Editor’s Notes

As I write these notes, I find myself reflecting back on last June’s gathering of the American Society of Missiology. As the regular readers of Missiology know, the January issue seeks to reflect the theme of the previous year’s annual meeting and draws much of its content from those who spoke and presented at the meeting. The 2017 conference theme was: “Missiology’s Dialogue Partners: Practitioners and Scholars Conversing about the Future of Mission.”

The first three articles in this issue of the journal reflect three plenary-session papers delivered at the conference. The first is from the address by ASM’s outgoing president, Dr. Paul Kollman, CSC, entitled, “Considering Benedict Options: Missiological Reflections in a Fractious Age.” The second was from another Catholic scholar, Dr. Kristin Colberg, from St. John’s School of Theology and Seminary, who spoke on “Ecclesiology Today and Its Potential to Serve a Missionary Church.” The third was from Dr. Ferrell Hunter from Pittsburg Theological Seminary. His paper was entitled, “Re-membering Missiology: An Invitation to an Activist Agenda.”

The fourth article summarized the presentations of three conference participants from the same school of intercultural studies that seeks to equip scholar-practitioners as well as practitioner-scholars. Rich Starcher, Leanne Dzubinski, and Jamie Sanchez wrote on “Rigorous Missiological Research Using Qualitative Inquiry.”

This issue’s last two articles are by David Robert Dunaetz and Art Greenham, and by Tom Seckler. The former is entitled, “Power or Concerns: Contrasting Perspectives on Missionary Conflict,” and the latter is “Majority World Theologizing: Muslim Background Believer perspectives Regarding Insider Movements.”

It my joy also to include in this issue a tribute to the 2017 Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, Dr. Dana Robert. This year’s tribute was written by Frances Adeney and Bonnie Sue Lewis; to which Dr. Robert responded in writing (also included in this issue of Missiology).

Finally, you will find in this issue the usual assortment of book reviews on works of interest to the missiological community. But, before I sign off, I want to call to your attention one more item of interest. Last year, the ASM launched a Graduate Student Paper Award. The 2017 award winner received $500 and an opportunity to publish the paper in Missiology. We’re hoping to include it in this April’s issue of the journal, so I’ll say more at that time.

We trust you will find this issue of our journal both stimulating and practical.

Rich StarcherEditor-in-Chief