Holistic Mission: Weighed in the Balances

by E.S. Williams

This book examines how holistic mission has become widely accepted as the authentic mission of the Church. At the Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization in 1974, John Stott promoted the idea that evangelism and social action are a partnership, ‘like two blades of a pair of scissors or two wings of a bird’. In doing so, he produced a paradigm shift in evangelica1 thinking about the Great Commission and mission of the Church. This holistic way of thinking is being widely taught in Bible seminaries across the world, and the new discipline of missiology plays a key role. The holistic movement believes that the message of the Bible must be contextualized to make it culturally relevant. Holistic Mission offers a serious biblical critique of the holistic movement and points the way back to the Gospel of Truth.

354 pages, Paperback

Published May 27, 2016

About the author

Dr E S Williams was Director of Public Health for Croydon Health Authority for many years. He is the author of 'The Dark Side of Christian Counselling', 'Christ or Therapy?' and numerous research papers in medical journals.

Reviews

[Mark Dunn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dr J. V. Mcgee's sermons are translated ,intact with the corney jokes and downhome homilies, into many languages. He is not sensitive to other cultures ,especially his own, yet the (ttb.org) radio broadcast converts people from a 120 different languages and dialect groups.

[Will Turner · Rating 1 out of 5]

These are scattered notes. I am not sure if this book is even worth offering a full thought out review.

There’s a reason why this book is of the self-published variety.

Reformed fundy…? (https://www.belmonthouse.co.uk/)

He doesn’t address arguments.

It’s full of strawmen. Where does he get them all? I’ve never seen so many.

He tries to speciously trace the history of holistic missions through the social gospel. Guilt by association riddles this book. Again, he doesn’t address arguments. And he makes false connections all over the place.

This book is an embarrassment.

W charges holistic missions with being a heresy because it redefines the gospel. I would agree that some “holistic missions” do redefine the gospel. Would I call them heretical… Eh… not sure.

The gospel is dangerous. Rom 6 – Should we continue sinning because of the gospel? May it never be! Should we throw out holistic mission because there have been some wrong expressions of it? May it never be!

The question is, what is the mission of the church? Discipleship. Then how is discipleship defined? Teaching to observe all that I have taught! W defines it as conversionism. Salvation. A kind of rescue boat – ARK, theology. Get on the ark and you are safe. It doesn’t matter what you do once you are on the ark, what matters is that you get on.

If we are saved should we not expect life transformation? Yes, Ephesians 2:10 – we are saved to good works. Therefore, should we not expect our life transformation to trickle down to those around us? Yes. This is social change.

Now, I believe we need a chastened humility. There is too much talk of transforming the world. That is Jesus’ job when he returns. But do we shape and form and even to a degree transform culture? Yes, I believe we do. I believe it is possible. But more so on a smaller, local scale.

Matt 28:18-20 (below quotes from Leon Morris, The Gospel According to Matthew, 749.)
- When Jesus refers to teaching to observe all that he has commanded he “is concerned with a way of life… He continually urges his followers to live in a manner pleasing to God.”
- All Things – “Since the teaching of Jesus is a unified whole, disciples are to observe all that this means.”