The Church And Its Mission

a shattering critique from the Third World

Plot

The Author Answers A Crying Need For A Fresh View Of Missiology -- A Cogent, Scholarly, Pointed Analysis Of The Stance Of The Church Today In Relation To The Execution Of The Great Commission. Here Is A Piercing Look At The Varied And Often Conflicting Missiological Philosophies Of The North Atlantic Nations. Here Is A Balanced Evaluation Of The Efforts Of Evangelicals And Ecumenists To Find A Workable Relationship To Each Other And To The Non-christian World. Here Also Is A Warm Bible-based Challenge To The Whole Body Of Christ And Some Practical Suggestions For The Future Of World Mission. 1. God's Redemptive Mission To The World -- The Role Of The Church -- The Specific Character Of This Book -- The Objective Of This Book -- The Origin Of This Book -- The Tentativeness Of This Book -- God's Mission And The Church's Nature -- 2. The Church's Character -- People Of God -- Body Of Christ -- Temple Of The Holy Spirit -- Institution -- 3. The Church's Calling -- The Purpose Of The Church's Calling -- Dimensions Of The Church's Missionary Calling -- 4. The Church's Message -- The Gospel As The Fulfillment Of The Old Testament Hope -- The Gospel As Fulfilled In Jesus Of Nazareth -- The Gospel As Praxis -- God's Mission And The Church's Growth -- 5. The Imperative Of Church Growth -- The Dynamic Nature Of Church Growth -- The Biblical Case For Church Growth -- The Theological Rationale For Church Growth -- 6. The Church Growth Movement -- A Theological Interpretation Of The Church As A Missionary Community -- A Sociotheological Analysis Of The Phenomenon Of Growth In Christina Community -- A Strategy For The Growth Of The Church -- 7. An Appraisal Of Church Growth Theory -- Contributions Of The Church Growth Movement To Contemporary Missiology -- The Problem With Church Growth Theory -- God's Mission And The Church's Tensions -- 8. Mission And Church-mission Relations -- The Church-mission Issue -- The Problem Behind The Issue -- Toward Relevant Criteria For A Sound Church-mission Relationship Policy -- 9. Mission And The Liberation Of Man -- Problem In Historico-theological Perspective -- The Nature Of The Problem -- Uppsala And The Renewal In Mission Report -- Evangelicals And The Renewal In Mission Report [by] Orlando E. Costas. Includes Bibliographical References.