• Directories
    • Business Directory
    • Church Directory
    • Organization Directory
  • Advertise
  • Donate
  • Help
  • Log In
MENUMENU
  • Learning
        • Leader’s Edge
          • Author Interviews
          • Book Summaries
        • Book Reviews
          • Book Look
          • EMQ Book Reviews
        • Publications
          • Anthology
          • Evangelical Missions Quarterly (EMQ)
          • Missiographics
        • Podcasts
          • The Mission MattersNew
          • Missio Nexus
          • People First HR
          • Members Only Feed
        • Blogs
          • Global Issues Updates
          • Member Highlights
          • Mission Advisors
        • Topics
          • COVID-19 ResourcesNew
          • Diaspora Missions
          • Mobilization
          • Muslim Missions
          • Support Raising
        • Media Library
          • Conferences
          • Global Issue Updates
          • On Mission
          • Thought Leader Briefings
          • Webinars
          • Workshop
          • View All
  • Programs
    • Accreditation
    • Alliance for Benefits
    • Bible CertificateNew
    • Church Missions CoachingNew
    • Cohorts
    • Cybersecurity
    • Emerging Leaders
    • Mission Jobs
    • OnBoard
    • RightNow Media
    • The Mission AppNew
    • Women’s Development
  • Events
          • Calendar
          • In-Person Events
          • Virtual Events
          • Event Recordings
          • Awards
        • Upcoming Events

          • Webinar: Through the Wall
            Thu Jan 28 2021, 02:00pm EST
          • Three Easy Ways to Drive Innovation
            Thu Feb 11 2021, 02:00pm EST
          • Three Steps to Kickstart Your Fund Development Program
            Tue Feb 16 2021, 03:00pm EST
        • View All Events
  • Research
          • Missiographics
          • Mission Handbook
          • Research Reports
        • Popular Research
          • Compensation Reports
          • COVID-19 ResourcesNew
          • Field Attrition Report
          • View All Reports
        • Contribute
          • Current Research Projects
          • Submit Data for Mission Handbook
          • Volunteer
  • About Us
        • Who We Are
          • Our Contribution
          • Meet the Team
          • Board Members
          • History (1917–present)
        • Our Beliefs
          • Statement of Faith
          • Community Standards
        • Awards
        • Partner with Us
          • Advertise
          • Donate
          • Sponsorships
          • Volunteer
        • Help
          • Contact Us
          • Advertising Specs
          • Branding Guidelines
  • Join
        • Learn
        • Learn what you cannot learn anywhere else.

        • Meet
        • Meet people you otherwise won’t meet.

        • Engage
        • Engage in a community like none other.

          • Benefits
          • Benefits for Churches
          • Pricing

Sponsored Content

Upcoming Events

  • Webinar: Through the Wall
    Thu Jan 28 2021, 02:00pm EST
  • Three Easy Ways to Drive Innovation
    Thu Feb 11 2021, 02:00pm EST
  • Three Steps to Kickstart Your Fund Development Program
    Tue Feb 16 2021, 03:00pm EST
  • Webinar: Innovating Theological Education: How BibleMesh can Prepare your Staff for Ministry
    Thu Feb 25 2021, 02:00pm EST
  • Association Leaders Gathering
    Tue Mar 2 2021, 08:30am EST

View all events »

Topics

author interview Canada CEO Church Church Missions Church Mission Team Church Planting Coaching Conference Proceedings COVID-19 Cross Cultural Skills Diaspora Evangelism Focus Future Globally Engaged Churches Islam Justin Long Leadership Management Missiology Missionaries Mission Finance and Administration MLC2019 MLC2020 Mobilization muslim Muslim Diaspora Networks Partnership Personal Productivity Podcast Presenter Research Security Short-Term Missions Spirituality support raising Training Trends Unengaged Unreached unreached people groups Weekly Roundup Women

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Theology in the Context of World Christianity: How the Global Church is Influencing the Way We Think

Posted on July 1, 2008 by July 1, 2008

by Timothy C. Tennent

Tim Tennent’s book asks, “What can the worldwide Church learn from the theological reflection going on in the Majority World Church, reflection which has largely been ignored in Western theological circles?”

Zondervan, 5300 Patterson Avenue Southeast, Grand Rapids, MI 49530, 2007, 295 pages, $24.99.

—Reviewed by Steve Strauss, U.S. director for SIM (Serving in Mission), Charlotte, North Carolina.

Since the majority of the world’s Christians now live in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, Tim Tennent’s Theology in the Context of World Christianity asks, “What can the worldwide Church learn from the theological reflection going on in the Majority World Church, reflection which has largely been ignored in Western theological circles?”

Tennent first establishes the importance of learning from the Majority World Church, then focuses one chapter each on several standard divisions of systematic theology: theology proper, bibliology, anthropology, Christology, soteriology, pneumatology, ecclesiology, and eschatology. In each chapter, he introduces a key issue faced by believers in a specific part of the Majority World—and from whom the global Church can enrich its understanding of theological truth. For example, under theology proper he introduces the question believers face in Islamic contexts: “Is the Father of Jesus the God of Muhammad?” Under Christology he examines what can be learned from African Christians who have understood Jesus as healer and ancestor. Under bibliology he wrestles with the use of non-biblical sacred texts in opening the door for Christian witness. In each case, Tennent clearly explains the issue (some of which are very complex) and suggests how the issue contributes to the theologizing of the worldwide Church.

Tennent covers a wide range of topics with depth, accuracy, and skill. He is well-informed on world religions, contemporary missiological issues, and classic theology, and his conclusions are generally balanced and biblical. At times I found myself wishing he had been even more explicit in his suggestions as to how the theological insights of Majority World churches contribute to issues that other churches are facing. For example, I wish he had more specifically explored the significance of the C4/C5 debate to the ecclesiological questions American churches are currently asking. He clearly demonstrates that the scripturally-based theological reflection and struggles of believers around the world make a valuable contribution to the theology of the worldwide Church.

Anyone who wants to learn from fellow believers around the world will benefit from Tennent’s book. It would contribute particularly well as a text in courses on cross-cultural theology or contextualization. It would also be an ideal supplementary textbook for theology courses, crisply introducing students to the contribution of the Church in parts of the world typically ignored by Western theology textbooks. Tennent is certainly correct that mission studies and the theologizing of global Christianity can help kindle a resurgence of Christian faith in the West, and his book provides one of the sparks to ignite that fresh flame.

Check these titles:
Adeyemo, Tokumbo, ed. 2006. The Africa Bible Commentary. Nairobi: WordAlive Publishers/Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan.

Dyrness, William. 1990. Learning about Theology from the Third World. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan.

—–

Copyright © 2008 Evangelism and Missions Information Service (EMIS). All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced or copied in any form without written permission from EMIS.

GoToOlder PostNewer PostAll PostsBook ReviewsEMQSectionVolume 44 - Issue 3

Comments are closed.

Subscribe to Our Mailing List

Keep up to date with our community.

Menu

  • Join
  • Directories
  • Events
  • Donate

About

  • Who We Are
  • Statement of Faith
  • Awards
  • Resources

Help

  • Contact Us
  • Terms
  • Cookies Policy

Connect

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Google+

PO Box 398
Wheaton, IL 60187-0398

Phone: 770.457.6677
678.392.4577

© Missio Nexus.
All Rights Reserved.

Membership website powered by MembershipWorks