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Showing posts from January, 2014

Engaging the Bible in Mission Theology Scholarship: A Biblical Theology of Mission or a Missional Biblical Theology? 1. Introduction

Engaging the Bible in Mission Theology Scholarship: A Biblical Theology of Mission or a Missional Biblical Theology? 1. Introduction Introduction: In the previous post, I raised doubts about whether we can, let alone should, attempt to speak of a ‘Biblical Theology of Leadership.’  One of the issues with such a project is whether ‘leadership’ is even the right word to use when speaking of ministry.  Another issue is whether the Bible engages certain topics—like leadership, as well as others—sufficiently for us to articulate a ‘Biblical’ theology for that topic. When we turn to the subject of ‘mission,’ the situation may be exactly the opposite.  We may actually be understating the issue if we are merely developing a ‘Biblical theology of mission.’  Mission may actually be the unifying concept for Biblical theology itself.  At least, this suggestion has come from two noted scholars, one an Old Testament scholar and the other a New Testament scholar. Two Proposals:

Issues Facing Missions Today 9: A 'Biblical Theology of Leadership'?

Issues Facing Missions Today 9: A 'Biblical Theology of Leadership'? What is ‘a Biblical theology of leadership?’  The phrase is found everywhere, even as the title of courses of study.  It is accepted uncritically as a meaningful concept and coherent idea, something that carries the authority of Scripture, and something that we should pursue as a matter of first importance in churches and ministries today.  Some would even describe the missionary task as the training of leaders, and the grist for grinding out such a product would, we are told, be found in the Bible. Serious problems—I will note only two here—arise for such an undertaking, however.  First, more serious reflection is needed on what is meant by ‘a Biblical theology’ of anything.  The second point noted here will be given a more careful look through comments made by John Howard Yoder before the focus on ‘Christian leadership’ became so popular.  One reason for focusing on Yoder’s work is that he wrote wel