Mission--a driving force in the long Christian story--today is often cast as the embarrassing relative of tall-steeple religiosity. In our wider culture it's now tucked in the endnotes of book-club histories or forms the ghostlike ellipses in the six o'clock news. But in Introducing Christian Mission Today, Michael Goheen brings the vibrant history, motivation and challenges of Christian mission to the fore. Through the centuries Christian mission has always been recalibrating, retooling and reevangelizing. It has repeatedly taken surprising turns as it is carried along by the Spirit of God. Goheen's introduction to mission's biblical, theological and historical dimensions engages the present and anticipates the future. As he unfolds the major issues of the global and urban, the pluralistic and wholistic contexts of mission today, he lays the ground for engaging in Gods great kingdom enterprise. This full-scale text incorporates the keen missional insights of Lesslie Newbigin, David Bosch and other formative thinkers. It will be a valued resource not only for those in crosscultural contexts but also for those engaged in reevangelizing the West.
"This is an outstanding and needed book. Michael Goheen gives us a distinctive introduction to mission study that takes full account of both the momentous changes happening in global Christianity and recent thinking about the missional nature of the church. Rich in its biblical and theological grasp of mission, the book addresses precisely the right issues confronting the mission of God's people today. This introductory text is accessible, balanced and, at times, profoundly moving. Readers beware! This book will reshape your thinking about the nature and practice of Christian mission."
Dean Flemming, professor of New Testament and missions, MidAmerica Nazarene University
"Very few people can combine multiple areas of expertise in their own thinking, let alone in a single book. Mike Goheen is one of those few. This wide-ranging survey is the fruit of a true teacher's passion for the whole scope of his discipline. We are led steadily to understand mission from its biblical foundations, in theological reflection, through millenia of historical practice, across multiple cultural and ecclesial contexts, to the most urgent issues facing the church in mission today and tomorrow. Theologically enriching, reliably informative, and both conceptually and practically challenging."
Christopher J. H. Wright, international ministries director, Langham Partnership
