‘Cosmic Loneliness’: An Exploration in Grounded Theology

The aim of grounded theology is to develop theology from the ‘bottom up’. The methodology is essentially that of grounded theory. This involves looking for emergent themes in the data, articulating what might be considered a theological insight and evaluating this in light of the theological tradition. Most qualitative research using grounded theory in practical theology has been exploratory and largely descriptive. Theological reflection is often an afterthought, and not the gaol of the research. I will argue for such an application of grounded theory, this is consistent with the aims of this methodology.