There is a growing consensus among scholars in different countries about the object of practical theology. Hans van der Ven has contributed much to this consensus through his writings on the foundations of practical theology, the empirical paradigm within practical theology, and specific subdisciplines within practical theology, especially religious education, moral education, church development and ministry. At the center of this growing consensus is an understanding of the independent hermeneutical role of religious experiences and practices of people in the process of theological...