The Church and Its Vocation: Lesslie Newbigin's Missionary Ecclesiology

by Michael W. Goheen, N.T. Wright (Foreword)

Lesslie Newbigin, one of the twentieth century's most important church leaders, offered insights on the church in a pluralistic world that are arguably more relevant now than when first written. This volume presents his ecclesiology to a new generation. Michael Goheen clearly articulates Newbigin's missionary understanding of the church and places it in the context of Newbigin's core theological convictions. Suitable for students as well as church leaders, this book offers readers a better understanding of the mission of the church in the world today. Foreword by N. T. Wright.

Genres: Ecclesiology, Theology, Church, Christianity, Nonfiction

236 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Michael 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.

Reviews

[Suzanne McDonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a magnificent account of Newbigin’s thought, and almost every page is a reminder of how much we still need his witness - especially in relation to the cultural captivity, syncretism, and idolatry of the church today.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Goheen has immersed himself in the thought and writings of the missiologist Lesslie Newbgin for several decades. So what we have here is a distillation and exegesis of Newbgin's ideas on ecclesiology, mission, missions and culture -- and their interrelationships.

If you read only one book on Newbigin make sure it is this one.

[Matt Allhands · Rating 5 out of 5]

Granted - I did not thoroughly read this book - but I more or less hopped around to get the scope of Newbigin's missional ecclesiology via Goheen. Goheen demonstrates a great familiarity with Newbigin and a great application to the life and identity of the modern church. I would even go so far as to say that church leaders should read this as a vital text for institutional identity formation within the local church and may need to reorient their theological thinking about missions; particularly as it pertains to the life of the local congregation in the west.

[Brice Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I've read in a while, and one I'll be returning to in the future.

[Will Imfeld · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fascinating book.
I had never heard of Lesslie Newbigin before this and wow…I am so thankful to Goheen for this presentation of Newbigin’s ecclesiology.
This book was incredibly thought provoking in a number of ways. A few include…

1. Inseparably connecting the identity of the church and its missionary vocation.
2. Presenting the Bible as the true universal narrative of history over and against every other story that underlies any culture.
3. Challenging the church to clash with the incompatible cultural stories around it in missionary encounters
4. Seeing person of Christ as the focal point of universal history… the end of the story breaking into the middle.
5. Identifying the role of the church as a new humanity that bears in its body and community (gathered and scattered) the renewal of the end in the present.
6. Explaining that the church is both for and against the world: for the creational good of culture but against the idolatrous dogma in culture.
7. Reminding the church that is missionary identity is best lived out in “subversive fulfillment” not through Christendom or privatization.
8. Diagnosing the syncretism western church,
particularly in its acceptance of the Enlightenment-influenced myth of “neutral reason”.

Newbigin was evidently a deep and thorough thinker, with valuable insights influenced by his 40 years of missionary work in India.
I will be reading more of him.

[Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Goheen provides an excellent synthesis of Newbigin's missionary ecclesiology. Newbigin is one of those minds that cuts through the smoke and the mud. He manages to not only fall on one side or another of the various ditches that surround the road known as ecclesiology, but he also functions as a prophetic voice for the church. Most notably for our day, he saw how politics and economics would begin to rob the church of her voice; if only he wasn't right! I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in a serious look at the doctrine of the church from a realistic yet hopeful perspective that pulls from Newbigin's decades of experience as a missionary in India, a bishop and a pastor.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goheen writes a rich summary of Newbigin’s theological writing and thinking. Sometimes repetitive yet helpful to get immersed into Newbigin’s ideas.
No doubt that one would walk away from this book with a thorough understanding of Newbigin’s missional theology, biblical hermeneutic, discernment of culture and especially the vision to see the large robust cosmic implication of the gospel applied in one’s contextual life and culture.
Goheen was a very good guide!

[Rebecca Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Goheen presents a highlight reel of Lesslie Newbigin, an Anglican bishop who certainly knew how to think about and influence the church to love the Lord and people in pluralistic Western society. I'm always inspired, humbled, encouraged, refreshed, and invigorated by his thought and example. How wonderful is it when (if?) the church serves as a sign of the reality of Christ, an instrument of his goodness, and an embodied foretaste of his kingdom! May it be so!

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an outstanding book presenting the missionary ecclesiology of Lessie Newbigin. Probably no one is better equipped to write on Newbigin than is Michael Goheen who been immersed in Newbigin’s thought since the days of his PhD. study. The topic is hugely relevant today in spite of the time elapsed since Newbigin’s original work.

[Elizabeth Barnett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great for those currently unhappy with the way Christians sometimes misrepresent Christ and helpful for the church to understand how to encourage members to bring the Kingdom of Heaven in the here and now.

[Mrs C]

Helpful insights and analysis of Newbigin's theology for Western contexts today

Helpful insights and analysis of Newbigin's theology for Western contexts today.
Clear, readable and useful for any student of missiology.

[Jeremy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good stuff. Interesting to see Newbigin was thinking about APEST/Fivefold in his time. These days, other missional leaders have fleshed out many of these things.

[John Ochtyun · Rating 4 out of 5]

By far the last two chapters are the best! The overall view of missions is painted it broad strokes, more detail could have been used to establish context.

[Brianna Warme · Rating 5 out of 5]

man, this book was fantastic

[Matthew Rawlings · Rating 5 out of 5]

The church needs to listen, at last, to Newbigin.