Ethnography as Christian Theology and Ethics - (T&t Clark Studies in Social Ethics, Ethnography and Theologies) (Hardcover)

About the Book

"How can qualitative research methods be a tool for social change? Echoing the 'scandal of particularity' at the heart of the Christian tradition, theologians and ethicists involved in ethnographic research draw on the particular to seek out answers to core questions of their discipline"--

Book Synopsis

How can qualitative research methods be a tool for social change? Echoing the 'scandal of particularity' at the heart of the Christian tradition, theologians and ethicists involved in ethnographic research draw on the particular to seek out answers to core questions of their discipline.

This new edition features a dynamic selection of nuanced and provocative voices in this area of ethics and theology, showing how, in the past decade, the kinds of qualitative methodologies employed have become more varied and sophisticated. The leading and emerging scholars featured in this book have much to share how they approach this kind of work, what they are learning in the process, and what sorts of change is possible as a result. This volume also pays tribute to the life and work of a pathbreaker in qualitative methods for the sake of theological imagination and social change, the Rev. Dr. Melissa D. Browning (1977-2021).

Review Quotes

The first edition focused on scholarly voices from Catholic and Protestant traditions. I commend the diversity of race, gender, space and theological scholarship in this work which highlights the voice of many marginalized voices and contexts. They have also highlighted what our theological predecessors would not deem sound theological research. I agree with Traci West that these voices "shake up our perceptions of whose knowledge we truly need and how we should gather and analyze its significance". This edition reflects the growth in theological and ethical engagement with ethnographic methodologies and scholarship that takes the contextual realities of its participants and audiences seriously. It is also a theological contribution to social science. I commend each contribution towards the next generation of theological and ethical scholarship.
Shantelle Weber, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa; President of the International Association for the Study of Youth Ministry

This 2nd edition of the volume is no less important than the first one. Then, it was an inspiration for many of us who looked for ways of integrating theology, ethics, and ethnography. Now, by including contemporary examples and adding new and relevant research to the arguments, it offers stimulating reading for anyone who wants to read and do embodied modes of theology. In a culture obsessed by separation, this volume does the important work of suggesting how we might do theology in ways that hold together reflection and ethics as well as research and discipleship.
Jonas Ideström, University College Stockholm, Sweden

About the Author

Christian Scharen is Vice-President of Applied Research at Auburn Theological Seminary, USA.

Aana Marie Vigen is Professor of Christian Social Ethics at Loyola University Chicago, USA.