Organizations
and Initiatives in Practical Theology
At IAPT
we are happy to see initiatives around the globe that match our
intentions of furthering the discipline. Please look into the following
information on regional organizations and thematic initiatives:
Discussion group: Issues of Method in Practical Theology
IAPT-member
Robert Mager from Laval University Québec has started a listserv forum
to initiate a virtual discussion group around theoretical and
methodological issues in practical theology. The idea is to communicate
thoughts and texts, on and off, through email and a discussion forum.
Messages are sent by email to all members of the discussion group
rather than posted on the forum. The idea is to share thoughts and
texts centered on issues of method in PT.The list should not be used
for any other purpose. There are currently 23 IAPT members on the
list. It is possible to join it or to be removed from it at any time:
to do so, please write to me directly: robert.mager@ftsr.ulaval.ca.
Association
of Practical Theology (APT)
Click here for the
invitation to the 2010 conference on The Academy and the Faith
Community: Possibilities and Limitations of Partnership in Practical
Theology
Based
in North America, the purpose of the Association of Practical Theology
(APT) is to
promote critical discourse that integrates theological reflection and
practice.
Reconstituted from its predecessor organizations 1984, the APT was
sparked by the investigation of practical theology as an integrative
hermeneutical endeavor at the heart of theological education,
characterizing not only the ministerial sub-disciplines but also a
manner and method of engaged reflection. The APT meets annually in
conjunction with the AAR as an Additional Meeting for a two and half
hour session and biennially for a three day meeting. APT meetings at
the AAR draw national and international scholars from a variety of
disciplines (members of APT and non-members) for sessions on different
topics, such as future research and scholarship in the field (2003),
interreligious dialogue and practical theology (2004), and the turn to
the "practical" across the theological curriculum (2005). The biennial
meeting allows the membership to study issues in greater depth and
conduct its formal business. The APT welcomes new members from all
areas of religious and theological study who have an interest in the
critical examination of religious traditions and practices.
Association
of Practical Theology in Oceania (APTO)
The
Association of
Practical Theology in Oceania (APTO) is a professional
association for researchers, scholars and/or practitioners in the
field of practical theology. Members have a scholarly interest in
the discipline demonstrated by publications and/or other scholarly
accomplishments, including a research degree in practical
theology.
The British
and Irish Association for Practical Theology (BIAPT)
The
British and Irish Association for Practical Theology (BIAPT) was
founded in 1994. It grew out of the annual Pastoral Studies Conference
which had been held at a number of centres for more than twenty years.
The annual conference continues to be of importance to Association
members. The new organization ensures continuity of themes and
interests in the conferences, and in addition is developing new lines
of work in the field of practical theology. Its aims are:
- To advance teaching, learning and research in pastoral
studies and practical theology
- To promote contact and exchange between the various
contexts of practical theology, education and training.
- To organize events and consultations appropriate to the
above.
- To foster international links and activities, especially in
collaboration with the International Academy of Practical Theology.
- To
encourage interchange between the worlds of practical theology,
pastoral care and counseling, and local and national faith communities.
International Society for Empirical Research in Theology (ISERT)
Based mainly in Europe, ISERT has a threefold objective:
- offering
a platform for the development, execution and evaluation of programs
and projects in empirical research both quantitative and qualitative
within theology and their theological legitimation
- contributing
to the clarification of foundational, epistemological, methodological
and conceptual implications of conducting empirical research within
theology;
- facilitating an international network for researchers in
this field.
Societé Internationale de Theologie Pratique
An organization for the francophone researchers in practical theology.
Societas Homiletica Biennial Meeting
August 1-5, 2010. Societas Homiletica, the international
homiletic society will be returning to North America for its next
biennial meeting. From August 1st through 5th, 2010 Societas will be
meeting at Yale Divinity School in New Haven, Connecticut. Please join
this global group of scholars as they explore the theme, “Picturing God
in a Fragmented World.” Included among our many excellent speakers will
be David Kelsey, Sally Promey, Sailie Townes . For more information,
please visit our website at www.societas-homiletica.org.
Dr. Thomas Troeger, Yale University
Dr. Lucy Lind Hogan, Wesley Theological Seminary
Co-Presidents, Societas Homiletica
Journal of Childhood and Religion
Statement of Purpose
The
Journal of Childhood and Religion, a peer-reviewed on-line publication
of Sopher Press, provides an interdisciplinary forum for scholars
representing a wide range of research fields, interests, and
perspectives that relate to children and religion. Such fields
may include but are not limited to religious studies, biblical studies,
the range of human sciences, pastoral psychology, practical theology,
pastoral theology, religious education, psychology of religion,
sociology of religion, counseling psychology, social work, and cultural
studies. The journal welcomes original scholarship by recognized
experts in their respective fields, but also seeks submissions from
junior scholars.
Sopher Press specializes in religious scholarship,
assembling the best voices and insights, promoting interdisciplinary
and innovative investigation, and embracing new technologies of
dissemination and empowerment.
Editorial Board: Allan Hugh Cole Jr.,
Editor (Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary), Marcia Bunge
(Valparaiso University), Jeanette R. Davidson (University of Oklahoma),
Robert C. Dykstra (Princeton Seminary), Gregory C. Ellison II (Emory
University), Rowena Fong (The University of Texas at Austin), Cynthia
Franklin (The University of Texas at Austin), David H. Jensen (Austin
Presbyterian Theological Seminary), Bonnie Miller-McLemore (Vanderbilt
University), Julie Faith Parker (Yale University), Barbara Pitkin
(Stanford University), Luther E. Smith Jr. (Emory Univesity), John Wall
(Rutgers University-Camden), Elizabeth Johnson Walker (Louisville
Presbyterian Theological Seminary)
Scholars interested in publishing
in JCR are invited to submit papers electronically to Allan Hugh Cole
Jr., editor, at acole@austinseminary.edu. The review process
typically takes four to six weeks. Please use Turabian
style. Although JCR does not limit length of articles, typical
essays will range from 20-40 pp., with standard 12 pt. fonts and
margins.
Call for papers William James Symposium: In the Footsteps of William James
A Symposium for Honoring - and making use of - William
James:
The
William James Society is planning a long-weekend symposium, August 6-9, 2010,
to honor the life of James on the occasion of the hundredth anniversary of his
death. In the spirit of James, the symposium, “In the Footsteps of
William James,” will be an opportunity to explore the local settings of James’s
life and to reflect on James’s ability to encounter experience afresh and
approach problems creatively.
The
symposium will therefore have two dimensions and we seek presenters for both:
1. with the
symposium taking place at Chocorua, NH, and Cambridge, MA, we call for
presenters familiar with his life in either or both places who could serve as
guides for the participants; there are some residents in both places that will
already be serving this role, so our primary call is for our second dimension;
2. for a
symposium as much about the public intellectual significance of James’s thought
as his scholarly contributions, we call for presenters who can address issues
of historic and contemporary relevance as illuminated by James’s life and work,
for sessions to include topics such as these:
- The
Pragmatist Turn, and its potential for reconciling disputes and fostering
common sense in public discourse,
- Values
Voters and Valuing Citizenship, on the uses of his theories for comprehending
differences and encouraging listening, and his speaking out against social
injustice,
- Educational
Renewal, from James’s own classroom experiences to his talks to teachers and
about education, to his potential to foster opening of minds,
- Spirituality
and Belief, with James in anticipation of the endurance of religion and
spirituality in secular settings and of theories for embracing differences of
belief,
- Mental
Health, from his theory of habits to his inspirations to help people with
addiction and to encourage the research in positive psychology,
- Appraisals
of James by his colleagues, friends, students, and successors in various fields.
Please send an
abstract of 100 words and a brief description of qualifications to the William
James Symposium Committee by January 15, 2010 to:
*Lynn Bridgers: l.bridgers@worldnet.att.net; 7705
Spring Avenue N. E. Albuquerque, NM
87110
*Paul Croce: pcroce@stetson.edu;
or Box 8274, Stetson University, 421 N. Woodland Blvd., DeLand, FL 32720;
or
*John Kaag: John_Kaag@UML.edu; or Department of Philosophy, University of
Massachusetts, Lowell, 102 Olney Hall, Lowell, MA 01856.