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Open research questions in Christian Theology and Mission

406 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 4,394 Christian Theology and Mission papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.

What the literature leaves open

  • The paper identifies a gap in the discussion of STMMs, highlighting the need for a nuanced comparison of ethical frameworks. It notes that prior work has not adequately addressed the ethical concerns related to effectiveness, sustainability, and potential harm to vulnerable communities.

    Beyond Good Intentions: A Justice-Based Critique of Short-Term Medical Missions · 2026 · DOI

  • The use of AI in sermon-making is a relatively new and under-explored area. There is a need for further research on the potential of AI as a resource for preaching.

    An appreciative reflection on the use of artificial intelligence in sermon-making from a South African perspective · 2026 · DOI

  • Secondly, AI tools offer access to vast amounts of data, speed and current information – qualities that contrast sharply with traditional resources, which were limited by the preacher’s budget, remained comparatively restricted in scope and inevitably became outdated.

    An appreciative reflection on the use of artificial intelligence in sermon-making from a South African perspective · 2026 · DOI

  • The paper identifies a gap in the understanding of the role of religious leaders in promoting social justice and human rights. The study highlights the need for critical discourse analysis of public addresses by religious leaders.

    Prophetic diplomacy and postcolonial accountability: A Rhetorical analysis of Pope Leo XIV’s Address at Unity Palace, Yaoundé, Cameroon, April 15, 2026 · 2026 · DOI

  • Whether that craft will prove sufficient to move the Cameroonian political situation towards the justice and peace that Leo XIV invoked remains, as of this writing, an open question.

    Prophetic diplomacy and postcolonial accountability: A Rhetorical analysis of Pope Leo XIV’s Address at Unity Palace, Yaoundé, Cameroon, April 15, 2026 · 2026 · DOI

  • The operational bridge between critical awareness, public solidarity, and community remains implicit. The 'solidarity bottleneck' hinders the church's mission. There is a need for a concrete sequence to turn insight into action and deepen insight.

    Research Article: Toward a Cyclical Missional Model of Spiritual Formation in Latin America. · 2026 · DOI

  • The study identifies the gap in understanding the church's identity and mission within shifting socio-cultural contexts. The research gap includes the lack of understanding of missional ecclesiology as a situationized theological church theory.

    A Contextual Theological Reinterpretation of Missional Ecclesiology · 2026 · DOI

  • The paper identifies the challenge of patriarchal biases and colonial power matrices in the church's interpretation of Scripture. The paper also identifies the challenge of a lack of engagement with post-colonial womanist and Bosadi hermeneutics in the current debate.

    A hermeneutical critique of women in ecclesiastical office within the Reformed Churches in South Africa: A reformed missional lens in decoloniality · 2026 · DOI

  • The paper identifies a gap in the current debate on the ordination of women in the Reformed Churches in South Africa. The paper argues that the current debate lacks a reformed missional lens and engagement with post-colonial womanist and Bosadi hermeneutics.

    A hermeneutical critique of women in ecclesiastical office within the Reformed Churches in South Africa: A reformed missional lens in decoloniality · 2026 · DOI

  • The study highlights the challenge of embodying solidarity with marginalised populations in Africa. The research notes the need for the church to address the cries of the poor in contemporary African contexts. The confession's emphasis on unity, reconciliation and justice poses a challenge for Christian communities in Africa.

    Belhar at forty: Justice, unity and the cries of the poor in African Christian mission · 2026 · DOI

  • The study identifies a gap in the existing literature on the Belhar Confession, particularly in terms of its relevance for African Christian mission. The research highlights the need for a deeper understanding of the confession's theological logic and its implications for contemporary African Christianity.

    Belhar at forty: Justice, unity and the cries of the poor in African Christian mission · 2026 · DOI

  • The paper identifies a gap in understanding the relationship between Stoicism and Christianity. It notes that prior work has often overlooked the fundamental differences between the two traditions.

    Stoicism and Christianity Compared: A Systematic Analysis of Their Commonalities and Differences · 2026 · DOI

  • The study identifies a gap in understanding how religious texts operate in contemporary society. The study highlights the need to look beyond secular-religious dichotomies toward more nuanced understandings of how practitioners engage with religious texts.

    Living Text: The Multiple Lives of Tehillim in Contemporary Jewish Practice · 2026 · DOI

  • The paper identifies a gap in the understanding of human flourishing in healthcare. The study notes that the concept of human flourishing is contested. The paper argues that there is a need to reconsider the significance of the beatitudes for healthcare.

    On Making a Success of Life: ‘Human Flourishing’ and Healthcare · 2026 · DOI

  • The paper suggests that future research should focus on the development of a theology that serves a culturally plural Church in Europe. The paper suggests that future research should explore the concept of translation and its implications for theological work in Europe.

    Translation and "esprit de finesse": Theology in the service of a culturally plural Church in Europe · 2026 · DOI

  • The paper identifies a gap in the development of a theology that serves a culturally plural Church in Europe. The paper identifies a need for a new vision of Europe that takes into account the diversity of cultures and the concept of translation.

    Translation and "esprit de finesse": Theology in the service of a culturally plural Church in Europe · 2026 · DOI

  • Future research could further explore the concept of obedience in theological contexts. The study's findings could be applied to various religious traditions and practices.

    The Interconnection between Freedom and Obedience in the Human Response to God's Call as Both Risk and Opportunity for Spiritual Maturation · 2026 · DOI

  • The paper identifies a gap in the understanding of obedience in theological contexts. The study highlights the need for a renewed theological understanding of obedience within the analogy of faith.

    The Interconnection between Freedom and Obedience in the Human Response to God's Call as Both Risk and Opportunity for Spiritual Maturation · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a need for an interdisciplinary framework for interpreting the variability in ritual coping that emerged during the pandemic. There is a lack of research on the impact of the pandemic on Christian communities and their ritual practices.

    Rituals Reflecting Various Forms of Human Sociality as Means of Coping with the Covid Crisis · 2026 · DOI

  • The role of rituals within the context of conflict resolution and reconciliation has not been fully explored. There is a need to examine the differences between secular and religious rituals, particularly Christian reconciliation rituals.

    Religious and Secular Rituals in Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation · 2026 · DOI

  • Future research could explore the implications of Wainwright's theology for the practice of worship and mission in the Methodist tradition and the wider Christian community. Further study could examine the relationship between Wainwright's theology and other theological traditions. Research could also investigate the potential applications of Wainwright's theology in ecumenical dialogue and cooperation.

    Worship, Doctrine and Mission: The Contribution of Geoffrey Wainwright to a Developing Methodist Theology · 2026 · DOI

  • The paper identifies a gap in the understanding of Geoffrey Wainwright's theology and its significance for the Methodist tradition and the wider Christian community. The paper proposes to fill this gap by exploring Wainwright's theology and its implications for ecumenical dialogue and cooperation.

    Worship, Doctrine and Mission: The Contribution of Geoffrey Wainwright to a Developing Methodist Theology · 2026 · DOI

  • The gap between doctrinal proclamation and lived experience, - The lack of a systematic approach to lay leadership formation, - The need for a contextual model that frames Class Meetings as spiritual families

    Recontextualizing John Wesley’s Class Meeting for Holistic Discipleship and the Contemporary Methodist Church Ghana · 2026 · DOI

  • The need for a Post-Colonial view of Christian witness that is inclusive and welcoming. The need to critique and move beyond John Wesley's view of mission.

    The World is Not My Parish: Toward a Post-Coloniala View of Christian Witness · 2026 · DOI

  • The paper identifies a gap in understanding the impact of the early Salvation Army's theology of sanctification on its approach to gender roles. The paper identifies a gap in understanding the development of gender roles in the context of ministry.

    The Consequences of Sanctification on Gender Roles in the Early Salvation Army, 1865–1912 · 2026 · DOI

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406 open questions have been extracted from the limitations and future-work passages of 4,394 Christian Theology and Mission papers in our library. Each one below links back to the study that raised it, so you can read the original claim in context.

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