acquisition of theological knowledge that exposes the cultural conditioning of Christian belief. This review article on the work of Lisa Isherwood and Dorothea McEwan demonstrates how many feminist theologians find in “Process Thought” a way of thinking that avoids the suppositions these presumptions and assumptions make

A place to share : some thoughts about the meaning of territory and boundaries in our thinking about God and humanity

This article proffers some thoughts in reply to the following question : how can we think about God in a theology that takes into account the concept of place in such a way that we are able to live together in a salvific way with others, sharing a place as equals? Concepts such as "territory" and "territoriality" are helpful, because they can be linked with "identity" and the need to feel safe. Boundaries and boundary markers such as walls play an important role in conflicts. The possibility of a "liminal space" at a boundary where eye-to-eye relationships may be possible helps to make "the other", the stranger, a human being with her / his own needs and vulnerability. Using the Israeli / Palestinian conflict as an example, images of God and their impact on the possibility of sharing the land are explored. Hagar, herself a stranger, experiences God's lifesaving attention and names God "God of seeing"

A challenge to change developments in feminist theology and feminist christology

Contextual theologies have made it clear that context, and the particular experiences a context gives, shapes thinking about the Divine and the world into a particular, contextual theology. Feminist theologians stress the point that the life-experience of women in general – and every woman of flesh and blood in particular – works as a context, seeing the world, thinking about the Divine from a particular perspective. The critique of feminist theologies is aimed in the first place to the presumptions and assumptions underlying texts, customs and politics. Feminist theologians ask basic questions about the acquisition of theological knowledge that exposes the cultural conditioning of Christian belief. This review article on the work of Lisa Isherwood and Dorothea McEwan demonstrates how many feminist theologians find in “Process Thought” a way of thinking that avoids the suppositions these presumptions and assumptions make.http://explore.up.ac.za/record=b100134

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The importance of life and faith histories in the methodology of practical theology

The basic questions of Practical Theology concern the development of a community of faith built on, and building the faithful lives of its members in their particular contexts. This article is an exploration of the biographical method – as a means of qualitative empirical research – to obtain data concerning the possibilities of people in their everyday life of coming to an understanding of their particular situation in the light of their understanding of the Christian tradition. This understanding, individual faith develops in conjunction with the particular theological context in which a person lives her/his life. The author chooses to listen to the life and faith histories of people as a feminist. This means that the role gender plays in life and faith, is taken seriously.Spine cut of Journal binding and pages scanned on flatbed EPSON Expression 10000 XL; 400dpi; text/lineart - black and white - stored to Tiff Derivation: Abbyy Fine Reader v.9 work with PNG-format (black and white); Photoshop CS3; Adobe Acrobat v.9 Web display format PDFhttp://explore.up.ac.za/record=b100134

A challenge to change developments in feminist theology and feminist Christology

Contextual theologies have made it clear that context, and the particular experiences a context gives, shapes thinking about the Divine and the world into a particular, contextual theology. Feminist theologians stress the point that the life-experience of women in general – and every woman of flesh and blood in particular – works as a context, seeing the world, thinking about the Divine from a particular perspective. The critique of feminist theologies is aimed in the first place to the presumptions and assumptions underlying texts, customs and politics. Feminist theologians ask basic questions about the acquisition of theological knowledge that exposes the cultural conditioning of Christian belief. This review article on the work of Lisa Isherwood and Dorothea McEwan demonstrates how many feminist theologians find in “Process Thought” a way of thinking that avoids the suppositions these presumptions and assumptions make

Back to basics: 'The Almighty Father' revisited

The article focused on the questions of how male dominance came about in theology and the church, what makes it so persistent and what can be done. It argued that patriarchy is based on androcentric ways of thinking, feeling and acting that colour all of culture and society. Patriarchy and androcentrism perpetuate the status quo through language. They provide a template for attributing meaning to reality. They still have a profound effect on theology and ecclesial institutions. This can be seen clearly in the concept of God, the ‘Almighty Father’. The article made a case for a theology that has the courage to analyse how and where it idolises the patriarchal template and that imagines a God other than the patriarchal ‘Almighty Father’: a God who walks with Her or His friends in gracious, empowering love, not ‘almighty’ but honouring the responsibility She or He gave them. The article concludes that the life of Jesus as the human being who mirrors God’s love, friendship and passion for justice inspires a different way of how God could be imagined