PTS4240 Practical Theology

This course has a dual focus: to deepen your theoretical understanding in the field of Practical Theology and apply your insights to practical aspects related to children. This will help you to master practical theological skills as it applies to a real-life topic, instead of simply learning the theory of practical theology. Another reason for choosing children as the focus of application in this course, is the growing number of children in the African context, which will pose increasing challenges to the church in the future. This course incorporates theories of Practical Theology, ancient and contemporary religious practices, a selection of Old Testament and New Testament passages dealing with children and childhood, recent scholarly writings on the topic of children and theology, while rooting all of this in your own life by reflecting on your perception of children and the roles you play in children’s lives. 

By the end of this course you should be able to:

• Describe the practice of research in practical theology from the perspective of practicing researchers.   
• Demonstrate the creative and transformative potential of practical theological research related to children.  
• Articulate the theological perspectives on childhood implied in key biblical passages from the Old and New Testaments.  
• Demonstrate an understanding of key concepts and issues in recent scholarship around the relationship between children, Bible, and theology.  
• Make a meaningful contribution to the application of biblical-theological perspectives on children in a practical ministry situation.