Religious persecution and theological/missiological education
17. -18. September 2025 Fjellhaug International University College invites you to a research symposium at our campus in Oslo. This Symposium aims to focus on the interrelations between religious persecution and theological/ missiological education, both from a theological perspective, as well as from a human rights perspective.
The Symposium is co-sponsored by the International Institute for Religious Freedom (IIRF)
Religious persecution, including the persecution of Christians, is a contemporary global topic of urgency. The same applies to its counterpart, freedom of religion or belief (FORB).
The topic resonates with almost all disciplines in theological and missiological education.
The future ministries of pastors, missionaries and other Christian workers call for equipping in this field. For example, pastors encounter traumatized refugees and persecuted converts. They need to preach on the topic appropriately and integrate it into the lives of their congregations, even for those who do not currently face faith-related disadvantages. Christian workers in countries where Christians are under pressure for their faith need to relate the Biblical message to the context and operate wisely. The staff of advocacy agencies is seeking best practices and ethical guidelines on gathering and sharing information on FORB and FORB violations.
Theological educators in different contexts need to ask themselves whether the topics of persecution and FORB are sufficiently anchored in their curriculum and whether the curricula are adequate for the respective context.
For the purposes of this symposium theological and missiological education is understood broadly as educating, teaching, and equipping for ministry of any Christian workers. This can range from Bible School to higher theological education, from adult education to further professional training of pastors. It includes both the perspectives of educators and learners.
The scope of the focus topic ranges from the more theological loci of suffering for Christ, persecution, and martyrdom to the more human rights-oriented aspects of religious discrimination and FORB for all.
This symposium aims to examine the intersections between these two fields: religious persecution and theological/missiological education.
Possible perspectives are complementary: from inside of contexts of pressure as well as from outside context of contexts of pressure, reflecting on the challenges of the body of Christ.
The topic can be approached from the angle of any individual discipline represented at educational institutions for theologians, pastors, missionaries and Christian workers.
Numerous questions can be raised (not restricted to the following):
3-4 experienced plenary speakers from different contexts will highlight some of the above questions.
Theological educators, pastors, missionaries and Christian workers and any other interested researchers are invited to submit paper proposal on any of these and further related topics. Paper proposals may be on different academic levels, from scholarly research to practitioner reports and reflections. Presenters may hail from (or minister in) Europe and beyond, and the variety of contexts and perspectives is appreciated. There is space for contributions that focus more on questions of theological/missiological education as well as those which focus more on the material content that might be taught.
Please send your abstract (200-300 words) before 1 June 2025 to forskning@fjellhaug.no
You will be notified of acceptance before 1 July 2025.
Each researcher is given 15-20 minutes to present his/her paper.
Responses and comments will follow the presentation in the plenum. Each paper will be given 30 minutes or more depending on the number of participants and papers. If there are many papers, some of the paper sessions will be divided into groups.
An abstract of the paper will be made available for the symposium participants.
The presentation and the responses will be in English.
Big screen and sound system are available. Presenters can use their own PC.
The presenters are free to publish their papers where they find it expedient.
The symposium will primarily be for researchers; academically interested practitioners are also invited.
For any questions, please contact forskning@fjellhaug.no
Prof. Dr. mult. Thomas Schirrmacher. President of the International Council of the International Society for Human Rights, President of the International Institute for Religious Freedom.
Dr. Sara Afshari. Oxford Center for Mission Studies.
Prof. Dr. Jelle Creemers. ETF Leuven. Professor of Religious Studies and Missiology. Director of the Institute for the Study of Freedom of Religion or Belief (ISFORB).
Kristina Patring. Swedish Mission Council - Advisor / ETF Leuven - Research Fellow.
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The symposium will take place at Fjellhaug International University College, campus Oslo, Sinsenveien 15, 0572 Oslo, Norway.
There is no fee for the symposium.
Fjellhaug offers meals that can be bought separately:
Lunch 95 NOK
Dinner 120/150 NOK (without/with dessert)
Breakfast 55 NOK
Several hotels in different price ranges are available within reasonable travel distance, for instance:
