Theological normativity and church development
PDF

Keywords

theological normativity
church development
church and church identity
integration
empirical data
assimilation

How to Cite

Råmunddal, L., & da Silva , A. B. (2021). Theological normativity and church development: On the significance of theological normativity for church development. Scandinavian Journal for Leadership and Theology, 8. https://doi.org/10.53311/sjlt.v8.52

Abstract

This article attempts to answer the following question: how significant is theological normativity for church development practice? At a time when many leaders are busy developing local churches according to secular organisational theories, models and experiences, the following question arises: to what extent does the normative character of the Bible impact Christian faith, church life and ministry and how might normative theology affect development projects that are carried out by churches? The overriding issue that both current practice and the article focus on, is how theological normativity and empirical data can be integrated in the area of church development. After explaining the concepts of theological normativity and empirical data and the logical relationship between them, the article discusses how different national (Norwegian) and international researchers within practical theology attempt to resolve problems relating to the integration of normative theology with empirical data. The article’s authors believe that these attempts end up with either assimilation or integration, neither of which is beneficial for church development practice. Therefore, the authors propose an alternative integration model that distinguishes between three levels / degrees of theological normativity, corresponding to three different fields and areas of church development. From this perspective, one can see how the integration of empirical data in the three levels of normativity brings both challenges and opportunities. The authors’ conclusion and recommendation concerning the function and significance of the theological normativity in church development is that theological normativity bestows the church with identity and at same time has a guiding and corrective function.

https://doi.org/10.53311/sjlt.v8.52
PDF

References

Aarflot, H. (1982). Teologisk eksegese av kirkesosiologisk empiri. Forsøk på en dogmatisk formulering av et tverrfaglig problem. [Theological exegesis of ecclesiologically sociological empiricism. Attempts at a dogmatic formulation of an interdisciplinary problem.] In: Tidsskrift for Teologi og Kirke, 4.

Akerø, H.A. (2009). Det hellige som sentralbegrep i religion. En religionsfilosofisk analyse av Rudolf Ottos og Manfred Josuttis’ religionsfenomenologiske hellighetsforståelse og dens relevans for kristen teologi. [The sacred as a central concept in religion. A religious-philosophical analysis of Rudolf Otto and Manfred Josuttis’ understanding of the phenomenological holiness of religion and its relevance to Christian theology.] School of Mission and Theology, Dissertation Series – Volume 8.

Asheim, I. (1976). Erfaring. Bemerkninger til et forsømt teologisk tema. [Experience. Remarks on a Neglected Theological Theme.] In: I. Ellingsen (red.). Med kall fra Gud og kirken. Oslo: Luther Forlag.

Asheim, I. (1979). Den samfunnsvitenskapelige metode og teologiens normproblem. Kirken og samfunnet. En konferanserapport. [The social science method and theology’s norm problem. The Church and society. A conference report.] NAVF.

Austgard, K. (2004). Hva er en erfaring? En hermeneutisk, filosofisk undersøkelse av fenomenet erfaring i lys av Gadamers hermeneutiske filosofi og Kari Martinsens omsorgsfilosofi. [What is an experience? A hermeneutic, philosophical study of the phenomenon of experience in light of Gadamer’s hermeneutic philosophy and Kari Martinsen’s philosophy of care.] In: Norsk tidsskrift for sykepleieforskning, 2, 3–13.

Barbosa da Silva, A. (red.), (2006/2010). Etikk og menneskesyn i helsetjeneste og sosialt arbeid. [Ethics and views on humanity in healthcare and social work.]. Oslo: Gyldendal Akademisk.

Barbosa da Silva, A. (1982). The Phenomenology of Religion as a Philosophical Problem. An Analysis of the Theoretical Background of the Phenomenology of religion, in General, and of M. Eliade’s Phenomenological Approach, in particular. Malmö: CWK Gleerup.

Browning, D.S. (1996). A Fundamental Practical Theology. Descriptive and Strategic Proposals. Minneapolis: Fortress Press.

Brunstad, P.O. (1998). Empiri i teologien? En prinsipiell drøfting av betydningen av empirisk basert kunnskap for systematisk-teologisk tenkning. [Empirical and theological? A principled discussion of the importance of empirically based knowledge for systematic-theological thinking.] In: Tidsskrift for kirke, religion og samfunn, 1–2.

Church leader’s handbook 1996. New, expanded. Willow Creek Community.

Dunn, J.D.G. (1998). The Theology of Paul the Apostle. Edinburgh: T&T Clark.

Gadamer, H.-G. (2003). Truth and method. New York: The Continuum Publishing Company.

Hacking, I. (2000). The Social Construction of What? Cambridge, Massachusetts/London: Harvard University Press.

Hegstad, H. (1998). Praktisk teologi som empirisk teologi. Forholdet mellom teologi og empiri hos Johannes A. van der Ven. [Practical theology as empirical theology. The relationship between theology and empiricism in Johannes A. van der Ven.] In: Halvårsskrift for praktisk teologi, 15(1), 16–27.

Hegstad, H. (2002). Ekklesiologi mellom teori og praksis. In: J.-O. Henriksen, G. Heiene og S.O. Thorbjørnsen (red.). Teologi for kirken. Festskrift til professor dr. theol. Torleif Austad på 65-årsdagen, [Theology for the church. Festschrift in honour of Professor Dr. Theol. Torleif Austad on his 65th birthday.] Pages 171–180. Oslo: Verbum.

Hegstad, H. (2006). Erfaringsspørsmålet i Leiv Aalens teologi. [The question of experience in Leiv Aalen’s theology.] In: Tidsskrift for teologi og kirke, 4. DOI: https://doi.org/10.18261/ISSN1504-2952-2006-04-05

Hiebert, P.G. (1994). Anthropological Reflections on Missiological Issues. Grand Rapids: Baker Books.

Hospers, J. (1995). An Introduction to Philosophical Analysis. London: Routledge.

Hygen, J. (1977). Trekk av religionsfilosofien. [Features of the philosophy of religion.] Oslo:

Land og Kirke/Gyldendal Norsk Forlag A/S.

Küng, H. (1978). On Being a Christian. New York: Pocket Book (A Vallary Book).

Lübcke, P. (red.) (1988). Filosofilexikonet. [Philosophy Lexicon.] Stockholm: Bokförlaget Forum.

Nordenstam, Tore (1984). Fra “er” til “bør”. Etiske grunnlagsproblemer i et pragmatisk perspektiv. [From “is” to “ought”. Fundamental ethical problems in a pragmatic perspective.] Oslo: Solum Forlag.

Pritchard, G.A. (1996). Willow Creek Seeker Services. Evaluating a New Way of Doing Church. Grand Rapids: Baker Book.

Searle, J.R. (1995). The Construction of Social Reality. London: Penguin.

Stenmark, M. (1996). Villkor för en godtagbar teologisk och filosofisk forskning. [Conditions for acceptable theological and philosophical research.] In: Svensk Teologisk Kvartalskrift (72), 145–157.

Swinton, J. and Mowat H. (2006). Practical Theology and Qualitative Research. London: SCM Press.

Tranøy, K.E. (1986). Vitenskapen – samfunnsmakt og livsform. [Science – social power and way of life.] Oslo: Universitetsforlaget.

Van der Ven, J.A. (1998). Practical theology. An empirical approach. Leuven, Belgium: Peeters.

Van der Ven, J.A. (1996). Ecclesiology in Context. Grand Rapids, Michigan/Cambridge, UK. Warren, R. (1995). The Purpose Driven Church. Growth Without Compromising Your message & Mission. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House.

Westphal, M. (1984). God, Guilt, and Death. An Existential Phenomenology of Religion. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Copyright (c) 2021 Lars Råmunddal, António Barbosa da Silva