Gela

Gela
He leads me beside still waters

Friday 7 February 2014

Reflecting on Theological Reflection


Kate Bradford

As I work and study as a chaplain, I continue to struggle to understand what is meant by the professional phrase Theological Reflection. There are a number of methods described, each usually begins with the chaplain re-entering a pastoral encounter, in an open non-judgemental manner, for the purpose of reflecting. The act of reflection focuses on images or feelings that surface in response to a: question, issue, tension, theme, problem or sense of wonderment arising out of the encounter.

Essentially the reflective activity begins with

a)      self: being particularly aware of intensity of feeling and emotional energy levels, elevated or depleted during and after the encounter

b)      viewed from different perspectives: i.e. other people involved in the encounter

c)       more broadly from familial and societal views related to tradition, culture and religion

d)      lastly, the theological perspective: seeking God’s wisdom prayerfully. Theological perspectives are explored through Biblical themes, insights, narratives, doctrines, subjects, motifs rather than proof texting or ‘chapter and verse’ quoting. The reflective process aims to find a theological focus that resonates with the situation, identifying new ways of thinking.

Reflection increases awareness of our personal values, attitudes, beliefs and assumptions and intentionally explores the dissonance between self, articulated beliefs and God in himself. The discipline of acknowledging both differentiation and integration is critical. Recognising that actual default settings (real self) are not identical to articulated belief systems (ideal self) is foundational to practices of safe ministry. Personal belief systems are ‘approximations’ that tend towards, but are neither complete nor identical with, Biblical truth.  A further layer of complication, is the limits and finitude of understanding of self, others and God. There is a need to mind the gap.

Because the activity essentially begins anthropologically and focuses on an experiential dimension, this type of reflection is probably more accurately described as an activity of honest personal reflection in conversation with theology.

There is great value in reflection around pastoral encounters. The disciplined approach guards against jumping too quickly to a final Biblical assessment that

a)      theologises – attempting to provide an answer/solution that preserves God sovereignty

b)      spiritualises – denies the reality of the pain being experienced by the sufferer by neutralising the suffering, or

c)       allegorises – attempts to lessen the pain by re-casting or reinterpreting the situation, often minimising suffering.

Careful personal reflection helps guard against possible imposition, dismissal and manipulation. There is a real danger that the Bible may be co-opted to support a partial or poorly informed theological position if the reflector acts to rescue God, or to minimise personal discomfort.

There may also be a need to acquire ‘negative capabilities’. That is learning to live with half-knowing, capable of ‘being’ in uncertainties, living with mysteries, doubts and the things not revealed, without irritation and even the occasional ‘willing suspension of dis-belief’.[1]

Stephen Pattison suggests a three stranded conversation between

a)      the event or situation

b)      beliefs and assumptions drawn from the Bible and Christian tradition

c)       the reflector’s own ideas, beliefs, feelings, perceptions and assumptions.[2]

Gordon Oliver suggests an alternate model of hospitality, where the reflector is the guest of the Bible, as are the psychologist, sociologist and other invited strangers. In this model not all participants are equal partners in the discussion as each is subjected to the Bible’s wisdom.[3]

For theological reflection to be truly theological, the Bible cannot be just one participant in the conversation, but must be the interpretive key of all the other aspects.



[1] Judith Thompson with Stephen Pattison and Ross Thompson, SCM Study Guide To Theological Reflection, (SCM: London), 2008. p 102-4.
 
[2] Thompson with Pattison & Thompson, 2008. p 61.
[3] Gordon Oliver, Holy Bible, Human Bible: Questions Pastoral Practice Must Ask. Eerdmans 2006.  123-6.

5 comments:

  1. Thank you for this insightful article. I am quite dissatisfied by the different popular models of theological reflection that are on offer. I agree with your evaluation that Scripture cannot be just one participant in the conversation but must be the interpretive key of all the others. Do you have any recommendations for a good theological reflection model?

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    1. Hi, I continued to think about your question regarding a good TR model. You may find our latest post helpful, Kate

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  3. Thanks Paul, for your comments. I think that most popular models of theological reflection are really models of anthrological reflection, or to put it another way they are a pastoral visitor's personal reflection on a pastoral encounter.

    This anthropological bent reflects particular theological traditions, however an evangelical understanding of theological reflection is most simply described as the God-logic that we can see in a situation are careful reflection.

    Personal reflection is critical to understanding our own emotions but 'theological reflection' engages with the events from the perpective of Biblical/theolgical wisdom. ie What are the implications of the eternal dimentions of a sufferers' faith, loves and hope - are the moving towards God the Father or are they slipping away? Is there openess, unawareness or resistance towards God? Is life lived only in a hoizontal dimension, or are there vertical dimentions - either postive OR negative? Negative issues of guilt, shame, sin, or positive aspects of repentance, forgiveness or redemption or a desire for Christian prayer or to make peace with God. Evidence of negatives imply possibilies of positive answers, the vertical dimension has opened up.

    Sometimes a theological reflection might note the apparent absence of a vertical dimention to a person's life. A theolgical reflection is an assessment of the vertical dimention of an encounter and possible ways forward.

    In a training session recently a trainee commented that his patient had a retributive justice world view which was also reflected in her view of God. This is an example of a theolgical reflection that is separate from his personal reflection of the feeling distressed at seeing a patient who had lived well and was dismayed by the bad things thst had happened to her, the maths did not add up for her this personal relfection helped him arrive at a theolgical relfection as he engaged with scripture. The information gained from his theolgical reflection helps shape the way forward for his next visit.

    I'm not sure if this is an answer but I don't have and article or a model to suggest.

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