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¶ … theology is not a 'thing'
Practical theology focuses on the 'doingness' of people, or practitioners of Christianity, rather than simple existence. It implies a day-by-day active obedience and operation of Christian living. It means taking the abstract breadth of theology and applying it in real life, or rather fusing both abstraction and action in one whole so that thinking joins actions to practice true and all-encompassing religion.
'Life in the world'
What Veling (2005) calls 'Systematic theology' is the equivalent of idealistic philosophy: it is transcendental and detached from life. However, life can never be 'systematic'. Knowledge -- genuine knowledge is always linked with striving and struggle i.e. A 'living-in-the-world'. Practical theology, then, is a relationship with the world instead of a relationship apart from it.
The people of our time
Practical theology not only is used to alleviate human suffering but also adapts itself to particular context and time. It is flexible taking the human condition into account. It is supremely helpful and "pitches its tent" amongst the people.
Vocation
Practical theology represents acting in righteousness and honesty, acting with compassion and justice, and actively loving the other, in order to love God. The invisible but personal God is approached through active acts...
All-encompassing 'knowing' is reminiscent of arrogance and a certain detachment. 'Understanding', however, implies consideration and the endeavor to emphasize with and understand the other. The understanding person is compassionate and suffers with the other rather than displaying the arrogance of the all-knowing individual.
A Work not just doing
We are constantly busy in this world always running about accumulating money and doing work to survive.
The Christian 'vocation' or 'practical theology' is, however, a totally different kind of work. It involves reducing all our purpose to a Divine purpose, or to the purpose of God. Theology, or religion, is a response to the call of God and, sometimes, that can be very different to the response of the calls of life:
The work of practical theology is the work of the kingdom of God, and of the Spirit given to us: "Whoever has faith in me will do what I am doing, they will do even greater things . . ." (John 14:12). (p.12)
Truth and Goodness
According to Levinas, 'goodness' should be the bastion and meaning of existence and should dominate pursuit for 'Truth'. We are responsible for…
Veling brings three pages of quotations where he shows the distinctiveness and specialty of practical theology. In essence, it translates religion into a more appealing, less abstract, more practical system that concretizes God-human relationship and brings the Divine existence into the lives of each and every person.
Source
Terry Veling (2005) " Practical theology" Orbis Books: maryKnoll.
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