How can one describe the pluralisation of the religious realm, which is of such significance for processes of social change? How can it be done from an international perspective? The book sharpens the idea of religious pluralisation by elucidating it against the backdrop of specific religious phenomena and practices. Concepts and interpretations of religious praxis are correlated here in a way that has proven most fruitful in the field of Practical Theology. We take a closer look at twelve highly relevant topics that are formative for the practical-theological discourses in South Africa and Germany: poverty and wealth, education, transitional rites and passages, health, religious community formation and the future of the Church, beginning and end of life, transformation of the media, migration and interculturality, populism and radicalisation in religion and knowledge, processing of the past, communal living. Each topic will be introduced by one scholar from a certain country and commented on by another. The conversational procedure contributes to a contextual theology that understands theology essentially as dialogue. In all contributions pluralisation is the overarching topic. It shall be developed as a conception and theory respectively, both of which are not self-evident their theoretical implications must be explicitly unfolded.

Die psalmboek is ’n eeue oue bron van vertroosting. Dit verwoord ons vrese, onsekerhede, vreugde en hoop. Dit spreek tot ons met troos en verwagting en afwagting. Die psalms is hartswoorde wat uit die dankbare of gekwelde hart van mense na God opstyg.

Daar is verwondering oor die skoonheid van die skepping en die vaste patrone daarin. Daar is ook psalms wat deurdronge is van ervarings van krisis en nood. Dis ’n roepe uit ons hart na God. Daar is psalms waarin die lofliedere, dankbaarheid en hernude verwondering oor God se genade en voorsiening opklink. In Die tint van ons toekoms ondersoek Johan Cilliers die psalms as wegwysers na oordenkings oor verwonding, verwondering en verwagting met die hoop dat dit die leser op ’n nuwe weg sal plaas, ’n nuwe toekoms tegemoet.

In die psalms praat en bid, sug en sing mense hul hart voor God uit. Maar God praat daarin ook sy hart teenoor ons uit. In ’n sin is dit ’n gesprek van hart tot hart. Dis God wat ons uit die skadu’s van lyding en leed, verwonding en dood uitlei en ons toekoms algaande versadig met lig.