Wiley Blackwell Companion to Practical Theology

Bonnie J. Miller-McLemore is E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Professor of Pastoral Theology at Vanderbilt University Divinity School and Graduate Department of Religion. Winner of a prestigious Henry Luce III Fellow in Theology award, she is a national and international leader in pastoral and practical theologies and widely recognized for research on families, women, and children. Her publications include Feminist and Womanist Pastoral Theology (1999) and an upcoming collection of essays, Christian Theology in Practice: Discovering a Discipline (2012).

“The energy, organization, intelligence, and wisdom of the editor have borne fruit in this very splendid book. It deserves to be widely read and used.”  (Reviews Religion & Theology, 7 April 2015)“The first comprehensive reference work to provide a survey, description and analysis of practical theology as an area of study.”  (Native American Encyclopedia, 20 December 2013)“This Companion has wide scope … and is surely the most definitive definition of what practical theology entails to date … An important addition to the shelves of those who teach practical theology or ministers as well as those engaged in the ministry themselves ... [It] offers a new way of seeing the subject, with sets of essays that are informative, novel, and take theology in new directions.”  (Regent's Reviews, 2012)“This edited collection is a showcase presenting how contemporary scholarship of practical theology has been developed into a wide concept of practical theology ... For those who are interested in teaching Christian theology from a practical theological perspective, this book will be a useful reference.” (Homiletic Journal, 2012)“Miller-McLemore, a leader in the field, has edited an excellent handbook on Christian practical theology.  Though the essays are short, they provide excellent overviews of the various topics and, more important, helpful bibliographies for students who wish to explore certain topics further … Libraries supporting curricula in Christian theology and ministry should acquire this good introduction to the field. It is essential for acquisition for seminary libraries ... Recommended: upper-level undergraduates and above.” (Choice, 2012)

• Notes on Contributors xiIntroduction: The Contributions of Practical Theology 1Bonnie J. Miller-McLemorePart I Way of Life: Shaping Faith among Believers in Home and Society 211 Suffering 23Pamela Cooper-White2 Healing 32Susan J. Dunlap3 Playing 42Jaco Hamman4 Eating 51Dorothy C. Bass5 Loving 61Herbert Anderson6 Consuming 70Katherine Turpin7 Blessing 80Christian ScharenPart II Method: Studying Theology in Practice in Library and Field 898 Case Study Method 91Daniel S. Schipani9 Psychological Theory 102Lee H. Butler, Jr.10 Hermeneutical Theory 112Sally A. Brown11 Quantitative Method 123Hans Schilderman12 Congregational Studies 133James R. Nieman13 Ritual Theory 143Edward Foley14 Social Policy 153Pamela D. Couture15 The Use of Scripture 163Paul Ballard16 Poetics 173Heather Walton17 Emancipatory Theory and Method 183Nancy J. Ramsay18 Feminist Theory 193Elaine Graham19 Womanist Theory 204Evelyn L. Parker20 Narrative Approaches 214R. Ruard Ganzevoort21 Ethnography 224Mary Clark Moschella22 Participatory Action Research 234Elizabeth Conde-Frazier23 Theories of Practice 244Ted A. Smith24 Action Theories 255Robert MagerPart III Curriculum: Educating for Ministry and Faith in Classroom, Congregation, and Community 26725 Pastoral Care 269Barbara McClure26 Homiletics 279John S. McClure27 Worship 289Don E. Saliers28 Religious Education 299Carol Lakey Hess29 Religious Leadership 308Michael Jinkins30 Evangelism 318Jeffery L. Tribble, Sr.31 Spirituality 328Claire E. Wolfteich32 Ethics 337Miguel A. De La Torre33 Contextual Education 347Emily Click34 Systematic Theology 357Mary McClintock Fulkerson35 Historical Theology 367James M. Brandt36 Biblical Theology 377Michael Joseph Brown37 Integration in Theological Education 386Kathleen A. CahalanPart IV Discipline: Defining History and Context in Guild and Global Setting 397Section 1: Issues, Contexts, and Perspectives 39938 Race and Racism 401Dale P. Andrews39 Gender, Sexism, and Heterosexism 412Jeanne Hoeft40 Globalization, Colonialism, and Postcolonialism 422Melinda McGarrah Sharp41 Economics, Class, and Classism 432Joyce Ann Mercer42 Disability, Ableism, and Disablism 443John Swinton43 Religious Pluralism and Christian-Centrism 452Kathleen J. GreiderSection 2: Global Developments 46344 Continental Europe 465Friedrich Schweitzer45 Britain 475Zoë Bennett46 French Canada 485Solange Lefebvre47 The United States 495Richard R. Osmer48 South Africa 505Jaco S. Dreyer49 West Africa 515Daisy N. Nwachuku50 Brazil 525Valburga Schmiedt Streck51 South Korea 534Meerha Hahn52 Australia and Oceania 544Gerard V. HallSection 3: Traditions 55553 Mainline Protestantism 557Gordon S. Mikoski54 Roman Catholicism 567Lynn Bridgers55 Protestant Evangelicalism 577Charles J. Scalise56 Pentecostalism 587Mark J. CartledgeIndex of Subjects 596Index of Names 619