Courtney Reissig on the Psalms (and Emotions)

Every month, The Good Book Company make available digital versions of one of their books at no charge. This month (January 2026) it’s Teach Me to Feel: Worshiping Though the Psalms in Every Season of Life by Courtney Reissig – meditations on 24 selected psalms, looking at emotions ranging from shame, anxiety, and anger through to gratitude, hope, and joy. The book is available in exchange for an email address here.

Theology and Ministry 8 (2022)

The latest issue of Theology and Ministry, an open-access journal from Cranmer Hall, St John’s College, Durham – and containing the below articles – is available from here.

Samuel Tranter and Nicholas J. Moore

Editorial

Sebastian Rab

Christ and Church as Temple in John 14.2–3: And Implications for Eschatology and Funeral Ministry

Temple is a key biblical-theological theme, especially in the Fourth Gospel. A case is made that the farewell discourse employs this theme at its outset to introduce its key priorities. If the ‘Father’s house’ is the body of Jesus and its ‘many dwelling-places’ are the disciples, then John 14.2–3 uses the theme of temple to speak to the relational nature of both being a disciple of Jesus and the reconciliation of all things to God in Christ. This has implications for our eschatology, which are related particularly to funerals, where this scriptural reading is enduringly popular.

Paul J. Wilson

Rethinking Refujesus: Biblical Perspectives on a Popular Icon

The claim that ‘Jesus was a refugee’ or that Christians follow a ‘migrant messiah’ has become a shibboleth among those who advocate a more benevolent response to migrants. This manner of identifying Jesus has gained traction in the past decade, even being promoted by politicians and pop stars. In response, ‘Refujesus’ has been criticized by those who view migration as a threat. Proponents on all sides of this debate refer to the ‘escape to Egypt’ (Matt. 2.13–23), but are often more concerned with reading contemporary questions about migration into the text, rather than the text itself. This paper will argue that while describing Jesus as a refugee does have exegetical merit, the New Testament has more to offer ethical responses to migration by offering a fundamental shift in perspective though a migration-informed exegesis.

Anthony Bash

Remorse, Emotions, and Moral Transformation

Despite popular thought, repentance and remorse are not synonyms. Repentance is both affect and action, whereas remorse is always only ever affect, though remorse can lead to repentance. Surprisingly, there is no word that obviously means ‘remorse’ in the Bible, though people were evidently remorseful, especially towards God for sin. Remorse is different from regret, though it includes elements of regret in its meaning. In 2 Corinthians 7, Paul lays the linguistic and theological foundation for what later became known as ‘remorse’. Remorse is an affective disposition, and we consider how the New Testament approaches the way dispositions can be transformed from being sinful to godly.

Robert Russell

From Enmity to Reconciliation: Reflections on the Theology of Vernon White and Forgiveness Research of Marina Cantacuzino

The journey leading from enmity to reconciliation is beset with complex challenges for parishioners en route and for pastors offering guidance. Concepts and principles are selected from the theology of Vernon White, the forgiveness research of Marina Cantacuzino, and theologies of other authors, which may prove helpful. Two major issues are considered here: 1) reconciling with each other, involving offering and receiving forgiveness, and 2) reconciling with God. These are examined theologically and practically to include differences and connections between forgiveness and reconciliation, theodicy (particularly instrumentalism), freewill, strategies for counseling, and common parishioner concerns with possible pastoral responses to them.

Oliver Blease

This is My Body: A Qualitative Study into Sociological and Theological Experiences in Local Parish Eucharistic Worship

The theology and praxis of the Eucharist is often discussed by academics and theologians, yet most people engaged in the act of celebrating the sacrament rarely have a published or widely heard ‘voice’ with which to share their experience of these Holy Mysteries. This article investigates the direct experience of communicant members of the Church of England across a wide range of theological traditions. Idiographic qualitative data yielded from semi-structured interviews is analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). These results are reflected upon using the Theological Action Research model to generate relevant and practical outcomes from the data. Three key themes emerge from the participants’ experiences: the significance of the gathered community; a pre-existing and dynamic reflective praxis amongst communicants; and a diverse but prevalent focus on ‘mission’ particularly relating to the unique nature of the rite.

Reviews

Centre for Public Christianity (April 2014)

This month, the Centre for Public Christianity offers a video interview with Miroslav Volf in which ‘he challenges the notion that faith should remain a private affair, and makes the case for the place of faith in public life, even in places where religious belief may seem to be on the decline’.

In addition is a video interview with Francis Spufford, author of Unapologetic, which ‘makes a stirring defence of Christian emotions, claiming that they make a compelling case for the way faith can function in the 21st century’.

Moore College on Emotions in Christian Life and Ministry

The recent Moore College School of Theology was devoted to the topic of ‘True Feelings: Emotions in Christian Life and Ministry’. The audio files are online here, and include an interesting mix of biblical, theological, historical, and practical sessions.

1. The Affections of Christ

Richard Gibson

2. What is at Stake? A Cultural Overview of the Emotions

Andrew Cameron

3. The Puritans, Theological Anthropology and Emotions

Keith Condie

4. Does God Have Feelings?

Gerald Bray

5. Whose Tears? Jesus and his Emotional Life

Richard Gibson

6. Panel Discussion

Various

7. He Rejoiced in the Spirit: The Spirit’s Perfecting Work on the Emotions

David Hohne

8. On Being Moved: A Theological Anthropology of the Emotions

Michael Jensen

9. From Sad to Mad to Glad: The Pilgrim’s Passions

Rhys Bezzant

10. Together, with Feeling: Corporate Worship and the Emotions

David Peterson

11. Preaching, the Gospels and Emotions

Peter Bolt

12. Music, Singing and the Emotions

Rob Smith

13. Plenary Q&A with Speakers, chaired by Michael Jensen

Michael Jensen