2015 Fall Anthology

Identity

Perhaps nothing sums up human identity so succinctly as the Facebook relationship status: It’s complicated.

At the heart of the missionary endeavor, the gospel invites people of every tribe and nation—every socioethnic and geographic identity—to discover and develop a new identity in Christ. Child of God. Disciple. Jesus-follower. Disciple-maker.

Yet identity can be challenging. As mission-minded leaders, we wrestle with the questions it raises. What is our role in the global Church? How do we best help Muslim converts form their identity in Christ? And how do we respond to our culture’s shifting stance on gender identity issues?

These questions point to some of our bigger challenges in North America and among the nations where we serve and collaborate. So on these pages, consider timely explorations of how culture, religion and gender shape human identity in relation to the work of the Great Commission.

Anthology Volume 3, Number 2

Table of Contents

Christians Embracing Common Identity in a Changing World by Todd Johnson & Cindy Wu
Making Disciples Across Cultures: A Conversation with Charles Davis
Questioning the Narrative of Global Christianity by Robert Wuthnow
Context Is King: A New Perspective on Contextualization by Jackson Wu
Effective Discipling in Muslim Communities by Don Little
A Biblical Response to Islamic Violence and Muslims by Mark Judgson and Gus Taylor
Presenting the Gospel in Honor-Shame Cultures: A Conversation with Werner Mischke
Navigating Transgender Issues: Toward a Christian Response by Mark Yarhouse
Called for Life by Kent Brantley