Robert Doornenbal

Robert J.A. Doornenbal (1966) is a teacher, speaker, and researcher on the topic of Theology and Culture, broadly defined, i.e. varying from studying religion & spirituality in popculture to reflecting on the relation between science and religion, or exploring ways of being a (missional) church that connects with contemporary culture while being different at the same time.

His deepest motivation has to do with truth-seeking, and he has come to believe that Jesus Christ is a reliable orientation point in this endeavor. Robert is inspired and challenged by this saying of Jesus out of John's Gospel (18:37b): "Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice."

In his search for truth - for that which is worthy of our trust and does optimal 'justice' to reality - Robert likes to research and learn from persons, movements and ideas, in particular (but not exclusively) within Christianity, that are outspoken and energetic but also somewhat controversial - in certain quarters, that is - varying from American fundamentalist Christianity (MA thesis, University of Leiden, 1990), to the other side of the spectrum: the Emerging Church Movement. This movement is discussed in his PhD dissertation entitled Crossroads (VU University Amsterdam, 2012).

The dissertation as a whole however, focuses on a topic that arguably is strategic for the 21st century Church, i.e. missional leadership and the (theological) education of missional leaders.

In the Netherlands, Robert regularly publishes articles in magazines or books. He strives to be what Alister McGrath calls an 'organic theologian', i.e. an activist, a popularizer - someone whose sees his task as supportive and systematic within the community of faith, and as evangelistic and apologetic outside the community.

Robert's most recent publications (articles or book chapters) are on Emerging Churches, Small Christian Communities and missional leadership; New Spirituality as a missionary challenge for the Church; the ministry of deliverance; and apologetics. He earlier published a popular book on Christianity & world religions, and he edited a book on the gifts of the Holy Spirit - all in Dutch, however. Crossroads is his first book in English.

Currently Robert is working on an article on spiritual formation.

Another project is his research on how a Christian worldview may be fruitfully 'translated' within Christian education, without promoting forms of (intellectual or spiritual) foreclosure, or a 'better-than-thou' attitude to those with other worldviews, and that - positively speaking - helps to foster living out the gospel as an embodied reality in the way that Jesus envisioned and exemplified himself.

The reader can imagine that this is a major project that will take years to complete - it is more likely, in fact, that it will never come to full completion on this side of the grave. Fortunately there is the hope that loving and learning will continue in God's presence, in endless cycles that never stop, because love - what God is - cannot be exhausted.

Robert may be contacted through rjadoornenbal@che.nl.