Discernment: Theology and the Practice of Ministry
Our peer-reviewed digital journal encourages effective ministerial practice by making practical theology accessible to the church.
Comprised of essays that engage rigorous theoretical and theological reflection with contextually sensitive ministerial action, Discernment is available at no cost to readers worldwide.
The articles published in the journal present work describing ministry in a broad array of contexts such as: congregational life; a particular ministry within a congregation (such as children’s ministry); mission contexts; ministry in cross-cultural settings; or Christian ministry in an extra-congregational environment (such as disaster relief or care for the poor).
Read Discernment
Current Issue:
Volume 10, Issue 2 (2024)
“Reading in Frames: A Guide for Homiletics”
Mason Lee PhD“Spirituality of Emerging Adulthood”
Falon Opsahl Barton“A Qualitative Exploration of Spiritual Practices of Simplicity among Emerging Adults”
Falon Opsahl Barton“Book Review: Awake in Gethsemane: Bonhoeffer and the Witness of Christian Lament”
Myles Werntz
PAST ISSUES
Volume 10, Issue 1 (2024)
Volume 9, Issue 2 (2023)
Volume 9, Issue 1 (2023)
Volume 8, Issue 2 (2022)
Volume 8, Issue 1 (2022)
Volume 7, Issue 2 (2021)
Volume 7, Issue 1 (2021)
Volume 6, Issue 2 (2020)
Volume 6, Issue 1 (2020)
Volume 5, Issue 1 (2019)
Volume 4, Issue 1 (2018)
Volume 3, Issue 2 (2017)
Volume 3, Issue 1 (2017)
Volume 2, Issue 2 (2016)
Volume 2, Issue 1 (2016)
Volume 1, Issue 1 (2015)
Meet the Editor
Dr. Ron Bruner
Ron Bruner has served as editor since the journal’s inception. Because of his ministry experience blended with his scholarly expertise, Ron was the first and only person we invited to shape and lead Discernment. He has served as executive director of the Westview Boys’ Home (Hollis, Oklahoma) since 1999, and periodically teaches ministry courses in ACU’s Graduate School of Theology. His interests center on the fields of intergenerational, children’s, and youth ministry, and his latest book is Owning Faith: Reimagining the Role of Church and Family in the Faith Journey of Teenagers (co-edited with Dudley Chancey).
Submit an Article
To submit an article for publication or to learn more about Discernment, visit the journal’s home page or contact Ron Bruner.