Theological Reflection

Significance

At the heart of EFM is the process of “Theological Reflection.” 

 

 

People who have studied theology through EFM often speak of how Theological Reflection (TR) altered their way of thinking about their faith, bringing them greater insight and drawing them closer to God.  This new understanding has enriched and deepened their ministry. Since taking what you have learned out into the world is EFM’s ultimate goal, theological reflection TR can be seen as a key part of the programme. The processes found in TR used have been carefully thought out and refined over a period of years, with student and mentor feedback an important part of their development.  TR is exciting, creative, and challenging. It can take a variety of forms, and each year of study centres attention on a somewhat different method of using Theological Reflection, although groups can use any of the forms that works best for them.

 

Theological reflection helps participants learn to think theologically.  The written lessons do as well, of course, but textbooks can sometimes be dry and dull.  The process of TR can make  learning come alive.  History becomes more interesting when we connect it to our own life histories.  Philosophy and theology have new appeal as we relate them to ideas and experiences we have had ourselves.  We come to see that the past is not something distant, but is a part of our own experience, heritage, and perceptions.  We find that we have much in common with people in the past -- like us, they loved and hated, succeeded and failed.   They encountered many of the same challenges we face, and we can learn from their stories.  TR helps us relate the present to the past, our lives to those of earlier people who, like us, are part of the family of God.  As Christians, we have a responsibility to carry on the tradition of the people of God and to keep their story alive and real.  As each person examines their own beliefs and how they exist connected to the culture and the Christian tradition, they learn to better articulate their ideas, to be more consistent and systematic, and to find ways to apply their faith in  the world as Christ’s ministers.  We discover that opportunities for ministry are everywhere as TR helps us see how everything we do allows us to manifest the love of Christ. 

 

The Four-Source Model used in Theological Reflection

The developers of TR came to see that insight was far more likely when the reflection process had us clearly differentiate our personal experience from the larger framework of society, culture, and history.  TR does this by distinguishing among four sources of understanding, Action, Position, Culture, and Tradition.  Action and Position deal with the personal, Culture and Tradition with the world outside us.  The Action source involves what we do and experience.  The Position source is our consciously held beliefs and opinions.  The Tradition source is the content of the Christian heritage, including the Bible, church history, music, and prayers. The Culture source is the objective content of the world around us, including films, newspapers, politics, customs – all the aspects of life and society which we do not see as directly part of the Christian Tradition. All four of these areas serve as sources for our understanding of our lives, our world, our relationships, and God.

|Theological Reflection | Methods of TR | Microscope Method |

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