Dictionary.com

Practical

adjective

1. of or relating to practice or action:
   practical mathematics.
2. consisting of, involving, or resulting from practice or action:
   a practical application of a rule.
3. of, relating to, or concerned with ordinary activities, business, or work:
   a habitual dreamer, who can’t be bothered with practical affairs.
4. adapted or designed for actual use; useful:
   practical instructions.
5. engaged or experienced in actual practice or work:
   a practical politician credited with much legislation.
6. inclined toward or fitted for actual work or useful activities:
   looking for a practical person to fill this position.
7. mindful of the results, usefulness, advantages or disadvantages, etc., of action or procedure.
8. matter-of-fact; prosaic.
9. being such in practice or effect; virtual:
   Her promotion to manager is a practical certainty.
10. Theater. practicable(def 3).

Theology

Etymonline.org

Practical

early 15c., practicale “of or pertaining to matters of practice; applied,” with -al (1) + earlier practic(adj.) “dealing with practical matters, applied, not merely theoretical” (early 15c.), or practic (n.) “method, practice, use” (late 14c.). In some cases directly from Old French practique (adj.) “fit for action,” earlier pratique (13c.) and Medieval Latin practicalis, from Late Latin practicus “practical, active,” from Greek praktikos “fit for action, fit for business; business-like, practical; active, effective, vigorous,” from praktos “done; to be done,” verbal adjective of prassein, prattein “to do, act, effect, accomplish.”

Practical joke “trick played on someone for the sake of a laugh at his expense” is from 1771 (earlier handicraft joke, 1741).

Theology

mid-14c., “the science of religion, study of God and his relationship to humanity,” from Old French theologie “philosophical study of Christian doctrine; Scripture” (14c.), from Latin theologia, from Greek theologia “an account of the gods,” from theologos “one discoursing on the gods,” from theos “god” (from PIE root *dhes-, forming words for religious concepts) + -logos “treating of” (see -logy). Meaning “a particular system of theology” is from 1660s.

Discussion/Explanation

Here we have a two-word term once more which requires looking at each word individually. We have looked at the term theology before such that the focus now will be on what practical means in this context.

In practical theology, we see much of the use we see in the first several definitions given from Dictionary.com. To be more specific, practical theology involves the study of the application of theological insights. It involves what we’ve learned from God’s Word, the Scriptures, lived out and practiced in our daily lives.

This area of study includes several sub-areas of study just as the other main branches of theology do. These include pastoral studies, homiletics, Christian education, ethics, church duties, and more.