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.
St Mary's College, University of St Andrews
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“Mission, Race, and Empire: The Episcopal Church in Global Context” by Jennifer C. Snow
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
Copyright (c) 2025 Christopher West http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
“From a Mountain in Tibet: A Monk’s Journey” by Lama Yeshe Losal Rinpoche
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
Copyright (c) 2025 Frances Hume http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
“From the Marrow Men to the Moderates: Scottish Theology 1700–1800” by Donald Macleod
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
Copyright (c) 2025 Philip D. Foster http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
“The Barlinnie Special Unit: Art, Punishment and Innovation” edited by Kirstin Anderson
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
Copyright (c) 2025 Alastair McIntosh http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
“Reformed Humanism: Essays on Christian Doctrine, Philosophy and Church” by David Fergusson
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.
Copyright (c) 2025 Gordon Graham http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
On why we need to be trauma-informed in churches
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.
Copyright (c) 2025 Laura Gilmour http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
‘I asked the songthrush about the soul …’
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.
Copyright (c) 2025 Pat Bennett, Pádraig Ó Tuama http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
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.
Copyright (c) 2025 Kate Hennessey http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Linguistic diversity within the Church: A theological defence
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.
Copyright (c) 2025 Martin George Holmes http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
To restore a light unto the nations: Israel, Palestine, Scotland and the charter of the land
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.
This issue of Theology in Scotland explores how language shapes, challenges, and sometimes constrains faith, especially within the historical and contemporary Scottish context.
Copyright (c) 2025 Lina Toth http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
The post-modern condition of Scottish society
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.
Copyright (c) 2024 David McCrone http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
“Catholic Social Teaching in Practice: Exploring Practical Wisdom and the Virtues Tradition” by Andrew M. Yuengert
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
Copyright (c) 2024 Liam Waldron http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
“The Defeat of Satan: Karl Barth’s Three-Agent Account of Salvation” by Declan Kelly
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
Copyright (c) 2024 Tin Tsz Fung http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
“The Ethics of Generating Posthumans: Philosophical and Theological Reflections on Bringing New Persons into Existence” edited by Calum MacKellar and Trevor Stammers
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
Copyright (c) 2024 Levi Checketts http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
“James Clerk Maxwell: Faith, Church, and Physics” by Bruce Ritchie
Review of Bruce Ritchie, James Clerk Maxwell: Faith, Church, and Physics (Haddington: Handsel Press, 2024), pp. xxii + 474, ISBN‎ 978-1912052851. £15.00
Copyright (c) 2024 George M. Coghill http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
“Philosophies of Liturgy: Explorations of Embodied Religious Practice” edited by J. Aaron Simmons, Bruce Ellis Benson and Neal DeRoo
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
Copyright (c) 2024 Joanna Leidenhag http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Reflections on ‘A Future with Hope’ from a lay perspective
This short reflection responds to papers presented at two ‘A Future with Hope’ events held at New College, Edinburgh in 2023 and 2024 (featured in this issue of Theology in Scotland). John Sturrock provides a layperson’s perspective on the Church of Scotland’s failure to grasp the implications of the profound social and cultural changes that have occurred in Scottish society over recent decades. He further explores the potential for the church to adapt by empowering the laity and embracing new forms of church life.
Copyright (c) 2024 John Sturrock http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Resurrection – not restoration: Frank’s story
This short reflection was offered as a response to Prof Will Storrar’s paper given at the ‘A Future with Hope: Resurrection, Not Restoration’ conference held at New College, Edinburgh on 9 March 2024 (included in this issue of Theology in Scotland). Drawing from personal experiences, Rev Dr Richard Frazer contends that the church must move beyond maintaining outdated structures, focussing instead on nurturing the deeper spiritual work of renewal and hope. Despite institutional decline, God is still at work – embodied in acts of genuine welcome, forgiveness and transformation – offering a path forward amidst cultural upheaval.
Copyright (c) 2024 Richard Frazer http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
This short paper is one of several case studies of innovative missional initiatives presented at the ‘A Future with Hope: Resurrection, Not Restoration’ conference held at New College, Edinburgh on 9 March 2024. Describing the initiative to establish The Shed youth and community project, Rev Tommy MacNeil illustrates how a struggling congregation can be transformed into a vibrant community hub, how struggling individuals can discover the transformative power of God’s love, and how struggling disciples can learn to trust God’s ability to multiply resources as they shift from an inward focus to mission.
Copyright (c) 2024 Tommy MacNeil http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Reimagining our common mission: ‘Tell Scotland’ now
In mainstream churches, with particular reference to the Church of Scotland, this paper argues that the concept of ‘mission’ is in need of rehabilitation. It has been reduced to vague objectives and is being tainted by being linked with a programme of restructuring and church closures. The rehabilitation of the concept of ‘mission’ will be necessary as the Kirk proceeds with its task of re-negotiating the future of its ministries, its buildings, and communities. To this end, the paper re-visits the life and work of the Church of Scotland minister and evangelist Tom Allan (1916–1965), drawing out principles from both his work at parish level and with the ‘Tell Scotland’ national mission campaign. Rather than being about numerical gain or preserving institutional structures, ‘mission’ might be understood and lived out through theologically reflective, lay-empowering, and relational community engagement, creating space for new possibilities shaped by God’s grace.
Copyright (c) 2024 Alexander Forsyth http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Radical hope: Reimagining church and society in Scotland
This article proposes an interdisciplinary approach to understanding the factors that have led to the Church of Scotland’s current programme of reorganisation of its presbyteries and parishes in the face of a steep decline in its membership and recruitment to ordained ministry. Drawing on sociological, philosophical, and theological sources, it argues that the Kirk is experiencing the devastation of its local parish culture and way of life as an integral part of modern, industrial Scotland under the impact of hyper-individualism in a post-industrial and post-modern Scottish society, but like the Crow tribe, it can find radical hope in its traditions.
Copyright (c) 2024 William Storrar http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
A future with hope: Diaspora churches in Scotland
This article presents the findings of a comprehensive study that sought to explore the nature and contributions of, and challenges faced by ethnic diaspora Christian congregations in Scotland. The objective of this project was to gain a deeper understanding of the experiences and dynamics of diaspora Christian congregations in Scotland, shedding light on their current and future roles within the broader Scottish religious landscape.
Copyright (c) 2024 Sheila Akomiah-Conteh, Liam Jerrold Fraser, Fiona Tweedie http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
This piece presents the results from Scotland’s Census 2022, comparing them with results from the Censuses of 2001 and 2011. Noting a considerable rise in those of “no religion” and a fall in those belonging to the Church of Scotland, geographical patterns and an age breakdown are discussed. These figures indicate the scale of the challenge facing Scotland’s denominations.
Copyright (c) 2024 Fiona Tweedie http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
This paper presents a sociological analysis of the ways in which Scotland has been transformed over the last 25 years. It takes as its starting point the talk the author gave in 1996 entitled “The Post-Modern Condition of Scottish Society”, setting out how Scotland has changed in the intervening years. It sketches out and reflects on the defining events of the period: devolution and the establishment of the Scottish Parliament; the rise to power of the Scottish National Party (SNP) as well as its shifting fortunes; all set in the context of the Scottish independence and Brexit referendums. It concludes by offering critical commentary on contemporary global issues, particularly the loss of the sense of social reality in the face of the current mood of individualism, moral relativism and post-factual narratives.
Church and university in Scotland: Challenges and prospects
This paper was originally delivered as the third D. W. D. Shaw memorial lecture at the University of Aberdeen on 27 May 2024. It examines the shifting patterns in the relationship of church and academy in Scotland from the establishment of the four ancient universities to the present day. Despite historical changes, most notably the Reformation, the church and the academy maintained a cooperative relationship in the shared project of producing a well-educated clergy. Yet this has altered significantly in recent decades. Contributory factors include a steep decline in the number of ordinands, the emergence of religious studies, and diverging economic circumstances. The paper concludes by examining future prospects for theological education, addressing critical questions concerning the academic pursuit of a confessional Christian theology amidst rising secularism and alternative approaches to the study of religion.
Copyright (c) 2024 David Fergusson http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Editorial: When Theological Landscapes Shift: Reimagining Church and Society
This issue of Theology in Scotland begins with an article based on the 2024 D. W. D. Shaw Memorial Lecture delivered by Prof David Fergusson, examining the historical partnership between the church and universities in Scotland. The remainder of the issue reflects on the swiftly changing religious and cultural landscape of contemporary Scotland: ● How do we make sense of the dwindling number of people professing a Christian commitment in contemporary Scotland? ● How do structures enable or stifle creative organic developments? ● What future shapes of the church can we discern from both our engagement with Scripture and recent experiments in church practice?
Copyright (c) 2024 Lina Toth http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
"Interreligious Studies: An Introduction" by Rachel S. Mikva
Review of Rachel S. Mikva, Interreligious Studies: An Introduction (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2023), pp. xi + 356, ISBN 978-1108826600. £26.99
Copyright (c) 2024 Leon Robinson http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
"Religion and Outer Space" edited by Eric Michael Mazur and Sarah McFarland Taylor
Review of Eric Michael Mazur and Sarah McFarland Taylor (eds), Religion and Outer Space (Abingdon: Routledge, 2023), pp. xvi + 267, ISBN 978-0367542276. £35.99
Copyright (c) 2024 Kofi Akan Brown http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
"Mission Is the Shape of Water: Learning from the Past to Inform Our Role in the World Today" by Michael Frost
Review of Michael Frost, Mission Is the Shape of Water: Learning from the Past to Inform Our Role in the World Today (Cody, WY: 100 Movements Publishing, 2023), pp. xxii + 254, ISBN 978-1955142403 (paperback) £13.99; ISBN 978-1955142410 (e-book) £8.99
Copyright (c) 2024 Fiona Reynolds http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0