This document discusses methodology for PhD research from a global perspective. It emphasizes the importance of having an original contribution to knowledge, identifying knowledge gaps through literature review, and using diverse methods, including those from non-Western contexts. Some key points discussed are using local tools and thought patterns alongside Western ones, focusing research on relevant issues like transforming communities and religious freedom, and exploring new areas of theology from global contexts.

1. Methodology Seminar – a
global perspective
Revd Canon Dr Joshva Raja John
Dean of Academic Studies
Oxford Centre for Religion and Public Life

2. Original Contribution
• New knowledge – What is your original contribution in the area of your
research? - knowledge transfer or knowledge within or relational
knowledge
• Why do we need a PhD research? Why should we find new ideas to solve
new or old problems around us? We need to go beyond our pastoral
mindset of solving simple problems with simplistic answers or pastoral
solutions. Many of us have assumptions and conclusions beforehand. We
need to be open to find something new in our research.
• Some of our PhD students are doing research on peace, mission and
development, education with values – their starting points were with
practical problems with practical solutions, some are extraordinarily new
ideas but for a PhD unless you identify in your area and place this idea as a
furthering knowledge with an original contribution, it will be going
nowhere.

3. Knowledge Gap
• Literature review to identify the gaps – local and global literature – recent and updated
• Social or contextual issues but how others have studied, what methods have they used,
what solutions have they offered? Why there is yet a need for your research? What are
the problems with those early studies? Why such studies are not relevant to your
contexts?
• Methodological gaps – then focus on this area only or studying the problems itself can be
a gap which not many has studied using a particular method or approach – gap can be
any where but do not engage with all the gaps in one PhD – use existing methods,
methodology, data analysis, refer to those who have identified the problems and then
come up with a new analytical solution and place it within the ongoing discussion that
you already find in the literature in your area of research – focus and narrow down
means identify a particular gap and rest you use existing tools or methods or
approach/es.
• Theoretical gap in particular theories Postcolonial or Post Modern what a particular
person provides as a theoretical analysis and what are the gaps in such a theory in
applying to your context and how far you can take it further after a critical analysis of this
theory

4. Linguistic analogue
1. Linguistic analogue 2. Christian attitude 3. Christian strategies 4.Ethical and
and self understanding toward the media for communication advocacy
Kenneth Burke1
(1961), Heinriches (1981) Bartonini (1978) Haring (1979)
Tillich2
(1964), Keller (1980a) Siebert (1978)
Wilder3
(1964), Towne (1976) Hamelink(1975)
Maquarrie4
(1967), Lopresti (1978)
Lonergan5
(1971), Searle (1981)
Tracy6
(1974),
Arens7
(1981),
Ricoeur8
(1962)
1
on his works on rhetoric proposes that religious language arises from a series of analogies between
words and the Word. We move from natural discourse to the supernatural in order to talk about that
which is beyond our grasp.
2
suggests that language itself is no longer transparent and that religious symbols no longer ‘work’. Religious
symbols must be reclaimed in order to open up the depth dimension of human living on both the transcendent and
immanent levels. Symbols make communication with and about God possible.

5. Cultural Analogue
1. Cultural analogue 2. Christian attitude 3. Christian strategies 4.Ethical and
and self understanding toward the media for communication advocacy
Babin (1981,1982) Niebuhr (1951) Jungamann (1950) Christians
Babin and Ellul (1967) Metzinger (1978) and Fackler
Mcluhan (1977) Muggeridge (1977) Ferreras-Oleffes (1978) (1980)
Ong (1962) Horsefield (1982) McDonald (1970)
White (1980) Christians (1977a)
Mills (1980b)
Blake (1982)

6. Methods and logic
• At times our PhD researchers struggle with methodology and method
– they state in the proposal – do not use big jargons without properly
explaining and connecting them to your research context and
concepts
• Are there theological methods, philosophical methods from non-
western world? That we can use and borrow in our research?
• Reason connecting logics behind the theoretical analysis, field
research and data analysis + interpretation

7. Philosophy of methods
• Western Critical tools and Philosophical thinking are necessary but
they are not the only tools and thinking available?!
• You can question the method itself but that itself becomes a research.
• Logic that connects all these methods in your research

8. Literature analytical method, Field research,
data analysis method
Dimensionsofcomparison Objectivist Subjectivist
Philosophicalbasis Realism–theworldexistsandcanbestudiedasitis Idealism–theworldexistsbutis
studieddifferentlybydifferent
people
Roleofsocialscience Exploringuniversallawsofthesocietyandthe
behaviourofpeoplewithinit
Exploringhowtheworldis
interpretedbydifferentpeople
Basicunitsofsocialreality Societyororganisation(s) Individuals
Comprehensionmethods Studyingthetypeandnatureofvariousrelationships
thatallowthecollectivitytoexist
Studyingsubjectivemeaningsthat
individualsimposeupontheir
actions
Theory Arationalconstructionthathasbeenproposedby
researchersinordertoexplainhumanbehaviour
Setsofmeaningsusedby
individualsinordertointerprettheir
worldandbehaviour
Research Validationoftheorythroughexperimentationorquasi-
experimentation
Lookingformeaningful
relationshipsandestablishingthe
consequencesofactions
Methodology Theuseofquantitativeanalysisandmathematical
methods
Theanalysisandinterpretationof
reality
Society Ismanagedbyasetofgeneralvalues,rules,and
regulations
Ismanagedonthebasisofvalues
possessedbypeoplewithpower

9. Global current issues
• Mixed methods and triangulation
• Data analytical methods from Global South
• Methodologies from Global South
• Western knowledge failed in many contexts
• Knowledge transfer under question – can new knowledge solve
issues? Spreading new knowledge with skills would sort problems?
• Movement of information and content of knowledge are under
question
• Local problems, local solutions, local methods? Inductive approach

10. Getting rid of Western obsession does not
mean that you are anti western
• Play the game within the Western system but go beyond
• Western tools, methods and thought patterns are useful but be biased
towards you local tools, methods and thought patterns
• Bibliography from your local context and theoretical patterns from you
context
• Think outside your box
• Relevant to church (ministry and mission) but transformative and prophetic
without compromising academic standard and high quality research
• Areas of marginal communities – suffering and discrimination – justice
need to be part of research today

11. Global trends
• Transforming Mission and ministry – how church can transform
communities
• Religious Freedom and Churches public Role
• Relating to other faiths new areas being faithful to one’s own and
relating to others in love
• Corruption, Church and State relations
• Church, education in schools and faith values
• Biblical studies and just war theories
• Local eco-womanistic theology, Tribal and Dalit contribution to global
theology, abuse and practical theology,

12. Global Trends
• Theological education non-western for whole people of God
• Sustainability of churches and TE during pandemic or wars or conflicts
• New Technology, social media and theology
• Persecution and theological challenges