ARCS Project
Action Research - Church and Society (ARCS)
Welcome
ARCS was established in September 2006 as an agency within the Pastoral and Social Studies Department at Heythrop College, University of London. It works in partnership with OxCEPT (the Oxford Centre for Ecclesiology and Practical Theology) at Ripon College Cuddesdon. We support church and community groups mainly in the London area to undertake research answering theological questions about faithful practice in order to renew both theology and practice in the service of God’s mission.
ARCS has developed a process called theological action research which offers an effective and mutually constructive way of engaging practitioners and 'academics' in authentic research partnerships, contributing to the rootedness of theological scholarship, and to capacity building among practitioners for self-led research, reflection, and theologising.
The ARCS Mission:
ARCS engages with church agencies and church community groups in the course of the renewal of their own life, their religious evangelising mission and their outreach to society.
ARCS seeks to enable groups through deepened theological awareness to improve their effectiveness, develop relationships with other traditions and bring faith and faith-based values to the wider society.
The Aims of the ARCS Project:
To engage with church agencies and community groups, helping them to theologically reflect upon a chosen feature of their work, with aspects of evangelisation and renewal being a particular focus.
To combine theological reflection and action research - a participatory and collaborative process, leading to organisational change.
To share examples of good practice and theological reflection on evangelisation and renewal work with engaged groups.
To engage in reflection that brings faith and faith-based values to wider society.
To share research findings with practitioners, academics and the wider church community.
Background
ARCS developed out of previous research by the Von Hügel Institute and the Margaret Beaufort Institute of Theology, Cambridge, published as: Going Forth: An Enquiry into Evangelisation & Renewal in the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales.
A Worked Example
Future Dissemination 2010-2011