Theology and Qualitative Research: A One-Day Conference for Doctoral Advisers & Students

On October 29, 2021, more than 175 attendees gathered online and in-person at St. John’s University in Queens, NY for the One-day Conference on Theology and Qualitative Research for Doctoral Advisers & Students.

The conference was inspired by the growing move towards doctoral research that combines Theology and Qualitative Research in recent years. These kinds of projects genuinely push the envelope of research in a variety of ways and the different choices and decisions that are involved are exciting and creative but also complex. Doctoral work that situates itself as both theology and qualitative research crosses previously understood boundaries between disciplines, methodologies, and epistemologies.

Nine panelists presented from their forthcoming chapters in the Wiley Blackwell Companion to Theology and Qualitative Research edited by Pete Ward and Knut Tveitereid scheduled for publication in 2022. In three sessions, discussions explored topics such as reflexivity in research, qualitative research in World Christianity, and the challenges and considerations of writing qualitative research, and much more. We are pleased to offer the full recordings of the sessions here for your continued engagement.

One thing was certain at the end of the conference – there is energy and excitement about continuing conversations about teaching, advising, and doing qualitative research in theological and religious study. We look forward to continuing this conversation in the months to come.

Organizing Group

Rachelle Green, Graduate School of Religion and Religious Education, Fordham University
Easten Law, Overseas Ministries Study Center, Princeton Theological Seminary
Pete Ward, Durham University and 2021 McKeever Chair, St John’s University

Panelists

Luke Bretherton	Duke Divinity School, US
Eileen Campbell-Reed	Union Theological Seminary, US
Rachelle Green	Fordham University, US
Tone Stangeland Kaufman	MF Norwegian School of Theology, Religion & Society, NO
Easten Law	OMSC at Princeton Theological Seminary, US
Glenn Packiam	New Life Church, Colorado, US
John Swinton	University of Aberdeen, UK
Knut Tveitereid	MF Norwegian School of Theology, Religion & Society, NO
Pete Ward	Durham University, UK

Conference Videos

9.30 – 11.00
Chair: Rachelle Green
Presenters:

Theology and Qualitative Research: An Uneasy Relationship
Pete Ward / Durham University, UK / peter.ward@durham.ac.uk
Empirical Research: Theological limits and possibilities
John Swinton / University of Aberdeen, UK / j.swinton@abdn.ac.uk
Reflexivity
Tone Stangeland Kaufman / MF Norwegian School of Theology, Religion & Society, Norway / Tone.S.Kaufman@mf.no
Discussion

11.30- 1.00
Chair: Pete Ward
Presenters:

Ethnography as Critical Pedagogy
Rachelle Green / Fordham University, US / rgreen36@fordham.edu
Theology in the Lived
Knut Tveitereid / MF Norwegian School of Theology, Religion & Society, Norway / Knut.tveitereid@mf.no
World Christianity
Easten Law / Georgetown University, US / easten.law@ptsem.edu
Discussion

2.00 – 3.30
Chair: Easten Law
Presenters:

Political Theology
Luke Bretherton / Duke Divinity School, US / luke.bretherton@duke.edu
Writing Research
Eileen Campbell-Reid / Union Theological Seminary, US / ecampbellreed@uts.columbia.edu
Worship
Glenn Packiam / New Life Church, Colorado, US / gpackiam@newlifechurch.org
Discussion