Practical theology and postmodern religious education

Religious Education, Summer 1999 by O'Brien, Maureen R

Abstract

This article gives an overview of "practical theology" as an emerging paradigm, and discusses problems and possibilities in using the paradigm for religious education of "Generation V in a postmodern context. The article posits that a postmodern sensibility does not imply the cognitive capacity for a truly postmodern style of meaning-making. Drawing on Robert Kegan and the author's teaching experience with young adults, the article raises the caution that Generation X may not be prepared developmentally for postmodern educational approaches. Possibilities for using practical theological elements such as story, playfulness, and making connections are raised in relation to this age-group.

INTRODUCTION

Recently I taught a small undergraduate section on "The Church," with a focus on ecclesiology as expressed in key documents of the Second Vatican Council. The students were mostly of traditional college age, in their third or fourth year of undergraduate studies. Ten out of twelve were white. Some were taking the course only to fulfill a distribution requirement. Others were clearly interested in the subject. We were discussing a Vatican 11 document, Lumen Gentium (Dogmatic Constitution on the Church), in which nuanced statements are made about how the church is in close relationship with the reign of God, yet the two are not coterminous. The document also states how the definitive news of salvation is announced by Christ and his church, while noting that God's presence may still be glimpsed in other faiths and, indeed, in all times and places. I had introduced this reading as part of the ongoing dialogue of Christian tradition with individual and communal experience in diverse cultures throughout history. Anticipating that my students would be "typical" young adults-spiritually engaged yet anti-institutional-I had expected either a ho-hum reaction ("Why work so hard at setting up this complex argument when all that matters is personal faith?") or a ready acceptance of the document's paradoxical quality as it affirmed traditional teachings while facing new realities.

Instead, I found that several students were passionately responsive to the topic and critical of the nuances. Simon steadfastly maintained that Christ was the way, the truth, and the life as scripture attested, and that no one who did not confess him could be saved. Others, with more theology courses in their background, were strongly committed to a narrow interpretation of Christian belief in Jesus as the only way to salvation. Mark, after several days of discussion on the two messages presented in Lumen Gentium, turned to me and asked helplessly, "But which one is right? "

Another student, Peter, who is majoring in theology, came to see me about the question. A faithful Catholic, he has traveled and ministered with evangelical Christian student-athletes. While well-read in Catholic apologetics, he finds himself uncomfortable with the stridency of his friends' approach and yearns to be able to present a clear response to their assertions regarding the "true church." "I wasn't born when the council happened," he said, "but I feel more like a pre-Vatican 11 Catholic than post-Vatican 11. I'd rather have things cut-and-dried. Since I can't have that, I want to study what Lumen Gentium really says about this question, and how it compares with prior church teachings."

Encounters such as these shape the questions I bring to this essay.

My approach to teaching is firmly grounded in the pedagogy of "practical theology." Thomas Groome's shared praxis method (1980, 1991) and Don Browning's fundamental practical theology (1991a, 199 lb) have particularly influenced me. Until recently I have taught adult ministry students, mostly in their thirties and beyond, with substantial experience in life in general and ministry in particular. They had embraced the "practical" pedagogy. Why didn't my undergraduates?

In this essay I will explore the nature of practical theology and the problems and possibilities of using its approaches for the religious education of today's young adults (Generation X) in a postmodern context. My own experience-a beginning point for practical theology-- suggests that the description of young adults today as uniformly "postmodern" is not adequate. Young adults may well name their own outlook as "postmodern." However, such a self-designation does not necessarily point to the habit, or even the capacity, for ordering one's world in a postmodern way. The possible discrepancy between cultural expression and expectation and one's own stance within culture provides both opportunities and significant challenges for religious education.

After a brief overview of practical theology and of contemporary attempts to respond to the spiritual needs of young adults, I will examine the question of whether living in a "postmodern" culture automatically results in a "postmodern" generation, and raise objections to an uncritical equating of the two, drawing in particular on Robert Kegan's In Over Our Heads (1994). 1 will incorporate anecdotal information from my teaching of young adults in a university setting, not to suggest that my impressions of students are normative for the broader population of Generation X, but simply as a counterpoint to sweeping generalizations about this age cohort. Finally, I will suggest possibilities and limitations in the use of a practical-theology method with this age-group in this culture.