Joshua T. Searle, FHEA FRHistS BA MA (Oxon) MTh PhD
Director of Postgraduate Studies
Email: j.searle@spurgeons.ac.uk
Mobile: 07425772210
A Northumbrian by birth and temperament, Joshua considers it a great privilege to be part of a vibrant and multi-cultural and multi-ethnic learning community at Spurgeon’s College. His experience at Spurgeon’s has taught him that there is no greater blessing as a teacher than seeing students’ lives and ministries being transformed by their studies. Joshua’s mission at Spurgeon’s is to see all students of Spurgeon’s College grow in grace and knowledge of the “boundless riches of Christ” and to realise their full potential in God.
After graduating from Oxford University (BA and MA), he pursued postgraduate studies in Prague (MTh) and then Dublin (PhD). Before starting work at Spurgeon’s in 2013, Joshua worked as a missionary in Donetsk, Ukraine. He has taught theology and philosophy in Germany, Ireland, the UK and Ukraine. Fluent in German and Russian and proficient in many Slavic languages, he has had an active ministry in Ukraine over many years in his capacity as Chair of Trustees of the charity, Dnipro Hope Mission: www.dniprohopemission.org. He occasionally speaks to the media, including the BBC, on issues relating to religion and politics in Ukraine.
His favourite writers are Plato, Nikolai Berdyaev and Thomas Mann. Outside his academic interests, Joshua enjoys cycling and swimming, learning foreign languages, and teaching his young son some of his favourite “Dad jokes!” He has also run marathons in support of Spurgeon’s students experiencing financial hardship. A loyal and long-suffering supporter of Middlesbrough FC, Joshua has had to learn the theological virtue of keeping hope alive, even in the most hopeless circumstances
Joshua lives with his family in East Surrey. He is a regular preacher and is also glad to receive invitations from other churches to preach and/or to speak about Spurgeon’s College. He is available to preach in English, Russian or German and can be contacted at j.searle@spurgeons.ac.uk
Recent Publications
MONOGRAPHS
- Theology After Christendom: Forming Prophets for a Post-Christian World (Eugene, OR: Cascade, 2018)
- The Scarlet Woman and the Red Hand: Evangelical Apocalyptic Belief in the Northern Ireland Troubles (Eugene, OR: Pickwick, 2014)
- A Future and a Hope: Mission, Theological Education and the Transformation of Post–Soviet Society (Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2014) – with Mykhailo N. Cherenkov
- Church Without Walls: Post-Soviet Baptists after the Ukrainian Revolution, 2013–2014. The 2016 Whitley Lecture (Oxford: Whitley Publications, 2016)
TRANSLATIONS OF MY BOOKS
- Russian translation of A Future and a Hope (Cherkassy: Colloquium, 2015)
- Ukrainian translation of Theology After Christendom (Kyiv: Dukh i Litera, 2020)
AS EDITOR
- Guest Editor of International Journal of Public Theology 14 (2020)
- (with Kenneth C. G. Newport), Beyond the End: The Future of Millennial Studies (Sheffield: Sheffield Phoenix Press, 2012)
- Solidarity, Freedom and Compassion: Proceedings from the London Consultation on Ukraine at Lambeth Palace (Chicago: BMS World Mission/Mission Eurasia, 2015)
- 2017–current: Member of the Editorial Board of the journal, Theological Reflections
- Encountering the Mystery: Collection of Essays in Honour of Sergiy Sannikov on his 70th Birthday (Rivne: Format-A, 2020) – in Ukrainian (edited with R. Soloviy, T. Dyatlik, O. Geychenko and M. Raber)
FOREWORDS
- Foreword to Klaus-Dieter John, I Have Seen God: The Miraculous Story of the Diopsi Suyana Hospital in Peru (Oxford: Lion Hudson, 2014)
ARTICLES IN REFEREED JOURNALS and EDITED COLLECTIONS
- ‘“The Truth Will Set You Free”: The Theological Foundations of Michael Bourdeaux’s Commitment to Religious Liberty’, in Michael Long, Julie deGraffenried and Xenia Dennen (eds.), Speaking for Truth: A Celebration of the Life and Work of Canon Michael Bourdeaux – awaiting publication
- ‘Baptist Perspectives on Freedom and the Kingdom of God’. Chapter accepted for publication in Baptists and the Kingdom of God: World Perspectives Through Four Interpretive Lenses (Waco, TX: Baylor University Press) – awaiting publication
- ‘The Kingdom of God in Rechenschaft vom Glauben: A British Baptist’s Perspective on the German Baptists’ Confession of Faith’, European Journal of Theology 31:2 (2022)
- ‘Bogoslovskaya Refleksiya na Prirodu Voyny’ [‘A Theological Reflection on the Nature of War’], Almanac Bogomyslie 32 (2022), 164–76
- ‘What is Wrong with Racism? A Biblical and Theological Answer’, Bible in Transmission (Bible Society: Spring 2022), 5–8
- ‘The Euro-Asian Accrediting Association (EAAA) and Prospects for the Reform of Evangelical Mission in the Post-Soviet Space’, Acta Missiologiae 9(2021), 9–20
- ‘Towards a Theology of Dignity and Freedom: Existentialism and the Prospects for Reform of Protestant Witness to Post-Soviet Society’, Theological Reflections: Eastern European Journal of Theology 19.2 (2021), 31–49
- ‘Public Theology After Maidan: New Points of Departure for Public Theology in the Post-Soviet Space’, The International Journal of Public Theology 14 (2020), 255–275
- ‘Forms of Futuristic Interpretation of Revelation in the Modern Period’ in The Oxford Handbook of the Book of Revelation (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2020), 447–463 (with Kenneth G. C. Newport)
- ‘Prophecy, Protest and Public Theology: The Relevance of Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Prophetic Mandate in Today’s Post-truth World’, Journal of European Baptist Studies 20:2 (2020)
- ‘Looking to the Past with Gratitude and Looking to the Future with Hope: EAAA and the Prospects of Reform in the Post-Soviet Evangelical Movement’, in Encountering the Mystery: Collection of Essays in Honour of Sergiy Sannikov on his 70th Birthday (Rivne, 2020), 73–80 (in Russian)
- ‘Eschatology, Hope and Prophetic Ministry in a Post-Christian Age’, Almanac Bogomislie 25 (2019), 64–79 (in Russian)
- ‘Obedience Ends Where Evil Begins: Church-State Relations in the Former Soviet Union from a baptistic Perspective’, Journal of European Baptist Studies 20:1 (2020), 107–116
- ‘Between Ulster and the Kingdom of God: Uses of the Bible by Evangelicals in the Northern Ireland Troubles’, in The Bible in Ireland: A Social and Cultural History, edited by Bradford Anderson and Jonathan Kearney (London: T&T Clark, 2018), 155–72
- ‘The Reformation in Russia and Ukraine and its Relevance for Today’, European Journal of Theology 26.1 (Spring,2017),55–64
- ‘The Kingdom of God is Justice and Peace: Lessons for Post-Soviet Evangelicals from Glen H. Stassen’, in European Journal of Theology 25.1 (Spring, 2016), 73–80
- ‘No Revolution without Reformation: A Hegelian Reading of Maidan as a Civil and Religious Reformation’, in van der Laarse et al (eds.), Ukraine: Religion, State, Society and Identity in Transition (Wolf: Oisterwijk, 2015), 299–318
- ‘Tsarstviye Bozhiye — spravedlivost’ i mir: Uroki, prepodannyye Martinom Lutherom Kingom i Glenom Stassenom’, Almanakh Bogomysliye (Summer, 2015), 40–49
- ‘Eine vergessene Stimme in der Ökumene? Einheit der Kirche aus baptistischer Perspektive’, Ökumenische Begegnungen: Zum 25-jährigen Jubiläum der Arbeitsgemeinschaft Ökumenische Forschung / Beihefte zur Ökumenischen Rundschau 100; C. Hoffmann et al (eds.) (Leipzig: Evangelische Verlagsanstalt, 2015), 180–94
- ‘Moving Towards an Ecumenism of Koinonia: A Critical Response to ‘The Church: Towards a Common Vision’ from a Baptistic Perspective, Journal of European Baptist Studies (January, 2015), 17–27
- ‘Kritická odpov?? z baptistickej perspektivy na dokument „Cirkev v ústrety spolo?nej vízii“’, Teologický ?asopis: fórum pre kres?anský dialóg. Trnavská univerzita Teologická fakulta, Bratislava, Ro?ník 12 (2/2014), 57–70 [‘A Critical Response from a Baptist Perspective to the Document, “The Church Towards a Common Vision”’]
- ‘Moving Towards an Ecumenism of Koinonia (baptistic perspective)’, Testimonium fidei: ?asopis pre teológiu a katechetiku 2 (December, 2014), 217-232
- ‘From Christian Worldview to Kingdom Formation: Theological Education as Mission in the Former Soviet Union’, European Journal of Theology 23 (Autumn, 2014), 104–115
- ‘Sweet in the Mouth and Bitter in the Stomach’: Interpretations of the Book of Revelation among Evangelicals in Northern Ireland during the ‘Troubles’, Irish Theological Quarterly 79 (January, 2014), 14–29
- ‘The Ecumenical Imperative and the Kingdom of God: Towards a baptistic perspective on church unity’, Journal of European Baptist Studies 14(September, 2013), 5-23
- (with Roy Searle) ‘Monastic Practices and the Missio Dei: Towards a Socially-Transformative Understanding of Missional Practice from the Perspective of the Northumbria Community’, Journal of Missional Practice (Autumn 2013)
- ‘Bibleyskiye i sotsial’no osnovaniya dlya bogosloviya mirotvorchestva v razreshenii nasil’stvennykh konfliktov’, Bogoslovskiye Razmyshleniya (June, 2013), 202-26 [‘The Biblical and Social-Ethical Grounds for a Theology of Peacemaking in Resolving Violent Conflicts’, Theological Reflections]
- ‘The Divine-Human Imagination: William Blake’s Vision of Theosis and the Theology of Hope’, Luvah: Journal of the Creative Imagination (Summer, 2013)
- ‘The Future of Millennial Studies and the Hermeneutics of Hope: A Theological Reflection’, in Joshua Searle and Kenneth C. G. Newport (eds.), Beyond the End: The Future of Millennial Studies (Sheffield: Sheffield Phoenix Press, 2012), 131-47
- ‘Romantismus, Fantasie a Utopie: Teologické Zhodnocení’, in K?es?anství a Romantismus, IvanaNoble and Ji?í Hanuš (eds.) (Brno: CDK, 2011), 54-72 [‘Romanticism, Imagination and Utopia: A Theological Evaluation’]
- ‘Ideology, Convictions and Eschatology: Towards a Theological Critique of Ideology from an Eschatological Perspective’, Baptistic Theologies 3 (Spring, 2011), 99-115
- ‘Is the Sermon on the Mount a Realistic Resource for Christian Discipleship and Spiritual Formation?’, Journal of European Baptist Studies 9 (January, 2009), 80-91
ARTICLES IN NON-REFEREED JOURNALS AND NEWSLETTERS
- ‘What’s wrong with racism? A biblical and theological answer’, The Bible in Transmission (Bible Society, Spring 2022)
- ‘British Baptists and Brexit’, Baptist Ministers’ Journal, vol.349(January 2021), 10–20
- Spiritual Growth Bible (sidebar commentaries on Luke, Acts, Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians; Colossians and Ephesians); Bible due for publication in 2019
- ‘Foi chrétienne et monde post-chrétien’, Christ Seul (Autumn 2018)
- ‘Samariya – Zona konflikta: Missiya v Obkhod‘, Yevangelskaya Niva 1 (2015), 12–14
- ‘Rapid Response to Community Building as a Spiritual Practice’, Journal of Missional Practice (online journal), February 2015
- ‘Learning from the Past to Reimagine the Future: Theological Education in the (Former) Soviet Union’, Keston Newsletter 19 (February 2014), 10-21
- ‘The Radical Imperative of Otherness: A New Monastic Vision of ‘Being the “Other” in a Context of Cultural Exile’, in Being the Other: Theological Students Conference 2011 (Belfast: IPC, 2011), 7-10
- My articles on current affairs have been published on the website of Christian Today (see: www.christiantoday.com/reporter/joshua-searle)
REVIEWS
- I have published several book reviews in the Journal of European Theology and the Journal of Adult Theological Education, among others
- My own books have been reviewed positively in the Irish Times, Journal of Ecclesiastical History, Irish Theological Quarterly, Nova Religio, New Eastern Europe, Theological Book Review and Journal of European Theology, among others
- My book, The Scarlet Woman and the Red Hand, was reviewed positively in the national newspaper, Irish Times.
- My book, A Future and a Hope,was reviewed positively by Prof. Amos Yong.
Doctoral Supervision
As Director of Postgraduate Studies, I serve as Chair of Examiners at viva voce examinations of Spurgeon’s College doctoral candidates. I have also served as both an Internal and External Examiner in PhD examinations. I currently supervise doctoral candidates who are researching the following topics:
- The History of Baptist Missions in Israel/Palestine from 1948 to 2000
- The Teaching of Science in Christian Colleges
- Epistemological Understanding in Contemplative Reflective Approaches to Children’s Ministry
Professional Activities, Memberships and Affiliations
- 2020-present: Fellow of the Royal Historical Society
- 2019-present: Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
- 2020-present: Member of the Advisory Board, The International Journal of Public Theology
- 2019-present: Member of the Advisory Board of the Eastern European Institute of Theology (http://eeit.info/staff-eng)
- 2019-present: Member of the Society for the Study of Theology
- 2017-present: Chair of Trustees, Dnipro Hope Mission (UK charity no. 1177504)
- 2017-present: Trustee, Anabaptist Mennonite Network (UK charity no. 1175973)
- 2016-present: Member of the Fellowship of European Evangelical Theologians (FEET)
- 2010-present: Arbeitsgemeinschaft Ökumenische Forschung (member of Committee from 2011 to 2013)
- 2017–present: Member (regular preacher) of Horley Baptist Church, Surrey, UK
- 2012–present: Member (regular preacher) of Vasylkivka Baptist Church, Ukraine
- 2014-2016: Mission Eurasia UK (Chairman)
- 2008-2013: Trinity Millennialism Project (Research Fellow)
- 2010-2012: Societas Oecumenica (Member)
