A Sense of Belonging

Being Church in Pluralistic Society

Hilton Scott

• Publisher: Resource Publications
• Year: 2022
• ISBN:
  9781666796940
• Topic: Théologie et religion
• Subtopic: Rituels et pratiques chrétiens

This book takes an interdisciplinary approach to a societal challenge that both affects and is affected by the church in multi-racial, multi-cultural, and otherwise pluralistic communities. In certain contexts, around the world there are pertinent examples of the struggles that come with learning to live together in the midst of diversity and plurality, such as the post-apartheid Republic of South Africa. However, these (more often than not racial and cultural) struggles could be eased by developing worship services that are more relevant and inclusive. This, in turn, should instil a sense of belief and a way of inclusive thinking, culminating in more inclusive living. The approach developed in this book stems from the aphorism lex orandi, lex credendi, lex (con)vivendi--or "as we pray, so we believe, so we live (together)."

Chapter 1

Key Concepts

There are four key concepts that will be explored throughout, namely liturgy which includes prayer; ritual which includes ritualization; church, including the marks of the church; and unity, as well as inclusivity. However, due to the interdisciplinary approach taken there are a handful of concepts that relate to the key concepts. For instance the field of Liturgical Studies is a subdiscipline within the broader field of Practical Theology. Nevertheless it is important to delve into the epistemology that led to this research being conducted. As a precursor it is necessary to begin with an understanding of Practical Theology.

1.1. Practical Theology as a Field of Study

Schleiermacher was of the understanding that all studies of Theology are defined by their relationships to the life of the church, therefore Theology lives from its subject matter.13 According to Miller-McLemore Practical Theology has four distinctive meanings: (1) Way of life: Shaping faith among believers in home and society, (2) Method: Studying theology in practice in library and field, (3) Curriculum: Educating for ministry and faith in classroom, congregation and community, and (4) Discipline: Defining history and context in guild and global setting.14

Therefore, according to Miller-Mclemore, Practical Theology can be defined as “shaping faith among believers, studying theology in practice, educating for ministry and defining content and method.”15 Similarly Heitink defines, as a theory of action, Practical Theology as: “the empirically orientated theological theory of mediation of the Christian faith in the praxis of modern society.”16 This definition can be understood by distinguishing between two different concepts: “the mediation of Christian faith (praxis 1)” and “the praxis of modern society (praxis 2).” The first concept of praxis “indicates that the unique concept of Practical Theology is related to intentional, more intermediary or mediative, actions, with a view to changing a given situation through agogics.” While the second concept of this praxis “emphasises the context, where these actions take place, as a dynamic context in which men and women in society interact.”

A working definition of Practical Theology as study field can be suggested: Practical Theology aims to shape the Christian faith in its modern, albeit it dynamic, context through mediation by studying theology and religious practice—literary and empirically, thereby educating the ministry, congregation and community through the development of praxis. This working definition can be given, based on the above definitions of Practical Theology. Osmer claims no originality in the terms of describing the tasks of practical theological interpretation. He also admits that similar concepts are taught in the academy and ministry. Osmer’s approach to practical theological interpretation was found most appropriate for this research, which is described here and is congruent with the working definition provided above. Osmer uses the term practical theological interpretation to indicate corollaries of his central argument regarding the fourfold nature of Practical Theology: “(1) practical theological interpretation takes place in all specialised subdisciplines of Practical Theology; (2) the same structure of practical theological interpretation in academic Practical Theology characterises the interpretive tasks of congregational leaders as well; (3) acknowledging the common structure of practical theological interpretation in both the academy and ministry can help congregational leaders recognise the interconnectedness of ministry.”17

Heitink notes that the “practical” can be seen as the opposite of the “theoretical”, however the object (of inquiry) of Practical Theology is the theory of praxis.18 Therefore the object of Practical Theology, and its subdisciplines, is action or activity. This study’s objects of inquiry were the actions and activities of prayer and belief. In terms of interpreting these actions and activities, Osmer’s four task structure was deemed appropriate in this case. In his structure of practical theological interpretation, Osmer refers to the terms ‘episodes’, ‘situations’ and ‘contexts’ rather than Heitink’s ‘action’ and ‘activity’.19 The structure of practical theological interpretation, provided by Osmer, begins by (1) describing the scene—what is going on; then (2) interpreting the revealed episodes, situations and contexts (including actions and activities) through various arts and sciences; followed by (3) interpreting episodes, situations and contexts by using theological concepts; finally (4) responding by determining theories for praxis. This structure is appropriate because of its precise, step-by-step approach to practical theological interpretation.

1.1.1. The Field of Liturgical Studies

Further justification for the use of Osmer’s model of practical theological interpretation is that it is applicable to the specialised subdisciplines of Practical Theology. Liturgical Studies is a subdiscipline of Practical Theology. Liturgical Studies, or liturgical theology, is a subdiscipline of Practical Theology that studies “the particular ways in Christian worship is formative and expressive of a Christian way of life.”20

An explanation was provided above which understands that the object of Practical Theology is the theory of praxis. As a subdiscipline of Practical Theology, Liturgical Studies is likewise concerned with the ways in which theory and praxis are integrated into the research design. This further serves as motivation for the appropriate use of Osmer’s model of practical theological interpretation, which considers the interpretation of various theories in tasks two and three so that a pragmatic response can be formed. Before proceeding, it is important to provide a working definition of liturgy as it is understood in this book:

Liturgy is the encounter between God and man in which God and man move out towards one another, a movement in which God’s action is primacy, so that in a theonomic reciprocal fashion a dialogical communication in and through rituals and symbols is established in which man participates in a bodily way and can in this reach his [or her] highest goal in life, namely to praise God and enjoy Him forever.21

There are various approaches to Liturgical Studies, all of which can be divided into three broad areas: “liturgical history, liturgical theology and liturgy as ritual/symbolic event.”22 It was noted previously that prayer is a religious and ritual phenomenon, therefore this study approaches the field from the perspective of “liturgy as ritual/symbolic event.” In terms of understanding liturgy as ritual and symbolic events, Wepener provides an example for approaching Liturgical Studies from the understanding that liturgy involves ritual by proposing the following: “If the liturgy is understood as a complex web of Christian rituals and symbols, and rituals and symbols are seen as the building blocks of the liturgy, then approaches from disciplines with similar interests (also taking symbols and rituals as objects of research) might be of value.”23

Approaching this liturgical study from a historical point of departure would be to develop a historical understanding of the liturgy, which would be an erroneous approach to gaining insight into the research question. The aims of the historical investigation of liturgy, as illustrated by Schattauer, are an indication as to why such an approach would be in vain:

The principal aims of the historical investigation of liturgy have been (1) to uncover the origins of the principal rites (e.g., Eucharist, baptism, daily prayer, Easter vigil) and usages (e.g., calendar and lectionary) and to trace their development through time; (2) to distinguish the classical liturgical families of Eastern and Western Christianity and the various Protestant traditions of worship; and (3) to a lesser extent, to reconstruct the worship of particular communities at a gi...