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Theology disconnected from mission is not Christian theology at all. The pastors, professors, and missionaries writing Theology and Practice of Mission provide a clear biblical-theological framework for understanding the church's mission to the nations. Toward that goal, the book holds three major sections: God's mission, the church's mission, and the church's mission to the nations.
Part one explores the canon of Christian Scripture from narrative and systematic angles, explaining how the mission of God-to redeem a people who will be a kingdom of priests to the praise of his glory, bear witness to his gospel, advance his church, and dwell with him forever on a new heaven and earth-is communicated in the Bible's four movements: Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Restoration.
Part two sees the mission of God's people in the light of God's mission, emphasizing not only preaching and church planting but also gospel witness in every dimension of human culture-glorifying God in family, church, work, community, through the arts, sciences, education, business, and the public square. The writers encourage us to live missionally, leaving all of our resources at God's disposal for the sake of his kingdom.
Finally, part three contends that the North American church must come to terms with its missional calling-just as international missionaries do-and gives a starting point and parameters for conceiving the church's mission to all people groups and cultural contexts. Chapters here include ones on unreached people groups, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and Postmoderns.
Dedication vii
Acknowledgments viii
Introduction 1
I God's Mission 5
1 The Story of Mission: The Grand Biblical Narrative 6
2 The Triune God: The God of Mission 17
II The Church's Mission 35
3 The Agents of Mission: Humanity 36
4 The Heart of Mission: Redemption 48
5 The Community of Mission: The Church 60
6 The Gospel and Evangelism 76
7 The Gospel and Social Responsibility 92
8 The Gospel and Culture 109
9 The Gospel and Lifestyle 128
III The Church's Mission to the Nations 145
10 The Hebrew Bible and the Nations 146
11 The New Testament and the Nations 160
12 Mission and Unreached People Groups 173
13 Mission and Discipleship 186
14 Mission and Church Planting 200
15 Mission and Suffering 211
16 Mission to Muslims 222
17 Mission to Hindus 238
18 Mission to Buddhists 252
19 Mission to Animists 266
20 Mission to Postmoderns 277
IV Concluding Challenges 293
21 A Theologically Driven Missiology 294
22 A Challenge for Our Churches 319
Name Index 334
Subject Index 336
Scripture Index 339
Overview
Theology disconnected from mission is not Christian theology at all. The pastors, professors, and missionaries writing Theology and Practice of Mission provide a clear biblical-theological framework for understanding the church's mission to the nations. Toward that goal, the book holds three major sections: God's mission, the church's mission, and the church's mission to the nations.
Part one explores the canon of Christian Scripture from narrative and systematic angles, ...