Heather Walton

Practical theology as a subject area has grown and become more sophisticated in its methods and self-understanding over the last few decades. This book provides a complete and original research primer in the major theories, approaches and methods at the cutting-edge of research in contemporary practical theology. It represents a reflection on the very practice of the discipline itself, its foundational questions and epistemological claims. Each chapter examines different aspects of the research process: starting with experience and practice, aspects of research design and epistemology, communities of learning, the influence of theological norms and tradition on the practice of research, and ethical considerations about what constitutes ‘the good’ in advanced research. The uniqueness of this book rests in its authoritative overview of current practical theological research across a range of traditions and approaches, combined with a comprehensive introduction to research methodology. It offers worked examples from the authors, their colleagues and research students that serve to illustrate key ideas and approaches in practical theological research. The four authors are all internationally-leading scholars and rank amongst the most influential figures in practical theology of their generation. The book promises to be of interest to students, teachers and researchers in practical theology, especially those looking to conduct original practice-based enquiry in the field.

This book is founded upon the understanding that things matter to people. Exploring the renewing of practical theology through critical attention to the values and practices of everyday life, this book looks at how recent cultural and epistemological shifts have generated new agendas for theological thinking. Engaging with recent debates in many disciplines that have explored the relationship between persons and objects, Walton advocates a theological methodology which is radically incarnational, though proposing that incarnational theology itself must be rethought in the light of shifts in our understandings of materiality, epistemology and embodiment: when we speak of God integrally present in the material world, God as Word or God in flesh we can no longer assume that these affirmations carry the same meaning they once did. Introducing the work of new materialists focussing in particular on Miller and Bennett and their critique of materiality and appreciation of the sacred potentiality of things, Walton then explores the possibility of an affirmative approach to the created order - including material objects - which is based upon the radically incarnational aspects of the Franciscan tradition. Drawing upon insights offered in the work of Walter Benjamin, Michel de Certeau, Gaston Bachelard and others to construct a theological anthropology that celebrates the significance of things in human life, Walton goes on to argue that there can be discerned within the work of 20th century women writers a mystical appreciation of materiality which is congruent with the incarnational theology being developed within this work. Examples are drawn from the writings of Virginia Woolf, Ettie Hillesum, Elizabeth Smart and Michelle Roberts in order to establish how everyday material objects may become hugely spiritually significant to people. Finally, the book explores how habitual material interactions with things can be understood as sites of potential personal or political renewal.

In recent years, Practical Theology has taken a very significant methodological turn towards the qualitative approaches. At the same time, there has also been a parallel and related development which emphasises the importance of life writing as a theological resource and autoethnographical ways of constructing practical theology are receiving increased scholarly attention. Practical Theology Beyond the Empirical Turn offers a sustained, critical interrogation of the turn towards social research and methodologies in Practical Theology which has transformed the discipline over the past forty years. It places the discipline’s current research practices within the context of wider theoretical and methodological developments and the climate disaster. The work maintains that current circumstances require a radical reassessment of the goals and processes of practical theological research and that artistic and creative methods must be part of this transformation. Heather Walton embodies her understanding of the vocation of the discipline in reflective and creative modes of expression. This work is essential reading for all those researching, writing or teaching Practical Theology today.

Sense of the Possible is for those interested in learning about the intersection of Christian theology and imagination. Written from the assumption that imagination is deeply connected to the Christian work for liberation and human flourishing, this book is an energizing introduction to the ways in which theologians have thought about the powerful human capacity to envision a future that has not yet come. Containing perspectives from scripture, theology, philosophy, and congregational studies, this text is an excellent way to explore how it is that imagination can be part of a faithful Christian life. Each chapter comes with recommended readings and discussion questions that can be used in churches or classrooms.

Have you ever woken up one day and asked yourself, "how did I get here? This cannot be my life. This is not how I saw things panning out for me. I don't deserve this. My life doesn't seem to have any purpose." Then, have you tried to think through how to get off the rollercoaster or treadmill that seems to have become your life? Much like many others, Heather Walton faced a great number of hurdles throughout her life, including poverty, abuse in many forms, lack of education, being a solo mom, and bankruptcy, plus quite a few others. However, Walton didn't just survive these struggles; she thrived through the adversity. Now, Walton strives to change her life story and inspire others going through the same struggles she once did to leave the monotonous treadmill of life and forge their own path. In Rags to Riches to the Real Me, Heather Walton will show you that you can start over at any age and heal your life. You can rewrite your story with a happy ending. By following the 21 simple step-by-step exercises and making a daily ritual to recreate a life worth living, you can become someone that you can be proud of. There is nothing more empowering than to look back on your struggles or trauma and know that it did not define you; that they simply gave you a few scars or characteristics that made you into the strong resilient person you can become.

Have you ever woken up one day and asked yourself, "how did I get here? This cannot be my life. This is not how I saw things panning out for me. I don't deserve this. My life doesn't seem to have any purpose." Then, have you tried to think through how to get off the rollercoaster or treadmill that seems to have become your life? Much like many others, Heather Walton faced a great number of hurdles throughout her life, including poverty, abuse in many forms, lack of education, being a solo mom, and bankruptcy, plus quite a few others. However, Walton didn't just survive these struggles; she thrived through the adversity. Now, Walton strives to change her life story and inspire others going through the same struggles she once did to leave the monotonous treadmill of life and forge their own path. In Rags to Riches to the Real Me, Heather Walton will show you that you can start over at any age and heal your life. You can rewrite your story with a happy ending. By following the 21 simple step-by-step exercises and making a daily ritual to recreate a life worth living, you can become someone that you can be proud of. There is nothing more empowering than to look back on your struggles or trauma and know that it did not define you; that they simply gave you a few scars or characteristics that made you into the strong resilient person you can become.

Theological Reflections: Methods, offers a comprehensive collection of models of theological reflection. By bringing this diverse collection together in one place, the editors create a unique reference work that allows a clear and visible contrast and comparison as each model is treated formally and in a standard format. Throughout each chapter the distinguishing features of the model are examined, the geneology and origins are discussed, worked examples of the model applied to contemporary theology are provided, and critical commentary, future trends and exercises and questions are provided. Now firmly established as an essential text on theological reflection, this new edition has been revised and updated with a new introduction, updated examples, and refreshed bibliographies

This volume provides a theoretically and empirically-grounded study of the significance of landscape in the experience of Christian pilgrimage across different denominations and its intersection with cultural heritage and tourism. The book focuses on pilgrimages to Meteora (Greece), Subiaco (Italy) and the Isle of Man. These are each sites of scenic beauty that boast a rich heritage associated respectively to Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Ecumenical/ Protestant denominations. The study discusses different Christian theologies, practices and perspectives on the nature and the purpose of pilgrimage in these traditions. It draws on participant experiential accounts, archival research, and interviews with clergy, laity and local stakeholders. Special attention is paid to the themes of sacred space and practice, aesthetics, mobilities, embodiment and performance, emotional geographies, theology, cultural heritage, consumption and commodification, and the pilgrim-tourist continuum.

Practical theology as a subject area has grown and become more sophisticated in its methods and self-understanding over the last few decades. This book provides a complete and original research primer in the major theories, approaches and methods at the cutting-edge of research in contemporary practical theology. It represents a reflection on the very practice of the discipline itself, its foundational questions and epistemological claims. Each chapter examines different aspects of the research process: starting with experience and practice, aspects of research design and epistemology, communities of learning, the influence of theological norms and tradition on the practice of research, and ethical considerations about what constitutes ‘the good’ in advanced research. The uniqueness of this book rests in its authoritative overview of current practical theological research across a range of traditions and approaches, combined with a comprehensive introduction to research methodology. It offers worked examples from the authors, their colleagues and research students that serve to illustrate key ideas and approaches in practical theological research. The four authors are all internationally-leading scholars and rank amongst the most influential figures in practical theology of their generation. The book promises to be of interest to students, teachers and researchers in practical theology, especially those looking to conduct original practice-based enquiry in the field.

Not Eden represents a challenging new appraisal of the methods, purpose and practice of spiritual life writing. Part 1 examines some of the traditions that have governed spiritual life writing in the past. A dominant assumption, displayed in many confessional texts, has been that spiritual autobiographies chart a journey away from the concerns of this world towards a deeper understanding of the divine. However, alternative forms of spiritual life writing have always existed alongside these authoritative traditions. In these, spirituality appears as deeply interwoven with the fabric of everyday life. It is embodied, contingent and involves deep connections with others. Part 2 consists of a work of spiritual life writing in which the claims made in part one are explored and tested. It constitutes a fully worked example of the way in which spiritual life writing can enable us to face the deepest challenges of this world.

This volume provides a theoretically and empirically-grounded study of the significance of landscape in the experience of Christian pilgrimage across different denominations and its intersection with cultural heritage and tourism. The book focuses on pilgrimages to Meteora (Greece), Subiaco (Italy) and the Isle of Man. These are each sites of scenic beauty that boast a rich heritage associated respectively to Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Ecumenical/ Protestant denominations. The study discusses different Christian theologies, practices and perspectives on the nature and the purpose of pilgrimage in these traditions. It draws on participant experiential accounts, archival research, and interviews with clergy, laity and local stakeholders. Special attention is paid to the themes of sacred space and practice, aesthetics, mobilities, embodiment and performance, emotional geographies, theology, cultural heritage, consumption and commodification, and the pilgrim-tourist continuum.

Newly available in paperback, this book offers an authoritative overview of the broad and complex terrain of feminist theorising concerning the relationship between literature and theology as it has developed over the past several decades. It provides the first comprehensive evaluation of the significance of women's literature in the development of feminist theology and offers a critique of the variety of reading practices currently employed by religious feminists. As well as illuminating current reading strategies, the work argues that it is now appropriate for feminists to develop new ways of reading the divine in women’s writing. Drawing upon the pioneering work of Helene Cixous, Julia Kristeva and Luce Irigaray the work sets out a new framework for feminist religious reading that is both creative and challenging and which will be of interest both to scholars and students in this area. Through its artful and compelling feminist reconsiderations, the book makes a refreshing and significant contribution.

Writing Methods in Theological Reflection offers a stimulating, provocative and accessible book that will be of use to students and practitioners who are seeking ways to use their own experience in the work of spiritual and theological reflection, This work is intended for use by the many students of theology/ministry/chaplaincy who are charged with the task of producing works of theological reflection upon placements, life experiences and faithful practice. It will also be of general interest to a wide range of readers trying to correlate their life experiences with their spiritual beliefs.

In this book Heather Walton explores the significance of women poststructuralist theorists for feminist reading practices in theology. She interrogates the crucial role that literature has played in the development of feminist theology and breaks new ground in linking the study of literary texts and theory to creative writing. This raises important epistemological questions concerning the use of the imagination in theological thinking and introduces 'reflexive theology' as a discipline and practice.

This is the first in a two part project, aimed at postgraduates and academics interested in the expanding volume of work and research surrounding theological reflection. Brought together in Volume one is a comprehensive collection of models of theological reflection. By bringing this diverse collection together in one place, the editors create a unique reference work that allows a clear and visible contrast and comparison as each model is treated formally and in a standard format. Throughout each chapter the distinguishing features of the model are examined, the geneology and origins are discussed, worked examples of the model applied to contemporary theology are provided, and critical commentary, future trends and exercises and questions are provided.