Since its initial publication in 1981, the missions anthology Perspectives on the World Christian Movement has been read (or skimmed) by countless seminary and college students, missionaries, and interested lay people. In my case, I got to read it in both undergrad and graduate classes (with detailed quizzes to ensure I hadn’t skimmed!). As my wife and I pursue God’s call on us to missions, I wanted to share some of the best of this huge volume with her.
So essentially, which essays would one find most vital from this huge series (I have the 3rd edition in case anyone wonders)? If you only had 1 (or five) essays to have someone read from this great resource, what would you recommend? (or, since I know that person is out there somewhere, which essay would you make sure NOT to recommend?)
Thanks for indulging my questions! I’d also love to hear why you would recommend the article(s) and how they’ve influenced your own life as well.
{ 1 trackback }
{ 6 comments }
Josh, I was just introduced to a new resource called PATHWAYS (I think…it’s at the office and I’m cranking email until leaving shortly for downtown appointment). It is a shortened, selected set of articles from the larger PERSPECTIVES Anthology…perhaps the most essential/”best of” approach to give folks a briefer version conducive also to one semester of weekly bible studies/SS classes, etc. Might want to check it out.
Rodney
i’m not the biggest fan of that book. i think it’s one of the best examples of why missions experts need more training in biblical studies and why biblical studies folks should care more about missions. i can’t point to anything specific because i (quite willingly) gave my copy away to someone who needed it for class a few years ago. aside from content, i also didn’t like the format. almost every article is a snippet from a larger work. unfortunately i don’t know what else to recommend off the top of my head, but surely somebody somewhere has written a cohesive, readable, theologically sound work on missions.
any other dissenters?
you might want to check out “Salvation to the ends of the earth: a biblical theology of mission” by Kostenberger and O’Brien.” It’s not comprehensive, but provides a helpful overview (done as biblical (not systematic) theology) and has a great index for further reading on biblical studies and mission.
and Perspectives is designed to be a primer of sorts, introducing people to the relevant topics, authors, etc. in missiology in brief. Having read some full works of the authors included I have found it helpful. Though being quizzed over it 200 pages at a time probably doesn’t endear many people to it!
I’ll have to check out the book you mentioned. I appreciate Dr. Kostenberger’s work, and if the O’Brien is Peter O’Brien, I think he’s one of the top NT guys out there right now. Thanks for pointing it out.
yes, it is that O’Brien.
I think PERSPECTIVES is good for what it is: a companion text to a course. It is not that great for individual reading.
As for a biblical theology of missions, I think Wright’s MISSION OF GOD is superior to Kostenberger/O’Brien
Comments on this entry are closed.