When considering a helpful way of describing practical theology, I thought of the quote attributed to St. Francis of Assisi: Preach the Gospel at all times, when necessary, use words. When researching this phrase, I discovered that there is no record of St. Francis ever saying this and, in fact, Francis was a member of a preaching order. (Read about the myth here.)

This Christianity Today article argues for the importance of preaching the Gospel today. Of course, preaching is one of the original tasks of practical theology, along with teaching and pastoral care. Practical theology was assigned to the realm of ordained clergy, of which St. Francis was a member. Yet, while St. Francis was a member of a religious order and a preacher, he also challenged the status quo: eschewing wealth, placing value on the natural world and creation, and cultivating a deep devotion to prayer and service.

In this regard, perhaps St. Francis is a wonderful model for a practical theologian. St. Francis did not ignore what was going on in his world in order to preach a timeless word from the Gospel. His preaching combined the everyday realities of his world with the Gospel message.

When I started researching practical theology, I thought that practical theology concerned mainly everyday, non-verbal practices from which theological meaning could be extrapolated. I ignored the question: with what tradition should these everyday experiences be in conversation? It is hard to pull theological meaning out of a magician’s hat, so to speak. There must be theological traditions and cultural contexts – which, in the process, may themselves alter. But it is important to start somewhere. This is the antidote to relativism. Yes, many truths may exist, but where do you stand now?