Together in God's theatre

Ian Nell

Description

The stage, text, plot and characters of Together in God’s Theatre are rooted in (South) Africa and globally connected. As such it enculturates Practical Theology as a discipline in (South) African and a global network culture. We have been waiting for a Practical Theology that takes the important contribution of African Independent churches regarding faith practices seriously, whilst simultaneously not neglecting the practices of mainline churches. This book is a timely gift that will help with the understanding and appreciation of practices across denominational borders.
Cas Wepener, Professor in Homiletics and Liturgy, Faculty of Theology, Stellenbosch University. With this seminal work, Ian Nell opens up a new, and long overdue chapter on the nature and role of practical theology within the South African context. In this regard he pushes against the borders of traditional, particularly Reformed perspectives in innovative ways, broadening the space beyond, but still inclusive of, the ecclesial and rational. In his theo-dramatic take on practical theology, “all the world’s a stage” – a space where all the role players, from churches to diverse cultures to eco-systems come together with the God of the Play. In this space, diff erent texts, in par􀆟 cular the Biblical one, act as (musical) scoresheets for the Plot – a Plot to be played out on our African soil, and under our African sun. This book will enrich not only academics and church leaders and students, but all who are The stage, text, plot and characters of Together in God’s Theatre are rooted in (South) Africa and globally connected. As such it enculturates Practical Theology as a discipline in (South) African and a global network culture. We have been waiting for a Practical Theology that takes the important contribution of African Independent churches regarding faith practices seriously, whilst simultaneously not neglecting the practices of mainline churches. This book is a timely gift that will help with the understanding and appreciation of practices across denominational borders.
Cas Wepener, Professor in Homiletics and Liturgy, Faculty of Theology, Stellenbosch University. With this seminal work, Ian Nell opens up a new, and long overdue chapter on the nature and role of practical theology within the South African context. In this regard he pushes against the borders of traditional, particularly Reformed perspectives in innovative ways, broadening the space beyond, but still inclusive of, the ecclesial and rational. In his theo-dramatic take on practical theology, “all the world’s a stage” – a space where all the role players, from churches to diverse cultures to eco-systems come together with the God of the Play. In this space, diff erent texts, in par􀆟 cular the Biblical one, act as (musical) scoresheets for the Plot – a Plot to be played out on our African soil, and under our African sun. This book will enrich not only academics and church leaders and students, but all who are interested in the dynamics of God-with-us, in Africa.interested in the dynamics of God-with-us, in Africa.

Informations

• Publié par: CLF Publishers
• Date de parution: 01 octobre 2020
• Nombre de lectures: 5
• EAN13: 9781868044962
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

“TOGETHER IN
GOD’S
THEATRE”

Practical theology in an African context


Ian Nell
“TOGETHER IN GOD’S THEATRE”
© Ian Nell
CLF Publishers
19 Oude Pont Street
Wellington Business Park
Wellington
www.clf.co.za
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without any prior written permission of the publisher.
Design and layout by: Joanne Bell
Cover design by: Joanne Bell
Printed and bound: Print on Demand (Pty) Ltd
First edition: 2020
ISBN 978-1-86804-496-2 Together in God’s Theatre
Photo for cover page from a scene in the film Son of Man - with permission of producers
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
With this book, I would like to acknowledge the fruitful conversations I have had with colleagues (both in academia and ministry) and with my students over the past fifteen years.
Soli Deo Gloria.
Table of Contents ACKNOWLEDGEMENT PROLOGUE CHAPTER 1 SETTING THE STAGE 1. The opening scene 2. The plot of the film Son of Man 3. Texts in discussion 4. Faith seeking understanding (theology) 5. Knowledge sources in theology 6. Faith in action (practical theology) 7. Behind the scene: Drama on African soil 8. Inculturation as challenge for Africa 9. The role and importance of understanding 10. The role and importance of experience 11. The role and importance of play 12. The structure of the book 13. Conclusion CHAPTER 2 THE STAGE 1. Introduction 2. All the world’s a stage 3. Micro stage 4. Meso stage 5. Macro stage 6. Inculturation and practical theology 7. Conclusion CHAPTER 3 THE TEXT 1. Introduction 2. The Bible text and culture texts 3. The main moments of the Biblical text 4. The role of traditions and doctrines of faith 5. The central role of discipleship 6. Practical theology and discipleship 7. Different ways to read texts 8. The normative role of the text 9. Conclusion CHAPTER 4 THE PLOT OF ACTIVITIES 1. Introduction 2. Worship 3. Proclamation 4. Teaching 5. Care 6. Service (diakonia) 7. To take the lead 8. Conclusion CHAPTER 5 THE CHARACTERS 1. Introduction 2. Discipleship and calling 3. Biblical historical roots 4. Charismata in the mainline churches 5. Charismata in the African Independent Churches 6. Conclusion CHAPTER 6 THE CURTAIN CLOSES 1. The Introduction 2. Opening scene 3. The stage 4. The text 5. The plot 6. The characters 7. The curtain finally closes Endnotes Bibliograpy
Guide Start of Content
PROLOGUE
The field of practical theology is not only an interesting and dyna- mically evolving discipline within the science of theology, but is also a science that is already part of the life of Christian faith communities and every person who actively participates in these communities. If you are in any way part of a Christian faith community, whether as a believer or through your participation in worship services or other activities, you already qualify as a practical theologian. The fact that you already qualify does however not mean that you can’t learn anything anymore; it just means that you are not a total newcomer to the field.
The field of practical theology has several thinkers, writers and researchers who in turn belong to various faith traditions. Each of these people is in turn formed by faith communities and thus comes to the field of study with a number of presuppositions. Within the academic context, it is therefore good practice to account for yourself about your choices and about the way you approach the discipline. Of course, one’s choices are never neutral and are strongly determined by your own context and formation and by whom and where you got to know and practiced the field.
After my undergraduate studies at the North-West University and theological studies at the University of the Free State, I was privileged to gain first-hand experience of congregational ministry as a minister. I was called to the Dutch Reformed congregation, Suidkus (Amanzimtoti) in 1990 and took my first step as a practical theologian on the south coast of Natal. After I entered the ministry, I developed the need for further study and, under the supervision of Prof Cas Vos at the University of Pretoria, I further immersed myself in the field of practical theology. Gerben Heitink’s comprehensive work on practical theology Praktische theologie: geschiedenis-theorie-handelingsvelden (1993) has just appeared and was an enriching reading and learning experience, as well as the works of various other South African practical theologians involved in the communicative-action approaches. During this time, I also became aware of the fact that practical theology does not want to see itself primarily as the training of ministers for the ministry and therefore wants to move beyond the so-called ‘clerical paradigm’. Which is not to say that the latter is still a very important part of the discipline. Should it happen that the training of ministers as part of the discipline is lost sight of, the discipline loses its anchorage in the practice and in the life of the church. Practical theology needs to be rooted and secured in the everyday practices of the Christian faith in the church and the world. In the way I try to present the discipline in this book, traces will be found of my interest in the training of persons who want to prepare themselves for the congregational ministry. Along with that, I work with the presupposition that the academic practice of theology’s locality is found in the continuing life of the church. I therefore attempt to account for both the ecclesiological and theological nature of the discipline in my approach.
A further phase in my development as a practical theologian took place after I was called to the Dutch Reformed congregation of Sonstraal in Durbanville in 1997. During this time, I became involved in various research groups of the then BCTTR (Bureau for Continuing Theological Training and Research) of the Synod of the Western Cape and I especially learned the various elements involved in the sub-discipline of congregational studies. I became aware of various approaches to congregational studies of which the narrative, strategic-theological planning, ethnographic, contextual and missional approaches are the most important. My involvement in Synodical structures taught me the dynamic interaction between ministers, congregations and Synodical activities, especially around theological training.
In 2007 I was appointed senior lecturer in the discipline group practical theology and missiology and I became acquainted with the teaching of the subject at undergraduate and postgraduate level. Part of my job description was the coordination of the MDiv (Magister Divinitas) and the Postgraduate Diploma in Christian ministry, which is a prere- quisite for students who want to enter the full-time ministry. There is no place where one learns so much about a subject area as when one teaches and is constantly in conversation with students about the content of the study material and its practical application in the everyday practice of faith. Students who study the discipline of practical theology learn very quickly how to ‘do’ practical theology simply through their participation in the ongoing life of congregations and the church. I am convinced that the teaching of practical theology should begin by encouraging students to become aware of how they are already living their Christian lives and participating in the ministry by using practical theology in their daily lives. In this way, practical theology not only critiques the ways in which one works and thinks in the everyday practice of faith, but also builds on these practices. The latter asks that the practical theologian should have empathy with various faith communities and churches as well as a close involvement in their activities and the way in which they think theologically about the life of faith. The appreciative inquiry is a well-known method of inquiry in this regard.
It was precisely through my involvement with students and their everyday faith experiences that I became steadily aware of the need for a new approach to practical theology. The demographic changes in the composition of classes, with increasing diversity in terms of ethnicity, gender, age, language, gender, etc., made me aware of the fact that prevailing Western paradigms need to be supplemented with indigenous knowledge and faith experiences of students. My reading of several works related to Theo-drama, both in systematic theology and practical theology, made me aware of the importance of an aesthetic approach to practical theology. The origins of this approach can be traced back to the work of Rick Osmer, The teaching ministry of congregations (2005), and Nicholas Healy, Church, world and the Christian life: Practical-prophetic ecclesiology (2000).
The choice for a dramatological approach is related to the need in practical theology to supplement action-communicative models from the social sciences with models developed in the humanities and arts. The fruitfulness of this type of dialogue between theology and the humanities has begun to gain momentum in recent decades with the emergence of narrative as an important category in theology and ethics. The metaphorical complex of drama joins and retains the benefits of narratology. Drama is ‘story’ by nature with a plot that unfolds and emphasizes the unity of action over a period. But dramas also go further by bringing the role of action through dramatic realization to the fore. In other words, dramas are not only read but also performed.
In this regard, it is interesting that the practices of faith within the African context are often described as “dramatic” in nature. Anyone