Кафедра церковно-практических дисциплин Московской духовной академии была учреждена в 2004 году в процессе реформы системы духовного образования Русской Православной Церкви. Заведующим кафедрой со времени ее основания и до конца декабря 2018 года являлся профессор протоиерей Владислав Цыпин. C 2019 года   заведующим кафедрой является протоиерей Александр Задорнов. Предшественницей кафедры была комиссия церковно-практических дисциплин, образованная в середине 60-х годов XX века. Комиссию возглавляли известные профессора Московской духовной академии: протоиерей Александр Ветелев, игумен Марк (Лозинский), А.И. Георгиевский и архимандрит Матфей (Мормыль).

On of the most unique aspects of the Department of Applied Church Disciplines is that it unites specialists of various church disciplines: pastorology, liturgy, canon law, missiology, church singing, etc. The Departmen offers about 47 disciplines and practices in the bachelor's, master's and post-graduate studies. The Department offers the basic educational programs of higher education in the following areas of specialization:

• 48.03.01 Theology, specialization in "Practical Orthodox Theology" at the bachelor's degree level;
• «Подготовка служителей и религиозного персонала религиозных организаций», профиль «Современное каноническое право» в магистратуре.

The activity of the Department of Applied Church Disciplines, as well as the whole Фcademy, is carried out under the conditions of a permanent reform of the Academy and Seminary education. In the course of the reform, new disciplines were introduced into the curricula of the bachelor's, master's and post-graduate studies. The teachers, who were charged with teaching new subjects, special courses and practices, developed programs, which were tested at the meetings of the department. The members of the department were members of the working group on the development of the new system's concept of theological education, participated in the preparation and discussion of documents related to the implementation of the reform.

The Deparment also carries out expert work at the request of the Holy Patriarch and the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church. On behalf of the clergy, the teachers of the department prepared notes and draft documents on canonical, liturgical and pastoral topics, in particular, in connection with the activities of the Interconventional presence.