Talking about God in Practice details the challenges and complexities of real theological conversations with practitioners, whilst providing an example of appropriate process, and a model of theological understanding by which to negotiate these complexities fruitfully. Drawing on, and adapting, action research methods, this process enables researchers with practitioners to access 'implicit' theologies, embedded within practices. The disclosure of the theology borne by practice enables a fresh and often exciting insight for all concerned, which leads to renewal of both practice and theology. The "Theological Action Research" process offers effective and mutually constructive ways of engaging practitioners and 'academics' in authentic research partnerships, contributing to the proper rootedness of theological scholarship, and to capacity building among practitioners for further, self-led research, reflection, and theologizing.

This book proposes to bring together three elements for the benefit of those researching practice in ministry and mission: * how to design research that enables questions about practice to be answered in a theological framework. * how to address the methodological and epistemological issues that arise in relating empirical research to theology. * how to manage a piece of research as a project alongside other responsibilities. Students in PT mostly rely on research methods books written for social science students which tend to assume that the student is young and full-time. This book will act as a companion to student and supervisor needing to bring all three elements listed above together.