Four Views on the Church's Mission
What is the Church's mission? What does it mean to participate in God's mission personally? How do "mission" and culture interact and conflict?
This book articulates various evangelical views regarding the church's mission and provides a healthy, vigorous, and gracious debate on this controversial topic. In a helpful Counterpoints format, this volume demonstrates the unique theological frameworks, doctrinal convictions, and missiological conclusions that inform and distinguish the views:
- Soteriological Mission: Jonathan Leeman
- Participatory Mission: Christopher Wright
- Contextual Mission: John Franke
- Ecumenical-Political Mission: Peter Leithart
Each contributor answers the same key questions based on their biblical interpretations and theological convictions:
- What is your biblical-theological framework for mission?
- How does your definition of mission inform your understanding of the church's mission?
- How does the Mission of God and Kingdom of God relate to the mission of the church?
- What is the gospel?
- How does your view on the gospel inform the mission of the church?
- How do verbal proclamation of the gospel, discipleship, corporate worship, caring for the poor, social justice, restoring shalom, developing culture, and international missions fit into the church's mission?
The interactive format helps readers get a clearer picture of why different conclusions are drawn and provide a fresh starting point for discussion and debate of the church's mission.
The Counterpoints series presents a comparison and critique of scholarly views on topics important to Christians that are both fair-minded and respectful of the biblical text. Each volume is a one-stop reference that allows readers to evaluate the different positions on a specific issue and form their own, educated opinion.
Additional Information
- Contributor(s): Jonathan Leeman, Christopher J. H. Wright, John R. Franke, Peter J. Leithart, Jason S. Sexton, Stanley N. Gundry
- About the Contributor(s):
Jonathan Leeman is the editorial director at 9Marks, a ministry that helps church leaders build healthy churches. He teaches theology at several seminaries and has written a number of books on the church. He is also a research fellow with the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. He has degrees in political science and English, a master of science in political theory, a master of divinity, and a doctorate in political theology. Jonathan served for years as an elder at Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, DC, but has since left to plant a nearby church. He lives in the DC area with his wife and four daughters.
Dr. Christopher J. H. Wright is Global Ambassador for the Langham Partnership International. His many books include Hearing the Message of Ecclesiastes, Hearing the Message of Daniel, Knowing Jesus through the Old Testament, Old Testament Ethics for the People of God, Deuteronomy (Understanding the Bible Commentary), Salvation Belongs to Our God, The Mission of God, The God I Don't Understand, and The Mission of God's People. Chris and his wife, Liz, who have four adult children and eleven grandchildren, live in London, UK, and belong to All Souls Church, Langham Place.
John R. Franke (DPhil, Oxford) serves full-time as Theologian in Residence with Second Presbyterian Church of Indianapolis. He is also Professor of Religious Studies and Missiology for the Protestant Theological Faculty of Leuven, Belgium, and the General Coordinator for the Gospel and Our Culture Network, North America.
Peter J. Leithart (PhD, University of Cambridge) is President of Theopolis Institute and serves as Teacher at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Birmingham. He is the author of several books, including The Kingdom and the Power, Creator: A Theological Interpretation of Genesis 1, Defending Constantine: The Twilight of an Empire and the Dawn of Christendom, and Baptism: A Guide from Life to Death.
Stanley N. Gundry (PhD, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago) is an author, editor, and theologian with graduate degrees in historical theology. After serving in pastoral ministry, he taught as an adjunct professor at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and as Professor of Theology at Moody Bible Institute, where he taught for eleven years. He was a founding board member of Christians for Biblical Equality, serving two terms and later receiving the organization’s Priscilla and Aquila Award along with his wife. He is also a past president of the Evangelical Theological Society. Gundry is the author or coauthor of seven books and has contributed numerous articles to a wide range of publications. Beyond theological circles, he is known for his writings on the restoration of the Studebaker Avanti automobile. He and his wife, Patricia, have four grown children. In recognition of his more than forty years of influence in Christian publishing, he received the ECPA Kenneth N. Taylor Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020.
- ISBN-13: 9780310522737
- Publish Date: 10/24/2017
- Publisher: Zondervan Academic
- Series: Counterpoints: Bible and Theology
- Format: Softcover
- Language: English
- Age Range: Adult
- Case Quantity: 68
- Dimensions: 8.0(h) x 5.3(w) x 0.54(d) inches
- Pages: 208
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