Mission Studies is the journal of the International Association for Mission Studies (IAMS) as “an international, interconfessional, and interdisciplinary professional society for the scholarly study of Christian witness and its impact in the world and the related field of intercultural theology” (https://mission studies.org/02-about/about-iams/). It continues to mirror the creative tension between positionality and academic endeavour. The creative tension becomes perhaps most tangible in contributions of missionaries and reflective practitioners to academic discourses. The contributors of this issue present and represent this tension. In times of reinventions of universities and academic practices (Kong 2025) the borders of where an academic discourse ends or begins are blurred. In contemporary ways of practising humanities and social sciences the voices bridging academia and “the field” make their contribution to discourses both by updating and challenging the vocabulary and the conceptual repertoire for and within a field of inquiry. Mission studies is no exception to this.

Mission Studies aims at nurturing academic conversations in an interdisciplinary fashion. Some of the conversations however need to take place in a smaller circle. This issue suggests one such conversation in a smaller circle. Nevertheless, even conversations in smaller circles will engage larger groups of scholars. Some of the texts presented here will be of greater benefit for reflective practitioners. In all cases the contributions will be inspirational for readers to think of new research projects and deepen their understanding about the dense landscape of mission studies.

The eight articles presented in this issue can be captured by the question “What is Mission?” This question evokes the late Andrew J. Kirk’s book titled What is Mission?: Theological Explorations published in 1999 and by now a classical text in many curricula. Kirk’s attempt to simultaneously link the theological task with academia and the “grassroots level” makes him formulate a missiological manifesto for scholars (theologians) becoming agents of transformation. Respecting Kirk’s wish not to write obituaries about him upon his death, this reference to him and especially the “evangelical” voices within this issue stand as a token of appreciation of his work and ministry. They do so in the dynamics of agreement and disagreement with his theories. In his “Pilgrimage in mission” Andrew J. Kirk (7 August 1937–1 January 2026) reveals something of the way he goes beyond the Kantian epistemology (Kirk 2004) and makes an evangelical identity explicit.

In engaging with the question “What is mission?”, Yuzo Adhinarta offers an understanding of theology of mission in the early modern Reformed tradition linked to confessional writings. He argues for the inseparable link between confession and mission praxis. Wei Jie Nicholas Ho continues the discussion on associating the missio Dei theory with the Willingen 1952 conference. Ho too redirects the attention to the link between mission theology and Bible interpretation.

The issue continues with two articles which both have “ethics” in their title. The co-authored research by Samora Harry Ayivor, Inez Polin, and Julius Polin present a case from Pentecostal social ethics in Ghana. Their explorations are keyworded with such notions as “relational ontology” and “pragmatic pneumatology”. Khee-Vun Lin’ s article “Missions from the Perspective of Communitarian and Narrative Ethics” brings the conversation on relational ontology further through the notion of “communitarian mission ethics”.

Three articles engaging with the question of “What is mission through the lens of revivals?” follow. Martin Jakobsen and Roald Zeiffert present a case on evangelical youth in Norway and they formulate the need for more research on the relationship between so-called “evangelical identities” and “evangelization”. Abraham J. Martin reflects on the long-term consequences of “evangelization” in a particular socio-historical context. Sue M. Holdsworth elaborates on the notion of “reverse mission” and its meaning for and within the so-called “western churches”.

The last contribution to the present issue is written by Xiaoli Yang on ecomissiology. This contribution may be read as a warming up text for participation in a newly initiated study group within IAMS. Xiaoli Yang together with Bright Lee will facilitate various papers on the topic during the upcoming IAMS assembly in Pretoria, South Africa. Xiaoli Yang too continues to challenge different theories built on the notion of missio Dei. She constructs her theory through “ethereal beauty”, “ecstatic joy”, and “eschatological hope”. By doing so she invites the reader to consider a cosmic missiology.

The book reviews section signals the variety of research within mission studies and invites the reader to stay engaged and actively participate in the large IAMS network. In resonance with the IAMS Assembly’s theme (https:// missionstudies.org/simple-event/iams-assembly-2026-pretoria-south-africa/): Keep walking together in mission, face global challenges also academically, for a sustainable world!