Abstract
When I was a student attending seminary, the first text I read in mission theology was God’s Missionary People (translated into 10 languages) by Charles E Van Engen. In the years that would follow, Van Engen’s books and articles significantly challenged and shaped my own mission theology. Thus, I looked forward to reading Contemporary Mission Theology, a collection of 24 essays written in honor of Charles Van Engen, Professor of Mission Theology at Fuller Theological Seminary. The editors, Robert Gallagher (Wheaton College) and Paul Hertig (Azusa Pacific University), have gathered an impressive ecumenical group of mission scholars from around the world to provide an outstanding overview and various perspectives of contemporary mission theology and missiological studies informed by the scholarship of Charles Van Engen.
The text begins with a brief biography, which is followed by eight sections, each with three chapters, addressing key disciplines from Van Engen’s missiology: “Mission theology and the Bible”; “Mission theology and church beliefs”; “Mission theology in context”; “Mission theology and the church”; “Mission theology and church history”; “Mission theology and religious pluralism”; “Modernity and postmodernity in mission theology”; and “Mission theology and ministry formation.” As I read each chapter, I found myself underlining key points, and making notes and comments in the margins. I felt as if I was in a conversation with each contributor, as well as Van Engen himself. Reading this book was like going back to school and sitting in the classroom with these great teachers and missiologists. In fact, I wish this text had been available when I was in school. From my current vantage point, I was reminded of the impressive depth and breadth of Van Engen’s scholarship, and his considerable contribution to the discipline of missiology.
The concluding chapter is written by Van Engen himself. In this chapter, Van Engen responds to the authors of the essays in the book. He does this by presenting five paradigm shifts when exploring a futuristic path in mission theology for the 21st century. This is the chapter that left me wanting more. Van Engen invited me into a stimulating discussion that was all too brief. Perhaps this brief concluding chapter is a primer for his next book. I can only hope! I highly recommend this text as an excellent resource for missionary practitioners, faculty, and students of missiology and missions studies.