and high unemployment', The Expository Times 95, 228-232. [ Links ]Thomas, L., 2002, 'Poststructuralism and therapy: What's it all about?', The International Journal of Narrative Therapy and Community Work 2, 85-89. [ Links ]Van der Ven, J.A., 1994, Empirical methodology in practical theology: Why and how?, Lecture at theSouth African Academy of Religion, University of South Africa, Pretoria on 18 January 1994, pp. 1-19. [ Links ]Van der Walt, P., 2007, 'Voices from clay jars: Reflections on the SAMPC reading team's reports', paper delivered at the Southern African Think Tank on Missional Theology and Praxis. In partnership with the Allelon International Mission to Western Culture Project, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, 12-13 November. [ Links ]Van Dijk, T.A., 1993, 'Principles of critical discourse analysis', Discourse & Society 4(2), 249-283. [ Links ]Wepener, C., 2003, 'Missionere kerk: Van sturend na gestuur' [Missional church: Sending to sent], Kruisgewys 3(2), 8-9. [ Links ]Wilson, F. & Ramphele, M., 1989, Uprooting poverty: The South African challenge, Creda Press, Cape Town. [ Links ]Wilson, M.H. & Lyles, M.R., 1984, 'Interracial pastoral counselling with Black clients', The Journal of Pastoral Care XXXVIII(2), 133-141. [ Links ]Wimberley, E.P., 1979, Pastoral care in the Black church, Abingdon, Nashville. [ Links ] Correspondence to:Gordon DamesPostal address: PO Box 339Bloemfontein 9300, South Africaemail: damesge@ufs.ac.zaReceived: 16 Mar. 2010Accepted: 03 Sept. 2010Published: 23 Nov. 2010 This article is available at: http://www.hts.org.zaNote: This article was initially presented as a paper at the Joint Conference of Academic Societies in the Fields of Religion and Theology, Stellenbosch University, 23 June 2009. 2010. The Authors. Licensee: OpenJournals Publishing. This work s licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License.1. Osmer (2008:170ff) prefers the concept cross-disciplinary dialogue instead of Van der Ven's (1994:6ff) multidisciplinarity or interdisciplinary approaches.2. The concept interdisciplinarity refers to a 'real discussion between theology and social sciences'. The term intradisciplinarity highlights a new relation between the two sciences. The reason for Van der Ven's (1994:2ff) new approach lies in the fact that the social sciences do not perceive religion as part of the social reality and social sciences, especially within a secularised society. Practical theologians should integrate the methodologies of the social sciences in relation to practical theological questions and aims - in a concerted effort to 'drink from our own wells' (cf.Dingemans 1988:91ff).3. Pastoral ministry in this article refers to a 'broader' perspective on pastoral care andcounselling.4. The concept missional is applied in reference to the critical response of contemporary Christianity to the traditional maintenance ecclesial paradigm.5. This refers to the 'scientific revolution' that informed European comprehension that everything in the universe could be discovered by the laws (structures) that govern all physical phenomena (Thomas 2002).6. Compare 'Missional encounter of the Gospel engaging cultural edges as agents of adaptive change' (Dames 2008).7. The term Black people will be applied in this article to refer to so-called Coloured and Black people in South Africa.8. The Confession of Belhar publicly witnessed against an unjust system; cultivating a culture of change and may continue to be instrumental in the transformation of unjust and irreconcilable contemporary practices (like the HIV and Aids