Understanding Christian Mission: Participation in Suffering and Glory

by Scott W. Sunquist

Christianity Today 2014 Book Award Winner

Named one of Ten Outstanding Books of 2013 for Mission Studies, International Bulletin of Mission Research

This comprehensive introduction helps students, pastors, and mission committees understand contemporary Christian mission historically, biblically, and theologically. Scott Sunquist, a respected scholar and teacher of world Christianity, recovers missiological thinking from the early church for the twenty-first century. He traces the mission of the church throughout history in order to address the global church and offers a constructive theology and practice for missionary work today.

Sunquist views spirituality as the foundation for all mission involvement, for mission practice springs from spiritual formation. He highlights the Holy Spirit in the work of mission and emphasizes its trinitarian nature. Sunquist explores mission from a primarily theological--rather than sociological--perspective, showing that the whole of Christian theology depends on and feeds into mission. Throughout the book, he presents Christian mission as our participation in the suffering and glory of Jesus Christ for the redemption of the nations.

Genres: Theology, Christian, History, Read For School, Nonfiction

464 pages, Paperback

First published September 15, 2013

About the author

Scott W. Sunquist (PhD, Princeton Theological Seminary) is dean of the School of Intercultural Studies at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. He previously served as professor of world Christianity at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. Sunquist is the author of numerous articles and coauthor, with Dale Irvin, of the multivolume History of the World Christian Movement. He is also coeditor of A Dictionary of Asian Christianity.

Reviews

[Laney Dugan]

This book was a beautiful, holistic foray into the history, theology, and practice of the Missio Dei and Christian mission… and it has provided me with a lot of fresh ways to think about this topic. I particularly appreciated its deeply Trinitarian understanding of mission and how it recenters mission on God rather than on the church. This is probably the best book on mission I’ve read to date. It’s dense, but would recommend if you’re looking for a book on the topic!

[Porter Sprigg]

This book is very well-researched and presents a robust missiology that is inspiring for any Christian. The book as a whole had a clear argument but some of the individual chapters were harder to follow in terms of the logical flow.

Having said that, it deeply motivates me to make Jesus known through word and deed more regularly and more passionately, which means it has accomplished its goal.

[Akash Ahuja]

Excellent. Read this for a class taught by the author and was very happy to.

[Brandi]

3.5 stars

This book covers the history of God’s mission, theology of God’s mission, and diverse expressions of God’s mission revealing the fragile nature of God’s redemptive plan through the broken vessel that is the church.

“God’s mission is enacted through temporary suffering and humiliation for God’s eternal glory. All of history and all of the nations are included in this grand design of God’s redemption. However, the key to the redemption of the world is the liberation of individuals, within specific cultures, called into communities of the King.”

[Ike Unger]

A must read if you are interested in a better understanding of mission. There is so much amazing information and Sunquist haves great, clear outlines on the topic.

[Élizabeth]

I wish I could have given this book 7 stars. So so good.

[Gary Paulson]

The 2014 Christianity Today Book Awards: Missions/Global Affairs
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2...