Abstract:

This article attempts to answer the following question: how significant is theological normativity for church development practice? At a time when many leaders are busy developing local churches according to secular organisational theories, models and experiences, the following question arises: to what extent does the normative character of the Bible impact Christian faith, church life and ministry and how might normative theology affect development projects that are carried out by churches? The overriding issue that both current practice and the article focus on, is how theological normativity and empirical data can be integrated in the area of church development. After explaining the concepts of theological normativity and empirical data and the logical relationship between them, the article discusses how different national (Norwegian) and international researchers within practical theology attempt to resolve problems relating to the integration of normative theology with empirical data. The article’s authors believe that these attempts end up with either assimilation or integration, neither of which is beneficial for church development practice. Therefore, the authors propose an alternative integration model that distinguishes between three levels / degrees of theological normativity, corresponding to three different fields and areas of church development. From this perspective, one can see how the integration of empirical data in the three levels of normativity brings both challenges and opportunities. The authors’ conclusion and recommendation concerning the function and significance of the theological normativity in church development is that theological normativity bestows the church with identity and at same time has a guiding and corrective function.

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