Practical Theology as an academic discipline and a branch of theology is considered an interdisciplinary/multidisciplinary field that seeks to study the relevance and agency of religion in contemporary societies. It encompasses a wide range of research areas: political theology, religious psychology, religious organizations, sociology of religious communities, and more.
The distinctive feature of practical theology is that it derives its research topics and areas from real-life contexts, providing theological analysis and interpretation of cultural and social issues. It critically and diagnostically addresses cultural issues, offering suggestions based on religious sources, which not only facilitate a faithful life but also open new windows for solving the problems of non-believers. Thus, practical theology can have thematic and methodological overlaps with various approaches, knowledge, and sciences, and can stimulate research interest among scholars of philosophy of religion, religious sociology, mysticism and Sufism, ethics, theology and beliefs, jurisprudence and law, Quranic and Hadith sciences, philosophy, educational sciences and psychology, religions and denominations, cultural studies, political sciences, and the like.
Therefore, recognizing the importance and growing need to address topics related to practical theology, the International University of Islamic Denominations, with the help of God and the scientific assistance of a distinguished group of professors and researchers in this field, has launched and published the Practical Theology journal as the first scientific journal in this diverse and important field in Iran.