Practical Theology

Definition and Meaning

Practical theology is a branch of theology that studies the church's actual ministry from a theological perspective. Its subjects include preaching, worship, pastoral ministry, education, and mission. Protestant theological education commonly identifies four divisions of theology. Practical theology is one of them, alongside biblical theology, which studies the Bible; systematic theology, which sets out doctrine in an orderly way; and historical theology, which deals with the history of the church. Practical theology asks how the work of the other disciplines is applied in the life of the church. At the same time, it addresses the questions that experience in ministry raises for theology.

Its subfields include homiletics, liturgics, pastoral ministry, pastoral counseling, Christian education, missiology, and church administration. When used in a narrower sense focused on the work of the pastor, the term can be nearly synonymous with pastoral theology.

Biblical and Historical Background

Practical theology received its name as an independent discipline only in the modern period. Concern for caring for and teaching the church, however, already appears in the Bible. First and Second Timothy and Titus are called the "Pastoral Epistles" because they deal with the qualifications of church leaders, teaching, and the care of the community. The Great Commission in Matthew 28:19–20 is frequently cited as the basis for mission and education. After the Reformation, works on the duties of the pastor appeared, such as Richard Baxter's The Reformed Pastor (1656).

The German theologian Friedrich Schleiermacher is regarded as the figure who systematized practical theology as a division of theology. In his Brief Outline of the Study of Theology (1811), he divided theology into philosophical, historical, and practical theology, and he called practical theology the "crown" of theology. From the late twentieth century onward, the scope of the field broadened. A movement emerged that went beyond the skills of the pastor to address the whole life of the believer and the practice of faith in society.

Practice in the Korean Church

Most Master of Divinity (M.Div.) programs at Korean graduate schools of theology require courses in practical theology. Preaching practicums and field education in local churches are also part of the curriculum. In Korea, practical theology has developed in close connection with ministry concerns such as discipleship training, small groups, the integration of new members, and church growth.

Emphases tend to differ according to denominational tradition.

• Presbyterian: Following the Reformed tradition, Presbyterians stress the proclamation of the Word and expository preaching (preaching that works through a text in sequence), as well as church government centered on the session.
• Methodist: Continuing John Wesley's tradition of class meetings, Methodists emphasize nurture in small groups and sanctification in daily life.
• Baptist: Baptists ground pastoral ministry in the autonomy of the local church and the participation of the congregation.
• Full Gospel churches: These churches treat district cell-group organization and the ministry of the Holy Spirit as important elements of pastoral ministry.
• Anglican and Lutheran: In these traditions, the study of liturgy (prescribed forms of worship) centered on the church year and the sacraments carries relatively greater weight.

In recent years, a growing body of research has addressed the changing realities of the church, including topics such as online worship, bivocational ministry, the education of the next generation, and [[가나안 성도|"Canaan believers" (Christians who no longer attend an institutional church)]].