Tag: Missiology

  • Denominations and Traditions: Thoughts on Differences

    “To stand within a tradition does not limit the freedom of knowledge, but makes it possible.” Hans Georg Gadamer Today I spent a few hours working on my Mid-Program defense for my PhD program, I will be presenting it to my committee on May 14th. This entails laying out the key questions and motivations behind…

  • “Dear Woman, why do you involve me?” Mission Without Guarantees

    In the fourth of his missiology lectures (see more on his third here) Steuernagel reflected on a few passages where we see Mary interacting with her son, Jesus. In John 2:3-5 it says: “When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman,…

  • Everett Cattell: Communication As Witness (pt. 4)

    Series contents | Intro | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four | Part Five Image via Wikipedia A good theological understanding of communication begins with the incarnation and John 1; Quaker Missionary Everett Cattell covers this thoroughly before moving onto a more in depth discussion of what it means for the Christian missionary…

  • Everett Cattell’s Principle of Authority (pt. 3)

    Series contents | Intro | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four | Part Five Cattell’s understanding of authority is derived from Christ, who is the head of the church. He argues that there is a tendency in the church to choose some one authority over another. Christ as head relativizes arguments over authority…

  • Wilbert Shenk on Ecclesiology and Mission

    In discussing how particular, newly planted and non-Western, churches could potentially develop “in loco an ecclesiology at once biblically and theologically responsive,” mission historian and theologian, Wilbert Shenk argues that ecclesiology has in the past often been ignored or fallen secondary to the primacy of evangelism and conversion of individuals. This is largely due to…