Zane Pratt Introduction to Global Missions (Hardback) - Common

by Zane Pratt

Missions is the work of the church to reach and teach the peoples of the world for Christ’s sake. The missionary call is a vital part of the life of every follower of Jesus Christ and, therefore, the church. But the effective discipleship of all nations requires a solid biblical, historical, and practical foundation. Therefore, the study of missiology demands the effective application of biblical studies, theology, and history.This text brings the rich heritage of evangelical missiology founded on conservative theology to a twenty-first century audience passionate for the proclamation of the gospel. Introduction to Global Missions brings the authors’ decades of combined missionary and teaching experience to a survey text appropriate for college or seminary classroom.The book is divided into four sections and thirteen chapters. The text begins with the biblical and theological foundations of Christian missions, including a biblical theology of missions. Before moving to the practical and strategic issues of twenty-first century missions, the authors consider the historical development of missions with a view toward providing a basis for contemporary strategies. A final foundational set of chapters addresses the impact of cultures on the communication of the gospel. The remainder of the text deals with key issues and opportunities in missions, including church planting, missions in the local church, and strategies for disciple-making.Introduction to Global Missions provides a foundation for readers to consider their own missionary call, whether as a full-time field missionary or a church member on short-term projects. No matter their role, Great Commission Christians need a framework for doing missions well.

Genres: Theology, Christian, Evangelism, School

Unknown Binding

First published July 1, 2014

Reviews

[Amelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Disciples of Jesus should always act like disciples of Jesus wherever they live, but they can never lose sight of the priority of making more disciples, specifically out of every people group on earth.” p.258

[Evan Knies · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zane Pratt is the director of Global Theological Education for the International Mission Board. He previously served as dean of the Billy Graham School of Missions, Evangelism and Ministry at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

David Sills is the director of Global Strategic Initiatives and Intercultural Programs and the A. P. and Faye Stone Chair of Christian Missions and Cultural Anthropology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Jeff Walters is assistant professor of Christian Missions and Urban Ministry and director of the Dehoney Center for Urban Ministry Training at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Introduction

Pratt, Sills and Walters have written a book together called Introduction to Global Missions. This book provides an intro to the many important subjects for missionaries. This book is written for one who feels called to full-time mission work, the pastor, and the member of the local church that seeks to be on short term missions. Introduction to Global Missions provides biblical foundations, history of missions, cultural studies and practical strategies to help the believer fulfill the Great Commission. The authors break the book into those four sections with an introduction (biblical and theological foundations, historical foundations, cultural studies, and practical strategies).

Summary

In the introduction, the authors take the task of understanding the missionary call, what it is and how it relates to not just the global church but to the local church as well. They also discuss knowing God’s will which includes knowing God, knowing his word, prayer, seeking counsel, through the desires of the heart, etc. “The way to find God’s will is to become so close to him that your heartbeat resonates with his own” (14).

In section one, the authors discuss the biblical and theological foundations to take the gospel to all the nations. The authors bring up three ideas to bring the gospel to all the nations.

The first is understanding the culture. The missionary must understand the culture to relate to the people. They use terms such as cross-cultural, intercultural, multicultural, and cultural relativism. Cultural relativism is when culture A live in a mud hut, and culture B lives in log houses (25). In times like this, we should show respect. “the missionary should study to know the culture and why it lives, believes, acts, reacts, and interacts as it does” (26).

The second idea is strategy. We must think about how we will engage the unreached people groups, which includes many that are in the 10/40 window. The 10/40 window is an area of the globe that covers Northwest Africa to Asia, which includes men and women in Hinduism, Islam, and Buddhism.

The third idea is orality. Oral learning is when men and women learn by hearing. This is very important in cultures that do not have a high literacy rate to read something in their language, so it helps when one is able to tell the story of the gospel in oral form. The authors cover the missiological basis of the bible, in which God saves sinners. In creation, God made everything that exists out of nothing. It was good. But man rebelled, and fell.

Because of the fall, man was guilty and deserved death. God also gave the promise of redemption, that Satan would strike the seed of the woman, but the seed would strike the serpents head. The authors cover the Old Testament Law and Prophets, and the New Testament Gospels and Epistles. The Bible testifies of the glory of God, the messiah to come, and that Messiah is Jesus Christ! The nations will bring praise to King Jesus.

Also, in section one, theology is discussed as a foundation for missions. Evangelical theology is what the Bible teaches on the key subjects of faith and life (68), and theology and worship lead to mission (69).

In section two, Introduction to Global Missions discusses the historical foundations for Christian missions. Understanding the past is an important facet of missiology and can help twenty-first century Christians continue the work started by first-century disciples (96). The authors cover the works of the apostles, Luther, William Carey, and other men and women who have done a great deal for the advance of the gospel; some of whom even laid down their lives.

In section three, this great work brings about the thought of cultural and global studies. Culture is the learned and shared design or pattern of living for a group of people (138). It is very important to understand how a culture acts. Introduction to Global Missions does an excellent job of research to help provide the reader of understanding the culture, and then how to communicate in that culture. The authors use the word contextualization. Contextualization in international settings requires us to consider world views, languages, legal matters, and a host of other factors that may require some adjustment to our delivery style (150).

That is key, and the authors use a great example in scripture from 1 Corinthians 9, “To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews”. We should understand the culture and identify the culture, so that we may reach the culture. This section discusses the other religions of the world and how Christ can not be added to another religious system. It is all of Christ, or not at all. Christians should seek the good of man outside the church, but also he or she should seek their salvation. The authors also cover brief and concise overviews of Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Animism. This section is very help for all believers, it challenges us to know the context and the culture. For example, knowing the culture of a man in East Asia will help you share the gospel with him, because you know what he lives for, how he dresses, lives, works, and eats.

The fourth and final section of Introduction to Global Missions covers the practice of global missions. The authors make clear what a disciple is and what he or she should do. They should be striving to pursue holiness and godliness. Disciples make disciples. Church planting is an important to the global mission work. Church planting is concerned with local churches-the geographic, cultural expression of the universal church (210). The authors provide excellent practical advice for believers who are headed to the mission field, such as culture shock and rejection.

The local church at home is to be on mission and sharing the gospel with their local community. The authors say local churches are to be biblically understanding, having a global vision, understanding missiological principles (cultures), praying, connecting yourself to missions, and connecting the church to missions. When churches go on short-term missions, they must be well trained, but also this is a way to connect local churches to missions. The church or individual must be ready to define the task, do research, contextualize, and understand the access. The authors end Introduction to Global Missions by telling the reading to engage his or her city by open your eyes (praying and getting to know your city), open your heart (loving your city), open your door (love the people in the city), and open your mouth (share the good news).

Introduction to Global Missions provides an excellent overview of missions for the individual, the local church, and the world.

Analysis: 10 Takeaways

There are 10 takeaways from reading this book that I would like to discuss.

1. The book is understandable. This is not a book that will leave you in a fog. It is very clear and well written.

2. The authors hit on the consistent Bible. That the nations will bring glory and honor to King Jesus and we should be sharing the good news.

3. King Jesus is King over all nations. He is King in the United States, He is King over North Korea, He is King of All.

4. The authors focus on God’s glory is evident throughout this book. We share the gospel for the Glory of God, not for the glory of self.

5. The authors show a very important view of the history of missions. Missions has always been important in the New Testament Church.

6. The understanding of the culture and other religions. It will be helpful if you are sharing the gospel with a buddhist and you know what buddhism teaches.

7. Church planting is very important! We need good healthy churches that are a light for the gospel. I hope and pray that there are good healthy churches in your city. Attend them, and thank God for them!

8. The importance of local members sharing the gospel. If the gospel has saved us, share it. Why would you want to remain silent?

9. Believers are to care for the gospel and they are to care for one another. Love your fellow believers, but also love men and women who do not believe in Jesus. If your always around Christians, and never around non-Christians, your life needs to be shaken up a bit.

10. The importance of prayer. Prayer is not to be neglected. Pray for understanding of the culture, pray for understanding of Biblical passages, pray for discernment, pray for love of your neighbor and your church, pray for the gospel to spread, and pray for Christ to keep you, for perseverance, to keep pressing on in times of trial.

[Emily Stem · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a gentle rebuke.

[Joshua Reichard · Rating 2 out of 5]

I find this book decent but not great. The issue I have with most mission books is they are all the same. No one adds new insight or helpful things that have not already been written about. If I compare this book the Piper’s it falls short. If I compare it to Sills mission book is comparable. But still if you are considering missions pick up Piper’s book if that is not good enough go to Sills and if that is not enough turn hear. The most helpful part of this book is the end section about the practice of global missions. Section one is not needed, section to is okay, and section three is not needed. So all in all not a bad book but not one you need to really focus in on missions.

[Marc Minter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a great introduction to missions. It covers a lot of ground, and it does so with biblical fidelity and evangelistic urgency. Christians of all kinds will benefit, and church leaders will especially find it helpful as they think through this important subject.

[Griffin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Introduction To Global Missions by Zane Pratt, M. David Sills, and Jeff K. Walters was provided to me by Broadman & Holman Publishing Group for review.missions

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There are many great books on missions but few that are accessible, concise, and well-written. Introduction To Global Mission (ITGM)is such a book. Nothing less should be expected from Pratt, Sills, and Walters, each of whom currently are or previously have served as professors of missions at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY. Pratt currently serves as the director of Global Theological Education for the International Mission Board. Sills heads up Reaching and Teaching. Walters leads the urban ministry training center at SBTS. These men have served on multiple different continents and in varied contexts. It’s the breadth of experience that gives the book a balanced, measured tone that avoids ethnocentrism or “my way or the highway” attitudes towards missions.

The book begins with a theological foundation for missions that includes a discussion of mission vs. missions (are they the same?), God’s missionary purposes in all of Scriptures, and a whole Bible overview of world evangelization. This section is incredibly helpful and concise. An entire series of books could be written on just this. It could be butchered and muddy prose, or it could be insufficient in proof. Instead, ITGM’s Biblical argument is lucid and clear.

Following this is a section on missions history. This section is incredibly brief, though helpful. If any section of the book is lacking, it would be this one though I admit that 2,000 years of church history can hardly be condensed into 45 pages. Such as it is, this section well serves its purpose in showing the primacy of missions in the history of the church, especially recently. Note: This section is less than generous to the medieval Catholic Church and is also heavy on Baptist mission work once it arrives at modern missions. With that said, I do not think that represents much of a loss for the author’s efforts.

The last two sections of the book deal with applied anthropology, worldview and world religions, and the practicalities of missionary efforts. This section is drenched in personal experience and wisdom from the authors. Their emphasis on the local church’s place in disciple-making is noble and worthy of praise.

I’ve read many books on missions. Some focused only on the Biblical basis of missions. Some were just about the practicalities. Some focused on only one perspective to missionary efforts. There are better books on particular subjects that are far more narrow than Introduction to Global Missions. With that said, I can think of no better book than this for precisely the purpose of the title: to introduce a person to global missions. At 270 pages with clear section divisions and an accessible writing style, this book is an excellent sourcebook for all missions minded people and should become the standard for seminaries, Sunday School classes, home groups, and individuals seeking to become educated in regards to missions.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent introduction to missions in the 21st century. It provides a good overview of the hot topics in missions today (from the missionary call to contextualization to business as missions), and also lays a foundation for the history of missions and theological basis for missions. I chose to read this book because I am considering long-term missions work, and thought it would be a helpful tool for exploration.

My favorite part of the book was the section of chapter 4 titled, “Does everyone have to hear and believe the gospel to be saved?” The way this question is answered is a huge factor in determining the urgency and priority of missions in individual believers' lives as well as in the local church. The authors addressed the question clearly, concisely, and biblically. I found the whole book to be helpful, but I think that this section alone would make the book worth reading!

The book is written from an evangelical, reformed, and Southern Baptist perspective. Note this quote that shows the reformed theology of the book: “…fallen people by nature are incapable of responding to the gospel. They cannot understand it, and they are not looking for it. They aren’t sick—they are dead, and they are incapable of contributing anything at all to their own salvation” (pg. 78). I found the book to be refreshing, biblical and accessible to both academics and laypeople. I strongly recommend it to anyone interested in short- or long-term missions work.

I received a copy of this book from B&H Academic in exchange for an honest review.

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read through this book with a friend who is planning on going overseas to serve in China. It was a good read for both of us, one that helped keep global missions in front of me for a few months and that helped my friend think well and ask good questions about how to serve well. There's nothing earth shattering in the book, but it accomplishes it's purpose as a very broad introduction to missions. Topics covered include biblical and theological foundations (section one), historical foundations (section two), culture (section three), and praxis (section four). With such a broad range and approach, there was a lot of ground to cover. Some chapters and sections are clearly written and I found engaging, while others were much more dry and informational. Overall, I'd recommend the book to those who are interested in pursuing missions or those who want a better understanding of what those whom we love, support, and pray for on the mission field are engaged in.

[Ryan Linkous · Rating 2 out of 5]

A decent introduction to key areas of missiology such as biblical foundations, brief overview of the history of missions, missions terminology, anthropology, critical contextualization, the missionary call, and how to involve your church in local missions. This book tells you enough for you to understand some of these topics without going in depth. This book would be good for someone unfamiliar with the study of missions. I don't know if I would mark as seminary level reading, but it would helpful to give to students interested in missions.

Sometimes the authors deviate into a very baptist understanding of things. I don't think that Scriptural methods are bad, but at times they spend too much time in Scripture and not enough time dealing with secondary literature. Since this is supposedly a textbook, I just wish there was more critical discussion of certain issues.

[Drew Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I've read specifically on the topic of missions. In reading, i found that i was fairly ignorant when it comes to missiology. The section on determining if you are called to long term missions was helpful. I didn't find the section on short term missions all that helpful. I was struck by how much work it takes to properly engage in being a long term missionary, especially the amount of studying regarding language, non- verbal communication, and cultural contextualization. The chapter on the local churches and missions was thought provoking. Overall I would recommend this book to anyone involved in leadership at a church and of course those considering the call to full time missions.

[Sydney Herron · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great introduction to Christian missions. Effective discipleship of all nations requires a solid biblical, historical, and practical foundation; so it is important that Christians study missiology. The book begins by laying the framework for the theological foundation for missions - a whole Bible overview of world evangelization.

This book is an excellent overview of what missions is, along with the biblical, cultural, and theological implications that missionaries face. I found this Introduction to Global Missions to be refreshing, biblical and accessible -- both to academics and to laypeople.

[Mark A Powell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Christ commissioned His church to make disciples of all nations. Since then, the church has struggled to effectively understand and apply His command. Here, a trio of authors well-versed and experienced in missions provide a basic introduction to the missionary aspect of Christ’s church, tracing the biblical and historical foundations of this globe-spanning task. Some strategic editing would have benefited the earlier chapters, but the final chapters on the practical outworking of missions are especially useful.

[Todd Miles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Introduction to Global Missions is a fine introduction to many of the most significant theological issues involved in missiology. In fact, what makes this book so strong is that it is an introduction to missiology, but it is profoundly theological (particularly with regard to ecclesiology and soteriology). Then, to demonstrate that it is theology done right, the book is also quite practical. Intro to Global Missions is readable and will serve the church, Bible college, and seminary well.

[Daniel Edwards]

A helpful introduction to missions from three men whose years of experience help them give practical wisdom with pastoral care. Personally, I think I benefitted most from the section dealing with anthropology and cultural differences. Also, the section which explained culture shock in detail helped me to better sympathize with the challenges that brothers and sisters in Christ face who minister in culture's outside of their own.

[C.J. Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Went through this one again. Still appreciate it very much! It is a helpful introduction, and it would make a great textbook for an undergraduate course.

However, in light of the more recent news on Sills, I hope B&H Academic (with Pratt and Walters' leadership) put out a 2nd edition of the work. Hard to know what to do with this one for the time being; the recommendation would have to come with some qualifications.

[Eric Trout · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who has spent time in other countries sharing the Gospel, I wish I would have read this book sooner. What a great resource on international thinking and specific terminology. This is a recommended read for international missionaries.

[Nich Griffith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great introduction to global missions. Helpful, accessible, and clear.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read, but if you have other books on the topic by these authors, you've probably read it before.

[Cole Brandon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great! A personable intro to missiology from a reformed baptist perspective.