Abstract
General works
Leonard Allen explains why the church limited the Spirit for so long and how you can come to know the Spirit better and more fully. A key in this recovery is the realization that the Spirit is God’s primary missionary who can empower and guide you in God’s work in today’s world.
In recent years, churches have accommodated people with disabilities with things like access ramps and sign language. But this book asks if the church has actually enfolded these people into the mission of the church. Disabling Mission, Enabling Witness argues that able-bodied persons do not truly appreciate the potential of those with disabilities in God’s mission. This book paints a picture of what it would look like if the body of Christ functioned beyond distinctions of dis/ability.
Homeland Insecurity brings to light the nuances of post-civil rights contexts, focusing on Hip Hop theology as a framework for engagement. Critiquing domestic missions approaches as often imperialist and based in white supremacy, the author offers a more contextualized Hip Hop Jesus. In doing so, he creates a culture where dissent and disruption open new vistas for the Christian faith in the twenty-first century.
Women in God’s Mission contains surveys and interviews from respected women leaders-in-mission from around the world. The book describes distinctive female leadership traits and strategies for successfully dealing with opposition.
This book helps leaders become cultural learners with the ability to contextualize their learning into application for their own organizational settings. Cultural Insights for Christian Leaders aims to bring clarity to intercultural dynamics, which can be incorporated into organizations and can prompt progress in a missional direction.
The Mission of the Body of Christ is a narrative, following the journey of the early church through the book of Acts. Despite the unlikeliness of this small group of believers, the Spirit of God enabled them to experience the power and grace of God as they lived out his mission. Through their ambassadorship, a movement spread around the world and continues to this day.
This collection of essays studies different facets of Christian intercultural mission from the perspectives of several noted missiologists. It contains topics such as ecological concerns, gender justice, communication styles, and postmodern youth.
This collection of essays examines missionary discipleship in its present-day context. It provides a survey of conditions created by contexts such as globalization, digitalization, migration, postmodernity, and ecology. It then seeks to draw out the implications of these conditions into different perspectives of missionary discipleship. Finally, it gives real-world examples of lived discipleship in a variety of missionary contexts.
Al Tizon takes a look at the role of reconciliation within holistic ministry. He aims to provide a fresh perspective on big concepts, such as the meaning of the gospel, the nature of the church, and the practice of mission within our globalized, post-Christian, and postcolonial world.
Evangelism
Because of the multi-cultural and multi-religious nature of our current world, evangelism is often seen as scandalous, even among Christians. This volume provides a response through a biblical analysis of the ethics of evangelism. Based on inductive study, it proposes thirty guidelines for evangelizing ethically and also examines a few specific contexts where evangelism might be especially challenging.
History
Samuel Cueva provides an enlightening perspective on global mission partnerships by advocating the use of reciprocal contextual collaboration. Analyzing historical, theological, and functional aspects of how mission has been carried out, as well as current missions models, Cueva offers a fresh perspective that enables the suitability for every mission context.
The Big Surprise provides the historical-chronological description of the first 23 years of Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA) missionary work in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It tells the stories of untrained and ordinary people’s successes and failures on the field and the early struggles of the small and faltering churches. This book also seeks to explain why, after so long, these Congolese churches experienced stunning growth.
Throughout the history of the Christian and Missionary Alliance, there have been attempts to establish mission bases in Brazil, beginning in 1894. This book traces the history of the CMA’s presence in Brazil, eventually leading to the current day, where missionaries from Brazil are being sent out throughout the world.
This book narrates the Christian and Missionary Alliance’s role in the intertwining histories of the Congo Church and the Cabinda Church. This allows the denomination to appreciate their history and better define their current identity. However, going beyond mere narration, it also analyzes past missionary policies and practices that contributed to this specific case study.
Found in Translation offers an account of language and shifting cross-cultural relations on a Christian mission in northern Australia during the mid-twentieth century. Through an exploration and analysis of spoken language, the translation of Christian Scripture, the imposition of English literacy, and Aboriginal singing traditions, the complexities of missionary and Aboriginal encounters are revealed.
This volume seeks to understand the dynamics of Christianity during the nineteenth century. At the beginning of this time period, Christendom was still largely restricted to Europe and the Americas. However, through the spread of the Christian message via mission and colonialism, by the end of the nineteenth century, the map of global Christianity was forever changed.
This volume addresses twentieth-century Christianity through international church historians’ and religious studies scholars’ analysis. The information is arranged chronologically, geographically, as well as thematically, encompassing the major developments of the century.
Christianity in the Twentieth Century charts the history of Christianity, examining how it was transformed from a religion defined by European culture to the broader, polycentric, and multicultural faith that it is today. Through the use of transnational case studies, this volume scrutinizes the nuances of global Christianity, focusing on the lived experience of its adherents.
Methods
This text is a tool to be used in the preparation for short-term missions trips. It includes helpful information and tips, such as cross-cultural principles, ways to avoid a tourist mentality, and Bible study for spiritual preparation. The expanded version contains updated information throughout, as well as new chapters on facing risks and fears, and how to make the most of the trip after returning home.
Mapping Church Missions sets out to tackle some of the tough questions regarding church missions, including crisis relief vs. long-term ministries, short-term mission trips, and evangelism vs. works of service. This book offers an informed, nuanced perspective that reaches to address the heart of each issue in a way that is honoring to the Kingdom.
This book addresses the age-old question regarding contextualization: how to adapt the universal gospel to particular settings. The author tackles this issue by organizing contextualization into seven dimensions. This holistic and comprehensive perspective is punctuated with examples, case studies, and diagrams, making it accessible to all.
Religions
This book provides a comprehensive examination of the Islamic faith, the second-largest and fastest-growing of all the world’s religions. It counters misconceptions and stereotypes with careful research and personal narratives that unveil the teachings, people, and practices of Islam.
In the midst of the myriad religions, sects, denominations, and belief systems that are present in the world today, this volume is intended to be a comprehensive resource to navigate the complexities of the current religious landscape. The Evangelical Dictionary of World Religions is accessible to pastors, students, and lay people who desire reliable information regarding world religions.
Kevin Lines seeks to address the issue of contextualization of the Christian faith in intercultural situations. Too often, indigenous Christians pick up the Westernized categories of Christianity, while failing to relate to and understand their own culture in light of Christianity. Lines uses a phenomenological study of religious specialists in Kenya to examine this issue.
A useful academic resource, this text examines the effect of globalization on the world’s religions and demonstrates how Christianity is unique among them. It then focuses on principles that will help Christians to live as disciples in religiously diverse settings. Combining theology with history, religious studies, and philosophy, this volume gives a fresh analysis of religion in today’s globalized context.
Social aspects
This book seeks to explain the current refugee crisis, explore Christian theology and tradition regarding migration, and give real-life examples of how Christians are embracing this unique opportunity. Pointing out that Jesus, Abraham, Joseph, and Moses were all refugees, this book asks if Christians will open their doors, hearts, and lives to immigrants.
For the first time in history, more people are now living in cities than outside them. This volume looks into some of the fastest-growing cities and megacities in the world and seeks to show how Christians are using this urban opportunity to meet spiritual, physical, and social needs.
Spirituality and worship
Why We Need Religion posits that the core value of religion is not merely its ethical or civilizing function, but rather its emotionally therapeutic power. It incorporates new data on the neurology, psychology, and anthropology of emotional systems and how they fit into the philosophy of religion. It concludes with the position that religion is the best cultural apparatus extant to adaptively manage our emotional systems.
Meyers aims to recognize the importance of contextualized worship arts as a component of local church growth, personal discipleship, and mission empowerment. She uses urban churches in Beira, Mozambique as case studies to explore the impact of worship arts on church ministry and missions. Expanding the song-writing workshop model to gain culturally appropriate worship in local churches is a major theme of this book.
Cultivating an Evangelistic Character proposes that, through the integration of worship and discipleship, God’s people become evangelistic. Pulling from sources as varied as liturgical theology, Christian ethics, and post-Christendom evangelism, this book also examines the Holy Spirit’s role in transforming God’s people.
Theology
This book, beneficial for both students and church leaders, seeks to provide a contemporary view of the mission of the church through the insights of the highly influential church leader, Lesslie Newbigin. Situated in the context of Newbigin’s core convictions, The Church and Its Vocation offers a relevant perspective for today’s pluralistic world.
Africa
This book takes an insider look at a case study, Kenya’s Nairobi Chapel and its “daughter” Mavuno Church, in order to analyze the rise, growth, and place of megachurches worldwide. With a multidisciplinary approach, Megachurch Christianity Reconsidered provides clarity on the role of megachurches in a changing society, as well as offers practical insights for churches, big or small.
This volume seeks to offer an introduction to the culture of eastern African Christianity. It utilizes a multidisciplinary approach, incorporating chronological, denominational, sociopolitical, geographical, biographical, and theological factors.
Religion and Faith in Africa examines the interplay between African Religion (animism), Christianity, and Islam in Africa. Coming from the perspective of A.E. Orobator, who was raised in traditional African animism before his conversion to Christianity, this book highlights the unique context for Christian renewal in Africa.
Asia
According to this book, Indonesia is the future of Islam. It is currently experiencing an Islamic renaissance, complete with a flowering of religious ideas and intellectual creativity. Further, Indonesia is increasing in religious diversity, despite the growing threat of Islamic radicalism. Through empirical research, this book addresses some of the big questions regarding Indonesia, Islam, and the future.
This volume seeks to provide a comprehensive review of the multiplicity and diversity among cultures and traditions in Asia. A primary focus of the book addresses the question of Asian Christian identity: Asians first and Christians second, or vice versa? He also addresses issues such as Catholicism, migration, interreligious dialogue, and ecological responsibility.