This issue, Volume 14, No. 1, marks a landmark moment in the history and development of this journal. Issue 1 of Black Theology in Britain: A Journal of Contextual Praxis, the forerunner to the present journal, emerged on 10 October 1998. It represented the indefatigable energy and commitment of a small triumvirate of people, namely, Revd Dr Emmanuel Lartey, its founding Editor, Revd Dr Inderjit Bhogal, who first shared the idea of developing a Black Theology journal in the UK, and Bishop Dr Joe Aldred, who chaired the early meetings of the editorial board.
The journal began from very modest beginnings with only a handful of scholars undertaking postgraduate work in Black theological studies (myself included) with which to sustain an academic journal. One of the important aims of Black Theology in Britain was the desire to create a forum in which academic and pastoral concerns could be juxtaposed in the one setting. There was talk about encouraging contributors to write not only on a variety of themes and concerns, but also to think more broadly on the many different styles of writing that might be employed, in order to engage with an anticipated wide readership.
The first article by an African American scholar in this journal came in Issue 5, in November 2000, with Diana L. Hayes's piece entitled, “Women's Rights are Human Rights.”Footnote1 In November 2002, the first issue of Black Theology: An International Journal was published. By this point, the editorial reins had been handed over to myself from Emmanuel Lartey.
And so back to this issue, Volume 14, No. 1, of Black Theology: An International Journal. I stated previously that this is a landmark issue in the life of this publication. Namely, it represents the first time we have produced a special guest-edited issue. Dale Andrews and I first discussed the possibility of there being a special guest-edited issue of the journal produced by himself and compatriot Terrance Dean at the 2014 AAR in San Diego. Due to the professionalism and dedication of Messrs Dean and Andrews the process of bringing this special guest-edited issue to life has been a remarkably benign process.
So I salute my colleagues and trust that you enjoy reading this special issue of the journal.
Notes
1 Diana L. Hayes, “Women's Rights are Human Rights: A Womanist Perspective,” Black Theology in Britain: A Journal of Contextual Praxis 5 (November 2000): 51–67.