Practical theology and qualitative research / John Swinton and Harriet Mowat.

Originally published: 2006.

Part 1. Theoretical foundations -- What is practical theology? -- What is qualitative research? -- Practical theology and qualitative research methods -- Part 2. Research projects -- Researching personal experience: depression and spirituality -- Researching a local church: exploring an 'emergent church' -- Researching ministry: what do chaplains do? -- Researching pastoral issues: religious communities and suicide -- Participatory research: researching with marginalized people -- Action research: researching the spiritual lives of people with profound and complex intellectual disabilities -- Conclusion: Practical theology as action research -- Appendix 1: The practice of research: analysing data.

Practical Theology is a growing discipline in its own right, and the latest thinking in practical theology; of how to use theological learning in practical situations, is fully explored in this new edition of an established textbook. The authors examine methodologies of the social sciences and questions how they can enable the task of theological reflection; examine the relationship between qualitative and quantitative methods and highlight the significance of both for the task of practical theology. They also take the reader through the actual process of developing and carrying out a research project using the author's own research as case study examples. Previous case studies include: the rise in spirituality; the decline in church attendance, evidence-based medicine compared to needs-led assessments, the growth in chaplaincy and how it is understood as separate from parish ministry. In this second edition, case studies and all bibliographies have been updated plus a new chapter has been added.

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