Yale University Library Research Guides: Practical Theology: Research Methods

Subject Headings

The Routledge Handbook of Research Methods in the Study of Religion (Online) by Steven Engler, Michael Stausberg (eds.) This substantially revised second edition of The Routledge Handbook of Research Methods in the Study of Religion remains the only comprehensive survey in English of methods and methodology in the discipline.
Theory and Method in the Study of Religion by Aaron W. Hughes (Volume Editor)

Collaborative Practical Theology: Engaging Practitioners in Research on Christian Practices by Henk de Roest Documents and analyses research on Christian practices conducted by academic practical theologians in collaboration with practitioners of different kinds in Christian practices all around the world.
Invitation to Research in Practical Theology by Zoë Bennett; Elaine Graham; Stephen Pattison; Heather Walton A research primer in the major theories, approaches and methods in contemporary practical theology.
Practical Theology and Qualitative Research - Second Edition by John Swinton, Harriet Mowat Examines methodologies of the social sciences and questions how they can enable the task of theological reflection; examines the relationship between qualitative and quantitative methods and highlight the significance of both for the task of practical theology.
Talking about God in Practice: Theological Action Research and Practical Theology by Helen Cameron; Deborah Bhatti; Catherine Duce; James Sweeney; Clare Watkins Draws on action research methods as a way to disclose theology in practice.

Caring for Joy: Narrative, Theology, and Practice by Mary Clark Moschella Offers a new account of the value of joy in caregiving vocations, demonstrating how the work of caring for persons, communities, and the world need not be a dreary endeavor overwhelmed by crises or undermined by despair.
Qualitative Research in Theological Education: Pedagogy in Practice by Mary Clark Moschella, Susan Willhauck (eds.) Considers the theological values arising from and contributing to the use of qualitative research in scholarship and teaching. Argues that the teaching of QR methods is critical to the theological, ethical, spiritual, and/or pastoral formation of ministers and theological scholars.
Research in Religious Education by Leslie J. Francis (Editor); William K. Kay (Editor); William S. Campbell (Editor) Maps the achievements which have been made in empirical studies in religious education since the early 1960s. Discusses research concerned with childhood spirituality, faith development, operational thinking, gender differences, relationships between religion and self esteem, happiness, obsessionality, and personality.

Ethnography as a Pastoral Practice: An Introduction by Mary Clark Moschella Informs clergy on how they can use ethnographies to give themselves ears to hear their members' own stories
Hybrid Ethnography: Online, Offline, and in Between by Liz Przybylski Provides researchers with concrete and theory-based processes to provide a roadmap for combining online and in-person ethnographic research.
Studying Congregations: A New Handbook by Nancy T. Ammerman; Jackson W. Carroll; William McKinney; Carl S. Dudley Using a comprehensive systems approach to congregations, this volume enables readers to analyze the ministries, stories, and processes that are at work in congregations. It provides techniques for studying the congregation as well as a framework for understanding the nature of the congregation.