Constants in Context: A Theology of Mission for Today

by Stephen B. Bevans

Overview

Helps members of every denomination understand how they fit into the mosaic of the many churches’ witness to the Gospel.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781608330287
Publisher:	Orbis
Publication date:	03/22/2013
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	5 MB

Table of Contents

	Maps	x
	Historical-Theological Theme Summary Tables	x
	Foreword	xi
	Preface to the ASM Series	xv
	Preface	xvi
	Acknowledgments	xviii
	Abbreviations	xxi
	Introduction	1
	What This Book Is About	1
	How This Book Is Structured	2
	What the Reader Should Know	4
Part I	Constants in Context: Biblical and Theological Foundations
	Introduction to Part I	7
1.	"Missionary by Its Very Nature": Context and the Church's Mission	10
	The Acts of the Apostles: The Church Emerging in Mission	10
Stage 1	Before Pentecost	14
Stage 2	Pentecost	16
Stage 3	Stephen	18
Stage 4	Samaria and the Ethiopian Eunuch	21
Stage 5	Cornelius and His Household	23
Stage 6	Antioch	25
Stage 7	The Mission to the Gentiles	27
	Conclusion	30
2.	"You Are Witnesses of These Things": Constants in the Church's Mission	32
	Six Constants of Mission, Three Types of Theology	35
	Type A Theology: Mission as Saving Souls and Extending the Church	36
	Type B Theology: Mission as Discovery of the Truth	49
	Type C Theology: Mission as Commitment to Liberation and Transformation	61
	Conclusion	72
Part II	Constants in Context: Historical Models of Mission
	Introduction to Part II	73
3.	Mission in the Early Church (100-301): Individual Christians in a Variety of Situations	74
	The Eastward Expansion of Christianity	75
	Mission in the East	79
	Mission within the Roman Empire	80
	The Social-Political Context	80
	The Religious Context	81
	The Institutional Context	82
	Models of Mission	83
	Secondary Models: Evangelists, Bishops, Apologists, Teachers and Martyrs	83
	The Primary Model: Baptism as a Call to Mission	86
	Women and Mission	89
	Constants in the Context of the Early Church	92
	Implications for the Theology of Mission Today	97
4.	Mission and the Monastic Movement (313-907): From Constantine to the Decline of the T'ang Dynasty	99
	The Mission of the East Syrian Church	100
	The Social-Political Context	100
	The Religious Context	101
	The Institutional Context	102
	Models of Mission	103
	Christianity in India	103
	The First Christian Mission to China	105
	Early Islam and Christianity in Asia	108
	The Mission of the African Church	113
	The Mission of the Churches of the Latin West and Greek East	115
	The Social-Political Context	115
	The Religious Context	116
	The Institutional Context	117
	Models of Mission	119
	Beginnings of Monasticism in the Roman Empire	119
	Irish Monasticism	120
	Benedictine Monasticism	122
	Anglo-Saxon Monasticism	124
	Mass Conversions	125
	The Byzantine Mission	126
	Constants in the Context of the Early Medieval Period	129
	Implications for the Theology of Mission Today	134
5.	Mission and the Mendicant Movement (1000-1453): Crusades, Preachers, Nuns and Mongolian Christianity	137
	The Mission of the Churches of the Latin West and Greek East	138
	The Social-Political Context	138
	The Religious Context	139
	The Institutional Context	140
	Models of Mission	141
	Francis of Assisi	142
	Francis and Islam	143
	Clare of Assisi	144
	The Beguine Movement	146
	The Third Order of Franciscan Women	148
	The First Order of Francis	149
	Franciscans and Mission	150
	Dominic of Caleruega	153
	Dominican Women and Laity	154
	Catherine of Siena	155
	Dominicans and Mission	156
	The Mendicant Model of Mission	158
	The Byzantine Mission	160
	The Mission of the East Syrian Church	160
	Constants in the Context of the Later Medieval Period	164
	Implications for the Theology of Mission Today	168
6.	Mission in the Age of Discovery (1492-1773): Conquistadors, Prophets and Gurus	171
	The Mission of the Churches of the West	172
	The Social-Political Context	172
	The Religious Context	173
	The Institutional Context	174
	Models of Mission of the Catholic Church in the Americas	174
	The Prophetic Model of Bartolome de Las Casas	176
	The Convento Model	177
	The Jesuit Reductions Model	179
	French Mission Approaches	181
	Models of Mission of the Catholic Church in Asia	183
	Francis Xavier	184
	Alessandro Valignano	186
	Matteo Ricci	187
	Robert de Nobili	189
	Alexandre de Rhodes	190
	The Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith	191
	The Rites Controversy and the Decline in Missionary Activity	192
	Models of Mission within Protestantism	195
	Constants in the Context of the Age of Discovery	197
	Implications for the Theology of Mission Today	203
7.	Mission in the Age of Progress (1792-1914): Civilizers, Evangelizers and Volunteer Societies	206
	The Mission of the Churches of the West	207
	The Social-Political Context	207
	The Religious Context	208
	The Institutional Context	208
	Models of Mission within Protestantism	209
	The Society Model and William Carey	210
	Henry Venn, Samuel Ajayi Crowther and David Livingstone	213
	Imperialism, Faith Missions, Student Movements and the Social Gospel	214
	Women in Mission	218
	The World Missionary Conference of Edinburgh	220
	Models of Mission of the Catholic Church	221
	Anne-Marie Javouhey, Francois Libermann and Rose Duchesne	223
	Charles Lavigerie, Daniel Comboni and Katherine Drexel	224
	Models of Mission of the Orthodox Church	227
	Constants in the Context of the Age of Progress	228
	Implications for the Theology of Mission Today	236
8.	Mission in the Twentieth Century (1919-1991): The Emergence of World Christianity	239
	The Twentieth-Century World	240
	The Social-Political Context	240
	The Religious Context	242
	The Institutional Context	243
	Models of Mission in the Catholic Church: Certainty, Ferment, Crisis and Rebirth	244
	Certainty: From Maximum Illud to the Second Vatican Council	244
	Ferment: Second Vatican Council	249
	Crisis: The Decade after the Council	251
	Rebirth: Evangelii Nuntiandi to Dialogue and Proclamation	253
	The International Missionary Council in Protestantism	255
	German and Anglo-Saxon Missionary Activity	256
	Mission, Other Religions and Church Unity	257
	Mission as Presence and Dialogue	259
	Evangelical and Conciliar Protestants in Mission	260
	Evangelical Mission as Proclamation and Church Growth	260
	Conciliar Mission as Wholeness, Pluralism and Enlightenment	262
	Models of Mission of the Orthodox Church: Presence, Proclamation and Ecumenism	264
	New Models of Church and Mission	265
	African Initiated Churches and Mission	265
	Other Indigenous Church Movements	268
	Pentecostalism and Mission	272
	Constants in the Context of the Twentieth Century	275
	Implications for the Theology of Mission Today	279
Part III	Constants in Context: A Theology of Mission for Today
	Introduction to Part III	281
	From the Twentieth Century to the Twenty-First Century in Mission	281
	Three Models of Mission in the Late Twentieth Century	283
	A Theology of Mission for Today: Mission as Prophetic Dialogue	284
9.	Mission as Participation in the Mission of the Triune God (Missio Dei)	286
	Ad Gentes and Documents of the Orthodox Churches	286
	Ad Gentes	286
	Documents of the Orthodox Churches	288
	Theologians and Missiologists	289
	Missio Dei and the Six Constants of Mission	295
	Conclusion	303
10.	Mission as Liberating Service of the Reign of God	305
	Evangelii Nuntiandi and the Documents of the World Council of Churches	305
	Evangelii Nuntiandi	305
	Documents of the World Council of Churches	307
	Theologians and Missiologists	310
	The Reign of God and the Six Constants of Mission	317
	Conclusion	321
11.	Mission as Proclamation of Jesus Christ as Universal Savior	323
	Redemptoris Missio and the Documents of the Evangelical and Pentecostal Churches	323
	Redemptoris Missio	323
	Evangelical Documents	325
	Pentecostal Documents	327
	Theologians and Missiologists	330
	Christocentrism and the Six Constants of Mission	340
	Conclusion	346
12.	Mission as Prophetic Dialogue	348
	Witness and Proclamation as Prophetic Dialogue	352
	Witness	353
	Proclamation	357
	Liturgy, Prayer and Contemplation as Prophetic Dialogue	361
	Liturgy	362
	Prayer and Contemplation	366
	Justice, Peace and the Integrity of Creation as Prophetic Dialogue	369
	Justice	369
	Peace	373
	Integrity of Creation	375
	Interreligious Dialogue as Prophetic Dialogue	378
	Inculturation as Prophetic Dialogue	385
	Reconciliation as Prophetic Dialogue	389
	Conclusion	394
	Concluding Reflections: On Being Constant in Today's Context	396
	Notes	399
	Index	467