Routledge Theological Reflection: Processes of learning and patterns of belief (Explorations in Practical, Pastoral and Empirical Theology)

Theological reflection lies at the heart of practical theology. There is an increasingly robust collection of literature focusing on it. However, little attention has been given to what reflection is or what it looks like when practised ’theologically’. This gap may account for some of the ongoing uncertainty on the part of practitioners of every sort: those engaged in ministry, teachers and students of practical theology, and ’every day’ Christians aspiring to make meaning of their experience in a way that is faithful to the Christian tradition. This book provides an exploration of theological reflection from a foundation of adult education in general and experiential learning theory in particular. Reflection as a way of making meaning from experience is integral to experiential learning theory and the book argues that reflection and learning have a symbiotic relationship. Reflection should therefore be understood and its processes examined from this perspective. The early chapters provide the important educational foundations. Literature on theological reflection is then scrutinised through this lens, before the findings of an empirical study are presented which reveal how individuals went about reflecting theologically in an educational context. The analysis of both theory and empirical data allows a range of pointers to emerge about what theological reflection looks like in practice and what features influence the procedures adopted. Two penultimate chapters are provided by academic practitioners who respond to the overall discussion by reflecting on the implications for their practice. The final chapter draws the threads together and indicates how the volume has contributed to practical theology’s understanding of theological reflection in general.