New Issue of Eastern European Journal of Theology 21.1 (2023)
Dear Colleagues, we are pleased to introduce a new issue of Theological Reflections: Eastern European Journal of Theology 21.1 (2023).
The section “Articles” begins with the publication by Teofil Stanciu "The Unholy War Heresies and Theological Errors in the Russian Orthodox Church’s Support for War". This Romanian public theologian states that the Russian Orthodox Church openly supports Russia's war against Ukraine and points out that to justify this position, the ROC has embraced the heresy of (ethno-)phyletism, a toxic ideological mixture of ethnic and civilizational nationalism that degrades human dignity. The author analyzed each of these theological transgressions, warning of the danger of their spread to other countries in the region, particularly Romania.
Volodymyr Lukin, a researcher from Odesa, proposes not to limit the analysis of the nature of social evil to the field of political theology, but to consider the metaphysical origins of evil. In his article "Forgetting the Cosmological Origins of Metaphysical Warfare in Rev. 12:7-12: A Dialogue with Cato Gulaker and Peter Leithart," the author argues that neglecting the textual unity and divine inspiration of Scripture leads to conclusions that contradict the theological meanings of the history of human redemption. The purpose of the article is not only to point out the problems caused by rejecting the authenticity of the metaphysical confrontation in this passage but also to demonstrate the negative theological and actual consequences of rejecting the cosmological cause of the metaphysical war between God and Satan.
Eduard Denysiuk continues the biblical analysis of social issues. In the article "To the Question of Just Revenge: Reading Obadiah," the author examines the theology of the book of Obadiah, which combines the desire for revenge for the wrongs done by strangers with the longing to see God's justice revealed. The article demonstrates certain socio-ethical principles derived from Old Testament theology and reflects on how they can be applied in the context of the full-scale war in Ukraine.
In the article "The Footprints of Three Latvian Female Missionaries in Colonial Contexts," Latvian theologian Kristina Ece draws readers' attention to the role of missionary ministry in the complex social conditions of colonial rule. The author examines the ministry of three women missionaries from Latvia who were sent by German missionary societies to China, India, and Indonesia. The study reveals that the missionaries were forced to cooperate with the colonial authorities to carry out their ministry, even if colonial policies sometimes limited the missionaries' opportunities. At the same time, the author demonstrates the effective use of cultural and linguistic skills in the ministry and cooperation of missionaries with the local population.
In the section “Translations” we publish the fourth part of the Book of Psalms in a new Ukrainian translation by Dmytro Tsolin (Psalms 90 - 106), as well as the last part of Rostyslav Tkachenko's translation of selected works by Jacobus Arminius (Jacobus Arminius, Declaratio sententiae I. Arminii de Praedestinatione, Providentia Dei, Libero arbitrio, Gratia Dei, Divinitate Filii Dei, & de Iustificatione hominis coram Deo).
The following reviews are available in the Reviews section:
- Tetiana Havryliuk’s review of the book by Εύη Βουλγαράκη-Πισίνα, Πειθώ και Επιβολή. Βαβύλας εναντίον Απόλλωνα Ένα Παράδειγμα Θρησκευτικής Σύγκρουσης κατά την Ύστερη Αρχαιότητα (2022).
- Valerii Sekisov’s review of the book by Paul Copan, War, Peace, and Violence: Four Christian Views (2022).
- Anatoliy Denysenko’s review of the book by Joshua Mauldin, Barth, Bonhoeffer, and Modern Politics (2021).
- Mykhailo Kozakov’s review of the book by Grant Kaplan, René Girard, Unlikely Apologist: Mimetic Theory and Fundamental Theology (2022).
- Mahomed Rubanenko’s review of the book by Eduard Sablon Leiva, The concept of Tradition in Russian Orthodox Neo-patristic Thought (2022).
- Nataliia Prostun’s review of the book by Paul A. Barker, Tackling Trauma: Global, Biblical, and Pastoral Perspectives (2023).
- Stanislav Stepanchenko’s review of the book by Martin Hengel, Anna Maria Schwemer, Die Urgemeinde Und Das Judenchristentum (2022).
All articles in the issue are available here. You can order this and other issues of the Journal here.
The Editorial Board invites you to publish in Issue 21.2 (2023) articles, translations, and reviews on theological understanding and practical aspects of the experience of trauma and overcoming trauma in the context of war. More information about the issue is available here http://reflections.eeit-edu.info/announcement/view/1584.
Sincerely,
Editorial Board
