CM 201 Theology of Mission

Transcription

1 Author: Timothy D. Stabell, Ph.D. Copyright 2011 CM 201 Theology of Mission 3 Credit Hours COURSE DESCRIPTION This course provides a biblical base for mission. It explores some of the biblical, historical, and contemporary examples of thinking about what it means to follow Jesus Christ and point others to him in fulfillment of the Great Commission. It further teaches what it means to represent Jesus Christ sensitively and effectively in cultures other than our own. COURSE TEXTBOOKS Required: Mandryk, Jason Operation world: The definitive prayer guide for every nation. 7th ed. Colorado Springs, CO: Biblica. Wright, Christopher J. H The mission of God's people: A biblical theology of the church's mission. Biblical Theology for Life. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. Recommended: Ott, Craig, Stephen J. Strauss and Timothy C. Tennent Encountering theology of mission: Biblical foundations, historical developments, and contemporary issues. Encountering Mission. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic. Piper, John Let the nations be glad: The supremacy of God in missions. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker. Wright, Christopher J. H The mission of God: Unlocking the Bible's grand narrative. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity. Syllabus version 2011/1/14

2 Syllabus Page ii Briercrest College and Seminary Distance Learning Copyright 2011 COURSE OBJECTIVES God is on a mission to the whole world, having enlisted us as his coworkers (1 Cor 3:9). In order for us to participate effectively in that mission we need to understand just what God s purposes are and why it is so important for us to be engaged with him in this task. This course will take you through the Bible as we explore together God s heart for the nations. Along the way, you will be challenged to think carefully about some of the important contemporary issues in the theology and practice of missions, and about your own place in the mission of God. Through the readings, course lessons and written assignments you should understand how to think theologically about the church s mission in the world. come to view mission as one of the central themes of the Bible as a whole, and understand how this fact serves as motivation for our engagement in mission. wrestle with biblical teaching about the lostness of humanity apart from Christ. understand mission as both proclamation and demonstration of God s kingdom, including the pursuit of biblical justice. explore the meaning of and basis for evangelism as portrayed in Scripture. grasp some of the contemporary practical issues in mission; e.g., missionary calling, contextualization, incarnational living, short-term missions, spiritual warfare, and the place of missions to unreached people groups. In terms of your personal value-system, you should also come to appreciate more deeply the place of prayer in mission. grow in your personal commitment to God s mission for this world. desire to partner with God s Spirit in evangelism. long and pray for the reign of God to be more evident in your own life and in the whole world. grow in love and compassion for those who do not know the blessings of belonging to God s people through faith in Christ. be more committed to the church s calling both to proclaim the good news and to live out its implications by standing with those who are oppressed by this world s systems.

3 CM 201 Theology of Mission Syllabus Page iii In the area of service this course seeks to help you to move toward a clearer understanding of God s purposes for your personal engagement in his mission. be better able to share your experience of what it means to follow Jesus in culturally sensitive and humble terms. pray for the work of God in other societies and cultures. COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND WEIGHTING Summary of assignments 1) Prayer assignment 5% 2) Five Unit lessons a. Reports on reading assignments for each Unit 4% for each unit times 5 Units 20% b. Answers to questions (For Further Reflection) at the end of each Unit 4% for each unit times 5 Units 20% 3) Major Project 25% 4) Final exam 30% DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ASSIGNMENTS 1. Prayer Assignment One goal of this course is to help you begin to develop a habit of regular prayer for missions. Your responsibility will be to do the following: Keep a prayer-journal in which you take notes about your prayers for the nations of the world, using the book Operation World as your primary guide. (NB: You may also occasionally use credible news sources for background information about significant current events around the world.) You should work on this journal for a period of at least one month, making it your goal to pray for the nations on a daily basis as part of your practice of prayer. Write brief notes or bullet points of the things you pray for. Some students write out their actual prayers. This is not required, but can be helpful, and you should consider doing this at least some of the time. Aim to take minutes each day at least five days a week for the whole month. It is recommended that you do this as part of your regular devotions. My hope is that beyond this month, you will go on to make prayer for mission a regular part of your devotional life. NB: PLEASE DATE EACH ENTRY.

4 Syllabus Page iv Briercrest College and Seminary Distance Learning Copyright 2011 The prayer journal will be turned in at the end of the course, together with your work for Unit 5. You should accompany the journal with a one-two page reflection on this experience of praying for the nations, noting any benefits, challenges and frustrations you have encountered. This journal will be evaluated partly on the basis of whether or not you have begun to develop a regular pattern of prayer (not the content of your prayer), and partly on the nature and quality of your one-page reflection on this exercise. 2. Five Unit Lessons Course Grade Value: 5% Reading Reports As part of your work for each Unit, you are to read three chapters of the course textbook, The Mission of God s People, by Chris Wright, and write a word response paper on those chapters. This assignment is further described in the Learning Strategy section at the beginning of each Unit. Course Grade Value: 20% For Further Reflection At the end of each Unit, you are to answer the questions in the For Further Reflection section. Please mail out your answers to these questions as you complete each unit. (you do not need to mail in the Further Learning Strategies or Questions that could appear on the Exam sections) Course Grade Value: 20% 3. Major assignment Choose one of the following options. A. Write a comparative essay ( words) assessing the relative strengths of the two following books: i. the course textbook, The Mission of God s People, and ii. Encountering Theology of Mission, by Craig Ott, Stephen J. Strauss and Timothy C. Tennent (Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2010). In what ways does Encountering Theology of Mission complement The Mission of God s People?

5 CM 201 Theology of Mission Syllabus Page v B. If you have access to a range of good commentaries, you may write a biblicaltheological analysis of a passage of Scripture with significant missiological implications ( words). i. Choose one of the following 1. Psalm Romans 15: Isaiah 19: John s gospel (you may want pay particular attention at least to 10:16, 11:47-52, 12:20-32, 17:18 and 20:21) 5. 1 Peter 2:4-12 (feel free to include elements from 1 Peter beyond this passage) ii. You should be careful to relate your chosen passage to relevant themes developed in the course. Where does this passage fit in the unfolding revelation of God s desire to bless all the nations? How does it relate to earlier and later parts of the story? How does this particular passage contribute to the overall picture of God s purposes for the world? What are some of the implications of the passage for mission today? iii. You should consult a range of commentaries and other relevant sources for the passage you have chosen, demonstrating your use of these sources in the flow of your paper. C. Review, evaluate and make constructive recommendations for the missions program of the local church that you are part of in light of themes covered in this course. Your final report ( words) should include the following elements. i. Carefully describe your church s current missions program. 1. In order to obtain full and accurate information, you will probably need to interview one or more of the leaders of your church (pastor or missions pastor, elder responsible for missions, missions committee chairperson, etc.). Be careful to be considerate of the time and schedule of those you decide to interview, and make sure that you do these interviews at their convenience. As you make the request for an interview, be sure to carefully explain the nature of the assignment you have been asked to do for this course. Come to your interview sessions with questions carefully prepared in advance so as to make the best use of the available time. 2. Your questions could include the following (be as complete as you can reasonably be; feel free to add other questions to those suggested here): a. What types of global mission outreach is the church engaged in? If it supports long-term missionaries, who and where? What ministries are they involved in? What missions projects does the church support? b. What types of local outreach (in the immediate community) is the church doing? What has been the impact of such ministries on the community and/or on the church family? c. Is the church involved in mission work in North America but beyond its immediate community?

6 Syllabus Page vi Briercrest College and Seminary Distance Learning Copyright 2011 d. Has the church been involved in sending short-term teams? To what extent? What kinds of ministry have these teams been involved in? e. What is the missions budget? What is included in it? How are budget decisions made? f. Can you determine what percentage of congregational income the missions budget represents? g. What percentages of the missions budget are allocated to outreach into the community, to missions within North America, to global missions? ii. Work toward a constructive evaluation of your church s current engagement in mission in the light of the material covered in this course (both the reading and course lessons). What do you see as the strengths and weaknesses of the church s current engagement in mission? 1. Be careful not to be overly critical in your assessment. Emphasize things that the church is doing that are consistent with the biblical teaching we explore here. At the same time, be willing to note areas where improvement is possible. Where is change most urgently needed? 2. Be sure to keep in mind the size and make-up of the congregation. Is there anything in its recent history that has had an impact on its engagement in missions? iii. Develop suggestions that you believe would strengthen the church s involvement in God s mission to the world. In light of the church s history, size, and composition, and in light of your growing understanding of a theology of mission, what are the most important changes that could be made? Again, be careful to remain constructive in your suggestions. What do you believe the Lord wants to do in this congregation in terms of its engagement with him in mission? Course Grade Value: 25% 4. Final Exam (Questions on the Final Exam will be taken from questions listed in the sections entitled Preparing for the Final at the end of each Unit). Course Grade Value: 30%

7 CM 201 Theology of Mission Syllabus Page vii COURSE OUTLINE/CONTENT Unit 1: The Mission of God Lesson 1: Introducing the course Lesson 2: What is Mission? Lesson 3: God and His Mission Lesson 4: The Triune God in Mission Unit 2: Mission in the Beginning Lesson 5: Mission in the Bible Lesson 6: Creation and the Goal of Mission Lesson 7: Sin and Its Consequences: the Reason for Mission Lesson 8: The Story of Grace Begins Lesson 9: Abraham: the Scope and Means of God s Mission Unit 3: Israel and the Nations Lesson 10: Israel s Missionary Role (I) Lesson 11: Israel s Missionary Role (II) Lesson 12: Israel s Prophets Lesson 13: Mission and the Pursuit of Justice Unit 4: Jesus and the New Testament Church in Mission Lesson 14: Jesus and the Gentiles in Matthew s Gospel Lesson 15: Jesus and Incarnational Mission Lesson 16: Assessing Short Term Missions Lesson 17: The Beginning of Mission to the Ends of the Earth Lesson 18: The New Testament Church in Mission Unit 5: The Pauline Mission Then and Now Lesson 19: Lessons in Mission from the life of the Apostle Paul Lesson 20: What about the Unreached? Three Questions Lesson 21: What about the Unreached? Exploring the Biblical Witness

8 Syllabus Page viii Briercrest College and Seminary Distance Learning Copyright 2011 BIBLIOGRAPHY General Introductions Greenway, Roger S Go, and make disciples: An introduction to Christian missions. Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing. Gregory, Trev Mission now: Developing a mission lifestyle. Waynesboro, GA: Authentic Media. Griffiths, Michael Give up your small ambitions. London, UK: InterVarsity. Guthrie, Stan Missions in the third millennium. Waynesboro, GA: Paternoster. Johnstone, Patrick and Jason Mandryk Operation world: 21st century edition. Waynesboro, GA: Paternoster. Kane, J. Herbert Understanding Christian missions. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker. Kirk, J. Andrew What is mission? Theological explorations. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress. Moreau, A. Scott, Harold Netland, and Charles Van Engen, eds Evangelical dictionary of world missions. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker. Oborji, Francis Anekwe Concepts of mission: The evolution of contemporary missiology. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis. Olson, C. Gordon What in the world is God doing? The essentials of global missions: An introductory guide. Cedar Knolls, NJ: Global Gospel Publishers. Pocock, Michael, Gailyn Van Rheenen, and Douglas McConnell The changing face of world missions: Engaging contemporary issues and trends. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic. Terry, John Mark, Ebbie Smith, and Justice Anderson, eds Missiology: An introduction to the foundations, history and strategies of world missions. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers. Van Rheenen, Gailyn Missions: Biblical foundations and contemporary strategies. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House. Winter, Ralph D. and Steven C. Hawthorne, eds Perspectives on the world Christian movement: A reader. Pasadena, CA: William Carey Library. Theology of Mission Allen, Roland Missionary methods: St. Paul's or ours? Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans The spontaneous expansion of the church and the causes which hinder it. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans. Anderson, Gerald, ed The theology of the Christian mission. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Bevans, Stephen B., and Roger P. Schroeder Constants in context: A theology of mission for today. American Society of Missiology Series, no. 30. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis. Beyerhaus, Peter Shaken foundations: Theological foundations for mission. Contemporary evangelical perspectives. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. Blauw, Johannes The missionary nature of the church. London, UK: Lutterworth Press.

9 CM 201 Theology of Mission Syllabus Page ix Bolt, Peter, and Mark Thompson, eds The gospel to the nations. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity. Bosch, David J Transforming mission: Paradigm shifts in the theology of mission. American Society of Missiology Series, no. 16. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis. Crockett, William V. and James G. Sigountos, eds Through no fault of their own? The fate of those who have never heard. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker. Filbeck, David Yes, God of the gentiles too: The missionary message of the Old Testament. A BGC Monograph. Wheaton, IL: Billy Graham Center. Gilliland, Dean S Pauline theology and mission practice. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker. Glaser, Ida The Bible and other faiths: Christian responsibility in a world of religions. Christian Doctrine in Global Perspective. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity. Glasser, Arthur F., with Charles E. Van Engen, Dean S. Gilliland, and Shawn B. Redford Announcing the kingdom: The story of God's mission in the Bible. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic. Hahn, Ferdinand Mission in the New Testament. Studies in Biblical Theology, no. 47. London, UK: SCM Press. Harris, R. Geoffrey Mission in the gospels. London, UK: Epworth. Hedlund, Roger E The mission of the church in the world: A biblical theology. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker. Hesselgrave, David J Paradigms in conflict: 10 key questions in Christian missons today. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel. Kaiser Jr., Walter C Mission in the Old Testament: Israel as a light to the nations. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker. Kalu, Ogbu U., Peter Vethanayagamony and Edmund Kee-Fook Chia, Eds Mission after Christendom: Emergent themes in contemporary mission. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox. Kane, J. Herbert Christian missions in biblical perspective. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker. Kirk, J. Andrew What is mission? Theological explorations. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Mission under scrutiny: Confronting contemporary challenges. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress. Köstenberger, Andreas J The missions of Jesus and the disciples according to the fourth gospel: With implications for the fourth gospel's purpose and the mission of the contemporary church. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans The place of mission in New Testament theology: An attempt to determine the significance of mission within the scope of the New Testament's message as a whole. Missiology 27, no. 3: Köstenberger, Andreas J., and Peter T. O'Brien Salvation to the ends of the earth: A biblical theology of mission. New Studies in Biblical Theology, no. 11. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity. Langmead, Ross The Word made flesh: Towards an incarnational missiology. Lanham, MD: University Press of America.

10 Syllabus Page x Briercrest College and Seminary Distance Learning Copyright 2011 Larkin Jr., William J. and Joel F. Williams, eds Mission in the New Testament: An evangelical approach. American Society of Missiology Series, no. 27. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis. Muck, Terry and Frances S. Adeney Christianity encountering world religions: The practice of mission in the twenty-first century. Encountering Mission. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic. Newbigin, Lesslie The open secret: An introduction to the theology of mission. Grand Rapids, IL: Eerdmans. Ott, Craig, Stephen J. Strauss and Timothy C. Tennent Encountering theology of mission: Biblical foundations, historical developments, and contemporary issues. Encountering Mission. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic. Parry, Robin A. and Christopher H. Partridge, eds Universal salvation? The current debate. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans. Peskett, Howard and Vinoth Ramachandra The message of mission: The glory of Christ in all time and space. The Bible Speaks Today: Bible Themes. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity. Peters, George W A biblical theology of missions. Chicago, IL: Moody Press. Piper, John Let the nations be glad: The supremacy of God in missions. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker. Plummer, Robert L Paul's understanding of the church's mission: Did the Apostle Paul expect the early Christian communities to evangelize? Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock. Sanders, J. Oswald What of the unevangelized? and effective evangelism. Rossshire, UK: Christian Focus. Sanders, John, ed What about those who have never heard? Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity. Schnabel, Eckhard Early Christian mission. 2 vols. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Paul the missionary: Realities, strategies and methods. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity. Schreiner, Thomas Paul, apostle of God's glory in Christ: A Pauline theology. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity. Senior, Donald, and Carroll Stuhlmueller The biblical foundations for missions. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis. Stott, John Christian mission in the modern world. Downers Grove: InterVarsity. Tennent, Timothy C Invitation to world missions: A trinitarian missiology for the twenty-first century. Invitation to Theological Studies Series, no. 3. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel. Tiessen, Terrance L Who can be saved? Reassessing salvation in Christ and world religions. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity. Van Engen, Charles, Dean S. Gilliland, and Paul Pierson, eds The good news of the kingdom: Mission theology for the third millennium. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis. Wakabayashi, Allen Mitsuo Kingdom come: How Jesus wants to change the world. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity.

11 CM 201 Theology of Mission Syllabus Page xi White, Karen L Overcoming resistance through martyrdom. In Reaching the resistant: Barriers and bridges for mission, ed. J. Dudley Woodberry: Pasadena, CA: William Carey. Wright, Christopher J. H Mission as a matrix for hermeneutics and biblical theology. In Out of Egypt: Biblical theology and biblical interpretation, ed. Craig Bartholomew, Mary Healy, Karl Möller and Robin Perry: Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan The mission of God: Unlocking the Bible's grand narrative. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity The mission of God's people: A biblical theology of the church's mission. Biblical Theology for Life. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. Globalization of Christianity Bediako, Kwame Christianity in Africa: The renewal of a non-western religion. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis. Escobar, Samuel The new global mission: The gospel from everywhere to everyone. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity. Jenkins, Peter The next Christendom: The coming of global Christianity. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press The new faces of Christianity: Believing the Bible in the global South. London, UK: Oxford University Press. Sanneh, Lamin Encountering the West: Christianity and the global cultural process. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis. Schreiter, Robert J The new catholicity: Theology between the global and the local. Faith and Cultures Series. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis. Taylor, William D., ed Kingdom partnerships for synergy in missions. Pasadena, CA: William Carey. Tennent, Timothy C Theology in the context of world Christianity: How the global church is influencing the way we think about and discuss theology. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. Walls, Andrew F. and Cathy Ross, eds Mission in the twenty-first century: Exploring the five marks of global mission. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis. Mission and the Pursuit of Justice Birch, Bruce C Let justice roll down: The Old Testament, ethics, and Christian life. Louisville, KY: Westminster/John Knox. Blue, Kevin Practical justice: Living off-center in a self-centered world. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity. Coe, Shoki Contextualizing theology. In Third world theologies, ed. Gerald H. Anderson and Thomas F. Stransky: New York, NY: Paulist. Gay, Craig M Ron Sider arrives at the end of history. Christian Scholar's Review 26, no. 3: Green, Joel B Good news to whom? Jesus and the "poor" in the gospel of Luke. In Jesus of Nazareth: Lord and Christ: Essays on the historical Jesus and New Testament Christology, ed. Joel B. Green and Max Turner: Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.

12 Syllabus Page xii Briercrest College and Seminary Distance Learning Copyright 2011 Goudzwaard, Bob Globalization and the kingdom of God. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker. Gushee, David P., ed Toward a just and caring society: Christian responses to poverty in America. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker. Haight, Roger An alternative vision: An interpretation of liberation theology. New York, NY: Paulist. Haugen, Gary A The good news about injustice: A witness of courage in a hurting world. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity. Hoppe, Leslie J., O.F.M There shall be no poor among you: Poverty in the Bible. Nashville, TN: Abingdon. McNeil, Brenda Salter and Rick Richardson The heart of racial justice: How soul change leads to social change. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity. Myers, Bryant L What makes development Christian? Recovering from the impact of modernity. Missiology 26, no. 2: Walking with the poor: Principles and practices of transformational development. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis. Nardoni, Enrique Rise up o judge: A study of justice in the biblical world. Translated by Seán Charles Martin. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson. Nuñez, Emilio A The church in the liberation theology of Gustavo Gutiérrez: Description and hermeneutical analysis. In Biblical interpretation and the church: The problem of contextualization, ed. D. A. Carson: Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson. Padilla, René Mission between the times: Essays on the kingdom. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans. Scott, Waldron Bring forth justice: A contemporary perspective on mission. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans. Shedd, Russell P Social justice: Underlying hermeneutical issues. In Biblical interpretation and the church: The problem of contextualization, ed. D. A. Carson: Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson. Seiple., Robert A Ambassadors of hope: How Christians can respond to the world's toughest problems. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity. Sider, Ronald J Good news and good works. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker a. Response to Craig Gay. Christian Scholar's Review 26, no. 3: b. Rich Christians in an age of hunger. Dallas, TX: Word c. Rich Christians in an age of hunger revisited. Christian Scholar's Review 26, no. 3: Just generosity : a new vision for overcoming poverty in America. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker. Taylor, Michael Poverty and Christianity. London, UK: SCM. Unruh, Heidi Rolland and Ronald J. Sider Saving souls, serving society: Understanding the faith factor in church-based social ministry. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. Wright, Christopher J. H Old Testament ethics for the people of God. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity.