Evangelical Review of Theology 46, 2 (May 2022)

The latest Evangelical Review of Theology, published by The World Evangelical Alliance, is now online and available in its entirety as a pdf here.

Introduction

Johannes Reimer

Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Ukrainian, Russian and Belarusian Evangelicals

As war rages in Ukraine, hostility also divides evangelical Christians in neighbouring countries. This article analyses the situation and calls for a reaffirmation of Christian mission over against forms of nationalism that can undermine our Christian allegiance.

Joseph Bosco Bangura

Temne Dream Culture and Charismatic Churches in Sierra Leone: Probing the Limits of Contextualization

Many emphasize that Christian ministries in Africa need to engage meaningfully with Africans’ sensitivity to the spirit world. But that engagement also presents risks of syncretism or departing from biblical truth. This case study, full of historical detail and biblical insight, examines how some Charismatic ministries in Sierra Leone are accommodating traditional views of dreams, along with the resulting opportunities and pitfalls.

Bryan M. Christman

Lewis and Kierkegaard as Missionaries to Post-Christian Pagans

C.S. Lewis and Søren Kierkegaard, despite their very different cultural circumstances and approaches to apologetics, shared notable similarities in their rhetorical and literary styles. This article unearths those similarities and suggests how we can follow their example in making the gospel relevant to post-Christian cultures.

Thomas K. Johnson

Does the Word of God Change the World? From Martin Luther to the 69 Theses of Thomas Schirrmacher

Everyone has heard of Luther’s 95 Theses, but hardly anyone reads them. Few have read WEA Secretary General Thomas Schirrmacher’s 69 Theses on world mission, but they should. This article explains the impact of Luther's theses and the potential impact of Schirrmacher’s.

Andrew Messmer

The Diaduoin: How John’s Gospel Complements Mark

Why is John’s Gospel so different from the Synoptics? Andrew Messmer provides a strong argument for the possibility that John wrote his Gospel to complement Mark’s Gospel through this detailed analysis of how the two books relate to each other.

Scott Cunningham

Innovation in Seminary Theological Education: An Overview of Contributing Forces

This article examines in detail, based on extensive research by the Overseas Council, how theological education can innovate to serve the Majority World more effectively – particularly with regard to increasing access, achieving greater relevance in countries where few Christian leaders have seminary training, and maintaining financial sustainability.

Ajith Fernando

Confronting Lying Biblically in Honour- and Shame-Oriented Cultures

Various forms of lying are ubiquitous even amongst Christians, harming our integrity and witness. This article identifies reasons why lies are so common and acceptable and deploys biblical truth to call all of us to a higher standard.

Esa J. Autero

Seeing the New Testament through Asian Eyes

How can Majority World Christian leaders apply the Bible to their cultural settings if their seminary textbooks are all Western-focused? The newly released An Asian Introduction to the New Testament offers a thoroughly Asian way of reading and applying the Bible, as one of the book’s contributors explains in this article.

Book Reviews