About
Our aims
The perspective of Church & Theology on church and theology
Editorial board
Contact

Journal Church & Theology

About

Church & Theology (established 2011) is an Estonian semi-scholarly journal for theology and culture. The journal offers on their page www.kjt.ee an opportunity to take part in theological dialogue – to be active in the society as a theologian and, most importantly, to give voice to a theological perspective. The writings of different genres that the journal includes help to reflect what is the world like and how it should be from the perspective that is grounded in the euangelion, the Gospel.

The perspective of Church & Theology towards different Christian confessions and more broadly towards non-Christian religions is ecumenical. The co-authors of the journal come from various backgrounds and the stories of the journal cover different religions (of non-Christian religions mainly Judaism and Islam) and religion(s) in different contexts (e.g., sociology, psychology, etc.). It is always a possibility, and sometimes an obligation, of a Christian or any other writer or reader to relate to the topic and step into dialogue with it.

Church & Theology is published on weekly basis including four categories: articles, opinions, sermons and news. The continuous publication is provided by fourteen members of the editorial board (see below). The number of authors reaches almost four hundred.

Our aims

Three intertwined goals with respect to the society, the authors and the readers can be named.

Firstly, we aim to support and stimulate theological dialogue within the society. Church & Theology wants to foster a church which is more theological and therefore, is a more genuine and true church. Through our work we hope to strengthen the ability to think and participate in the society via theological perspective.

Secondly, we wish to offer an opportunity for Estonian theologians, intellectuals and artists to express their ideas and to publish articles related to religion, belief and culture. The co-authors, who come from diverse backgrounds and are occupied in different fields, are the key to have a potential influence on the theological thinking of the Christians and more widely in the society.

Thirdly, as has become apparent from the above mentioned goals, we intend to communicate the journal to an audience as broad as possible. Our reader is anyone who is interested in culture and religion. By targeting different types of readers we hope to encourage more wide and public thinking and writing about matters which are related to believing (or non-believing, as it is related to the former).

The perspective of Church & Theology on church and theology

The viewpoint and the conviction of Church & Theology can be summarized in ideas expressed by two great 20th century Estonian theologians. Elmar Salumaa has written: ‘There can be no church without theology nor theology without church!’ The angle which our journal represents is originally formulated by Uku Masing: ‘Observations of the world from the viewpoint of a theologian.’

Church & Theology tries to renew and rethink the relation between church and theology (that is fostered at universities) in contemporary Estonian society. Theology has three main tasks: 1) to reflect and criticize the practice of church; 2) to help the church to communicate itself to the world; 3) and to help the church to communicate with the world. All the tasks require profound knowledge, thinking and reflection which can be provided by theology that is developed at universities with respect to other disciplines. Theology itself, however, becomes a mere theory if it has no connection to belief that is carried and expressed by people who belong to various communities. Church & Theology attempts to build this bridge between church and theology which, perhaps, is not as strong in Estonian society as it should be. Furthermore, our task is to make this connection visible, to strengthen and develop it.

The viewpoint of a theologian – to speak as a theologian – is the starting point for this connection. Theological standpoint is not the one that includes, therefore discusses, only some or one certain part of the world (that is related to religion) but it is the one which discusses everything or anything through theological perspective. Church & Theology involves a large variety of topics because theology or a theologian must relate to any aspect of life. We provide the platform where to speak out loud and to relate to the world as a theologian. It is relevant to do it publicly for it, hopefully, encourages the readers themselves to do it as well, it gives an additional place for the church to communicate itself and to make itself to be heard and it provides in the society a meeting point for theologians and the ones who do not defines themselves as such in order to find the common part, common interest and common way for communication.

Editorial board

Church & Theology is managed by 14 people.

Katri Aaslav-Tepandi (1965), PhD, pastoral counsellor at the North Estonia Medical Centre, member of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church. Contact: 144@hot.ee

Kreet Aun (1969), Master of Arts from Tartu University faculty of philosophy, Master’s student of Christian Cultural History at Theological Institute of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church (EELC), licensed supervisor, trainer and bibliodrama leader, member of the Orthodox Church of Estonia. Contact: kreet.aun@outlook.com

 

Anne Burghardt (1975), magister theologiae, ordained as a priest of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church, Secretary for Ecumenical Relations at the Lutheran World Federation (Geneva). Contact: Anne.Burghardt@lutheranworld.org

Karin Kallas (1992), PhD student of theology in Helsinki. Has studied theology in Institute of Theology of the EELC and University of Tartu, Jewish theology in Paideia (Stockholm) and Christian theology in Det Teologiske Menighetsfakultet (Oslo). Contact: karin.kallas@kjt.ee

 

Kerstin Kask (1973), pastor at the Nikolai congregation in Kose of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church (EELC), Head of the Continuous Education Departement and of the Dean’s Office of the Faculty of Theology at the Institute of Theology of the EELC. Contact: kerstin.kask@gmail.com

Jaan Lahe (1971), doctor theologiae, Professor of Biblical Studies at the Institute of Theology of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church (EELC), Associate Professor in Cultural and Religious Studies at the University of Tallinn, assistant pastor at the Maarja Magdaleena congregation in Mustamäe of the EELC. Contact: usundiuurija@gmail.com

Kadri Lääs (1975), BA in Theology (MA qualification), member of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church. Contact: kadri.laas1@gmail.com

Orenti Kampus (1973), MA in Theology, Orthodox priest-monk.

 

Ergo Naab (1971), PhD in Cultural Research, MA in Academic Theology, Research Fellow in New Testament of the School of Theology and Religious Studies at the University of Tartu, member of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church. Contact: ergo.naab@gmail.com

Urmas Nõmmik (1975), doctor theologiae habilitatus, Head of the School of Theology and Religious Studies at the University of Tartu, Associate Professor in Old Testament and Semitic Studies at the University of Tartu, member of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church. Contact: urmasn@hotmail.com

 

Johann-Christian Põder (1977), doctor theologiae, juniorprofessor of ethics (ethics of technology and medical ethics) at the Faculty of Theology at Rostock University, Germany; ordained minister of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church. Contact: johann_christian@hotmail.com

Thomas-Andreas Põder (1976), doctor theologiae, ordained as a priest of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church, Professor of Systematic Theology and Head of the Chair at the Institute of Theology of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church (Tallinn), Lecturer of Philosophy of Religion at the University of Tartu. Contact: thomas-andreas.poder@eelk.ee

Tauno Toompuu (1979), Dean of the Viru Deanery of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church (EELC), pastor at the Holy Trinity congregation in Rakvere of the EELC. Contact: tauno.toompuu@eelk.ee

Kristiina Vaiksalu (1986) Master of Arts in Theology, member of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church. Contact: kristiina2808@gmail.com

 

Contact

toimetus@kjt.ee

 

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