Ethnographic Approaches to Theology

The cross-disciplinary migration of ethnography - or, more broadly, qualitative methods (QR) - has called not just for its application to, or even, integration with the various academic fields in which it lands. Rather, each discipline needs to reinvent and reimagine qualitative approaches in light of the nature, goals and norma of their own scholarly communities. Theology - where ethnographic approaches are increasingly being used - is not exempt from this need. While the sub-fields of Practical Theology and Ethics are best known for their use of ethnographic approaches to the theological disciplines, other sub-fields (e.g., Constructive/Systematics, Biblical studies, Digital Studies and more) have recently followed suit. Tobust conversations at these inter-disciplinary intersections are developing complex ways for arranging myriad vectors of knowledge production that contribute to a theological project. This course is designed for AD theology students (all research areas) intending to use ethnography or QR in their thesis projects. While exploring some of the QR methods most used by theologians, its man purpose is to engage with the core theological questions associated with the use of QR for theological purposes, including, but not limited to: reflexivity, normativity and representation. Ths course will be offered in a primarily asynchronous mode, with 4 synchronous meetings acheduled over the course of the semester.