Academic Centre for Practical Theology
Mission
The Academic Centre for Practical Theology is based in the department of Pastoral Theology, Faculty of Theology, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven. Since its founding in 1432, the faculty of Theology has educated thousands of church leaders world wide. To this date, the faculty has more than 400 international students from all parts of the world. The Academic Centre for Practical Theology has access to all the resources of the faculty and the university at large. It is well equipped to educate, train and supervise students at master and postgraduate levels, to initiate expertise networks, to organize conferences and to enhance research in practical theology.
The Academic Centre for Practical Theology seeks to prepare and train women and men for their tasks in the Church as professionals or volunteers. To meet this core task, it organizes practical trainings in several pastoral fields and initiates and supports theological reflection and research. Students are encouraged to combine academic excellence with pastoral engagement and a personal spirituality within the Christian and Catholic tradition.
Each program of the centre has three pillars: a (practical) theological and multidisciplinary education, reflection on pastoral experiences and a Christian spirituality. The programs aim to bring the questions and experiences from the practice in a critical dialogue with scientific research and academic reflection in theology and sciences. It belongs to the centre’s to stimulate practical theological research, exchange, discussions and dialogue about the contemporary questions in church and society. In this manner, the centre wishes to contribute in finding answers to the present challenges in pastoral care.
The centre operates in close cooperation with representatives of all kinds of pastoral fields, of the Belgian Catholic Church and of other Flemish educational programs for pastors and chaplains. The centre therefore takes initiative in forming several expertise networks that gather chaplains, pastors, researchers and educational staff to reflect and act on contemporary pastoral challenges.
The Centre seeks to enhance its scientific research through cooperation on an international level. It has ties with other university centres for practical theology and with European and international associations for pastors, counsellors and chaplains. The centre aims to regularly publish its research.
Staff members
Steering committee practical theology
- Annemie Dillen (chairman)
- Marcel Broesterhuizen
- Joris Geldhof
- Thomas Knieps
- Axel Liégeois
- Didier Pollefeyt
- Marc Steen
- Anna Vandenhoeck
Coordinators of the Centre
- Anna Vandenhoeck
- Angeline De Moor (general coordinator)
- Karolien Helsen (training coordinator)
