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The Gospel and Our Culture
Reading the Bible Missionally (The Gospel and Our Culture Series
Insights from a noteworthy convergence of top scholars in biblical studies and missiology
Over the past half century, it has become clear that mission is a central theme in the Bible's narrative and, moreover, is central to the very identity of the church. This book significantly widens and deepens the emerging conversation on missional hermeneutics.
Essays from top biblical and missiological scholars discuss reading the Scriptures missionally, using mission as a key interpretive lens. Five introductory chapters probe various elements of a missional hermeneutic, followed by sections on the Old and New Testaments that include chapters on two books from each to illustrate what a missional reading of them looks like. Essays in two concluding sections draw out the implications of a missional reading of Scripture for preaching and for theological education.
CONTRIBUTORS
Craig G. Bartholomew
Richard Bauckham
Carl J. Bosma
Tim J. Davy
Dean Flemming
John R. Franke
Mark Glanville
Michael W. Goheen
Joel B. Green
Darrell L. Guder
George R. Hunsberger
Timothy M. Sheridan
Christopher J. H. Wright
N. T. Wright
Over the past half century, it has become clear that mission is a central theme in the Bible's narrative and, moreover, is central to the very identity of the church. This book significantly widens and deepens the emerging conversation on missional hermeneutics.
Essays from top biblical and missiological scholars discuss reading the Scriptures missionally, using mission as a key interpretive lens. Five introductory chapters probe various elements of a missional hermeneutic, followed by sections on the Old and New Testaments that include chapters on two books from each to illustrate what a missional reading of them looks like. Essays in two concluding sections draw out the implications of a missional reading of Scripture for preaching and for theological education.
CONTRIBUTORS
Craig G. Bartholomew
Richard Bauckham
Carl J. Bosma
Tim J. Davy
Dean Flemming
John R. Franke
Mark Glanville
Michael W. Goheen
Joel B. Green
Darrell L. Guder
George R. Hunsberger
Timothy M. Sheridan
Christopher J. H. Wright
N. T. Wright
- GenresTheology
357 pages, Paperback
Published November 27, 2016
32 people are currently reading
61 people want to read
About the author
Michael W. Goheen
29 books41 followersMichael W. Goheen (PhD, University of Utrecht) is professor of missional theology, Newbigin House of Studies, San Francisco, and Jake and Betsy Tuls Professor of Missiology at Calvin Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He is also minister of preaching at New West Christian Reformed Church in Burnaby, British Columbia, and is the author or coauthor of several books, including The Drama of Scripture, Living at the Crossroads, A Light to the Nations, and a work on Lesslie Newbigin's missionary ecclesiology.
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February 10, 2017
In recent years the idea that the church doesn't only do mission, but that the church is by nature missional. That is, it is by design and calling the means by which God engages in mission. Much work has been done, with figures like Leslie Newbigin leading the way. What began largely as a conversation within Evangelicalism has spread across the theological landscape. Thus, more liberal/mainline churches have embraced the idea. So many branches of Christianity embrace the idea that there is a growing concern that the word "missional" has losts its meaning. So, what does it mean to be missional and how does the Bible fit into the conversation?
"Reading the Bible Missionally" provides a response to the question of what makes missional missional, and how does the Bible fit into this conversation. The editors and contributors to the book believe that there is an overarching hermeneutic that should inform our reading of scripture and the we understand the church and its relationship to the world. According to the editor, the essays that make up this book have their origins in a conference held at Calvin College in 2013. The conference included four keynote addresses. Christopher Wright focused on the missional reading of the Old Testament, N.T. Wright on the New Testament, Michael Goheen on preaching, and Darrell Guder on theological education. Each of these addresses are contained in the book, along with a number of other essays that emerged out of workshops at the conference.
The book is divided into five sections, with fifteen total chapters. The first section explores the idea of a "missional hermeneutic." These chapters explore history, mission, theology, and intercultural studies. The premise of the book is established in the opening chapter written by Michael Goheen, who also serves as the editor of the book. He asks the question of why mission does not serve as the organizational principle for reading scripture. There are a number of trends that have emerged in recent years that suggest the possibility of bringing mission and biblical studies into conversation, but the process isn't easy. The good news is that a growing number of biblical scholars are entering into the conversation, some of them involved in this book, including Christopher Wright and N.T. Wright. So, what is a missional hermeneutic? Utimately it is one in which the mission of God stands at the center of our reading of scripture. Goheen writes that "the heart of a missional hermeneutic is the recognition that God chooses and covenanbts with a particular people to fulfill his universal purpose of restoration (pp. 15-16). Several chapters explore the particulars of this premise.
In part two of the book, a series of writers explore a "Missional Reading of the Old Testament," with the conversation set up by a chapter written by Christopher J. H. Wright, who invites the reader to envision how the Old Testament gives account of God's mission in the world, as seen in the creation stories and the covenanting with Abraham. Wright notes that "the creator God's mission is nothing less than to bless the nations of humanity. So fundamental is this divine agenda that Paul defines the Genesis declaration as 'the gospel in advance' (Gal. 3:8)" (p. 113). This section includes two chapters that explore specific texts -- Deuteronomy and the Psalms.
The section focusing on the Old Testament is followed by one on the New Testament. It is introduced by a chapter written by N.T. Wright, followed by explorations of James (Joel Green) and Colossians (Dean Flemming). Wright declares that the pupropse of the New Testament is to "sustain and direct the missional life of the early church" (p. 175). Wright makes clear his hermeneutical vision that seeks to read the entire Bible as a coherent narrative. Thus, reading from Genesis to Revelation, the story is "told in terms of the vocation of Abraham's family to be 'the light to the nations,' the people through whom the creator God would bless the whole world" (p. 176). Read missionally then, "the New Testament is about the one God claiming the world through Jesus, already now, in advance of the parousia and the final coming of the final kingdom" (p. 179). Wright gives a fairly clear description of a missional hermeneutic that connects the entire Bible to the story of God's mission of restoration and blessing.
The fourth section takes the missional task in a "practical" direction, focusing on preaching. This section builds on the previous three sections. Goheen writes that "we preach Christ to form a distinctive community for the sake of the world" (p. 247). The final section, focuses on theological education, arguing for a rethinking of the current model so that it better reflects this missional calling. In other words, the focus is on learning outcomes. What is the purpose of theological education? Darrell Guder writes that "the proper outcome of missional theological education built and shaped by a missional hermeneutic, is that the community of equipped witness in a particular context will live out their lives intentionally as Christ's witnesses wherever and however God sends them" (p. 289). If Guder offers a more theoretical vision, Michael Goheen focuses more specifically on the curriculum side of things. The question here concerns what would be the unifying core of a missional theological education.
A book like this will always be uneven, but it can also be useful. As a reader I found N.T. Wright's chapter on the narrative arc of the biblical witness quite helpful. At the same time we have to be careful that we don't impose a schema on scripture that is foreign to it. I like the idea that there is a missional vision that underlies scripture. A canonical reading of scripture fits such a vision, so that scripture doesn't end up as nothing more than an anthology of ancient religious and cultural texts.
As I read through the book a number of questions emerged. First and foremost has to do with the contributors themselves. This is a conversation about missional hermeneutics. I understand that the organizers of the conversation want to broaden the concept of mission beyond simply cross-cultural encounters. As Newbigin preached, the West needs to be evangelized. Nonetheless it is a rather stark realization that every one of the authors of the chapters in this book are white and male. In fact, the theological education enterprise that many of the contributors are affiliated with features a faculty this is entirely white, with one woman faculty member. This raises questions about the nature of this enterprise. Is it simply another expression of western male dominated theology.
By and large the contributors are evangelicals, though there is the influence of Barth on some of the contributors. It is largely Reformed in orientation as well. So, perhaps another conversation could be held with a broader selection of contributors, especially women and scholars and practitioners from the Global South.
"Reading the Bible Missionally" provides a response to the question of what makes missional missional, and how does the Bible fit into this conversation. The editors and contributors to the book believe that there is an overarching hermeneutic that should inform our reading of scripture and the we understand the church and its relationship to the world. According to the editor, the essays that make up this book have their origins in a conference held at Calvin College in 2013. The conference included four keynote addresses. Christopher Wright focused on the missional reading of the Old Testament, N.T. Wright on the New Testament, Michael Goheen on preaching, and Darrell Guder on theological education. Each of these addresses are contained in the book, along with a number of other essays that emerged out of workshops at the conference.
The book is divided into five sections, with fifteen total chapters. The first section explores the idea of a "missional hermeneutic." These chapters explore history, mission, theology, and intercultural studies. The premise of the book is established in the opening chapter written by Michael Goheen, who also serves as the editor of the book. He asks the question of why mission does not serve as the organizational principle for reading scripture. There are a number of trends that have emerged in recent years that suggest the possibility of bringing mission and biblical studies into conversation, but the process isn't easy. The good news is that a growing number of biblical scholars are entering into the conversation, some of them involved in this book, including Christopher Wright and N.T. Wright. So, what is a missional hermeneutic? Utimately it is one in which the mission of God stands at the center of our reading of scripture. Goheen writes that "the heart of a missional hermeneutic is the recognition that God chooses and covenanbts with a particular people to fulfill his universal purpose of restoration (pp. 15-16). Several chapters explore the particulars of this premise.
In part two of the book, a series of writers explore a "Missional Reading of the Old Testament," with the conversation set up by a chapter written by Christopher J. H. Wright, who invites the reader to envision how the Old Testament gives account of God's mission in the world, as seen in the creation stories and the covenanting with Abraham. Wright notes that "the creator God's mission is nothing less than to bless the nations of humanity. So fundamental is this divine agenda that Paul defines the Genesis declaration as 'the gospel in advance' (Gal. 3:8)" (p. 113). This section includes two chapters that explore specific texts -- Deuteronomy and the Psalms.
The section focusing on the Old Testament is followed by one on the New Testament. It is introduced by a chapter written by N.T. Wright, followed by explorations of James (Joel Green) and Colossians (Dean Flemming). Wright declares that the pupropse of the New Testament is to "sustain and direct the missional life of the early church" (p. 175). Wright makes clear his hermeneutical vision that seeks to read the entire Bible as a coherent narrative. Thus, reading from Genesis to Revelation, the story is "told in terms of the vocation of Abraham's family to be 'the light to the nations,' the people through whom the creator God would bless the whole world" (p. 176). Read missionally then, "the New Testament is about the one God claiming the world through Jesus, already now, in advance of the parousia and the final coming of the final kingdom" (p. 179). Wright gives a fairly clear description of a missional hermeneutic that connects the entire Bible to the story of God's mission of restoration and blessing.
The fourth section takes the missional task in a "practical" direction, focusing on preaching. This section builds on the previous three sections. Goheen writes that "we preach Christ to form a distinctive community for the sake of the world" (p. 247). The final section, focuses on theological education, arguing for a rethinking of the current model so that it better reflects this missional calling. In other words, the focus is on learning outcomes. What is the purpose of theological education? Darrell Guder writes that "the proper outcome of missional theological education built and shaped by a missional hermeneutic, is that the community of equipped witness in a particular context will live out their lives intentionally as Christ's witnesses wherever and however God sends them" (p. 289). If Guder offers a more theoretical vision, Michael Goheen focuses more specifically on the curriculum side of things. The question here concerns what would be the unifying core of a missional theological education.
A book like this will always be uneven, but it can also be useful. As a reader I found N.T. Wright's chapter on the narrative arc of the biblical witness quite helpful. At the same time we have to be careful that we don't impose a schema on scripture that is foreign to it. I like the idea that there is a missional vision that underlies scripture. A canonical reading of scripture fits such a vision, so that scripture doesn't end up as nothing more than an anthology of ancient religious and cultural texts.
As I read through the book a number of questions emerged. First and foremost has to do with the contributors themselves. This is a conversation about missional hermeneutics. I understand that the organizers of the conversation want to broaden the concept of mission beyond simply cross-cultural encounters. As Newbigin preached, the West needs to be evangelized. Nonetheless it is a rather stark realization that every one of the authors of the chapters in this book are white and male. In fact, the theological education enterprise that many of the contributors are affiliated with features a faculty this is entirely white, with one woman faculty member. This raises questions about the nature of this enterprise. Is it simply another expression of western male dominated theology.
By and large the contributors are evangelicals, though there is the influence of Barth on some of the contributors. It is largely Reformed in orientation as well. So, perhaps another conversation could be held with a broader selection of contributors, especially women and scholars and practitioners from the Global South.
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March 26, 2023Some helpful chapters if not a bit overstated at some points. Uneven, as most edited volumes are. Should mission be a central lens through which we read scripture or should it be seen as one of many different valid interpretations? There is definite value in reading the Bible through the lens of mission. But should it be the only way? I think there is something to viewing interpretation through a lens of multiple perspectives. Scripture is too deep and wide to be limited to one overarching theological construct. Once we impose something upon the text, even something like mission, covenant, or fill in the blank we run the risk of reductionism. Viewing it through multiple lens, multiple perspectives opens up the Bible to a rich diversity of understanding.
If that is true though, we should add that some motifs are more central than others. Though, how would we determine order of priority? That may be a futile task...
If that is true though, we should add that some motifs are more central than others. Though, how would we determine order of priority? That may be a futile task...
May 26, 2020
I love Goheen’s simplicity in his writing to explain theological concepts, which could be considered difficult to articulate. This book was well-written and organized, as well. Goheen introduced me to Lesslie Newbigin and now I have another favorite theologian. Goheen explores the cultural Impacts on missional theology and injects many Newbigin’s quotes, like cherries on the sundae. After I read this book, I picked up another one of Goheen’s books, loving it just as much!
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