Atla Annual 2020 Online

Ethnographic and other qualitative methodological approaches have become increasingly important for theological research, as lived theology and ecclesiological practices are recognized as being a relevant part of the information ecosystem contributing to systematic theological inquiry. These new approaches require attention to how field research in theology is documented and described. This think & learn session will discuss research arising from the University of Bonn symposium “What Does Theology Do, Actually?: Observing Systematic Theology and the Transcultural.”
 
Dr. Evan Kuehn (North Park) will discuss the transculturality of theological research, and the relevance of qualitative and ethnographic approaches to global theological research for theological librarianship. Hadje Sadje (Leuven) will share about his research on the political theology latent in the practices of Oneness Pentecostal congregations in the Philippines and the role that documentation and description play in this research. Dr. Matthew Ryan Robinson (Bonn) will discuss the nature of non-textual theological artifacts by focusing on three case studies: a painting from Ethiopia, a devotional cross from the Philippines, and a tweet, as objects that present challenges and opportunities for extracting, coding, and analysis.