European Journal of Theology - Current Issue

This article explores the content and the context of some key Old Testament passages that speak of the resurrection of the body (Is 25:8, Ez 37:1-14 and Dan 12:1-3). The results are then compared to the teaching of the New Testament about the end-time resurrection. In a third step, the article explores how the earliest church came to understand Jesus’ bodily resurrection as the first instance of the end-time resurrection and which implications his resurrection has according to the New Testament. The article concludes with some practical reflections on the meaning of the hope of bodily resurrection for the Christian life and witness today.

Europeans are increasingly challenged by the multiplicity of languages that surround them. In this paper I offer a thought experiment on what our best answer regarding the phenomenon of language in the new creation might be, and I suggest that this might help Christians to engage positively with the multiple languages in their daily lives and local churches. I argue that we should expect the presence of a diversity of languages in the new creation. I do so on the basis of a biblical-theological analysis of key scriptural passages, support from the doctrine of the resurrection, and an appreciation of the significance of missions for language in the eschaton. These steps lead to a weighing of conceivable alternatives and a defence of my preferred solution. I conclude that these results encourage a generous and hospitable attitude towards speakers of other languages and provide a renewed incentive to make space for them in our churches and our lives.

This article develops some insights of the apostle Paul and Peter T. Forsyth on a teleological approach to a theodicy. Paul claims that God causes some human suffering in order that people overcome it by enduring and conquering it. This conquering relies on humans choosing lives that hope for and collaborate with divine compassionate righteousness. The article shows what a theodicy looks like given this Pauline position. As an effort to justify God’s treatment of suffering, evil and delayed rescue of humans in the world, a theodicy raises a twofold issue: Does God have good reasons to allow the suffering and the evil that exist; and if so, do humans have access to those reasons? The article considers a God worthy of worship who aims to cultivate compassionate righteousness in humans, using suffering and evil but not coercion of human wills towards him. Theodicy can succeed in this context as God can give meaning to, and a final righteous co-conquest of, suffering and evil.

This article aims to help Christians in Western Europe with the task of evangelism and apologetics by presenting the results of various surveys regarding the values held in this part of the world. The values concern the meaning of life, identity and belonging. Once we know what our neighbours find important, we can show them that the Gospel addresses these desires. The surveys show, among other things, that non-religious people are still very much open to the transcendental. The article continues by arguing that the Church should be an attractive, counter-cultural community and that evangelism should not only focus on the grandeur but also on the misery of the people: the futility of much of what people undertake. It concludes by highlighting four qualities of our apologetics in the twenty-first century.

This new Oxford Handbook is beautiful, insightful and instructive. Anyone who wants to learn about current Jeremiah research and/or is looking for new perspectives can turn to it. The daunting diversity of current Jeremiah studies is well reflected in its 38 contributions.