ready, teddy god theology and practice of christian education with leslie j francis

Ready, Teddy GodReady, Teddy Godtheology and practicetheology and practice

of of Christian EducationChristian Education

with with Leslie J FrancisLeslie J Francis

A presentation in three A presentation in three partsparts

Part twoPart two

Empirical theologyEmpirical theology(listening to young (listening to young

people)people)

The Broken Leg

When Teddy Horsley broke his leg, he needed lots of help.

The Broken Leg

When Teddy Horsley broke his leg, he needed lots of help and he found support from Mr and Mrs Henry, Lucy and Walter.

The Broken Leg

When Teddy Horsley broke his leg, he needed lots of help and he found support from the ambulance driver, the hospital porters, the doctors and the nurses.

The Broken Leg

When Teddy Horsley broke his leg, he needed lots of help and he found support from his friends, from Betsy Bear, and from all his family.

Teddy Horsley saw the face of Jesus in all who came to help him.

So what is empirical So what is empirical theology?theology?

How is it done?How is it done?

The classic book 1Social Context of Theology

Robin GillMowbray, 1975

The classic book 2Practical Theology: an empirical approach

Johannes van der VenPharos, 1993

Empirical theology?

How do theologians read the world? How do they read God’s activity in the

world? How do they check the claims they make

about the world?

Using social science method

Intradisciplinary Interdisciplinary

The bench science approach

Collaborative team Research students International partners

Example

Luke 14:7-9

When he noticed how the guests were trying to secure the places of honour, he spoke to them in a parable: ‘When you are asked by someone to a wedding-feast, do not sit down in the place of honour. It may be that some person more distinguished than yourself has been invited; and the host will come and say to you, “Give this man your seat.” Then you will look foolish as you begin to take the lowest place.’

Urban Hope and Urban Hope and Spiritual HealthSpiritual Health

The adolescent voiceThe adolescent voice

byby

Leslie J Francis and Mandy RobbinsLeslie J Francis and Mandy Robbins

The ChallengeThe Challenge

From the Children’s SocietyFrom the Children’s Society From the Commission on Urban Life From the Commission on Urban Life

and Faithand Faith

The ChallengeThe Challenge

Listening to the young peopleListening to the young people Good spiritual health promotes hopeGood spiritual health promotes hope What influences spiritual health in What influences spiritual health in

young people?young people?

What is the research What is the research tradition?tradition?

Two main traditionsTwo main traditions

QualitativeQualitative QuantitativeQuantitative

Research ContextResearch Context

QuantitativeQuantitative

Self completion questionnairesSelf completion questionnaires 163 schools163 schools 33,982 completed questionnaires33,982 completed questionnaires 23,418 living in urban areas23,418 living in urban areas

What is spiritual health?What is spiritual health?

• John FisherJohn Fisher

• Four domains of spiritual healthFour domains of spiritual health

What is spiritual health?What is spiritual health?

• Personal domainPersonal domain

• Communal domainCommunal domain

• Environmental domainEnvironmental domain

• Transcendental domainTranscendental domain

Personal domainPersonal domain

• Internal relationships with selfInternal relationships with self

• Self-awarenessSelf-awareness

• Self-esteemSelf-esteem

• Self-identifySelf-identify

• Self-worthSelf-worth

• Meaning in lifeMeaning in life

• Value in lifeValue in life

Communal domainCommunal domain

• External relationships with othersExternal relationships with others

• Constructive and satisfying Constructive and satisfying relationshipsrelationships

• Accepting others and being acceptedAccepting others and being accepted

• Faith in humanityFaith in humanity

• Justice in relationshipsJustice in relationships

• Hope in interpersonal dealingsHope in interpersonal dealings

Environmental domainEnvironmental domain

• Relationship with physical and human Relationship with physical and human worldworld

• Local levelLocal level

• Global levelGlobal level

• Connectedness between self and Connectedness between self and universeuniverse

• Accepting responsibility for Accepting responsibility for sustainable developmentsustainable development

Transcendental domainTranscendental domain

• Ultimate concernUltimate concern

• Cosmic forcesCosmic forces

• Transpersonal phenomenaTranspersonal phenomena

• Positive/negative worldviewsPositive/negative worldviews

• Personal GodPersonal God

• Impersonal life forceImpersonal life force

• Luck or fateLuck or fate

The themesThe themesMale and femaleMale and female

Growing olderGrowing older

North and southNorth and south

Employed fathersEmployed fathers

Broken homesBroken homes

Anglican schoolsAnglican schools

Catholic schoolsCatholic schools

Christian schoolsChristian schools

Social engagementSocial engagement

Personal prayerPersonal prayer

ChristiansChristians

MuslinsMuslins

JewsJews

HindusHindus

SikhsSikhs

Personal domain: overviewI feel my life has a sense of purpose

56%

I find life really worth living 70%

I feel I am not worth much as a person 13%

I often feel depressed 52%

I have sometimes considered taking my own life27%

I often long for someone to turn to for advice 35%

I am happy in my school 71%

Communal domain: overview

I am worried about my attractiveness to the opposite sex34%

I am worried about how I get on with other people 51%

I find it helpful to talk about my problems with my mother50%

I find it helpful to talk about my problems with my father32%

I find it helpful to talk about my problems with close friends 64%

I am worried about being bullied at school 28%

I like the people I go to school with 90%

Environmental domain: overview

There are too many black people living in this country17%

I think that immigration into Britain should be restricted32%

There is too much violence on television20%

I am concerned about the risk of pollution to the environment64%

I am concerned about the poverty of the third world 59%

I am concerned about the risk of nuclear war55%

There is nothing I can do to help solve the world’s problems 26%

Transcendental domain: overview

I believe in God43%

I believe in life after death 45%

The Church seems irrelevant to life today 27%

The Bible seems irrelevant to life today30%

I believe in my horoscope 35%

I believe fortune-tellers can tell the future 20%

I believe it is possible to contact the spirits of the dead31%

Male and femaleMale and female


I find life really worth livingI find life really worth living

Male Male 74% 74% Female Female 65%65%


I am worried about being bullied at I am worried about being bullied at schoolsschools



There is nothing I can do to help There is nothing I can do to help solve the world’s problemssolve the world’s problems



The Church seems irrelevant to life The Church seems irrelevant to life todaytoday


Growing olderGrowing older


I am happy in my schoolI am happy in my school

Year 9 Year 9 72%72%

Year 10 Year 10 70%70%


I find it helpful to talk about my problems I find it helpful to talk about my problems with my motherwith my mother

Year 9 Year 9 52%52%

Year 10 Year 10 48%48%


I think that immigration in Britain should be I think that immigration in Britain should be restrictedrestricted

Year 9Year 9 29%29%

Year 10 Year 10 35%35%


The Bible seems irrelevant to life todayThe Bible seems irrelevant to life today

Year 9Year 9 29%29%

Year 10 Year 10 32%32%

North and South

Personal domain

I find life really worth living

North 69% South 72%

Communal domain

I am worried about being bullied at school

North 31% South 24%

Environmental domain

There are too many black people living in this country

North 16% South 21%

Transcendental domain

I believe fortune-tellers can tell the future

North 22% South 15%

Employed fathers

Personal domain

I feel I am not worth much as a person

Unemployed 16%Employed 13%

Communal domain

I find it helpful to talk about problems with my father



I am concerned about the poverty of the third world


Broken homesBroken homes


I have sometimes considered taking my I have sometimes considered taking my own lifeown life

Intact Intact 25%25% Broken Broken 33%33%


I find it helpful to talk about my problems I find it helpful to talk about my problems with my fatherwith my father



I am concerned about the poverty of the I am concerned about the poverty of the third worldthird world



I believe in my horoscopeI believe in my horoscope


Anglican schools

Personal domain• I often feel depressed

• Non-denom 52% • Anglican 58%

Communal domain• I am worried about being bullied at

school

• Non-denom 28%• Anglican 34%

Environmental domain• There is too much violence on

Television


Transcendental domain• I believe in life after death


Catholic schools

Personal domain• I feel my life has a sense of

purpose

• Non-denom 54%• Catholic 64%

Communal domain• I am worried about being bullied at

school


Environmental domain• I am concerned about the poverty

of the third world


Transcendental domain• I believe in God


Christian schools

Personal domain• I have sometimes considered

taking my own life

• Non-denom 28%• Christian 15%

Communal domain• I find it helpful to talk about my

problems with my close friends


Environmental domain• There are too many black people

living in this country


Transcendental domain• I believe in my horoscope


Social engagement

Personal domain

I find life really worth living

Low 63% High 72%

Communal domain


Low 32% High 27%


I think that immigration into Britain should be restricted

Low 27% High 33%



Low 23% High 20%

Personal prayerPersonal prayer


I feel my life has a sense of purposeI feel my life has a sense of purpose

NeverNever 48%48% Sometimes Sometimes 60%60% Daily Daily 73%73%


I am worried about being bullied at schoolI am worried about being bullied at school



There is nothing I can do to help solve the There is nothing I can do to help solve the world’s problemsworld’s problems



I believe in my horoscopeI believe in my horoscope


ChristiansChristians


► I am happy in my schoolI am happy in my school

►None None 67%67%►Christians Christians 74%74%


► I am worried about being bullied at I am worried about being bullied at schoolschool

►NoneNone 25%25%►Christians Christians 30%30%


► I am concerned about the poverty of I am concerned about the poverty of the third worldthe third world



► I believe in GodI believe in God


Muslims

Personal domain

I am happy in my school

None 67% Muslims 77%

Communal domain




There is too much violence on television



I believe in God


JewsJews


I find life really worth livingI find life really worth living

NoneNone 68%68% Jews Jews 87%87%


I find it helpful to talk about my I find it helpful to talk about my problems with my motherproblems with my mother

None None 48%48% Jews Jews 76%76%


I am concerned about the risk of I am concerned about the risk of pollution to the environmentpollution to the environment

None None 60%60% Jews Jews 76%76%


I believe in GodI believe in God

NoneNone 24%24% Jews Jews 64%64%

HindusHindus


I feel my life has a sense of purposeI feel my life has a sense of purpose

None None 50%50% Hindus Hindus 62%62%


I am worried about being bullied at schoolI am worried about being bullied at school



I am concerned about the poverty of the third I am concerned about the poverty of the third worldworld



I believe in GodI believe in God


SikhsSikhs


• I often long for someone to turn to for advice

• None 33%

• Sikhs 40%


• I am worried about being bullied at school

• None 25%

• Sikhs 36%


• I am concerned about the poverty of the third world

• None 52%

• Sikhs 63%


• I believe in God

• None 24%

• Sikhs 75%

Urban Hope and Spiritual Urban Hope and Spiritual HealthHealth

Over to youOver to you

Research informing practiceResearch informing practice

Practical implications of the findingsPractical implications of the findings

How can the findings influence policy?How can the findings influence policy?

How can the findings help those who work How can the findings help those who work with young people?with young people?

Urban Hope and Spiritual Urban Hope and Spiritual HealthHealth

Over to youOver to you

Sign up to fill in new generation of the Sign up to fill in new generation of the questionnairequestionnaire

Urban Hope and Urban Hope and Spiritual HealthSpiritual Health

The adolescent voiceThe adolescent voice

byby

Leslie J Francis and Mandy RobbinsLeslie J Francis and Mandy Robbins

So what is empirical So what is empirical theology?theology?

How is it done?How is it done?

A presentation in three A presentation in three partsparts

Part twoPart two

Empirical theologyEmpirical theology(listening to young (listening to young

people)people)

ready, teddy god theology and practice of christian education with leslie j francis

Documents

lots of help

teddy godtheology

urban life

urban areaswhat

urban hope

classic book

empirical approachjohannes

practical theology