RELIGIOUS ENCYCLOPEDIA
Practical Theology Praedestinatus
certain non-theological sciences and arts in consequence of the training of theologians and the peculiar nature of Christian worship, and modern conditions demand that the theologian 5. Relation engaged in practical work have more to Non- than has been included in his profestheological sional education. It is not, however, Sciences the function of practical theology to and Arts, supply this need, any more than it is the duty of exegesis or church history to do so. Despite the fortuitous combination (for example) of homiletics with rhetoric, or of catechetics with pedagogics, practical theology can and should, in reality, supply its own needs in these respects from within itself. This division of theology also bears a relation to the fine arts, for though these sustain no essential connection with practical theology, yet the construction and adornment of a church edifice appertains to architecture, sculpture, and painting, sacramental vessels may be artistically embellished, and parts of the service may be rendered in poetic or musical setting. In so far as art furthers religious ends, it may be employed by practical theology; when it passes beyond these limits, it must be rejected.
A far more difficult problem is the proof of the correctness of the theory of practical theology. On Protestant principles this must be accomplished by the Bible, a task which is not easy. While many details can not be proved from indis- 6. Final putable Bible passages, the attempt Tests. must be made to gain from the New Testament such a general view of church life as shall include all the vital functions of the congregation, all the powers conferred upon it, all its activities and experiences, all its personages, all its relations to the non-Christian world, and the consequent position of its Lord and the leaders of its life. This reconstruction must run through the entire New Testament, and from it will be gained a picture of the Christian Church in all its aspects, as well as a survey of the agencies to serve for its guidance and a basis for the procedure to be adopted by it at the present day. For all this a thorough knowledge of church history is essential, and modern practical theology is, fortunately, seeking to gain this knowledge. Since, moreover, church activity is always directed toward the Church at the present time, a complete knowledge of that present is essential to practical theology, and it must also furnish the ways and means whereby those engaged in practical church work can acquire this knowledge. This can not be attained, however, by mere references to books. Practical theology must concern itself, besides all else, with the relations between congregations, the correct questioning of the laity, and the proper mode of pastoral visiting. In this way it aids in finding the way for the correct performance of what has been ascertained to be the right mode of church activity.
CW. Caspari.)
Bibliography. G. J. Planck, Einleitunq in die theologische Wissenschaft, Gottingen, 1794; F. Schleiermacher, Kurze Darstelluna des theologischen Studiums, pp. 257—338, Berlin, 1830; idem, Die praktische Theologie, ed. Frerichs, ib. 1850; A. Sehweizer, Ueber Begriff und Eintheilung der praktischen Theologie, Leipsic, 1830; C. Schmidt, De
Vobjet de la theologie pratique, Strasburg, 1844; C. B. Moll, Das System der praktischen Theologie, Halle, 1853; A. Vinet, Theologie pastorale, Paris, 1854, Eng. transl., Edinburgh, 1855; F. A. E. Ehrenfeuchter, Die praktische Theologie, Gottingen, 1859; C. I. Nitzsch, Praktische Theologie, 3 vols., Bonn, 1859-68; J. H. Blunt, Directorium Pastorale, London, 1864; W. Otto, Evangelische praktische Theologie, 2 vols., Gotha, 1869-70; F. L. Steinmeyer, Beitrage zur praktischen Theologie, 5 vols., Berlin, 1874-79; T. Harnack, Praktische Theologie, 2 vols., Erlangen, 1877-78; K. Harms, Pastoral theologie, 3 vols., Kiel, 1878; J. J. van Oosterzee, Practical Theology, New York, 1878; G. von Zezschwitz, System der praktischen Theologie, Leipsic, 1879 (orderly and complete); W. G. Blaikie, For the Work of the Ministry; a Manual of homiletical and pastoral Theology, London, 1878; E. Vaucher, De la theologie pratique, Paris, 1893 (clear and able); G. R. Crooks and J. F. Hurst, Theological Encyclopaedia and Methodology, pp. 500 sqq., New York, 1894; A. Cave, Introduction to Theology, pp. 565 sqq., Edinburgh, 1896; K. Knoke, Grundriss der praktischen Theologie, Gottingen, 1896; E. C. Achelis, Lehrbuch der praktischen Theologie, Leipsic, 1898 (satisfactory); idem, Grundriss der praktischen Theologie, Freiburg, 1899; F. L. Chapell, Biblical and Practical Theology, Philadelphia, 1901; F. S. Schenck, Modern Practical Theology, New York, 1903; L. Emery, Introduction a Vetude de la theologie protestante, pp. 185- 222, Paris, 1904; F. C. Monfort, Applied Theology, Cincinnati, 1905; J. Haase, Der praktische Geistliche, Hamburg, 1905; W. Faber, in Kultur der Gegenwart, I., 4, Berlin, 1906; D. D. Cullen, Problems of Pulpit and Platform, Elgin, 111., 1907; A. Pollok, Studies in Practical Theology, London, 1907; J. C. Wright, Thoughts on Modern Church Life and Work, New York, 1909; C. Clemen, Quellenbuch zur praktischen Theologie, 1, Quellen zur Lehre vom Gottesdienst (Liturgik), 2, Quelle?? zur Lehre vom Religionsunterricht, Giessen, 1910; H. Jeffs, Modern Minor Prophets. With a Chapter on Lay-Preaching and its By- Products, London, 1910. Series of works are: Handbibliothek der praktischen Theologie, ed. F. Zimmer, 17 vols., Gotha, 1890-93; and Sammlung von Lehrbuchern der praktischen Theologie, ed. H. Hering, Berlin, 1895 sqq. (still in progress) . Consult also the literature under Pastokai, Theology.
PRCEDESTINATUS, LIBER: A work of the first half of the fifth century by an unknown author, so called because the list of heresies in the first book closes with the hwresis prcedestinatorum. The treatise is in three parts: the first being a brief description of ninety heresies, plagiarized from the similar list by Augustine, the notes by the author being without value. The second and third books contain a detailed refutation of the heresy stigmatized as predestinational, this being presented in the second book as a treatise of the opponents, and assailed section by section in the third book. The second book is alleged by the author of the Liber prcedestinatus to be a forged work of Augustine, designed to propagate dangerous errors concerning predestination and to lead to moral laxity. While this portion might have been written by some adherent of Augustine, it seems rather a figment of the author of the Prcedestinatus, who skilfully availed himself of Augustinian concepts and methods to present those points of the doctrine of predestination which were most vulnerable to the Pelagians. Whether, or to what extent, the author made use of earlier Pelagian compositions of similar tendency can not be determined. In the third book the Augustinian doctrines are boldly assailed. Free will precedes grace, nor is the greater power of the latter effectual without the antecedence of the former. The fall did not destroy the freedom of the will, but first revealed it; and the end of man is voluntary obedience to God after the pattern of
Prsedinius Pragmatic Sanction