Assessment 1: Theological Reflection on Lived Experience (750–1,000-word essay)

Unit: Introduction to Theology and Religious Experience / Biblical Interpretation / Religion and Society

Level: Undergraduate (Year 1–2)

Weighting: 20–25% of final grade (see unit outline)

Due: Week 4 (Sunday, 11:59 p.m., local time)

Length: 750–1,000-word structured theological reflection

Submission: Upload a single Word or PDF file to the Learning Management System (Turnitin-enabled)

Assessment Context

Programmes in Theology, Biblical Studies, Philosophy, and Religious Studies at institutions such as Liberty, Notre Dame, Edinburgh, UofT, ACU, and similar universities routinely require short, focused reflection essays that connect personal experience with core course concepts.
Recent guidelines in theological education emphasise structured theological reflection as a way of integrating scripture, doctrine, and social context with lived practice.
This assessment adopts that pattern: you will take a concrete episode from either personal life, ministry, work, or public life and examine it carefully in the light of key ideas from the unit.
The essay is not a diary entry; it is a brief academic exercise in which experience and theological reasoning speak to one another.

Task Description

Write a 750–1,000-word theological reflection on a specific experience, case, or situation that raises a significant question in Christian belief, ethics, or religious practice.
Your task is to describe the situation clearly, identify the theological or philosophical issues at stake, and develop a thoughtful response using scripture, tradition, and at least two scholarly sources from the reading list or wider research (2018–2026).
You may write in the first person, but your tone, structure, and referencing must remain academic.

Step 1: Select a Concrete Experience or Case

Choose one focused situation that you can describe in enough detail:

• A moment of moral conflict or ambiguous decision in everyday life, ministry, or professional practice.
• An incident in church, community, or campus life that raised questions about justice, inclusion, authority, or truth.
• A public event or news story that challenged your assumptions about God, human dignity, or the role of religion in society.
• A pastoral, caregiving, or volunteering encounter that revealed tensions between belief, emotion, and institutional expectations.

Step 2: Frame the Theological Question

State one primary question that emerges from the experience, for example:

• What does forgiveness look like in situations of repeated harm?
• How should Christians speak about hope in the face of systemic injustice or chronic illness?
• Where is the church’s responsibility when state policies conflict with gospel values?
• How do images of God shape the way people respond to suffering or failure?

Your question should be open enough to allow exploration, yet focused enough to guide a short essay.

Step 3: Engage Scripture, Tradition, and Scholarship

1. Select at least one biblical passage that speaks to your question; read it carefully and note key terms, images, or commands.
2. Bring in one major theological or philosophical voice from the unit (for example, Augustine, Aquinas, Barth, Bonhoeffer, Cone, Moltmann, Marion, or a recognised contemporary writer).
3. Use at least two recent peer-reviewed sources (2018–2026) that address your theme (e.g., forgiveness, hope, suffering, justice, pastoral care, political responsibility of the church).
4. Explain briefly how each source illuminates or challenges your initial reaction to the experience.

Step 4: Construct Your Reflective Argument

Organise the essay into clear sections:

1. Introduction (approx. 100–150 words): Briefly introduce the experience and state your key theological question.
2. Description (approx. 200–250 words): Describe what happened with enough concrete detail to make the stakes clear, without disclosing confidential information.
3. Theological Engagement (approx. 300–400 words): Discuss how scripture, tradition, and scholarship speak into this situation. Highlight tensions, convergences, and blind spots.
4. Critical Reflection (approx. 150–200 words): Show how your thinking has shifted. Identify one or two practices, attitudes, or institutional responses that should change in light of your reflection.

Assessment Requirements

• Length: 750–1,000 words; assignments significantly outside ±10% may be penalised as per school policy.
• Sources:
  • At least one biblical text, interpreted with reference to its literary and historical context.
  • At least one classic or contemporary theological or philosophical author studied in the unit.
  • At least two peer-reviewed journal articles or academic book chapters from 2018–2026.
• Citation style: Use the required style for your programme (e.g., Chicago, Turabian, APA, or Harvard) consistently throughout, with a full reference list.
• Formatting: Double-spaced, 12-point standard font, normal margins, page numbers included.
• Confidentiality: Anonymise people, institutions, and locations where appropriate.
• Academic integrity: Follow university policy on plagiarism, AI use, and academic honesty; all sources must be acknowledged.

Learning Outcomes Assessed

• Demonstrate basic competence in theological reflection on experience, relating practice and belief.
• Interpret selected biblical and theological texts in conversation with contemporary questions.
• Engage critically with recent scholarship in theology, religious studies, or philosophy.
• Communicate clearly and coherently in written academic English within a defined word limit.

Marking Criteria / Grading Rubric

1. Clarity and Focus of Experience and Question (25%)

• Experience is concrete, specific, and described with sufficient detail.
• The central theological or philosophical question is clearly articulated.
• There is a consistent focus on the chosen question throughout the essay.

2. Theological and Biblical Engagement (25%)

• Appropriate selection and accurate discussion of biblical passages.
• Relevant use of theological or philosophical sources to frame the issue.
• Evidence of grappling with tensions between text, tradition, and contemporary context.

3. Critical Reflection and Integration (25%)

• Explicit movement from description through analysis to constructive insight.
• Demonstrated capacity to question initial assumptions and consider alternative perspectives.
• Clear articulation of implications for personal practice, ministry, or institutional life.

4. Research, Structure, and Academic Writing (25%)

• Use of a minimum of two recent scholarly sources (2018–2026) in addition to course texts and scripture.
• Logical organisation with coherent paragraphs, topic sentences, and transitions.
• Accurate and consistent referencing, clear prose, correct grammar and spelling, and adherence to formal requirements.

Many high-performing reflections begin with a brief, vivid description of a single event that raised a serious question about forgiveness, justice, or pastoral responsibility.
Students then draw carefully on scriptural passages, key theological voices, and recent journal articles to examine how Christian belief challenges or reshapes their first instinctive response.
Strong essays name the tensions they feel, recognise where their community or tradition falls short, and point toward small but concrete changes in practice that follow from their theological reasoning.
Readers see how personal experience, biblical interpretation, and critical scholarship come together in a disciplined yet honest conversation about faith and public life.

Kinast, R.L. 2018, ‘Theological reflection as practical theology’, in B.J. Miller-McLemore (ed.), The Wiley-Blackwell Companion to Practical Theology, 2nd edn, Wiley-Blackwell, Chichester.

Pattison, S. & Lynch, G. 2018, ‘Pastoral and practical theology’, in D. Ford & R. Muers (eds.), The Modern Theologians, 4th edn, Wiley-Blackwell, Chichester.

Graham, E. 2019, Transforming Practice: Pastoral Theology in an Age of Uncertainty, 2nd edn, SCM Press, London.

Osmer, R.R. & Schweitzer, F.L. (eds.) 2021, Explorations in Practical Theology: Bridging Theory and Practice, Eerdmans, Grand Rapids.

Ganzevoort, R.R. & Roeland, J. 2020, ‘Lived religion: The praxis of practical theology’, International Journal of Practical Theology, vol. 24, no. 1, pp. 5–22, viewed 17 January 2026, https://doi.org/10.1515/ijpt-2020-2002.