Kerk en Theologie - Volume 76, Issue 4, 2025

Ecofeminist theology appears to be in opposition to the theology of K. H. Miskotte. Miskotte opposed natural theology and approached creation from a soteriological standpoint. In his footsteps, nature and creation became suspicious categories in theology. However, Miskotte is also known for his love of nature, especially the woods, as testified in his published diaries. Might Miskotte’s love of nature and his thinking on creation contribute constructively to ecofeminist thinking? In this article, the idea is contested that Miskotte’s love for nature was just a juvenile, romantic phase, and two starting points are proposed on how Miskotte’s thinking could contribute to ecofeminist theology.

The steward metaphor has been dominant in Christian ecotheology for decades, but has recently been challenged by an alternative drawn from Eastern Orthodoxy: the idea of humanity as the priest of creation. Essential to this concept is the material nature of the Sunday Eucharist. According to Elisabeth Theokritoff, humanity is called to lead all creation toward theosis in a cosmic Eucharist. In this article I critically examine this concept noting that New Testament ecclesiology lacks a clear priestly office. Furthermore, this metaphor holds little relevance in Protestant contexts where the figure of the priest is unfamiliar. I propose the metaphor of humankind - as one among others - as liturgist or cantor of creation as a more fitting way to express the relationship between God, humanity, and the rest of creation.

At first sight, Amos 5:13 interrupts the prophetic discourse in Amos 5. Many scholars read 5:13 as a wisdom text that is added by a late redactor. Basic to this view is the interpretation of the noun maśkîl as a ‘sage’ and the translation of the verb dāmam with ‘to be silent’. To both assumptions, I will formulate an alternative: maśkîl is not necessarily connected to a wisdom context and the verb dāmam should in this verse be rendered with ‘to moan’. By implication, Amos 5:13 should not be construed as a later addition but seen as an organic part of Amos 5:1-17.

The synod of the Protestant Church in the Netherlands (PKN) has decided to refer to the ministry of a pastor as an ordained office, fundamentally distinct from the so-called offices of the congregation (elder, deacon). It does so on the basis of the report Geroepen door Christus (2020). In this contribution, the author analyzes this report against the background of the so-called Roman articles in the PKN church order, which are to be regarded as fundamental. He concludes that the substantiation provided for ordained ministry by Geroepen door Christus is incompatible with the Roman articles and its underlying theology of ministry which reasons from one fundamentally indivisible office.