Missional leadership in the Acts of Paul and Thecla

Bibliographic Data

ID12857670
AuthorsAnnette Potgieter (0000-0002-5987-4912, University of Pretoria, corresponding author)
Year2025
Volume46
Issue4
Publication date2025-06-13
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueVerbum et Ecclesia (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1609-9982 • E-ISSN: 2074-7705
PublisherAOSIS (PUBLISHER • ZA)
DOI10.4102/ve.v46i4.3482
OpenAlexW4411288502
LanguageEN
References cited14

This article examines the Acts of Thecla (ATh) through the lens of missional leadership, exploring its implications for early Christian identity and ecclesial formation. Utilising a literary-theological reading, this article analyses the ATh’s portrayal of Thecla’s journey from disciple to missionary, highlighting her self-baptism as a theological assertion of divine approval and agency, and as a disruptive leader within the broader Greco-Roman context, where asceticism and celibacy were both disruptive and subversive to Roman social structures. Thecla emerges as a compelling figure of missional leadership, challenging societal norms and embodying transformative discipleship. Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: Missional leadership has become a significant theme in contemporary missiology, emphasising the role of identity, transformation and relational engagement in advancing God’s mission [missio Dei]

Sociology · Theology · Biblical Studies and Interpretation · Christian Theology and Mission · Philosophy · Religion, Society, and Development

Tools

Open DOIOpen Access