**Preface to "Orthodoxy and Evangelicalism: Contemporary Issues in Global Perspective"**

Since the 1990s, the Eastern Orthodox and Protestant Evangelical communities have had more direct contact with each other than at any other time. This book focuses on current developments and issues in specific regions of the world.

With the fall of communism in Eastern Europe, Western Evangelical missionaries began flooding the former Soviet Union, Romania, and other Eastern Bloc countries, often without consulting the local Evangelical communities. Partly in response to this wave of missions, a new paradigm of ecumenical relations emerged among professional theologians in North America when the *Society for the Study of Eastern Orthodoxy and Evangelicalism* (SSEOE) was formed in 1990. It focused on comparative theology, spirituality, and missions. In 1993, the World Council of Churches (WCC) opened international dialogues between the Orthodox and Evangelical communities, fueled by concerns regarding Evangelical proselytism in Russia and Eastern Europe but also shared concerns regarding perceived theological trends within the WCC itself. Publications included *Proclaiming Christ Today: Orthodox–Evangelical Consultation* (1995) and *Turn to God, Rejoice in Hope* (1998). From 2000 to 2006, a series of seminars at the Ecumenical Institute, Bossey, resulted in the publication of *Building Bridges: Between the Orthodox and Evangelical Traditions* (2012). In the UK, the Evangelical Alliance initiated a dialogue process that resulted in *Evangelicalism and the Orthodox Church* (2001), which aimed to lay a foundation for mutual understanding by comparing and contrasting Orthodox and Evangelical beliefs and practices. Since then, the main ongoing exchange between Orthodox and Evangelical communities has been that initiated in 2010 by leaders within the Lausanne Movement and the Oriental and Eastern Orthodox churches, which resulted in the formation of the Lausanne–Orthodox Initiative. Unlike other dialogues, this focuses on exploring how the two traditions can cooperate in the mission of God. A number of papers from its gatherings appear in *The Mission of God: Studies in Orthodox and Evangelical Mission* (2015) and *Living the Gospel of Jesus Christ* (2021).

However, in spite of all the work that has been conducted, there remains scope for further scholarly investigation; for example, few regional studies have examined areas outside the Anglophone world, or the political and legal aspects of relationships between these traditions. Current environmental and moral concerns present new challenges but also new opportunities to learn from one another. Hence, the purpose of this volume.

This volume presents a collection of scholarly essays on current issues and developments in Orthodox–Evangelical relations, at both global and national levels, which will inform the ongoing dialogue. The essays evaluate regional meetings, discuss the history of relationships, address current missiological challenges, political and legal issues, comparative theology, and related topics. They range through Russia, Eastern and Western Europe, the Middle East, Africa, North America, Australia, and Greece. A particular strength of the volume is the number of contributions from Eastern European writers. Nuances of difference are recognized here between Eastern and Western Evangelicals, and between Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox communities.

We wish to thank the editors of the Religions journal for their invitation to edit this collection of essays. Their support and editorial efficiency have made our work much easier. Finally, we were delighted at the level of interest in contributing to this volume, and we thank the authors for their patience with the editorial process. Such a degree of interest bodes well for the future development of relationships between these two Christian traditions.

> **Bradley Nassif, Tim Grass** *Editors*
