pastoral problems cannot be separated from their urge to caregivers to find solutions in the praxis of the same. Furthermore, this understanding and interpretation should also provide the caregiver with the motivational means to offer this pastoral care from within his or her theological convictions. To say one should care for those in need in a pastoral way and yet not grapple with the question of why one should care at all would be somewhat presumptuous. Practical theology should therefore both prompt and sustain the following question: what is the motivation for this conviction to care?Don Browning, the Alexander Campbell Professor of Religion and Psychological studies at the Divinity School of the University of Chicago, also shares this sentiment when he writes: ... practical theology must be more than methodological; it must actually do theology and it should do it in such a way as to illuminate Christian practice in religion to life's concrete problems and issues. (Browning 1985:15)When practical theology becomes so narrow that it only depends on the praxis of theology, how could the student motivate the 'who's', 'where's' and 'when's' of his or her research? Unless the praxis of theology is motivated from within that researched theological self, it would need to find its motivation for being practical from another source. From Gerkin (1986:18) we understand and agree that 'theology is central to all forms of ministry'. Unless practical theology is building upon actual theology, it will become a fragmented theology, because it would not be able to motivate theologically that which it is asking its practitioners to do. This dependence upon other sources will weaken practical theology, turning it into a mere practical outcome of someone else's theological convictions. That is why we hold that, unless practical theology actually engages in theology itself, it will become an unbalanced field of study where students would need to act in a conceited way. The conviction that Christians should care in a practical and pastoral manner is plainly not good enough. This pastoral care should find its motivation from within the caregiver's theological convictions, in order to find sufficient energy to sustain the care that is offered. Theological convictions motivate theology in praxisAs practical theologians, we are deeply concerned that students' theological convictions should create a theology in praxis. Pieterse (2001:9) shares this sentiment as he believes practical theology to be a study of Christian actions. This helps to establish an understanding that practical theology cannot be separated from its praxis, which, in turn, cannot be separated from students' own theological convictions. It is traditionally acknowledged that William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, defined evangelism as 'one beggar, telling another beggar where to find bread'. From the above definition one could be forgiven for seeking an understanding of practical theology. In the same context, Campbell (1987:188) is helpful with his understanding that practical theology is concerned for the well-being of people in communities. Hence, practical theology could not be a one-sided theology, where one party becomes the giver and the other the receiver. Through practical theology, we, as giver and