Constants in Context: A Theology of Mission for Today (American Society of Missiology Series)

Rating:
Summary: They've got it right
Review: Bevans and Schroeder have got it right. They present a reasoned and thoughtful approach to mission in the new millenium. This isn't easy reading, but it is worth the effort, because these authors trace the history of Christian mission, while at the same time they hold in view the complexity of mission today. Begining with the origin of three types of theology, they analyze the methodolgy of mission from early Christian communities down to our own times. It's an analysis that will resonate with missionaries of many traditions.
What I like best about this book is that these authors raise the hard questions of how to witness to Jesus Christ in a world of diversity. They point out that the "twentieth century has given birth not only to a global Christianity, but to one that has its center in the South." They predict that by 2025 Latin America and Africa will "be vying for the title of the most Christian continent." They tell us to think of the typical Christian as "a woman in a village in Nigeria or in a Brazilian favela." They name the constants in Christian mission, like the centrality of Jesus Christ, and demonstrate that His message must be transmitted in the context of a people's, "culture, thought, politics and spiritual sensitivity," always with respect for the "faith perspectives," of others.They name this missionary methodology "prophetic dialogue." This is a book well worth pondering.