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Hope and Hospitality for Migrating People Never have so many people left their homes and migrated to other parts of the world as we’ve seen in recent years. This phenomenon creates as many opportunities as challenges. We are witnessing a massive increase in urbanization, pluralization, multiculturalism, and interfaith dialogue. What are the implications for the church as it tries to reach the nations? Tides of Opportunity brings together experts from diverse backgrounds to consider the practical significance of this mass migration. The reasons for these population movements are as varied as the people. Sadiri Joy Tira explores several causes, like military conflict, economic hardship, and natural disasters. The contributors not only explain such trends but suggest possible ways to engage with diaspora neighbors. Through case studies, this volume also examines lesser-known dynamics, such as sex trafficking and the movement of immigrants to rural areas. This book challenges us to find more creative and integrated mission strategies for effectively reaching out to the various “peoples on the move” with the gospel. How will you respond to the tides of opportunity?
As the church grows ever larger in areas once considered impervious to the gospel, theological training is failing to keep up with the needs of local congregations. This lack of missional capacity, alongside an overwhelming shortage of trained leadership, indicates a pressing need to revisit the aims and approaches of theological education globally. Engaging qualitative research from South Asia, Dr. Jessy Jaison demonstrates that both formal and non-formal approaches to theological training can support the church’s missional calling. However, she challenges the growing normalization that theological education is an end in itself, distant from those it was meant to serve. Dr. Jaison calls for a church-centered paradigm in which all forms of training would collaborate with and for the body of Christ. Not only will readers be introduced to theological education in the the South Asian context, they will also benefit from the practical and collaborative model demonstrated and how they can revitalize the process in supporting the church in its mission.
Christian mission in the twenty-first century has emphasized endeavors that address poverty alleviation, business as mission, marketplace ministry, rural/urban development, microeconomics, and Christian attitudes toward money and consumerism. However, neither the macroeconomic circumstances in which the church does such ministry nor the assumptions that believers have absorbed from the larger economy have been adequately explored. Christian Mission & Economic Systems gathers scholars, experts, and practitioners to address the relationship of Christians to the economic systems in which they are embedded and do ministry, and to evaluate the different cultural and religious dimensions of both m...
"This comprehensive book offers a concise overview of the development of missiology over the last century, an introduction to its characteristic methodologies, and insight into the kinds of questions missiologists typically bring to the study of their subject."--From back cover
Are you concerned about the problem of poverty in the world? Do you want to do something about it? This book is for you!
While a number of secular philosophers have written on global poverty, theologians have either steered clear entirely or simply mimicked the political analysis currently on offer. Christian authors have argued either for a free market solution to global poverty or for a radical reform of global capitalism as the best approach, but the theological underpinnings of such conclusions are noticeable by their absence. Justin Thacker offers a new way forward. He suggests deeply theological answers to questions around the effect of capitalism on global poverty and whether aid is really a sustainable long term solution for the world’s poor. This book will challenge theologians, church leaders and congregations to consider much more seriously the huge implications of faith and theology on our attitude to those who live in extreme poverty.
Contextualization is the art of translating ideas into a particular situation, place or culture. It is fundamental to communication, which makes contextualization essential in missions. This textbook pulls together and maps the variety of evangelical approaches to contextualization. Introductory classes on contextualization and missionary preparation institutes will appreciate this valuable textbook. Contextualization in Missions will guide mission-minded Christians to an informed plan for spreading the gospel effectively. While written with a theoretical perspective, Contextualization in Missions also provides real-world examples to provoke both thought and action.
Christianity has transformed many times in its 2,000-year history, from its roots in the Middle East to its presence around the world today. From the mid-twentieth century onward the presence of Christianity has increased dramatically in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, and the majority of the world’s Christians are now nonwhite and non-Western. The Encyclopedia of Christianity in the Global South traces both the historical evolution and contemporary themes in Christianity in more than 150 countries and regions. The volumes include maps, images, and a detailed timeline of key events. The phrases “Global Christianity” and “World Christianity” are inadequate to convey the complexity of the countries and regions involved—this encyclopedia, with its more than 500 entries, aims to offer rich perspectives on the varieties of Christianity where it is growing, how the spread of Christianity shapes the faith in various regions, and how the faith is changing worldwide.
Representing the fruit of a lifetime of reflection and practice, this comprehensive resource helps teachers understand the way people in different cultures learn so they can adapt their teaching for maximum effectiveness. Senior missiologist and educator Craig Ott draws on extensive research and cross-cultural experience from around the world. This book introduces students to current theories and best practices for teaching and learning across cultures. Case studies, illustrations, diagrams, and sidebars help the theories of the book come to life.
This major statement by a leading missiologist represents a lifetime of wrestling with a topic every cross-cultural leader must address: how to adapt the universal gospel to particular settings. This comprehensive yet accessible textbook organizes contextualization, which includes "everything the church is and does," into seven dimensions. Filled with examples, case studies, and diagrams and conversant with contemporary arguments and debates, it offers the author's unique take on the challenge of adapting the faith in local cultures.