This panel takes up the question of whether and how open and relational theologies are, or might become, expressions of practical theology. Scholars on the panel consider how a combination of practical theology and open and relational theologies can support vulnerable communities in the face of uncertainty and transition; explore the unspoken and underrecognized practical relational theologies at play in trauma theology; and propose a reframing of white supremacy that, in turn, might open up possibilities for its very undoing. The session will conclude with an interactive opportunity for attendees to engage in roundtable discussions of the papers and then share their reflections.
Transitions are a fundamental part of the human experience, yet they are often accompanied by feelings of uncertainty, anxiety, and discomfort. In response, many turn to spirituality and spiritual practices to help them navigate these transitions. Practical theology is one such discipline that intentionally investigates the role of spirituality in the everyday lives of people and therefore makes it uniquely suited to identify the unique ways that spirituality supports communities undergoing various challenges such as great upheaval. Open and Relational Theology on the other hand, asks for theological reflection to be performed in ways that center creativity, relationality, and flexibility therefore making it an amenable partner to facilitate what I call “critical hope,” a much needed quality in times of change. In this paper, we will explore the ways that practical theology’s bias towards lived spiritual practices might be brought in dialogue with ORT’s themes of creativity, relationality, and process to encourage new forms of empowered living in times of great transition.
“Trauma theology” is one of the most significant permutations of practical theology to emerge in the twenty-first century. And, though not always recognized, trauma theology displays numerous debts to open and relational thinking. Beginning with the seminal volumes of Serene Jones and Shelly Rambo, trauma theology has often quietly traded in the categories of relational theological models, especially in its valorization of divine solidarity with creation and in its denial of sovereignly-arranged meaning within the sufferings of victims and survivors. Relatedly, open and relational theology has often pinpointed its own significance in relation to questions of suffering, trauma, and abuse. This paper thus argues for the “mutual constitution” of trauma theology and open and relational theology, presenting a crucial juncture for understanding how relational renderings of doctrine can impact lived practice and demonstrate significance in the midst of real human suffering.
This paper will explore existing and novel concepts for rethinking white supremacy as complexly entangled in, across, and between human and more-than-human bodies, and interrogate the interrelated processes by which pale flesh becomes a white body. This work will then offer theoretical tools for creative application in the development of white, anti-racist theology. Utilizing the Deleuzian concept of assemblage and existing explorations of phenotype, viscosity, and emergence in open and relational theology since the material turn, this paper will propose a reading of whiteness and white supremacy as viscous assemblages that thicken, making pale bodies stick to certain objects, landscapes, institutions, and patterns of interaction, building white supremacy into the fabric of the world. The emergence of whiteness is imagined as a process of bleaching, and transformative rearrangements of white supremacist assemblages as a processes of mercerization, nurturing openness to affinities, responsibilities, and hauntings beyond the epidermal line.