About the Journal
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. We are also recognised and indexed on the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) and the EBSCO Database.
The journal 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”.
Open Access and Copyright Policy
Ecclesial Futures provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge. It is published under the terms of the Creative Commons 4.0 International Licence (CC BY 4.0). This license allows you to share, copy, distribute and transmit the work; to adapt the work and to make commercial use of the work provided attribution is made to the authors. This journal does not charge article processing fees. All authors of published articles retain their copyright and full publishing rights without restrictions.
Current Issue
With this fresh issue of Ecclesial Futures, we pass an initial milestone for our new journal of having published fifty articles since we began with our first volume in 2020. It has been quite a journey and we might stop here, rejoice for a moment and look back on our achievements so far. We have created a journal that is finding its place within World Christianity. In a recent survey of where our website is visited from, many thousands of times per year, we might have expected the UK, USA, Australia and Germany to feature in the top 10 places – yet South Korea, the Philippines, South Africa and India were also present (alongside 57 other countries).
In the issue we continue this diversifying trend with seven articles authored from seven different countries on at least three continents representing a wide range of ecclesial traditions. We have an important article from the Protestant Church in the Netherlands, addressing head-on the crises the churches there face and then two articles which illustrate and respond to those dilemmas from an Orthodox perspective in the UK and an Episcopal church in the USA. Two articles are then placed side-by-side which engage with faith and religion in the digital world, through Artificial Intelligence and online worship. Presenting a public theology of peace-making in in the Reformed Church of Japan is a new departure for the journal in the sixth article. The articles conclude with four different contributors from last year’s International Consultation on Ecclesial Futures (ICEF) writing a Conference Report together. We also include three extended book reviews on important topics in our field to complete the issue.
Nigel Rooms, Co-Editor, Ecclesial Futures
