European Journal of Theology - Current Issue

This article investigates the role of the apostle Peter in early Christianity as it is presented in Luke–Acts. To this end we offer a narrative analysis of Luke–Acts with a special focus on social interaction. We make use of social network analysis (SNA), a methodology which is briefly explained at the outset. The question of Peter’s role often focuses on the interpretation of specific passages such as Matthew 16:17–19. We will show that paying attention to Peter’s social network with the help of SNA helps us to analyse and indeed reconsider Peter’s role in the early Christian network. We conclude that he was not merely a leader, a person with absolute authority over decisions. Rather, Luke–Acts shows us Peter as a man who sought relationships with people and with God, and who mediated between different perspectives.

People with gender dysphoria experience a distressing alienation from their sexed bodies. Theological responses to gender dysphoria range from those who reject both social and medical/surgical transitioning as an unfaithful rejection of the goodness of created embodiment to those who celebrate it as an expression of the diversity of God’s good creation. In this article I challenge these views by bringing to bear insights from eschatology and disability theology. I argue that a commitment to the goodness of creation must allow for an awareness of brokenness in the world as it now is, and the ways in which this brokenness non-culpably impinges on human creatures’ bodies and lived experiences. Without adopting ableist biases, Christian eschatology holds out hope for a future of healing and transformation that may include transformation of the body as well as of desires, affections and experience. We do not know whether the eschatological ‘healing’ of gender dysphoria will take the form of conforming experience to embodied form, or conforming the body to gendered experience. This opens up a diverse range of possible faithful responses to the distress of gender dysphoria, including but not limited to social and medical transitioning.

As a returning missionary, Lesslie Newbigin found that his homeland in the West had become more resistant to the gospel than the culture he had left behind. To address the issues this raised, Newbigin developed his missionary encounter with Western culture. His project can be understood to be a unique formulation, but it does contain methodological and epistemological weaknesses where Newbigin has been understood to articulate a form of fideism. This article argues that these shortcomings can be addressed by the intellectual structure of Alister McGrath’s scientific theology. Methodologically, McGrath offers an approach that affirms key elements of Newbigin’s approach, namely, a fiduciary approach to knowledge and the missiological significance of Christian doctrine, especially that of the Trinity as public truth. McGrath’s work also provides a critical realist epistemology that suits the requirements of Newbigin’s project and addresses the issue of Newbigin’s perceived fideism. It will be argued that Newbigin’s and McGrath’s projects are mutually supportive.

This article focusses on the Statement published by the fourth Lausanne congress on world evangelisation that took place in September 2024 in Seoul. Written by a sympathetic observer of the Lausanne Committee of World Evangelisation and the Lausanne movement, it presents the background, the making and the content of this statement. It pays special attention to the way in which the statement takes position in the ongoing discussions in the Evangelical world – among theologians, church leaders and mission practitioners – about the theology of mission and about the communication of the Gospel in the different contexts of today’s world. In the area of mission theology the article considers the emphasis on the Great Commission as the basis and content of mission, the double priority of evangelisation and discipleship, and the introduction of a new mission model or paradigm of ‘presence, proclamation and practice’. With respect of the practice of evangelisation, the article firstly discusses the emphasis on the vital role of the local church in discipleship formation as well as the accountability of mission workers; and secondly the direct link between the discipleship of those who communicate the gospel and their way of life on a day-to-day basis, which leads the statement to take a clear position on a number of ethical issues, notably sexuality, gender, marriage and family. As the author presents and comments on these elements, he formulates some questions and critical remarks.

The war of aggression started by Russia against Ukraine in February 2022 shocked the entire civilised world. What is even more shocking for many, was the realisation that this war is being explained, supported and endorsed by the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill. In this article the author attempts to analyse the thinking of Patriarch Kirill as it was expressed just after the beginning of the war. The author builds on his previous research into the history of the Russian Orthodox Church and explores historical and meta-historical concepts. The article touches upon subjects such as the relationship between Church and state, the biblicalapocalyptic idea of the katechōn and the historical understanding of land and nation as they were transformed by Vladimir Putin and Patriarch Kirill. It demonstrates that it is impossible to understand Kirill on many issues without looking into the historical origins and continuity of these ideas. To ignore the historical dimension of Kirill’s thinking would mean to misunderstand the causes of this horrific war.

The thinking of the medieval theologian Thomas Aquinas is still very much alive, not only in the Roman Catholic Church but also among Protestants. This article highlights the excellent recent Oxford handbook which mines Thomas’ legacy and shows that the reception of Aquinas’ thought is a complex and multifaceted process, with conflicts of interpretation and seasons of influence. Special attention is paid here to Thomas’ influence on Martin Luther, Jerome Zanchi, Johann Georg Dorsche, Abraham Kuyper and Herman Bavinck. We conclude that Thomas and his reception are important interlocutors for evangelicals as well.

Holly Carey examines the role of women as disciples in the New Testament, arguing that they exemplify true discipleship through faithfulness and action. She explores the Gospels and Acts, demonstrating that women consistently model commitment to Jesus, often in contrast to the failures of the Twelve. Using historical, social and narrative-critical approaches, she reveals how these women actively shaped early Christian communities. While highlighting key strengths, the review also critiques aspects of her comparative analysis. This work is essential for biblical scholars, pastors and anyone interested in reexamining the role of women in Christian discipleship.

Matthias Becker skilfully guides his readers through the copious source material from classical antiquity and the New Testament, delineating a well-founded picture of ancient patterns of thought and rendering valuable service to contemporary debates on sexual ethics. In three sections he presents 1) the plurality of the Roman Empire with its diverse views of marriage, the family and sexuality; 2) the arguments of the authors of the New Testament for the three recognised ideal life forms (marriage, family and celibacy) and 3) hermeneutical impulses for ethical reflection in the present. Becker’s study solidly anchors current attempts to base genuine Christian life models in history and in the process exposes myths which distort the current debate on sexual ethics.

Julius-Kei Kato proposes that secular readers should read the Bible because it is part of the West’s spiritual heritage. He makes this case by describing the New Testament as a metaphorical ancestral village, where readers are invited to dialogue with and connect with their roots. Though the book sometimes dilutes the distinctiveness of the texts in its purview, it offers a creative and integrated approach to biblical studies and a useful articulation of postmodern secularism.

On account of his criticism of the spiritual state of the Church and the way it confused spiritual and secular tasks, Friedrich Breckling (1629–1711), a north German Lutheran, fled to the Netherlands where he lived for half a century. Based in Amsterdam, Zwolle and The Hague, Breckling built up a wide-reaching network of like-minded correspondents. Through his travels to other places and through the visitors he received, he became a leading networker of pietist and mystic-spiritualist Nonconformists in Europe. This is the first time the lists of the people he denoted “Witnesses to the Truth” and the books he recommended have been published and annotated.

Heinrich Coerper (1863–1936) is known as the founding director of the Liebenzeller Mission, the German branch of the China Inland Mission. Less well-known is the prominent role he played in the German Pietism of his day due to his connections with leading representatives of the holiness, healing and evangelistic movements. This has now been demonstrated for the first time, on the basis of comprehensive research into the sources, by the Bad Liebenzell missiologist Bernd Brandl. A shadow is cast on Coerper’s Christian character and extensive ministry by his uncritical patriotic attitude to the politics of his day.

This book explores women’s contributions to the spread and preservation of global Christianity. Structured in three parts, it combines historical, theological and sociological insights, highlighting women’s leadership across traditions and continents. Drawing on quantitative data and using vivid narratives, Zurlo underscores women’s resilience amidst challenges such as gender-based violence and inequality. This interdisciplinary work not only enriches the study of world Christianity but also calls for recognition of women’s contributions to its past, present and future.

Jonathan Root gives an overview of the life and work of the late evangelist and prosperity gospel agent Oral Roberts. The presentation follows Roberts’ life chronologically and is thus a resource to understand his life and ministry from his simple and even poor childhood through growth, success and failures. Only in the epilogue does the author step forward with some discussion of Roberts’ role in the area of prosperity theologies and the relationship between the gospel and American culture.

Frank D. Macchia’s book provides an introduction to theology, focusing on systematic theology and dogmatics. Offering an overview of key Christian doctrines, the author examines them from an open evangelical Pentecostal perspective, engaging with the theologies of the Global South, Eastern Orthodox and other non-Pentecostal traditions. This textbook is primarily intended to introduce Pentecostal and charismatic theological students to the field.

The purpose of this book is to provide a theological account of neo-Calvinism, as drawn from the writings of its founders, Abraham Kuyper and Herman Bavinck. Their development of an organic as opposed to a mechanical understanding of theology helps us to avoid various pitfalls. Rooted in Calvin, they sought to learn from the non-Calvinist theologies of their day. On key subjects such as natural theology, general revelation, Scripture, common grace and theological anthropology, they developed a nuanced theology which is well described in this excellent book.

Jacques Ellul’s unpublished essay ‘The Desert’, featured in this new volume, explores the typology of desert and wilderness. He introduces it either as a place of divine encounter or a man-made place of emptiness and dehumanisation. Ellul’s essay is often insightful, especially in its connexion to technique, but remains weak in his exegesis. While insightful, the essay’s fragmentary nature and weak exegesis pose challenges. The essays of the book’s five contributors expand on Ellul’s themes, addressing modernity’s alienating technologies, communication breakdowns, and the temptation of autonomy. They propose theological responses like sabbath, eucharist and spiritual solitude, but some lack depth in ecclesiology or societal transformation.

Burger re-envisions the doctrine of Scripture in Reformed theology, moving from an epistemological to a soteriological approach in order to account for the noetic effects of sin. He argues that the Trinity as Revealer and participation in Christ through the Spirit are necessary to reorient our life coram Deo, transform our reading of Scripture, and instil the mind of Christ in us. This christological hermeneutics allows for various senses of Scripture, while acknowledging its authority in spite of the diversity and complexity of congregational reading practices.