We conclude this second probe by stressing that, aside from the opportunities and challenges in both fields, the main reason congregational studies needs theology, and vice versa, concerns the benefit for actual congregations. The great strength of ethnographic methods is that they offer the tools for disciplined self-awareness, a critical consciousness for congregations in a descriptive vein. Enhancing this descriptive power, the great strength of theological studies is that it offers a way to reconnect with a wider tradition and discover genuine alternatives for action, a critical
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