1. Description of the Doctor of Theology Degree Program in Practical Theology

 

1.1. General Description

Practical theology is that discipline within the theological curriculum whose task it is to describe, analyze, and interpret the contemporary situation in order to identify (a) both ongoing and timely questions to which the Christian church must make strategic response (b) the various practices that embody the church’s strategic response and in which is imbedded (though often uncritically) the Christian witness of faith, and (c) the contexts which shape those practices. The questions, practices, and contexts to be addressed in practical theology include but are not limited to the issues involved in the nurture of congregations, the mission of the church in the world, the transmission of the Christian tradition to new cultural and social institutions, the church’s worship of God, and matters of social justice and spiritual formation.

Practical theology, however, moves beyond this more descriptive moment toward the ongoing creative task of imagining and forming ever more effective and faithful Christian practices. In doing so, the discipline of practical theology requires not only an ability to think creatively about practices and about the various arts of ministry, but also an ability to think systematically and historically about the Christian faith and, indeed, about the very nature of the church so that practical theological research is never reduced to mere description, on the one hand, or a capitulation to practical considerations and contextual forces, on the other hand.

The doctoral program in practical theology at Boston University, therefore, is designed to prepare students (1) to understand and assess the contemporary situation, (2) to reflect historically and systematically on the church’s witness of faith in that situation, and (3) to develop faithful and effective strategies for Christian practice in that situation. This preparation, while it has a common structure and an ecclesiological center, requires a diversity in focus that requires strong interdisciplinary skills and a highly integrative acumen.

The approach to practical theology followed by the practical theology faculty at Boston University School of Theology differs from those that emphasize method in practical theology by its focus on the problems to be addressed, with methods chosen so as to address the problems. It differs also from approaches that take practical theology to be a mere collection of the arts of ministry by its focus on the integrated interpretation of the church’s witness, of the problems facing that witness both within and without the church, and of the roles that all the disciplines of theological education play in addressing the problems. This approach differs as well from the conceptions of a theological education that divide the disciplines into classical ones as forming a core and practical disciplines as merely “applying” the core.

The discipline of practical theology must be carried out in close relation to the mission of the church and lived religious experience, that is, how faithful people live out their faith in social, political, and cultural settings. Because it requires historical and theological analysis of the scriptures and tradition considered normative for the church in various situations, practical theology requires a substantial understanding of history and theology. At the same time, practical theology enters into dialogue with the social and natural sciences as well as the arts and humanities in order both to interpret contexts and practices as well as to think creatively about the development of new strategies, practices, and institutions. Thus, the field of practical theology is eminently interdisciplinary and involves contextual research both inside and outside of Christian congregations.

 

 

1.2. Relation to the Concentration

The practical theology degree program is different from other Th.D. degree programs within the School of Theology in that what would otherwise be considered a “minor” alongside the major and integrated into it is instead considered a “concentration” within the major. Majors in practical theology, therefore, may concentrate in any one of the following fields (depending on availability of faculty): (1) congregation and community, (2) ethics, (3) mission, (4) evangelism, (5) mission and evangelism, (6) homiletics, (7) liturgical studies, (8) pastoral theology, or (9) spirituality. Logistically, this means that a student will have a major advisor and a concentration advisor (though in some cases, one’s major advisor will also be the concentration advisor). Also, the concentration within the practical theology major requires more courses than the minor in other Th.D. programs: 6 courses rather than 4 (see below under 2.2 for details on course structure). Because the student’s concentration is the focus of her or his practical theological study, it will not be uncommon for the concentration advisor to serve as the student’s “first reader” in dissertation work, after successful completion of comprehensive examinations. 

 

1.3. Practical Theology Faculty

There are a number of faculty members with expertise in practical theology or related practical fields. Members of the practical theology faculty are listed here with their areas of specialization and research interests.

  • Dale Andrews, Martin Luther King, Jr. Professor of Homiletics and Pastoral Theology

Preaching, worship, pastoral counseling, ecclesiology, African-American religion

  • Marthinus Daneel, Professor of Missiology

Missiology; African Christianity

  • John Hart, Professor of Christian Ethics

Social ethics; Environmental ethics; Liberation theology and ethics; Science and Christianity

  • Dana Robert, Truman Collins Professor of World Mission

Missiology, History of world Christianity; Women in mission; African Christianity

  • Chris Schlauch, Associate Professor of Pastoral Psychology and Psychology of Religion
    Psychoanalysis, Pastoral counseling, Psychotherapy, and Psychology of religion
  • Andrew Shenton, Assistant Professor of Sacred Music

Sacred music; Organ

  • Bryan Stone, E. Stanley Jones Professor of Evangelism
    Evangelism and congregational development, Urban and multicultural ministry, Faith-based non-profit organizations, Ecclesiology, Theology and film, Wesleyan theology, Liberation theology, Postliberal theology
  • Karen Westerfield Tucker, Professor of Worship
    Worship, Liturgical studies, Hymnology, Methodist history and theology
  • Claire Wolfteich, Associate Professor of Practical Theology and Spiritual Formation
    Spiritual formation, Religion and society, Public life, History of Christian spirituality, Spirituality and theology, Work and faith, Women and religion, Lay vocation

 

1.4. The Doctor of Theology Degree

The ThD degree offered by the School of Theology (STH) is designed for careers in academic institutions as well as Christian churches, religious communities, and other faith-based organizations. The degree emphasizes interdisciplinary relationships within the general sphere of the academic study of Christianity and differs from the PhD in its integrative character and its clear orientation to the church.

 

 

 

1.5. Where to Get More Information

This document contains the most specific published information about the ThD degree in practical theology, and is not relevant to other specializations. More general information about the Doctor of Theology degree, including requirements and timetables not discussed here, may be found in the following sources.

 

1.5.1. The STH Bulletin

The STH Bulletin is the official source of information about all degree programs offered by STH, and is updated annually.

 

1.5.2. The STH "Doctor of Theology Degree Handbook"

The Advanced Studies Committee of STH, which administers the ThD program, publishes the procedures for the ThD program.

 

1.5.3. Practical Theology Faculty

Students should always feel free to consult the Practical Theology faculty for current information on the nature of the field, the degree program, courses being offered, or answers to other related questions.

 

1.5.4. Common Wisdom

Some of the handiest information for doctoral candidates is not written down, partly because some of it cannot be expressed conveniently. Getting to know other students already in the doctoral program and sharing insights with one another is an excellent way to pick up this sort of information.