About the Journal
Ecclesial Futures publishes original research and theological reflection on the development and transformation of local Christian communities and the systems that support them as they join in the mission of God in the world. We are an international and ecumenical journal with an inter-disciplinary understanding of our approach to theological research and reflection; the core disciplines being theology, missiology and ecclesiology. Other social science and theological disciplines may be helpful in supporting the holistic nature of any research. The journal fills an important reflective space between the academy and on-the-ground practice within the field of mission studies, ecclesiology and the so-called “missional church”.
Ecclesial Futures is a “Diamond Open Access” international juried journal, partnering with @RadboudUniPress and @openjournalsnl. The result for authors is free to publish articles, and for readers free to read articles. To keep up to date, subscribe by registering on the "Newsletter" button on the right of this page.
Current Issue
Vol. 6 No. 1 (2025): Special Issue: Christian Empowerment, Secularity and Church Development in Germany
Welcome to this Special Issue of our journal focusing on the church in Germany. It adds to our publishing around a specific country focus in a special issue which we began when looking at South Korea in 2023. The papers presented here have been developed from lectures given at the annual gathering of the International Consultation on Ecclesial Futures (ICEF) in Halle/Saale in Germany in June 2024. The golden thread running through this special issue is the current circumstances and challenges of the Evangelical Church in Germany. The issue provides a helpful case study on how the German church is responding to secularisation and its concomitant decline in church membership which we hope readers will find informative and instructive with pointers to fruitful ecclesial futures. We also include seven wide-ranging book reviews from five readers with new departures into non-English language books (though reviewed in English) and published research dissertations.
Published:
2025-06-12
