Missiologically Aware Blog

It is no secret that the missionary effort is no longer exclusively from the West to the rest. Missiological practices, likewise, are increasingly traveling in multiple directions. We in the West have a lot to learn from the Global South, such as the ideas contained in this book.

When Psalm 19:1 says, “the heavens declare the glory of God,” what is it that the heavens are actually saying? Does the second of God’s books, the book of nature, say anything about God that is not known from the first of God’s books, the book of Scripture? This question is the subject of this fascinating, but challenging, book.

In Building Community Through Hospitality, an EMS monograph series dissertation publication, Udall encourages American churches to learn from Ethiopian perspectives on community and interdependence to resolve the hyperindividualism fueling their loneliness epidemic.

Don Dent addresses the everybody is a missionary and missions is everything adages through clear responses to 40 missions misconceptions. He identifies the “what, why, how, and who of missions” (xii) and navigates through the confusion.

Dr. Ryan Klejment-Lavin’s interview-based research on North Korean refugees in South Korea breaks some very interesting new ground in the study of theodicy and how humans react to evil and their own suffering.

It is almost cliché to note how few people care about history, at least in the United States. John Fea, history professor at Messiah University, counters that Christians especially can benefit greatly by engaging in historical study. Fea’s argument is convincing.

There is a problem with missions in the local church. In fact, according to David C. Meade, the local church has abdicated its “biblical role and responsibility to mission agencies” (16). The role of the church is central to world missions, asserts Meade.

The reality of living in a fallen world gives rise to the human capacity for harm and abuse, leaving individuals with the lasting effects of trauma. For Christians seeking to help others heal from trauma, this task can often feel overwhelming and under-resourced, especially when the trauma comes from within the church.

After immigrating from Ethiopia to the United States to attend university at a Christian college, Haddis shares her perspective on what it truly looks like to live out the Great Commission.

Should I Be a Missionary? by Andy Johnson is a concise and accessible guide published as part of the 9Marks series of Church Questions. This short, instructive book addresses a pressing question many Christians face: “Am I called to be a missionary?” Johnson provides biblically grounded advice to help readers discern whether they are suited for this important role.