Praktisk-teologisk profesjonsforskning

Abstract

Many contributions in this book can be seen as a theological form of «applied-» or «professional research», which I here suggest to call «practicaltheological professional research». The approach has been established in Norwegian practical-theological education during the last two decades, and involves students and pastors employing their own work-experience as a point of departure for academic exploration. Being grounded in professional experiences, the approach is designed to give academic insights that are relevant for specific challenges in the current field of practice. This is a core asset of this approach. However, in contrast to academic practical theology, professional practicaltheological research has so far been insufficiently presented and discussed as a discipline in its own right. In this chapter the main features of practical-theological professional research is presented and discussed in dialogue with examples from the book. I shed light on some of the theological sources and methodological implications of the approach. The approach is a development of the so-called pastoral cycle, and it presupposes a case-study methodology that can be further elaborated in dialogue with the social sciences. Further, I discuss some of its epistemological presuppositions and perceived obstacles in relation to philosophy of science. Practical-theological professional research presupposes a postpositivistic epistemology with roots in the humanities, in particular the traditions of hermeneutical phenomenology and the Aristotelian phronesis-tradition. In the end, I argue that these specific traits of practical-theological professional research brings it in close relation to practical knowledge and to professional research in general.