Comprehending Mission: The Questions, Methods, Themes, Problems, and Prospects of Missiology

This comprehensive book clarifies the field of missiology, offering a concise overview of its development 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. In the twentieth century this task was complicated by multiple contending understandings of the field. Initially dominant was an understanding of missiology that emphasized the practical challenges of foreign mission service. In the middle of the century, increased attention was paid to the theology of mission, interfaith issues, and contextual theologies emerging out of missionary encounter. More recently, missiologists have highlighted the intercultural aspects of Christian outreach. In this case, missiology is less a form of practical theology than a field of study where theological concerns intersect with critical studies of Christian mission undertaken by anthropologists, historians, and other scholars. Whether for students entering the field, or for seasoned scholars, Comprehending Mission offers an inviting new proposal for how to conceptualize this field of study.