The Five Questions
An Academic Handbook in Youth Ministry Research
by Jos de Kock and Bård Norheim
Foreword by Malan Nel
Imprint: Pickwick Publications
Jos de Kock is Professor of Practical Theology at and Rector of Evangelische Theologische Faculteit (ETF), Leuven. He also coordinates the ETF Leuven Institute for the Study of Religious Education and Youth Ministry (ISREYM). His specializations are in the fields of Children & Youth, Religious Education, Youth Ministry, Empirical Research, Practical Theology, and Theological Education. From 2013-2019 he served as chief editor of Journal of Youth and Theology.
Bård Norheim is Professor of Theology at NLA University College in Bergen, Norway. From 2014-2022 he served as President of the Executive Committee of IASYM – the International Association for the Study of Youth Ministry. He is the author of Practicing Baptism: Christian Practices and the Presence of Christ (2014) and The Four Speeches Every Leader Has to Know (2020, with Joar Haga).
“Those who care about the faith of young people must dare to trust their resourcefulness and decisiveness ‘to make this world a better place.’ This presupposes intergenerational awareness to understand their voice, appropriate tools to strengthen their voice, and creative ways to respond to it in congregation and society. This state-of-the-art book offers a comprehensive practical-theological framework to carry out this inquiry hermeneutically and empirically in optima forma.”
—Bert Roebben, author of Seeking Sense in the City: European Perspectives on Religious Education
“Youth ministry, across the globe, finds itself at a crossroads. What is youth ministry’s future, both academically and congregationally? . . . The Five Questions is the book we need right now, and Jos de Kock and Bård Norheim are the perfect guides. Their wisdom, faithfulness, and insights will help us all walk hopefully into the future of youth ministry.”
—Andrew Root, author of The End of Youth Ministry?
“The five questions posed in this ‘practice-orientated yet research-based handbook’ are a relevant and timely reminder to many varying contexts. It highlights that children too should be included in our youth ministry research. It reflects on scholarship within the REA, IAPT, and IASYM over two decades, making it an indispensable resource to those involved in youth ministry.”
—Shantelle Weber, president, International Association for the Study of Youth Ministry
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