SciELO - Scientific Electronic Library Online vol.68 issue2 author indexsubject indexarticles search Home Pagealphabetic serial listing Services on DemandArticle pdf in English Article in xml format Article references How to cite this article Automatic translation Send this article by e-mailIndicatorsRelated linksShare Share on deliciousShare on googleShare on twitterShare on diggShare on citeulikeMore Sharing ServicesMore More Sharing ServicesMore PermalinkHTS Theological StudiesPrint version ISSN 0259-9422Herv. teol. stud. vol.68 no.2 Pretoria 2012 ORIGINAL RESEARCHPRACTICAL THEOLOGY The practical theologian as decentred but influential facilitator H. Elmo Pienaar; Julian C. MullerDepartment of Practical Theology, University of Pretoria, South AfricaCorrespondence to ABSTRACTSince the 1970s along with the resurgence in practical philosophy new possibilities opened up in our understanding of the place for and purpose of practical theology. The repositioning of practical theology as a fully worthy discipline was important to find its voice amongst theological peer disciplines. Against this background, it was argued that the full measure of what the discipline can contribute, especially outside of the ministry context, has not yet been fully developed or practiced. Towards this end the presentation's main contention was put forward, in that it is vital for the practical theologian to take up a role of an inscribed facilitator. It signifies a shift from practical theology to practical theologian and is exemplified by the practice of a facilitative approach in, and to practical theology. IntroductionThis article fits into the larger genre of elsewhere (Pienaar 2012) referred to as practical theological facilitation. In what way? In that the concepts used, such as, inscribed, decentred, and a particular understanding of what it means to be informed, qualify aspects of facilitation that we deem important.With reference to Tracy's (cf. 1998) audiences of practical theology, if practical theology was to effectively engage different audiences, specially a public audience then the rationale for engagement needs credibility. The assumed lack of credibility, which relates to multifarious aspects, such as, the churches role in apartheid in the South-African context to the problematic of propositional approaches in a postmodern climate cannot be argued here.Accepting the aforementioned background thesis, the concern of this article is with furthering the kind of approach and interdisciplinary dialogue that might most credibly engage, particularly, the public audience. Doing so from a practical theological perspective; or rather, a practical theology that finds it useful, effective and rigorous to draw from practical philosophy, storied practical theology, and some important concepts and elements of both disciplines' development and practice.Consequently, two voices are invoked: that of practical theology and of facilitation. In the context of practical theology the notion of facilitation is one that is new - at least in view of its formal appropriation that it receives here. After clarifying the notion of facilitation, so as to gain an understanding of how these two fields are brought together, we offer some remarks on the development and influences of both these fields. This will be our first section and it will leave us is with an emphasis on the importance of both the individual and the collective.The middle section, namely, 'Storied practical theology', will pick up on the individual