Thomas Groome describes his Shared Christian Praxis approach as “Christians sharing in dialogue their critical reflection on present action in light of the Christian Story and its Vision toward the end of a lived Christian Faith” (Groome, p. 184).

Like other methods of theological reflection, Groome’s shared praxis combines lived experiences of individuals with religious values, stories, and teachings. His method is used primarily with groups and communities. Through five steps, Groome leads groups through naming what is going on in the moment – sharing stories – naming the Christian story – and linking the stories and vision of participants with those of the Bible. You can read more about Groome’s five “movements” of shared praxis here.

This shard praxis model reminds me of Story-Linking, a practice described by Anne E. Streaty Wimberly in her book Soul Stories: African American Christian Education. Story-linking is composed of 4 primary phases:

1. Engaging the everyday story of African-Americans

2. Engaging the Christian faith story in the Bible

3. Engaging Christian faith story from the African-American heritage using traditional African-American stories and tales

4. Engaging in Christian ethical decision-making – reflecting leads to action

Story-linking consciously adds elements of African-American history and culture to theological reflection.