Exploring Practical Theology

This blog was originally my final project for Boyung Lee’s Christian Education class in which I created an education resource for Practical Theology. All blog posts before June 2014 reflect this inquiry.

In the class we learned to think about Purpose in a threefold way. This method is originally derived from Aristotle’s four causes of change and further explained in Thomas Groome’s Christian Religious Education. Below I describe each aspect of purpose and what purposes I hoped to address in my research on practical theology.

Efficient purpose comprises the specific and practical tasks, actions, and methods.
In the case of this blog, the efficient purpose is to write about practical theology and its applications, especially to weddings.

Formal Purpose is the change or movement that is caused or hoped for by the tasks and actions undertaken in the efficient purpose.
In the case of this blog, I hope that you, the reader, will be better able to engage in theological or believing reflection in a way that makes sense for your beliefs, life situation, and traditions.

Final or Ultimate Purpose is the highest aim or belief to be served by the actions and task.
In the case of this blog, the ultimate goal is to develop deeper and more authentic faith and meaning through personal and religious transformation through reflection on religious and cultural tradition, personal experience and story, and larger cultural motifs.