Throughout history, Christians have reflected on their faith and borne witness to the Gospel while taking into account the world in which they lived, thereby addressing numerous challenges. Today's world is no exception; the many questions it raises necessitate a two-fold approach: thinking through the Christian faith in the present context and bringing a Christian perspective to bear on the realities of today. It is this dual orientation that has guided the 49 authors of this volume in writing the 76 articles that make this dictionary a compendium of Christian reflection unmatched in its breadth and diversity.
The articles, which serve as landmarks for a bold, wise, and relevant witness, are organized around six major areas of reflection:
- theology and the main Christian doctrines and themes;
- the Bible and the global questions it raises;
- ethics and the major moral issues of today, whether individual or collective, sometimes burning and painful;
- culture and society, and thus the main trends of today's world;
- faith and religion, in order to situate the Christian faith within the highly diversified religious and spiritual world in which modern globalization places us;
- philosophy and values, in other words, the major currents that shape the thinking and behavior of our contemporaries.
Christophe Paya is a professor of practical theology at the Faculté libre de théologie évangélique (Vaux-sur-Seine).
Nicolas Farelly is director of training for the Fédération des Églises évangéliques baptistes de France (FEEBF) and associate professor of New Testament at the Faculté libre de théologie évangélique (Vaux-sur-Seine).