THEOLOGICAL RESEARCH PREPARATION

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THEOLOGICALRESEARCHPREPARATION

• Tom Power

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Foundational Questions

• What is your topic?
• Why does it interest you?
• From what disciplinary perspective will you
  approach it? (theological, pastoral, biblical,
  historical)
• What questions emerge as you reflect on the
  topic?
• Where would you begin searching for relevant
  sources?

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Strategies

• 1. The Question
• 2. The Method
• 3. The Sources
• 4. The Conversation
• 5. The Claim

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1. The Question

• Good theological research begins with an inquiry,
  a question, a topic of investigation
• Faith seeking understanding expressed in
  questions
• Anselm posed the question Why did God become
  man? He answered it in his book, Cur Deus Homo
• Key Point Begin with a carefully formulated
  research question or statement

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Question Example

• 1.Identify your topic
• Luthers understanding of grace
• 2.Reformulate it as a question
• Was Luthers concept of grace a distinctly
  Protestant doctrine?
• 3.Extend, refine, clarify the question
• or was it inherent in the Augustinian tradition
  that grounded his study of the New Testament
• 4. Explain why the question interests you and why
  is might concern a wider theological audience

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2. The Method

• Questions lead to methods
• If you ask questions in a particular way, then
  you are proceeding from a methodology or research
  perspective
• Range of methodologies liberation, feminist,
  evangelical, exegetical, historical
• Methodology chosen will impact conclusions
• Key Point Identify the methodology you will use

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3. The Sources

• Questions can only be answered by engagement with
  texts ad fontes
• Familiarity with key theological biblical
  sources specific ones relating to your topic
• Facility with library and online searching
  techniques location, evaluation, use
• Requires familiarity with documentation, citation
  styles, avoidance of plagiarism, and
  bibliographic conventions
• Key Point Become familiar with sources, their
  location, use

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4. The Conversation

• Research means entering into a conversation
  involving you, the sources, other theologians,
  the topic/question posed as the point of
  reference
• Conversation driven by research question,
  methodology chosen, sources identified
• Based on the research question posed, with whom
  do you want to have the conversation?
• Key Point Think about your question, your
  methodology your sources to determine your
  conversation partners

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5. The Claim

• Culmination Research claim or hypothesis
• Path from question formulation to research claim
  declaration sees you accessing sources
  narrowing topic in tandem
• Difficult but critical stage expanding
  bibliography narrowing topic simultaneously
• Narrowing a natural/logical process by virtue of
  continuous questioning, refinement
• Survey literature (summarize in thesis statement)
• Identify gap carve out your research claim
• Key Point Broad sifting of sources narrowing
  of topic leads to your hypothesis

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Resources

• I have drawn on the following sources
• Kate L. Turabian, A Manual for Writers of
  Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations 8thed.
  (Chicago Univ. of Chicago Press, 2013)
• Lucretia B. Yaghjian, Writing Theology Well A
  Rhetoric for Theological and Biblical Writers
  (New York Continuum, 2006)
• Barber, C. R.M. Krauss, An Introduction to
  Theological Research A Guide for College and
  Seminary Students (Lanham University Press of
  America, 2000)
• D. Core, The Seminary Student Writes (St. Louis
  Chalice Press, 2000)