Theology in Scotland
type: channel
description: Theology in Scotland is a journal of theology which is general in scope, but which is rooted in the Scottish theological tradition. Founded in 1994, the journal is published in print and online twice a year, in spring and autumn. The journal publishes articles and book reviews from authors from across the theological spectrum, and particularly welcomes submissions which focus on aspects of Scottish theology. To date, contributions have included: studies of the work of prominent Scottish theologians; responses to current issues in the Scottish church and nation; and aspects of Scottish church history. At the moment, journal issues are arranged thematically.
publisher: St Mary's College, University of St Andrews
language: en
publication name: Theology in Scotland
issn: 1465-2862
copyright: Authors who publish in the journal grant to Theology in Scotland, St Mary’s College, University of St Andrews (“the Publisher”), the following: 1. An irrevocable non-exclusive right to reproduce, republish, transmit, sell, distribute, and otherwise use the Work in electronic and print editions of the Journal and in derivative works throughout the world, in all languages, and in all media now known or later developed. 2. An irrevocable non-exclusive right to create and store electronic archival copies of the Work, including the right to deposit the Work in open access digital repositories. 3. An irrevocable non-exclusive right to license others to reproduce, republish, transmit, and distribute the Work under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial [CC-BY-NC] 4.0 licence. Copyright in the Work remains with the author and the author retains the right to reuse the article (e.g., in institutional repositories, on their website or published in a book). Warranties The Author represents and warrants that the Work is the Author’s original work and that it does not violate or infringe the law or the rights of any third party and, specifically, that the Work contains no matter that is defamatory or that infringes any literary or proprietary rights, intellectual property rights, or any rights of privacy. It is the author's responsibility to obtain written permission to reproduce copyright-protected material in her/his article. The Author also warrants that he or she has the full power to make this agreement, and if the Work was prepared jointly, the Author agrees to inform the co-Authors of the terms of this Agreement and to obtain their signature to this Agreement or their written permission to sign on their behalf. The Author indemnifies the Publisher against any losses and other expenses, including reasonable attorney’s fees, after final judgment of any claim or action against any or all of these warranties.
items: “The Eclipse of Christianity: And Why It Matters” by Rupert Shortt
items: “Pagan Religions in 5 Minutes” edited by Suzanne Owen and Angela Puca
items: “Science-engaged Theology” by John Perry and Joanna Leidenhag
items: “The Courage to Speak: Sex, Sexuality and the Church” by Alasdair Black
items: “Scottish Religious Poetry: From the Sixth Century to the Present: An Anthology; second edition” edited by Linden Bicket, Emma Dymock and Alison Jack
items: Hope in the ashes: A military chaplain’s reflection on remembrance, sacrifice, and resurrection
items: ‘To share a great God’s pain’: Bertrand Brasnett (1893–1988) and the consolation of sorrow
items: Dialogical responses to suffering in a traumatised world: An experiment in epistolary theology
items: Social Death: Comparisons between the plight of the Gerasene demoniac and those with dementia who are isolated from their communities
items: Beyond theodicies: Responding to suffering and the stubborn persistence of theological complexity
items: ‘How much evil he has done to your saints?’: Ananias, Saul, and a Christian approach to the Contact Hypothesis in the Scottish refugee context
items: ‘For the creation waits with eager longing ...’: Panpsychism and the problem of evil
items: Editorial: Suffering and Evil
items: “Mission, Race, and Empire: The Episcopal Church in Global Context” by Jennifer C. Snow
items: “From a Mountain in Tibet: A Monk’s Journey” by Lama Yeshe Losal Rinpoche
items: “From the Marrow Men to the Moderates: Scottish Theology 1700–1800” by Donald Macleod
items: “The Barlinnie Special Unit: Art, Punishment and Innovation” edited by Kirstin Anderson
items: “Reformed Humanism: Essays on Christian Doctrine, Philosophy and Church” by David Fergusson
items: On why we need to be trauma-informed in churches
items: ‘I asked the songthrush about the soul …’
items: Art, spirit, language
items: Linguistic diversity within the Church: A theological defence
items: To restore a light unto the nations: Israel, Palestine, Scotland and the charter of the land
items: Editorial: Language and Faith
items: The post-modern condition of Scottish society
items: “Catholic Social Teaching in Practice: Exploring Practical Wisdom and the Virtues Tradition” by Andrew M. Yuengert
items: “The Defeat of Satan: Karl Barth’s Three-Agent Account of Salvation” by Declan Kelly
items: “The Ethics of Generating Posthumans: Philosophical and Theological Reflections on Bringing New Persons into Existence” edited by Calum MacKellar and Trevor Stammers
items: “James Clerk Maxwell: Faith, Church, and Physics” by Bruce Ritchie
items: “Philosophies of Liturgy: Explorations of Embodied Religious Practice” edited by J. Aaron Simmons, Bruce Ellis Benson and Neal DeRoo

“The Eclipse of Christianity: And Why It Matters” by Rupert Shortt
type: item
description: Review of Rupert Shortt, The Eclipse of Christianity: And Why It Matters (London: Hodder & Stoughton, 2024), pp. xii + 356, ISBN 978-1399802741. £12.99
subject: Reviews
  topic: section
subject: Decline of Christianity
  topic: keywords
subject: Christianity in the West
  topic: keywords
subject: global expansion of Christianity
  topic: keywords
subject: disenchantment
  topic: keywords
subject: individualism
  topic: keywords
subject: Eucharist
  topic: keywords
subject: artificial intelligence
  topic: keywords
subject: AI
  topic: keywords
creator: Kofi Brown
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Kofi Brown http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
date: 2025-11-24
publication date: 2025-11-24
starting page: 107
ending page: 110
doi: 10.15664/tis.v32i2.3045

“Pagan Religions in 5 Minutes” edited by Suzanne Owen and Angela Puca
type: item
description: Review of Suzanne Owen and Angela Puca, eds., Pagan Religions in 5 Minutes (Sheffield; Bristol, CT: Equinox, 2024), pp. xi + 224, ISBN 978-1800505254. £22.95
subject: Reviews
  topic: section
subject: Pagan
  topic: keywords
subject: Paganism
  topic: keywords
subject: Pagan beliefs and practices
  topic: keywords
creator: Kirsty Pattison
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Kirsty Pattison http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
date: 2025-11-24
publication date: 2025-11-24
starting page: 104
ending page: 106
doi: 10.15664/tis.v32i2.3044

“Science-engaged Theology” by John Perry and Joanna Leidenhag
type: item
description: Review of John Perry and Joanna Leidenhag, Science-engaged Theology (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2023), pp. 79, ISBN‎ 978-1009094054. £18.00; available online at https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009091350
subject: Reviews
  topic: section
subject: science and Christianity
  topic: keywords
subject: science and theology
  topic: keywords
subject: science and religion
  topic: keywords
subject: science-engaged theology
  topic: keywords
subject: John Milbank
  topic: keywords
creator: Emma McGowan
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Emma McGowan http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
date: 2025-11-24
publication date: 2025-11-24
starting page: 98
ending page: 104
doi: 10.15664/tis.v32i2.3042

“The Courage to Speak: Sex, Sexuality and the Church” by Alasdair Black
type: item
description: Review of Alasdair Black, The Courage to Speak: Sex, Sexuality and the Church (Stirling: Extremis Publishing, 2025), pp. xi + 218, ISBN 978-1739484583. £13.00
subject: Reviews
  topic: section
subject: church and sexuality
  topic: keywords
subject: Bible and sexuality
  topic: keywords
subject: human sexuality
  topic: keywords
subject: conservative evangelical
  topic: keywords
creator: Alistair Cuthbert
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Alistair J. Cuthbert http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
date: 2025-11-24
publication date: 2025-11-24
starting page: 93
ending page: 98
doi: 10.15664/tis.v32i2.3041

“Scottish Religious Poetry: From the Sixth Century to the Present: An Anthology; second edition” edited by Linden Bicket, Emma Dymock and Alison Jack
type: item
description: Review of Linden Bicket, Emma Dymock and Alison Jack, eds., Scottish Religious Poetry: From the Sixth Century to the Present: An Anthology, 2nd edn. (Edinburgh: Saint Andrew Press, 2024), pp. xxv + 326 pages, ISBN 978-1800830479. £25.00
subject: Reviews
  topic: section
subject: Scottish poetry
  topic: keywords
subject: religious poetry
  topic: keywords
creator: Emily Hay
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Emily Hay http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
date: 2025-11-24
publication date: 2025-11-24
starting page: 90
ending page: 93
doi: 10.15664/tis.v32i2.3040

Hope in the ashes: A military chaplain’s reflection on remembrance, sacrifice, and resurrection
type: item
description: This reflective piece explores the vocation of military chaplaincy through a personal encounter at Reichswald Forest Cemetery in Germany during Remembrance Sunday. Called at short notice to lead the service, the author recounts a profound moment of connection with the grave of Rev. James William Kenny, a fellow chaplain who died ministering amidst the chaos of war. The experience becomes a lens through which themes of sacrifice, remembrance, and resurrection are examined. Drawing on pastoral experiences, the reflection considers the moral and spiritual weight borne by those in uniform, especially chaplains who walk unarmed into places of suffering. The essay engages with John 15:13 as a theological anchor, affirming that remembrance is not merely historical but eschatological – a witness to the enduring hope of Christ’s resurrection. In remembering the fallen, the chaplain is also remembered, called anew to faithful presence and ministry. This piece contributes to pastoral theology by articulating the cost and calling of ecclesial service in military contexts, and by affirming the enduring witness of those who have laid down their lives in faith.
subject: Reflection
  topic: section
subject: Military chaplaincy
  topic: keywords
subject: chaplain
  topic: keywords
subject: Royal Air Force
  topic: keywords
subject: British Army
  topic: keywords
subject: World War II
  topic: keywords
subject: James William Kenny
  topic: keywords
subject: remembrance
  topic: keywords
subject: sacrifice
  topic: keywords
subject: resurrection
  topic: keywords
creator: David Young
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 David T. Young http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
date: 2025-11-24
publication date: 2025-11-24
starting page: 86
ending page: 89
doi: 10.15664/tis.v32i2.3039

‘To share a great God’s pain’: Bertrand Brasnett (1893–1988) and the consolation of sorrow
type: item
description: This article explores a resource for the consolation of enduring suffering. Bertrand Brasnett, writing in the 1920s and 30s, redefined God’s eschatological bliss as an undefeated will to love humanity, even if that love were rejected thus causing eternal divine anguish and sorrow, inviting the disciple to follow Christ by participating in this loving pain in union with God. The paper explores how Brasnett’s views were unusual amongst the extensive theology of suffering after World War I. Today, his theology can offer a pathway for pastoral care through linking Brasnett with the theology of tragedy that grew after the Second World War. Relating enduring wounds of love to a divine reality enables the sufferer to participate in God’s work in a way that brings consolation.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: Bertrand Brasnett
  topic: keywords
subject: Scottish Episcopal Church
  topic: keywords
subject: consolation
  topic: keywords
subject: suffering
  topic: keywords
subject: passibilism
  topic: keywords
subject: divine passibility
  topic: keywords
subject: divine impassibility
  topic: keywords
subject: suffering of God
  topic: keywords
subject: Christianity and war
  topic: keywords
creator: Alison Peden
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Alison Peden http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
date: 2025-11-29
publication date: 2025-11-29
starting page: 75
ending page: 85
doi: 10.15664/tis.v32i2.3038

Dialogical responses to suffering in a traumatised world: An experiment in epistolary theology
type: item
description: Engaging with themes from the 2024 Church of Scotland Chalmers Lectures, as well as the authors’ forthcoming co-authored book (provisionally titled Defiant Hope: Theological Conversations in a Traumatised World), this article takes the form of an epistolary conversation about the problem of suffering and the reality of ongoing trauma. This dialogical format has deep roots within the Christian tradition and early Christian communities. It is used here because the problems under discussion resist resolution by solitary monologue. Similarly, the work of trauma theology involves communal, rather than singular, response. Our exchange critiques the limitations of traditional theodicies, which often conflate suffering with evil, thereby risking misplaced blame on those who suffer. It also warns against pastoral responses that inadvertently normalise or sustain oppressive systems, advocating instead for transformative theological practices that unmask systemic complicity, foster communal resistance, and reimagine Christian responses to suffering beyond resignation or passive endurance.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: trauma theology
  topic: keywords
subject: theodicy
  topic: keywords
subject: suffering
  topic: keywords
subject: evil
  topic: keywords
subject: epistolary theology
  topic: keywords
subject: practical theology
  topic: keywords
subject: voice hearing
  topic: keywords
creator: Katie Cross
creator: John Swinton
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Katie Cross, John Swinton http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
date: 2025-11-24
publication date: 2025-11-24
starting page: 60
ending page: 74
doi: 10.15664/tis.v32i2.3037

Social Death: Comparisons between the plight of the Gerasene demoniac and those with dementia who are isolated from their communities
type: item
description: This article seeks to draw comparisons between the social death and extreme isolation of the Gerasene demoniac, with the social death and social isolation experienced by those with dementia who are taken into care homes and other such environments. Arguably, whether the Gerasene was possessed by demons or not, his isolation and removal from society hastened and worsened his condition. Parallels can be drawn with the worsening of dementia when the person concerned does not receive meaningful contact with others. An exploration of both conditions is detailed below, and care-focussed solutions are offered to those who wish to maintain contact with those in their community who have a diagnosis of dementia. The underpinning care given to both the Gerasene and those with dementia derives from the compassion and love God has shown to us. It is then argued that our duty as the beloved children of God is to share this love with others, in this particular case, those with dementia.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: Dementia
  topic: keywords
subject: Gerasene demoniac
  topic: keywords
subject: social death
  topic: keywords
creator: Michael Newlands
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Michael Newlands http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
date: 2025-11-24
publication date: 2025-11-24
starting page: 48
ending page: 59
doi: 10.15664/tis.v32i2.3036

Beyond theodicies: Responding to suffering and the stubborn persistence of theological complexity
type: item
description: Theodicies are often criticised for making concrete suffering into an abstract exercise in theological conjecture. The common response is that complex theodicies are not as important as responding to suffering. This paper, however, contends that responding to suffering still presents theological complexities, as illustrated by James Cone’s rebuttal of Reinhold Niebuhr’s Christian Realism. At the heart of the debate is a recurrent theme throughout theological history that considers the extent to which human action can overcome rather than just ameliorate suffering. This article argues that the persistence of sin and the irruption of God into creation are helpful reminders about the limitation of human action and the necessity of God for overcoming suffering.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: suffering
  topic: keywords
subject: evil
  topic: keywords
subject: theodicy
  topic: keywords
subject: James Cone
  topic: keywords
subject: liberation theology
  topic: keywords
subject: Reinhold Niebuhr
  topic: keywords
subject: Christian Realism
  topic: keywords
subject: Johann Baptiste Metz
  topic: keywords
subject: Augustine of Hippo
  topic: keywords
subject: Augustine
  topic: keywords
creator: Graham Meiklejohn
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Graham Meiklejohn http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
date: 2025-11-24
publication date: 2025-11-24
starting page: 35
ending page: 47
doi: 10.15664/tis.v32i2.3035

‘How much evil he has done to your saints?’: Ananias, Saul, and a Christian approach to the Contact Hypothesis in the Scottish refugee context
type: item
description: This article offers an exegetical and theological reading of Ananias’ involvement in Saul’s restoration (Acts 9:10–19) through the lens of the Contact Hypothesis. In this pericope, Ananias’ response balances an honest acknowledgement of the effects of Saul’s violence on his community with a courageous commitment to risky, personal contact. The paper argues that the Ananias-Saul narrative can provide both a theological perspective on, and a corrective to, the Contact Hypothesis, developing a praxis-based model for responding to the effects of violence and to its perpetrators. Case studies are drawn from the author’s experience in an integration sports project in Glasgow that facilitated contact among refugees, asylum seekers, and communities on either side of the city’s sectarian divide.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: Ananias
  topic: keywords
subject: Saul
  topic: keywords
subject: Contact Hypothesis
  topic: keywords
subject: reduction of prejudice
  topic: keywords
subject: refugees
  topic: keywords
subject: asylum seekers
  topic: keywords
subject: Glasgow
  topic: keywords
subject: football
  topic: keywords
creator: Paul Wilson
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Paul Wilson http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
date: 2025-11-24
publication date: 2025-11-24
starting page: 21
ending page: 34
doi: 10.15664/tis.v32i2.3034

‘For the creation waits with eager longing ...’: Panpsychism and the problem of evil
type: item
description: This paper was originally delivered as the fourth D. W. D. Shaw memorial Lecture at the University of Glasgow on 12th May 2025. In honour of Professor Shaw’s combined vocation as a churchman and an academic, this paper opens with a short homiletic reflection on Romans 8:17–25, wherein Saint Paul seeks to comfort the persecuted church in Rome by placing their suffering in solidarity, not only with Christ’s and his own experience, but also with the wider creation. In section two, it turns to one of Professor Shaw’s academic interests; namely Process theology and the panpsychist view of consciousness held by this movement. Panpsychism is the view that every creature or created thing is conscious to at least some degree. I provide a brief outline of this view and discuss biblical passages where nature is depicted as praising God or lamenting human sin. Section three explores how panpsychism might seem to make the problem of evil and suffering worse for Christians. Finally, section four then returns to Romans 8, and I suggest that rather than an intellectual theodicy that attempts to justify why God permits evil, panpsychism can be part of the church’s therapeutic or pastoral response to suffering.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: D. W. D. Shaw
  topic: keywords
subject: panpsychism
  topic: keywords
subject: theological panpsychism
  topic: keywords
subject: problem of evil
  topic: keywords
subject: Romans 8
  topic: keywords
subject: Process theology
  topic: keywords
subject: consciousness
  topic: keywords
subject: non-human creatures
  topic: keywords
subject: nature therapy
  topic: keywords
creator: Joanna Leidenhag
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Joanna Leidenhag http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
date: 2025-11-24
publication date: 2025-11-24
starting page: 4
ending page: 20
doi: 10.15664/tis.v32i2.3033

Editorial: Suffering and Evil
type: item
description: This issue of Theology in Scotland examines theological perspectives on suffering and its relationship to evil and consider how Christian communities can respond both in meaningful and creative ways. The work in this issue engages directly with the lived realities of evil and suffering, without evading them or abstracting God's presence within them. Instead, it reminds us that theology, whether shaped in churches, classrooms, or everyday life, can, at its best, offer meaningful insight in the face of relentless hardship. Just as past theologians wrestled with the brokenness of the world, we too must stay engaged with the pressing issues of our time.
subject: Editorial
  topic: section
subject: Theology of suffering and evil
  topic: keywords
creator: Katie Cross
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Katie Cross http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
date: 2025-11-24
publication date: 2025-11-24
starting page: 1
ending page: 3
doi: 10.15664/tis.v32i2.3032

“Mission, Race, and Empire: The Episcopal Church in Global Context” by Jennifer C. Snow
type: item
description: Review of Jennifer C. Snow, Mission, Race, and Empire: The Episcopal Church in Global Context (New York: Oxford University Press, 2024), pp. viii + 360, ISBN 978-0197598948. £25.99
subject: Reviews
  topic: section
subject: Episcopal Church (United States)
  topic: keywords
subject: TEC
  topic: keywords
subject: PECUSA
  topic: keywords
subject: mission
  topic: keywords
subject: race
  topic: keywords
subject: United States
  topic: keywords
subject: missio Dei
  topic: keywords
creator: Christopher West
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Christopher West http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
date: 2025-06-02
publication date: 2025-06-02
starting page: 94
ending page: 98
doi: 10.15664/tis.v32i1.2911

“From a Mountain in Tibet: A Monk’s Journey” by Lama Yeshe Losal Rinpoche
type: item
description: Review of Lama Yeshe Losal Rinpoche, From a Mountain in Tibet: A Monk’s Journey (London: Penguin, 2023), pp. 272, ISBN: 978-0241988954. £10.99
subject: Reviews
  topic: section
subject: Tibetan Buddhism
  topic: keywords
subject: Samye Ling Monastery
  topic: keywords
subject: Choje Akong Tulku Rinpoche
  topic: keywords
subject: Choje Lama Yeshe Losal Rinpoche
  topic: keywords
creator: Frances Hume
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Frances Hume http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
date: 2025-06-02
publication date: 2025-06-02
starting page: 89
ending page: 94
doi: 10.15664/tis.v32i1.2910

“From the Marrow Men to the Moderates: Scottish Theology 1700–1800” by Donald Macleod
type: item
description: Review of Donald Macleod, From the Marrow Men to the Moderates: Scottish Theology 1700–1800 (Fearn: Christian Focus, 2023), pp. xv + 355, ISBN 978-1527110489. £24.99
subject: Reviews
  topic: section
subject: Scottish theology
  topic: keywords
subject: historical theology
  topic: keywords
subject: Marrow controversy
  topic: keywords
subject: Moderates
  topic: keywords
subject: Moderate Party
  topic: keywords
creator: Philip D. Foster
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Philip D. Foster http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
date: 2025-06-02
publication date: 2025-06-02
starting page: 87
ending page: 89
doi: 10.15664/tis.v32i1.2909

“The Barlinnie Special Unit: Art, Punishment and Innovation” edited by Kirstin Anderson
type: item
description: Review of Kirstin Anderson, ed., The Barlinnie Special Unit: Art, Punishment and Innovation (Sherfield-on-Loddon: Waterside Press, 2024), pp. xxii + 294, ISBN 978-1914603464. £25.00
subject: Reviews
  topic: section
subject: Prison
  topic: keywords
subject: Barlinnie Special Unit
  topic: keywords
subject: Jimmy Boyle
  topic: keywords
subject: rehabilitation
  topic: keywords
subject: art therapy
  topic: keywords
subject: community
  topic: keywords
creator: Alastair McIntosh
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Alastair McIntosh http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
date: 2025-06-02
publication date: 2025-06-02
starting page: 81
ending page: 86
doi: 10.15664/tis.v32i1.2908

“Reformed Humanism: Essays on Christian Doctrine, Philosophy and Church” by David Fergusson
type: item
description: Review of David Fergusson, Reformed Humanism: Essays on Christian Doctrine, Philosophy and Church (London: T&T Clark, 2024), pp. x + 291, hardback 978-0567712745 £85.00; paperback 978-0567712783 (Dec 2025) £28.99.
subject: Reviews
  topic: section
subject: Theology
  topic: keywords
subject: Christianity
  topic: keywords
subject: Philosophy
  topic: keywords
subject: Church
  topic: keywords
subject: Reformed
  topic: keywords
creator: Gordon Graham
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Gordon Graham http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
date: 2025-06-02
publication date: 2025-06-02
starting page: 76
ending page: 81
doi: 10.15664/tis.v32i1.2907

On why we need to be trauma-informed in churches
type: item
description: Laura Gilmour considers the word ‘submission’ through the lens of the trauma of domestic abuse in the context of undergoing a ministerial recognition process. Using quilting art as embodied theological reflection, Gilmour’s piece contrasts surface self-presentation with deeper, hidden realities within the self, revealing how submission and survival are interwoven in the experience of the one who has lived through domestic violence. Her work highlights the power of deliberately slow, creative practices in the remaking of one’s self – especially for those whose voices have been silenced.
subject: Arts and culture
  topic: section
subject: submission
  topic: keywords
subject: language
  topic: keywords
subject: trauma
  topic: keywords
subject: domestic abuse
  topic: keywords
subject: art
  topic: keywords
subject: artmaking
  topic: keywords
subject: church
  topic: keywords
subject: theological reflection
  topic: keywords
creator: Laura Gilmour
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Laura Gilmour http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
date: 2025-06-02
publication date: 2025-06-02
starting page: 67
ending page: 75
doi: 10.15664/tis.v32i1.2906

‘I asked the songthrush about the soul …’
type: item
description: In a wide-ranging conversation Pat Bennett and Pádraig Ó Tuama look at how imaginative, non-dogmatic approaches to the sacred text – similar to how we engage with poetry or art – can open up deeper, more embodied, and more surprising encounters with the divine. Ó Tuama advocates reading the Bible not as a singular message to decode, but as a multifaceted, ‘wild’, participatory narrative that invites questions and emotional response. The text here does not only speak to us, but also reads our lives in return. Some may find this openness to multiple meanings unsettling, seeking a more definitive interpretive framework, yet Ó Tuama and Bennett offer an invitation to rediscover a deep, creative, curious attentiveness to the text as a pathway for encountering God anew in both Scripture and daily life.
subject: Interview
  topic: section
subject: Bible
  topic: keywords
subject: art
  topic: keywords
subject: poetry
  topic: keywords
subject: language
  topic: keywords
subject: text
  topic: keywords
subject: Ignatius of Loyola
  topic: keywords
creator: Pat Bennett
creator: Pádraig Ó Tuama
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Pat Bennett, Pádraig Ó Tuama http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
date: 2025-06-02
publication date: 2025-06-02
starting page: 52
ending page: 66
doi: 10.15664/tis.v32i1.2905

Art, spirit, language
type: item
description: In this personal inquiry on the intertwining impulses of the religious and artistic spirits, Kate Hennessy, a writer and artist, reflects on the power of visual art and artmaking to help us move beyond the limitations of religious language. She explores how art can provide a visual dialogue imbued with spirit and transcendence that help us to understand what it is to be human in a relationship with God. Hennessy draws upon diverse influences, from the Paleolithic artists to Brice Marden, Anne Truitt and Mark Rothko, to provoke thought on perceiving art and artmaking, whether overtly religious or not, as a form of prayer, a practice of devotion and an ongoing expression of this human desire to live in full participation with life and with God.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: visual art
  topic: keywords
subject: artmaking
  topic: keywords
subject: religious language
  topic: keywords
subject: Paleolithic art
  topic: keywords
subject: Brice Marden
  topic: keywords
subject: Anne Truitt
  topic: keywords
subject: Mark Rothko
  topic: keywords
creator: Kate Hennessey
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Kate Hennessey http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
date: 2025-06-02
publication date: 2025-06-02
starting page: 39
ending page: 51
doi: 10.15664/tis.v32i1.2904

Linguistic diversity within the Church: A theological defence
type: item
description: This article argues that linguistic diversity is vital for the health of the Church. Although multilingualism has been crucial to human history, linguistic imperialism has become characteristic of the modern age. The article contends that Christians should defend the right of linguistic minorities to worship in their accustomed (usually native) languages, since linguistic diversity is tied to the health and identity of faith communities. The article uses a case study, the decline of Gaelic in Scottish Presbyterian churches, to show how linguistic imperialism can harm faith communities.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: Language
  topic: keywords
subject: linguistic diversity
  topic: keywords
subject: Church
  topic: keywords
subject: Gaelic
  topic: keywords
subject: Scotland
  topic: keywords
subject: Presbyterian
  topic: keywords
subject: confessional Calvinism
  topic: keywords
creator: Martin George Holmes
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Martin George Holmes http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
date: 2025-06-02
publication date: 2025-06-02
starting page: 25
ending page: 38
doi: 10.15664/tis.v32i1.2903

To restore a light unto the nations: Israel, Palestine, Scotland and the charter of the land
type: item
description: This paper extends but retains its original form as a verbal delivery to a conference, ‘Land, Nature, Justice’, convened by the solidarity group ‘Highland-Palestine’, at which the author shared a platform with the Palestinian natural historian, Professor Mazin Qumsiyeh of Bethlehem University. It compares the historical loss of biodiversity and culture (including linguistic) in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland with biblical prophetic exposition from the Holy Land. It treasures how, ranging from Gaelic bardic laments of the Highland Clearances to modern Scottish land reform, a biblically-inspired indigenous liberation theology has widened the aperture of imagination and strengthened political legitimacy. And it asks whether, in discipleship to the Jewish ethos of tikkun olam, the same theology might minister as ‘a light to the nations’ in such as Gaza too.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: Israel
  topic: keywords
subject: Palestine
  topic: keywords
subject: Scotland
  topic: keywords
subject: Highland Clearances
  topic: keywords
subject: Gaelic
  topic: keywords
subject: liberation theology
  topic: keywords
subject: tikkun olam
  topic: keywords
subject: Light to the nations
  topic: keywords
subject: Nakba
  topic: keywords
subject: land charter
  topic: keywords
subject: Balfour Declaration
  topic: keywords
creator: Alastair McIntosh
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Alastair McIntosh http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
date: 2025-06-02
publication date: 2025-06-02
starting page: 5
ending page: 24
doi: 10.15664/tis.v32i1.2902

Editorial: Language and Faith
type: item
description: This issue of Theology in Scotland explores how language shapes, challenges, and sometimes constrains faith, especially within the historical and contemporary Scottish context.
subject: Editorial
  topic: section
subject: Language
  topic: keywords
subject: faith
  topic: keywords
subject: Scotland
  topic: keywords
creator: Lina Toth
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Lina Toth http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
date: 2025-06-02
publication date: 2025-06-02
starting page: 1
ending page: 4
doi: 10.15664/tis.v32i1.2901

The post-modern condition of Scottish society
type: item
description: This paper was originally published in The Future of the Kirk: The proceedings of the conference held at the University of Aberdeen on 16 September 1996, ed. D. A. S. Fergusson and D. W. D. Shaw; Theology in Scotland Occasional Paper no. 2 (St Andrews: St Mary’s College, 1997), 11–20. The paper examines (1) what we mean by the term 'post-modern' and how we should interpret it and the major changes which are such a feature of the world we live in; (2) how and why Scotland was neglected as an object of analytical study (especially by sociologists); and (3) what the post-modern condition of Scotland might look like.
subject: Supplementary paper
  topic: section
subject: post-modernism
  topic: keywords
subject: Scotland
  topic: keywords
subject: sociological analysis
  topic: keywords
subject: Anthony Giddens
  topic: keywords
subject: Stuart Hall
  topic: keywords
creator: David McCrone
rights: Copyright (c) 2024 David McCrone http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
date: 2024-12-01
publication date: 2024-12-01
doi: 10.15664/tis.v31i2.2817

“Catholic Social Teaching in Practice: Exploring Practical Wisdom and the Virtues Tradition” by Andrew M. Yuengert
type: item
description: Review of Andrew M. Yuengert, Catholic Social Teaching in Practice: Exploring Practical Wisdom and the Virtues Tradition (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003), ‎xvii + 334, ISBN 978-1009261470. £85
subject: Reviews
  topic: section
subject: Catholic Social Teaching
  topic: keywords
subject: CST
  topic: keywords
subject: practical wisdom
  topic: keywords
subject: prudentia
  topic: keywords
creator: Liam Waldron
rights: Copyright (c) 2024 Liam Waldron http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
date: 2024-12-01
publication date: 2024-12-01
doi: 10.15664/tis.v31i2.2816

“The Defeat of Satan: Karl Barth’s Three-Agent Account of Salvation” by Declan Kelly
type: item
description: Review of Declan Kelly, The Defeat of Satan: Karl Barth’s Three-Agent Account of Salvation, Explorations in Reformed Theology 3 (London: T&T Clark, 2022), pp. ix + 162, ISBN 978-0567698810. £28.99
subject: Reviews
  topic: section
subject: Karl Barth
  topic: keywords
subject: salvation
  topic: keywords
subject: Satan
  topic: keywords
subject: das Nichtige
  topic: keywords
subject: apocalyptic theology
  topic: keywords
creator: Tin Tsz Fung
rights: Copyright (c) 2024 Tin Tsz Fung http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
date: 2024-12-01
publication date: 2024-12-01
starting page: 115
ending page: 118
doi: 10.15664/tis.v31i2.2815

“The Ethics of Generating Posthumans: Philosophical and Theological Reflections on Bringing New Persons into Existence” edited by Calum MacKellar and Trevor Stammers
type: item
description: Review of Calum MacKellar and Trevor Stammers, eds., The Ethics of Generating Posthumans: Philosophical and Theological Reflections on Bringing New Persons into Existence (London: Bloomsbury Academic, 2022), pp. x + 234, ISBN 978-1350216587. £28.99
subject: Reviews
  topic: section
subject: posthumanism
  topic: keywords
subject: posthuman
  topic: keywords
subject: transhumanism
  topic: keywords
subject: persons
  topic: keywords
subject: ethics
  topic: keywords
creator: Levi Checketts
rights: Copyright (c) 2024 Levi Checketts http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
date: 2024-12-01
publication date: 2024-12-01
starting page: 111
ending page: 114
doi: 10.15664/tis.v31i2.2814

“James Clerk Maxwell: Faith, Church, and Physics” by Bruce Ritchie
type: item
description: Review of Bruce Ritchie, James Clerk Maxwell: Faith, Church, and Physics (Haddington: Handsel Press, 2024), pp. xxii + 474, ISBN‎ 978-1912052851. £15.00
subject: Reviews
  topic: section
subject: James Clerk Maxwell
  topic: keywords
subject: church
  topic: keywords
subject: physics
  topic: keywords
subject: faith
  topic: keywords
subject: science
  topic: keywords
creator: George M. Coghill
rights: Copyright (c) 2024 George M. Coghill http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
date: 2024-12-01
publication date: 2024-12-01
starting page: 106
ending page: 110
doi: 10.15664/tis.v31i2.2813

“Philosophies of Liturgy: Explorations of Embodied Religious Practice” edited by J. Aaron Simmons, Bruce Ellis Benson and Neal DeRoo
type: item
description: Review of J. Aaron Simmons, Bruce Ellis Benson and Neal DeRoo, eds., Philosophies of Liturgy: Explorations of Embodied Religious Practice (London: Bloomsbury, 2023), pp. xvi + 309, ISBN 978-1350349308. £39.99
subject: Reviews
  topic: section
subject: Liturgy
  topic: keywords
subject: philosophy of religion
  topic: keywords
subject: analytic theology
  topic: keywords
creator: Joanna Leidenhag
rights: Copyright (c) 2024 Joanna Leidenhag http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
date: 2024-12-01
publication date: 2024-12-01
starting page: 101
ending page: 106
doi: 10.15664/tis.v31i2.2812