"Do Systematic Theologies Neglect Evangelism and Missions?"
This was the question posed and answered in a recent article. Find out the results.
7/1/2026
In the recent edition of the Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, Samuel Pirrotta and Joe M. Allen III presented the findings of a really interesting study. The title of the article is "Do Systematic Theologies Neglect Evangelism and Missions?"[1] Their aim was to survey Protestant works of systematic theology due to their "perception that many systematic theologies overlook evangelism and missions as integral to their work." They surveyed "83 major works of systematic theology from the past 500 years, from the Reformation to today."[2] To help organize their findings, they created a rating system on a scale of 1 to 5:
1 = no references to evangelism and missions
2 = minimal reference
3 = moderate engagement
4 = substantial coverage
5 = exemplary treatment
Their conclusion? Yes, systematic theologies tend to neglect evangelism and missions. They write,
"This study confirms that Protestant systematic theologies frequently neglect missions and evangelism, with 39% of the surveyed works omitting these topics entirely. This lack of emphasis may indicate a division between theoretical and practical theology, an artificial distinction that is alien to Scripture's emphasis on a doctrinally informed missiology. Indeed, Paul's letters reveal a deep integration of doctrine and practice. Practical theology is not biblical unless it is theological, and theology is not biblical unless it is practical."[3]
Joel Beeke and Paul Smalley's 4-volume Reformed Systematic Theology did receive a special shoutout. It received a 5-star rating, described as "exemplary for integrating a missional emphasis with doctrinal rigor." [4] If you haven't used this set before, I would encourage you to check it out.
Of the extensive reviews and findings, I found their "Table 5: Percentage of Ratings Within Each Tradition" most interesting.[5] I'll summarize it here with the highest rating of each tradition highlighted (Methodist, E-Free, and Church of Christ each have split ratings for their highest):
Presbyterian/Reformed: (1) 52%, (2) 21%, (3) 15%, (4) 6%, (5) 6%
Baptist: (1) 19%, (2) 24%, (3) 43%, (4) 14%, (5) 0%
Lutheran: (1) 63%, (2) 25%, (3) 13%, (4) 0%, (5) 0%
Anglican: (1) 29%, (2) 14%, (3) 57%, (4) 0%, (5) 0%
Methodist: (1) 20%, (2) 20%, (3) 40%, (4) 0%, (5) 40%
Anabaptist: (1) 33%, (2) 0%, (3) 0%, (4) 0%, (5) 67%
E-Free: (1) 50%, (2) 0%, (3) 0%, (4) 50%, (5) 0%
Church of Christ: (1) 0%, (2) 50%, (3) 0%, (4) 0%, (5) 50%
Nazarene: (1) 100%, (2) 0%, (3) 0%, (4) 0%, (5) 0%
Pentecostal: (1) 0%, (2) 0%, (3) 0%, (4) 0%, (5) 100%
Does anything stand out to you? Does anything surprise you?
Be sure to check out the full article for more insights and the ratings of individual systematic theologies!
[1] Samuel Pirrotta and James M. Allen III, "Do Systematic Theologies Neglect Evangelism and Missions?" Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 69.1 (2026): 17-44.
[2] Pirrotta and Allen, 18.
[3] Pirrotta and Allen, 39.
[4] Pirrotta and Allen, 40.
[5] Pirrotta and Allen, 36.