Black Practical Theology - by Dale P Andrews & Robert London Smith (Hardcover)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

Dale Andrews and Robert Smith combine the voices of constructive theologians, practical theologians, and those ministering in black churches to craft a rich and expansive black practical theology.

Black Practical Theology brings together the hermeneutical conversation between scholars working within the traditional disciplines of theological education (systematic theology, ethics, biblical studies, history) and those scholars working within practical theology (homiletics, pastoral care and counseling, Christian education, spirituality). To this ongoing conversation, Andrews and Smith add the voices of pastors of black congregations and para-church leaders who serve the communities of faith who daily confront the challenges this work addresses--youth and intergenerational divides, education and poverty, gender and sexuality, globalism, health care, and incarceration and the justice system.

Black Practical Theology sets the standard for practical theology. Embodying its own methodological call--to begin with the issues of the black church, as well as its resources and practices--it does not rest content but returns immediately to the communities from which it emerged. Black Practical Theology is a gift to both teacher and student.

Review Quotes

Black Practical Theology comprehensively graphs the contours of black practical theology, offering readers eighteen essays that explore an exhaustive range of generative topics involving the most pressing exigencies within what Smith conceptually labels the 'black thematic universe, ' which shapes the religious life world of contemporary African Americans and Pan-Africans (8-9).

A must read for those interested in practical theology.

A wide-ranging, interdisciplinary approach to issues that concern all Christian communities, including education, poverty, gender, race, immigration, HIV/AIDS, and the justice system.

About the Author

Dale P. Andrews (1961-2017) was Distinguished Professor of Homiletics, Social Justice, and Practical Theology at Vanderbilt University.

Robert London Smith Jr. is an Honorary Researcher in Practical Theology, King's College at University of Aberdeen, U.K. and Pastor at Rubislaw Parish Church, Aberdeen, U.K.