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| research methods in theology: Social Research Methods Joshua Iyadurai, 2023-06-15 This book demystifies designing and conducting qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods research with scientific rigor. Social Research Methods, benefits researchers from theology and religious studies in designing interdisciplinary research and interacting with social sciences and other disciplines to study contextually relevant issues by focusing on lived religion, lived theology, lived experience, and real-world problems. Joshua Iyadurai skillfully guides researchers with a step-by-step guide on the practical nuances of choosing a topic, engaging literature, selecting a paradigm, collecting and analyzing data, interpreting the findings, and writing a research proposal and a dissertation/thesis/article for qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods research. A separate chapter on supervising and examining social research helps students and professors to understand each other’s role in field-based studies. Social Research Methods is an indispensable resource for researchers from theology and religious studies and a valuable practical guide for researchers from social sciences and humanities. Why Read this Book? · Instills confidence in researchers to design and conduct qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods research with scientific rigor. · The first of its kind to introduce qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods strategies with guidance for choosing a topic and collecting and analyzing data for theology and religious research. · Up to date and authoritative by arraying current and leading methodology texts with examples for researching lived experiences, lived religion, and lived theology. · A step-by-step guide for writing every section of a research proposal and for writing each chapter for qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods dissertation/thesis, which will make the research journey pleasant for students. · Provides tips for writing DMin dissertation and journal article. · Offers guidelines for supervisors and examiners for assisting and assessing student projects. · Review Questions and Further Help at the end of each chapter; Glossary and Index, which are among other helpful resources for researchers. · An invaluable resource for students and professors from social sciences, education, development, management, and the humanities, besides theology and religious studies. · A practical guide for researchers from churches, religious bodies, NGOs, and others. Review Quotes: “Compared to other approaches to theology and religious studies, missiology has the propensity to use social science methods. This clearly written introduction to complex terrain will enable students to navigate it and develop tools for their own project, and students are more likely to recognize their research interests in its examples. Especially useful features include the glossary and the section on student supervisors/mentors and examiners. This volume is authoritative and cognisant of other leading texts.” KIRSTEEN KIM, Pierson Professor of World Christianity, Fuller Theological Seminary, co-editor of The Oxford Handbook of Mission Studies “This textbook fills an important niche for postgraduate researchers embarking on empirical research in Practical Theology or Religious Studies. Those who have little or no background in the social sciences will find this a clear and well-structured introduction on how to conceive a research project and what methods are available to answer their research questions. Reading this before they embark on their journey could save a lot of problems further down the road.” ANDREW VILLAGE, Professor of Practical and Empirical Theology, York St John University, author of The Church of England in the First Decade of the 21st Century “Here is a fascinating and engaging handbook every researcher in theology and religious studies should read and assimilate. It fulfils a felt need by pooling the wealth of sociological methodologies and applying them to the scientific study of lived religion. The author has done a unique service, and his work will remain a point of reference for years.” FELIX WILFRED, Founder and Director of Asian Centre for Cross Cultural Studies, Chennai, editor of The Oxford Handbook of Christianity in Asia It is very good to see the use of social science methods being developed to aid religious studies and theological research. My hope is that this very practical book, using such up-to-date resources as Alan Bryman’s Social Research Methods (OUP) now in its fifth edition, will help to develop this important form of study further. ROBIN GILL, Emeritus Professor of Applied Theology, University of Kent, author of the trilogy on Sociological Theology “This volume fills an important gap in the field by bringing social scientific methods into theology and religious studies. All parties in this conversation have much to gain from a sustained dialogue, and this book moves us in that direction.” JOHN BARTKOWSKI, Professor - Sociology, University of Texas at San Antonio “This is a valuable resource written in a way that theological students will understand, and supervisors will appreciate! It takes the student “by the hand” from the formulation of the research topic through methodological positioning and choices and closes with a chapter on supervision expectations. I look forward to prescribing it to my own postgraduate students.” NADINE BOWERS DU TOIT, Professor - Theology and Development, University of Stellenbosch, editor of Race, Faith and Inequality amongst Young Adults in South Africa: “The highly readable, yet exhaustive and authoritative text covers all aspects of the variety of methods available to contemporary scientists who either produce or evaluate empirical research. The text is intended for students and scholars of theology and religious studies, but anyone interested in how religion is practiced in different cultural contexts and want to understand individual lived experiences and interpretations will find this text an invaluable guide.” RALPH W. HOOD Jr., Professor of Psychology, University of Tennessee, co-editor of Research in the Social Scientific Study of Religion series Upon launching out on research, students and scholars are always on the lookout for good books on research methodology. In Dr Iyadurai’s book, they will find an excellent manual spanning the length and breadth of what they are looking for. I strongly recommend this book to all those engaged in research. FRANCIS GONSALVES SJ, President, Jnana Deepa: Pontifical Athenaeum of Philosophy & Theology, author of God of Our Soil: Towards Subaltern Trinitarian Theology Joshua Iyadurai has been teaching research methods to PhD students in Christian Studies for over a decade. He is an expert facilitator in this hybrid field, helping both theology and religious studies students use social research methods more rigorously and effectively. This book will be immensely helpful to anyone wanting to do research in the field of religion, as well as to those in classes focused on research methods. I highly recommend it. ROBERT K. JOHNSTON, Professor of Theology and Culture, Fuller Theological Seminary, co-author of Deep Focus: Film and Theology in Dialogue Social Research Methods for Students and Scholars of Theology and Religious Studies is a masterpiece that draws from Joshua's experience of teaching social research for two decades. The book aims to catalyze theological scholarship using social research methods with scientific precision. Scholars, educators, and graduate students will find this text a welcome resource. I highly recommend it! DAVID TARUS, Executive Director, Association for Christian Theological Education in Africa (ACTEA), author of A Different Way of Being |
| research methods in theology: The Routledge Handbook of Research Methods in the Study of Religion Steven Engler, Michael Stausberg, 2021-11-29 This substantially revised second edition of The Routledge Handbook of Research Methods in the Study of Religion remains the only comprehensive survey in English of methods and methodology in the discipline. Designed for non-specialists and upper undergraduate-/graduate-level students, it discusses the range of methods currently available to stimulate interest in unfamiliar methods and enable students and scholars to evaluate methodological issues in research. The Handbook comprises 39 chapters – 21 of which are new, and the rest revised for this edition. A total of 56 contributors from 10 countries cover a broad range of topics divided into three clear parts: • Methodology • Methods • Techniques The first section addresses general methodological issues: including comparison, research design, research ethics, intersectionality, and theorizing/analysis. The second addresses specific methods: including advanced computational methods, autoethnography, computational text analysis, digital ethnography, discourse analysis, experiments, field research, grounded theory, interviewing, reading images, surveys, and videography. The final section addresses specific techniques: including coding, focus groups, photo elicitation, and survey experiments. Each chapter covers practical issues and challenges, theoretical bases, and their use in the study of religion/s, illustrated by case studies. The Routledge Handbook of Research Methods in the Study of Religion is essential reading for students and researchers in the study of religion/s, as well as for those in related disciplines. |
| research methods in theology: Invitation to Research in Practical Theology Zoë Bennett, Elaine Graham, Stephen Pattison, Heather Walton, 2018-05-20 Practical theology as a subject area has grown and become more sophisticated in its methods and self-understanding over the last few decades. This book provides a complete and original research primer in the major theories, approaches and methods at the cutting-edge of research in contemporary practical theology. It represents a reflection on the very practice of the discipline itself, its foundational questions and epistemological claims. Each chapter examines different aspects of the research process: starting with experience and practice, aspects of research design and epistemology, communities of learning, the influence of theological norms and tradition on the practice of research, and ethical considerations about what constitutes ‘the good’ in advanced research. The uniqueness of this book rests in its authoritative overview of current practical theological research across a range of traditions and approaches, combined with a comprehensive introduction to research methodology. It offers worked examples from the authors, their colleagues and research students that serve to illustrate key ideas and approaches in practical theological research. The four authors are all internationally-leading scholars and rank amongst the most influential figures in practical theology of their generation. The book promises to be of interest to students, teachers and researchers in practical theology, especially those looking to conduct original practice-based enquiry in the field. |
| research methods in theology: Practical Theology and Qualitative Research Clive Marsh, John Swinton, Harriet Mowat, 2005 Examines methodologies of the social sciences and questions how they can enable the task of theological reflection. |
| research methods in theology: Digital Humanities and Research Methods in Religious Studies Christopher D. Cantwell, Kristian Petersen, 2021-02-22 This volume provides practical, but provocative, case studies of exemplary projects that apply digital technology or methods to the study of religion. An introduction and 16 essays are organized by the kinds of sources digital humanities scholars use – texts, images, and places – with a final section on the professional and pedagogical issues digital scholarship raises for the study of religion. |
| research methods in theology: The Oxford Handbook of the Study of Religion Michael Stausberg, Steven Engler, 2016-10-27 The Oxford Handbook of the Study of Religion provides a comprehensive overview of the academic study of religion. Written by an international team of leading scholars, its fifty-one chapters are divided thematically into seven sections. The first section addresses five major conceptual aspects of research on religion. Part two surveys eleven main frameworks of analysis, interpretation, and explanation of religion. Reflecting recent turns in the humanities and social sciences, part three considers eight forms of the expression of religion. Part four provides a discussion of the ways societies and religions, or religious organizations, are shaped by different forms of allocation of resources. Other chapters in this section consider law, the media, nature, medicine, politics, science, sports, and tourism. Part five reviews important developments, distinctions, and arguments for each of the selected topics. The study of religion addresses religion as a historical phenomenon and part six looks at seven historical processes. Religion is studied in various ways by many disciplines, and this Handbook shows that the study of religion is an academic discipline in its own right. The disciplinary profile of this volume is reflected in part seven, which considers the history of the discipline and its relevance. Each chapter in the Handbook references at least two different religions to provide fresh and innovative perspectives on key issues in the field. This authoritative collection will advance the state of the discipline and is an invaluable reference for students and scholars. |
| research methods in theology: Collaborative Practical Theology Henk de Roest, 2019-10-07 In Collaborative Practical Theology, Henk de Roest documents and analyses research on Christian practices as it can be conducted by academic practical theologians in collaboration with practitioners of different kinds in Christian practices all around the world. |
| research methods in theology: Qualitative Research for Practical Theology Pavel Zubkov, Petr Činčala, David Penno, 2021-04 Qualitative research fits naturally within the field of practical theology as it delves deeper into the essence of human experience and the meaning of lived experiences. With a great diversity of data collection and analysis methods, it provides a wide spectrum of resources to evaluate, explore, and understand and address issues related to practice, context, and application of Christian faith to everyday life. It is highly flexible in dealing with multiple data sources to ensure the multidimensional perspective of the issue under exploration.This book is an indispensable tool for Christian researchers as it presents a balanced approach to a practical research from scientific and theological perspective. It brings together the strengths of social science research methods and practical theology. Moreover, this book guides the researchers step by step through the process of qualitative research from conceptualizing the study to collecting, analyzing, interpreting data, and reporting the results. Graduate and doctoral students, as well as novice and experienced qualitative researchers in practical theology will find this book very useful, user-friendly, and practical. To make writing the dissertation project a successful enterprise, the book provides essential exemplars of various parts of the research paper. Last, the book provides several illustrations in different chapters. |
| research methods in theology: Church History James E. Bradley, Richard A. Muller, 1995-09-11 Explains skills and techniques necessary for writing church history. Discusses assessment of sources, the craft of writing, and different modes of rhetoric. Describes research methods and identifies different eras for research. |
| research methods in theology: Methodology in Religious Studies Arvind Sharma, 2012-02-01 Methodology in Religious Studies assesses the impact of women's studies on the various methods employed in studying religion. Since its inception in the 1860s, the study of religion as an academic discipline has evolved over time, ranging from the classically historical to the boldly hermeneutical. The women's studies movement has, since the 1980s, become part and parcel of the intellectual landscape of our times, and the study of religion has become increasingly influenced by it. What are the implications of this new development for the methodology of religious studies? Leading practitioners of psychological, theological, sociological, anthropological, phenomenological, historical, and hermeneutic approaches examine the mutually enriching interface between religious studies and women's studies, as they explore the broader issue of the interaction between method and the nature of the subject itself. |
| research methods in theology: Ethnography as Christian Theology and Ethics Aana Marie Vigen, Christian Scharen, 2024-10-31 How can qualitative research methods be a tool for social change? Echoing the 'scandal of particularity' at the heart of the Christian tradition, theologians and ethicists involved in ethnographic research draw on the particular to seek out answers to core questions of their discipline. This new edition features a dynamic selection of nuanced and provocative voices in this area of ethics and theology, showing how, in the past decade, the kinds of qualitative methodologies employed have become more varied and sophisticated. The leading and emerging scholars featured in this book have much to share how they approach this kind of work, what they are learning in the process, and what sorts of change is possible as a result. This volume also pays tribute to the life and work of a pathbreaker in qualitative methods for the sake of theological imagination and social change, the Rev. Dr. Melissa D. Browning (1977-2021). |
| research methods in theology: The SAGE Encyclopedia of Action Research David Coghlan, Mary Brydon-Miller, 2014-08-11 Action research is a term used to describe a family of related approaches that integrate theory and action with a goal of addressing important organizational, community, and social issues together with those who experience them. It focuses on the creation of areas for collaborative learning and the design, enactment and evaluation of liberating actions through combining action and research, reflection and action in an ongoing cycle of cogenerative knowledge. While the roots of these methodologies go back to the 1940s, there has been a dramatic increase in research output and adoption in university curricula over the past decade. This is now an area of high popularity among academics and researchers from various fields—especially business and organization studies, education, health care, nursing, development studies, and social and community work. The SAGE Encyclopedia of Action Research brings together the many strands of action research and addresses the interplay between these disciplines by presenting a state-of-the-art overview and comprehensive breakdown of the key tenets and methods of action research as well as detailing the work of key theorists and contributors to action research. |
| research methods in theology: Introducing Practical Theology Pete Ward, 2017-10-17 This introduction to the field of practical theology reclaims a theological vision for the life and work of the church. Pete Ward dispels the myth that practical theology is a distraction from the real tasks of ministry or from serious academic theological work. He argues that practical theology is part of the everyday life of the church and that there are a variety of possible approaches, helping readers evaluate the approach that is most appropriate to their ministerial context and theological tradition. This reliable, accessible resource will work well for those in training or in ministry. |
| research methods in theology: Empirical Theology in Texts and Tables Leslie J. Francis, Jeff Astley, Mandy Robbins, 2009-01-31 Empirical theology offers fresh and stimulating insights into the concerns of both the Church and the Academy. It does this by accessing relevant empirical evidence using the tools of the social sciences, and placing this evidence in the context of theological critique and contemporary debate. In this pioneering collection of focused essays, leading experts of empirical theology illustrate key perspectives within this rapidly expanding discipline. The first section of the book explores theoretical issues underpinning the main methods of obtaining empirical data, and the use of these data within theology. The other two sections display the role both of qualitative studies, and of the analysis of quantitative data, in exploring a range of theological beliefs and religious, social and educational concerns. |
| research methods in theology: Practical Theology and Qualitative Research John Swinton, Harriett Mowat, 2013-01-03 Practical Theology used to be a subject where students were left to fend for themselves, using what they had learnt from their scholarly studies in history, biblical and systematic theology and applying it where they could. Things have moved on however and practical theology is a growing discipline in its own right, and the latest thinking in practical theology; of how to use theological learning in practical situations, is fully explored in this textbook. This text examines methodologies of the social sciences and questions how they can enable the task of theological reflection. They begin by tracing the development of practical theology as a discipline and comment on current methodological practices, and trace the movement from practical theology as applied theology, ie a discipline which simply takes data from the other theological disciplines (historical, systematic and biblical theology) towards a model which understands the practical theological task in terms of the theology of practice. The authors examine the relationship between qualitative and quantitative methods and highlight the significance of both for the task of practical theology. They also take the reader through the actual process of developing and carrying out a research project using the author's own research as case study examples. Case studies include: the rise in spirituality; the decline in church attendance, evidence-based medicine compared to needs-led assessments, the growth in chaplaincy and how it is understood as separate from parish ministry. |
| research methods in theology: Context and Catholicity in the Science and Religion Debate Klaas Bom, Benno van den Toren, 2020-04-14 Based on a thorough study of the ‘lived theology’ of Christian students and university professors in Abidjan, Kinshasa and Yaoundé, this book proposes a theoretical framework that makes an intercultural and interdisciplinary debate on science and religion possible. |
| research methods in theology: The Routledge Handbook of Research Methods in the Study of Indigenous Religions Afe Adogame, Graham Harvey, 2025-03-31 Exciting developments in research among, with and by Indigenous scholars and communities are enriching a wide range of disciplines, methodologies and trans-disciplinary conversations. This growing field offers important insights and provocations about methods and approaches. Key issues such as relationality, decolonisation, research ethics, pedagogy and collaboration necessarily require improvements both in scholarly description and in scholarly practice. Similarly, critical themes for Indigenous people intersect strongly both with recent scholarly “turns”, such as embodiment, gender, performance, place, ontology, and materiality. The Routledge Handbook of Research Methods in the Study of Indigenous Religions reflects on appropriate approaches and methods with over 28 chapters by a team of international contributors. The Handbook is divided into three parts: Core themes and critical issues in research and debate about Indigenous Religions Disciplines and methods, focusing on ways in which researchers gain and share understanding about Indigenous religions Recent scholarship about broad regions of the world Within these sections, central issues, debates and problems are examined, including cosmology, diaspora, bodies and materiality, witchcraft and divination, ritual studies, ethnography and fieldwork, heritage studies, ecology, feminist methodologies, decolonial methods and Indigenist methods, research ethics, activism, health, and peoplehood, kinship and relations. The Routledge Handbook of Research Methods in the Study of Indigenous Religions is essential reading for students and researchers in religious studies and Indigenous studies, and the handbook will also be very useful for those in related fields such as sociology, anthropology, history and politics. |
| research methods in theology: A Short Introduction to Social Research Matt Henn, Mark Weinstein, Nick Foard, 2005-12-15 This book introduces students and researchers to the key ideas and issues that inform research practice. Authors Matt Henn, Mark Weinstein, and Nick Foard provide a clear and easy-to-understand roadmap to help the reader plan their research project from beginning to end. This book is perfect for use on introductory methods courses and is also an invaluable guide for the first time researcher embarking on their own small-scale research project. It is the intention of this book to prepare students and new researchers for their research project. Brilliantly written throughout, this is your essential guide to the theory of research, the practice of research and the best ways to plan and manage your research. |
| research methods in theology: Introduction to Missiological Research Design Edgar J. Elliston, 2011-06-27 Edgar Elliston’s Introduction to Missiological Research Design outlines the basic issues of research design for missiological and church-related research. This book describes the logic of the research process for a wide range of missiological research. Whether this research is from a single academic discipline or a multidisciplinary approach, this text will provide relevant guidelines for the design. Elliston provides instruction, examples, and exercises for inexperienced but serious researchers as they seek to design research that will serve the Church in mission. Elliston also provides experienced researchers with checklists and easy-to-review tables to further aid in research design. This text raises some of the key issues to designing research in a multicultural or cross-cultural context and guides researchers toward ethical and effective study. |
| research methods in theology: Missiological Research Marvin Gilbert, Alan R. Johnson, Paul W. Lewis, 2018-01-15 This comprehensive volume is one you will pull off your shelf again and again as you delve into missiological study. The editors could not have made a more thorough or straight-forward volume that will serve researchers across disciplines. Each chapter succinctly defines the method, summarizes its process, suggests resources for more advanced interaction, and provides an exemplar journal article with abstract. Features to look forward to include: Enjoy the benefits of 14 veteran practitioner-scholars who provide clear and concise guidance to empirical research methodology, biblical-theological inquiry, and the integration of the two interdisciplinary approaches. |
| research methods in theology: Approaching the Study of Theology Anthony Thiselton, 2017-09-21 This introductory guide to philosophy of religion opens with an engaging history of the discipline, mapping the important landmarks and introducing the main areas of debate. The rest of the book falls into three parts: Part 1 describes the major approaches that have been developed by scholars over the centuries, which are still relevant today; Part 2 explains the main concepts and issues, highlighting their significance in the work of major thinkers; Part 3 provides a helpful glossary of all the key terms that readers need to understand in order to find their way around the subject. |
| research methods in theology: From Topic to Thesis Michael Kibbe, 2015-12-31 Every theology student has to write a research paper, but many do not know how to go about doing theological research. In this brief guide, Michael Kibbe introduces students to the basics of academic research, including how to gather and engage different sources, use online databases and bibliography software, and avoid common mistakes. |
| research methods in theology: Classical Approaches to the Study of Religion Jacques Waardenburg, 2017-01-23 Waardenburg’s magisterial essay traces the rise and development of the academic study of religion from the mid-nineteenth to the mid-twentieth century, outlining the establishment of the discipline, its connections with other fields, religion as a subject of research, and perspectives on a phenomenological study of religion. Futhermore a second part comprises an anthology of texts from 41 scholars whose work was programmatic in the evolution of the academic study of religion. Each chapter presents a particular approach, theory, and method relevant to the study of religion. The pieces selected for this volume were taken from the discipline of religious studies as well as from related fields, such as anthropology, sociology, and psychology, to name a few. |
| research methods in theology: Canonical Theology John Peckham, 2016-11-27 What are the roles of canon and community in the understanding and articulation of Christian doctrine? Should the church be the doctrinal arbiter in the twenty-first century? In Canonical Theology John Peckham tackles this complex, ongoing discussion by shedding light on issues surrounding the biblical canon and the role of the community for theology and practice. Peckham examines the nature of the biblical canon, the proper relationship of Scripture and tradition, and the interpretation and application of Scripture for theology. He lays out a compelling canonical approach to systematic theology — including an explanation of his method, a step-by-step account of how to practice it, and an example of what theology derived from this canonical approach looks like. |
| research methods in theology: A Practical Primer on Theological Method Glenn R. Kreider, Michael J. Svigel, 2019-09-03 A how-to manual for doing theology, and a handbook of etiquette for doctrinal discussions with other believers. Around a table sit men and women with distinct roles: The Interpreter, the Theologian, the Virtuous, the Philosopher, the Scientist, the Artist, the Minister, and the Historian. Each is ready to engage in a passionate discussion centered on God, his works, and his ways. Regardless of which role you play at the same table, you're invited. You simply need to pull up a chair and join the conversation. But how? What do you say when you take your seat? Where do you start? What are the rules of the dialogue? A Practical Primer on Theological Method will help you answer these questions. This primer is not only a how-to manual for doing theology, but a handbook of etiquette for doctrinal discussions with other believers. This popular-level introductory text presents the proper manner, mode, and means of engaging fruitfully in theology. |
| research methods in theology: Theology as Interdisciplinary Inquiry Robin W. Lovin, Joshua Mauldin, 2017-03-12 Can a neuroscientist help a theologian interpret a medieval mystical text? Can a historian of religion help an anthropologist understand the effects of social cooperation on human evolution? Can a legal scholar and a theologian help each other think about how fear of God relates to respect for the law? In this volume leading scholars in ethics, theology, and social science sum up three years of study and conversation regarding the value of interdisciplinary theological inquiry. This is an essential and challenging collection for all who set out to think, write, teach, and preach theologically in the contemporary world. CONTRIBUTORS: John P. Burgess Peter Danchin Celia Deane-Drummond Agustín Fuentes Andrea Hollingsworth Robin W. Lovin Joshua Mauldin Friederike Nüssel Mary Ellen O'Connell Douglas F. Ottati Stephen Pope Colleen Shantz Michael Spezio |
| research methods in theology: Practical Theology Richard R. Osmer, 2008-07-02 Every church congregation encounters challenging situations, some the same the world over, and others specific to each church. Richard Osmer here seeks to teach congregational leaders -- including, but not limited to, clergy -- the requisite knowledge and skills to meet such situations with sensitivity and creativity. Osmer develops a framework for practical theological interpretation in congregations by focusing on four key questions: What is going on in a given context? Why is this going on? What ought to be going on? and How might the leader shape the context to better embody Christian witness and mission? The book is unique in its attention to interdisciplinary issues and the ways that theological reflection is grounded in the spirituality of leaders. Useful, accessible, and lively -- with lots of specific examples and case studies -- Osmer's Practical Theology effectively equips congregational leaders to guide their communities with theological integrity. |
| research methods in theology: Digital Humanities and Libraries and Archives in Religious Studies Clifford B. Anderson, 2022-02-07 How are digital humanists drawing on libraries and archives to advance research and learning in the field of religious studies and theology? How can librarians and archivists make their collections accessible to digital humanists? The goal of this volume is to provide an overview of how religious and theological libraries and archives are supporting the nascent field of digital humanities in religious studies. The volume showcases the perspectives of faculty, librarians, archivists, and allied cultural heritage professionals who are drawing on primary and secondary sources in innovative ways to create digital humanities projects in theology and religious studies. Topics include curating collections as data, conducting stylometric analyses of religious texts, and teaching digital humanities at theological libraries. The shift to digital humanities promises closer collaborations between scholars, archivists, and librarians. The chapters in this volume constitute essential reading for those interested in the future of theological librarianship and of digital scholarship in the fields of religious studies and theology. |
| research methods in theology: An Introduction to Practical Theology Christian Grethlein, 2016 Cover -- Blurbs, Title Page, Copyright -- Contents -- Foreword -- Introduction -- Part 1: Historical Introduction to Practical Theology -- 1. Practical Theology in Germany -- 2. Practical Theology in Catholocism and the United States -- Part 2: Practical Theology as the Theory of the Communication of the Gospel -- 3. The Hermeneutical Framework -- 4. The Empirical Conditions -- 5. The Theological Foundations -- Part 3: Methods for Communication of the Gospel -- 6. Understanding Time and Place -- 7. Communicating About, With, and From God -- Index of Names -- Subject Index |
| research methods in theology: The Study of Religious Experience Bettina E. Schmidt, 2016 The renowned scientist Sir Alister Hardy approached the complex field of religious and spiritual experience in a similar disciplined and scientific manner in which he approached natural science. Asking people from the public to send him accounts of first-hand experiences with spiritual or religious powers he established the Religious Experience Research Centre that has remained at the forefront of the academic study of religious experiences. This book will take his work forward and show how to study religious and spiritual experiences in the 21st century. The Study of Religious Experience aims to show how a range of disciplines - including anthropology, philosophy, religious studies, theology, biblical studies and history - approach the topic religious experience, how this approach is applied and what contributions they make to the study of religious experience. |
| research methods in theology: Spirituality and Health Research Harold G Koenig, 2011-10-15 In Spirituality and Health Research: Methods, Measurement, Statistics, and Resources, Dr. Harold G. Koenig leads a comprehensive overview of this complex subject. Dr. Koenig is one of the world’s leading authorities on the relationship between spirituality and health, and a leading researcher on the topic. As such, he is distinctively qualified to author such a book. This unique source of information on how to conduct research on religion, spirituality, and health includes practical information that goes well beyond what is typically taught in most undergraduate, graduate, or even post-doctoral level courses. This volume reviews what research has been done, discusses the strengths and limitations of that research, provides a research agenda for the future that describes the most important studies that need to be done to advance the field, and describes how to actually conduct that research (design, statistical analysis, and publication of results). It also covers practical matters such as how to write fundable grants to support the research, where to find sources of funding support for research in this area, and what can be done even if the researcher has little or no funding support. The information gathered together here, which has been reviewed for accuracy and comprehensiveness by research design and statistical experts, has been acquired during a span of over twenty-five years that Dr. Koenig spent conducting research, reviewing others’ research, reviewing research grants, and interacting with mainstream biomedical researchers both within and outside the field of spirituality and health. The material is presented in an easy to read and readily accessible form that will benefit researchers at almost any level of training and experience. |
| research methods in theology: Guide to the Study of Religion Willi Braun, Russell T. McCutcheon, 2000 What is religion? Can it be defined at all? Or is it too easily defined in far too many ways so as to make a religion a drifting signifier or whatever one's pleasure is? Does the study of religion require special, perhaps religious, tools of analysis and explanation? What is the difference between a knowledge of religion derived from practicing it and a knowledge about religion derived from nonreligious modes of inquiry? Sooner or later, any serious student of religion must face these questionsif religious practices are to be investigated in the light of the terms and aims of the social and human sciences in the modern university.The Guide to the Study of Religion provides a map of the key concepts and thought-structures for imagining and studying religion as a class of everyday social practices that lend themselves to no more or less difficult explanation than any other class of social phenomena. |
| research methods in theology: Social Science Research Anol Bhattacherjee, 2012-03-16 This book is designed to introduce doctoral and graduate students to the process of scientific research in the social sciences, business, education, public health, and related disciplines. |
| research methods in theology: Practical Theology and Qualitative Research - second edition John Swinton, Harriet Mowat , 2016-10-30 Practical Theology is a growing discipline in its own right, and the latest thinking in practical theology; of how to use theological learning in practical situations, is fully explored in this new edition of an established textbook. The authors examine methodologies of the social sciences and questions how they can enable the task of theological reflection; examine the relationship between qualitative and quantitative methods and highlight the significance of both for the task of practical theology. They also take the reader through the actual process of developing and carrying out a research project using the author's own research as case study examples. Previous case studies include: the rise in spirituality; the decline in church attendance, evidence-based medicine compared to needs-led assessments, the growth in chaplaincy and how it is understood as separate from parish ministry. In this second edition, case studies and all bibliographies have been updated plus a new chapter has been added. |
| research methods in theology: Jesus and Addiction to Origins Willi Braun, 2020-10 This collection of essays constitute an extended argument for an anthropocentric, human-focused, study of religious practices. The basic premise of the argument, offered in the opening section, is that there is nothing special or extraordinary about human behaviors and constructs that are claimed to have uniquely religious status and authority. Instead, they are fundamentally human and so the scholar of religion is engaged in nothing more or less than studying humans across time and place and all their complex existence-that includes creating more-than-human beings and realities. As an extended and detailed example of such an approach, the second part of the book contains essays that address practices, rhetoric and other data in early Christianities within Greco-Roman cultures and religions. The underlying aim is to insert studies of the New Testament and non-canonical texts, most often presented as biblical studies, into the anthropocentric study of religion proposed in the opening section. For a general reading of modern biblical scholarship makes clear the assumption that the Christian bible is a sacred text whose principal raison d'etre is to stand, fetish-like, as the foundational and highest authority in matters moral, ritual or theological; how might we instead approach the study of these texts if they are nothing more or less than human documents deriving from situations that were themselves all too human? Braun's Jesus and Addiction to Origins seeks to answer just that question-doing so in a way that readers working outside Christian origins will undoubtedly find useful applications for the people, places, and historical periods that they study. |
| research methods in theology: The Oxford Handbook of the Sociology of Religion Peter Bernard Clarke, 2009 An expert team of international scholars here provide 51 essays as entry points into the sociological study and understanding of religion as well as in-depth surveys into its changing forms and content in the contemporary world. Issues discussed range from ecology to law, art to cognitive science, crime to health care. |
| research methods in theology: Researching Female Faith Nicola Slee, Fran Porter, Anne Phillips, 2017-11-09 Religious and spiritual engagement has undergone multiple significant changes in recent decades. Researching Female Faith is a collection of essays based on recent and original field research conducted by the contributors, and informed by a variety of theoretical perspectives, into the faith lives of women and girls – broadly from within a Christian context. Essays describe and recount original qualitative research that identifies, illuminates and enhances our understanding of key aspects of women’s and girls’ faith lives. Offered as a contribution to feminist practical and pastoral theology, the essays arise out of and feed back into a range of mainly UK pastoral and practical contexts. While the essays in this volume will contribute to an enhanced appreciation and analysis of female faith, the core focus is on feminist qualitative research methods and methodology. Thus, they demystify and illuminate the process of research, including features of research which are frequently under-examined. The book is a first in bringing together a specific focus on feminist qualitative research methodology with the study of female faith lives. It will therefore be of great interest to students, academics and practitioners with interests in faith and gender in theology, religious studies and sociology. |
| research methods in theology: Qualitative Research in Theological Education Mary Clark Moschella, Susan Willhauck, 2017-10-30 Qualitative Research in Theological Education brings together a diverse group of scholars to consider the theological values arising from and contributing to their use of qualitative research in scholarship and teaching. The book offers a careful consideration of the pedagogical and administrative challenges involved in teaching qualitative research and its various sub-disciplines such as ethnography. As a whole, the book argues that the teaching of QR methods is critical to the theological, ethical, spiritual, and/or pastoral formation of ministers and theological scholars |
| research methods in theology: Researching Practice in Mission and Ministry Helen Cameron, Catherine Duce, 2013-11-18 This book proposes to bring together three elements for the benefit of those researching practice in ministry and mission: how to design research that enables questions about practice to be answered in a theological framework. how to address the methodological and epistemological issues that arise in relating empirical research to theology. how to manage a piece of research as a project alongside other responsibilities. Students in PT mostly rely on research methods books written for social science students which tend to assume that the student is young and full-time. This book will act as a companion to student and supervisor needing to bring all three elements listed above together. |
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