Regnum Books International – förlag

The concept of diakonia has developed over the last decades, especially within the ecumenical movement, to a degree that may be characterized as a paradigm shift. Three main features characterize this change: First, the ecclesial dimension of diakonia is now strongly underlined. While diakonia earlier often was perceived as the activity of professional diaconal workers or agencies, it is now emphasized that diakonia belongs to the nature and the mission of being church. Second, it affirms that diaconal action must be holistic, taking into consideration the physical, mental, social and spiritual dimension, and rejecting practices that tend to departmentalize sectors of human reality. Third, it enhances bold and prophetic expressions of diaconal action, in solidarity with marginalized and suffering people, moving away from traditions of conceptualizing diakonia as humble service. The authors of this book largely subscribe to this understanding. The major part of them belongs to the faculty of Diakonhjemmet University College in Oslo.

The Centenary of the World Missionary Conference, held in Edinburgh in 1910, is a suggestive moment for many people seeking direction for Christian mission in the twenty-first century. Since 2005 an international group has worked collaboratively to develop an intercontinental and multidenominational project, now known as Edinburgh 2010, and based at New College, University of Edinburgh. Essential to the work of the Edinburgh 1910 Conference, and of abiding value, were the findings of the eight think-tanks or ‘commissions’. These inspired the idea of a new round of collaborative reflection on Christian mission – but now focused on nine themes identified as being key to mission in the twenty-first century. The study process is intended to contribute, from a research perspective, to the aim of Edinburgh 2010 - witnessing together to Christ in the twenty-first century - and to the development of a new vision in terms of God’s purposes for creation in Christ and a renewed spirituality and mission ethos in the life of churches worldwide. Witnessing to Christ Today contains a summary of what has been achieved through the study process up to the end of 2009 and forms the preparatory volume for the centenary conference to be held in Edinburgh on 2-6 June 2010. There the material will be subjected to rigorous critique from various transversal perspectives and engaged with by church and mission delegates from around the world.

This book addresses the causes and the consequences of culture change in Ethiopia, from Haile Selassie to the present, based on thorough academic research. Although the book is written from an evangelical perspective, it invites Ethiopians from all religious, ideological, and ethnic backgrounds to reflect on their past, analyze their present and to engage in unity with diversity to face the future. It also appeals to the conscience of global and regional powers who have been directly and indirectly involved in the affairs of Ethiopia.

“The Bible is alive – it has hands and grabs hold of me, it has feet and runs after me”. Thus spoke Martin Luther, as cited by Knud Jørgensen in a quotation that summarizes the deeper meaning of this book. To the authors of Bible in Mission, the Bible is the book of life, and mission is life in the Word. This core reality cuts across the diversity of contexts and hermeneutical strategies represented in these essays. The authors are committed to the boundary-crossings that characterize contemporary mission – and each sees the Bible as foundational to the missio Dei, to God’s work in the world.

The Church in India has a far closer connection to Edinburgh 1910, as F.S. Downs points out, that one of the Indian delegates was Rev. Thankan Sangma, a Garo. This little known fact is illustrative of how, on one hand, the Church in North East India is ignorant of this legacy and continues to view ecumenism poorly and suspiciously, while on the other hand the challenges faced by the Church in the region and the social, economic and political milieu it is placed in, have been largely ignored, neglected or worse still, identified with what is generally portrayed as what the Church in India is. A Post-Edinburgh 2010 consultation was organized at the Aizawl Theological College in Aizawl, Mizoram, from 28-30 September 2011 to examine how the Church in the region would respond to the Edinburgh 2010 celebrations from its own perspective. This volume is a direct outcome of that consultation and while mainly comprising papers presented at the consultation, papers from scholars from the region who did not participate, as well as those from outside well acquainted with the region are included. The book’s contents deal with the nine study themes of Edinburgh 2010, spanning the ethnic, tribal and denominational diversity of the region. It is hoped that the volume will bring to the wider world the faith journeys, growth prospects and challenges of the churches in North East India as well as serve as a resource material for Northeast Indian Christians themselves to help gain a better understanding of their contexts in which their churches are placed.

Holistic mission, or integral mission, implies God is concerned with the whole person, the whole community: body, mind and spirit. Many Christians concentrate only on one aspect. This book reaffirms that to be true to the Bible, to follow the example of Jesus, the church must address the whole person in all their needs. It considers the meaning of the holistic gospel, how it has developed, and implications for the individual Christian, for the local church, for denominations and church groups, for missionary societies, for Christian NGOs, and for theological training institutions. It takes a global, eclectic approach, with 19 writers, church leaders, academics and practitioners, all of whom have much experience in, and commitment to, holistic mission. It addresses critically and honestly one of the most exciting, challenging, and important issues facing the church today. To be part of God’s plan for God’s people, the church must take holistic mission to the world.

The relationship of Christian faith and mission to other living faiths is a core issue in contemporary mission. In a world where plurality of faiths is increasingly becoming a norm of life, insights on the theology of religious plurality are needed to strengthen our understanding of our own faith and the faith of others. Even though religious diversity is not new, we are seeing an upsurge in interest on the theologies of religions among all Christian confessional traditions. One reason is the ‘discovery’ in the West of other religions living in its own midst and neighbourhood. One may justifiably claim that no other issue in Christian mission is more important and more difficult than the theologies of religions. This will remain a major challenge for mission in a new century. ‘Christian Mission among Other Faiths’ was one of the Edinburgh 2010 themes. As part of the study process, position papers and case studies were invited from a wide range of contributors representing various theological positions, confessional traditions and denominational bodies. The quality of the studies and the variety they represent convinced us to publish in this form. The position papers are reflections on the theme by scholars belonging to Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Protestant-Conciliar, Protestant-Evangelical, Pentecostal, and Seventh-Day Adventist Churches. Among the case studies are articles on Christian mission among Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Jews, new religious movements and folk or primal religions.

Protestant Western mission to China since Robert Morrison arrived in Macao in 1807 until Mao Zedong’s Communist revolution 1949 has been controversial, not least in China. When the missionaries after 1949 were expelled from China, the official Chinese history did not leave them much honour. They were viewed as lackeys of Western imperialism propagating a religion that was “feudal superstition” and which would eventually disappear in a Communist society. Yet, today the view of the missionaries is changing in Chinese historiography. This book is an attempt to present some aspects of the many-faceted Norwegian Protestant mission to China during the 60 years from about 1890 to 1949. Among the themes that are dealt with in the ten chapters are the background of missionaries and their motivation for mission to China, the personal relationship between the missionaries and the Chinese, missionary contributions to contextual Chinese preaching, liturgy and hymns, missionaries as instruments of revival, and social justice and women’s rights. The book is also a tribute to all the men and women who gave their lives to the mission to China and to the millions of Christians of China who have persevered during hard times until today.

With a history of racial violence and in recent years, low-level ethnic tensions, the themes of peaceful coexistence and social harmony are recurring ones in the discourse of Malaysian society. In such a context, this book looks at the role of the church as a reconciling agent, arguing that a reconciling presence within a divided society necessitates an ethos of peacemaking. Such an ethos is created and sustained when Christians understand that their identity has been transformed in Jesus Christ. With a combination of theological, historical and sociological perspectives Rowan sets out to demonstrate that being an agent of reconciliation is linked to how effective we are in bearing witness to an identity given by Christ.

A Century of Catholic Mission surveys the complex and rich history and theology of Roman Catholic Mission in the one hundred years since the 1910 Edinburgh World Mission Conference. Essays written by an international team of Catholic mission scholars focus on Catholic Mission in every region of the world, summarize church teaching on mission before and after the watershed event of the Second Vatican Council, and reflect on a wide variety of theological issues.

There is hope – even if it is “Hope in a Fragile World”, as the concluding chapter of Mission as Ministry of Reconciliation puts it. At the very heart of the gospel of Jesus Christ is a message of hope and reconciliation. Nothing could be more relevant and more necessary in a broken world than this Christian message of hope and reconciliation. ... I would like to congratulate the editors of Mission as Ministry of Reconciliation, for they listened carefully and planned with farsightedness. … This rich book offers a valuable elucidation of the importance and the understanding of mission as ministry of reconciliation. It expounds its practical implications in a variety of settings. It unites perspectives from different church traditions, including the Lausanne Movement and the Catholic Church. It takes the interfaith aspect into account and also speaks about the socio-ethical implications of mission.

Orthodox Perspectives on Mission is both a humble tribute to some great Orthodox theologians, who in the past have provided substantial contribution to contemporary missiological and ecumenical discussions, and an Orthodox input to the upcoming 2013 Busan WCC General Assembly. There is a long history of similar contributions by the Orthodox before all the major ecumenical events. The collected volume is divided into two parts: Part I under the subtitle The Orthodox Heritage consists of a limited number of representative Orthodox missiological contributions of the past, whereas Part II includes all the papers presented in the Plenary of the recent Edinburgh 2010 conference, as well as the short studies and contributions prepared during the Edinburgh 2010 ongoing study process.

The Lausanne Movement has since 1974 functioned as a platform and forum for Evangelical leaders from various geographical and confessional strands. This year it will celebrate its 40th anniversary. This volume brings together voices about both The Lausanne Movement and on the Cape Town Congress in 2010. It gives a broad perspective on the development of and reflection on mission and evangelism among Evangelicals, with a particular focus on the Lausanne movement. It contains chapters about the historical, theological and missiological background and discusses key issues and concepts of Lausanne as they have emerged over the years since 1974. It offers links to and reflections on Cape Town and on Lausanne. Critical views of Cape Town and Lausanne are also included, aiming at opening up a dialogue with other views on evangelism and mission.

The movement of people from their homelands is increasing exponentially. Such waves of both immigration and migration triggered by various factors have created new opportunities for the church and its mission. This volume explores such global diasporas from both ecclesiological and missiological perspectives. Its various case studies invite reconsideration of the missionary and evangelistic task of the church in response to contemporary global dynamics. The image of the dandelion on the front cover symbolizes diverse people groups dispersed around the globe, even as the Christian imagination views such dispersal as being carried by the winds of the Holy Spirit.

As the world comes to terms with the human-caused destruction of God’s sacred creation, whether Global Christianity will celebrate a bi-centennial Edinburgh 2110 becomes a real question. Yet, as Creation Care in Christian Mission shows, the mounting and life-threatening ecological crisis is at the heart of the mission of God. The volume’s contributing authors represent a wide range of Christian traditions and geographical regions on which they draw to initiate dialogue on creation care within the wider global Christian community. They explore hard questions relative to climate change, population growth, pollution, poverty, sustainability, economic justice, deforestation, gender, and land issues. Written with academics, missionary and development agencies, and ordinary Christians in mind, this work presents a global unified spiritual and ethical voice on Creation care. The diversity of contributors from established scholars and religious leaders makes this work a unique and critical resource for understanding human responsibility toward God’s creation. The book offers hope to all Christians, for Christian mission can positively aid ecological responsibilities and actions.

Christian Contemplative Prayer is a spiritual discipline and a religious form of silent prayer, which is rooted in scriptural teachings and ancient practices. This book explores the lived experience of this prayer practice among practitioners who have faithfully engaged in this spiritual discipline for many years. Using extensive analysis of interview data from long-term prayer practitioners, this book focuses on the silent form of prayer and its interrelation with well-being and embodiment. Although scholars suggest Christian Contemplative Prayer influences practitioners’ well-being, the importance of embodiment within this practice is less understood. Within the conceptual category of ‘Embodiment’, Holley suggests integrated concepts of Embodied Self, Embodied in Christian Community, Embodied Space, and Embodied in God, thereby further expanding insights into the Christian’s holistic prayerful experience of body, mind, and spirit in God’s presence. The book also expands understanding of the diversity of methods found within the actual practice of Christian Contemplative Prayer. The aim of this book is to provide us as Christians with greater understanding in embracing contemplative prayer’s holistic wellbeing and embodiment, further allowing the presence of God to fill our lives and our relationships.

With input from more than 50 church and mission leaders from 36 nations, The Journey Concept encourages leaders within church and mission movements to move beyond the popular and highly influential strategy models founded in military, industrial-age, and competitive thinking. The Journey Concept addresses the need for a theologically and missiologically sound approach to strategic thought and practice that is community-focused, appropriate, and applicable in our ever-changing global and local contexts. The journey concept is not a model, but a mindset that draws from Scripture, story, history and a wide range of cultural experiences. It focuses on journey as reality and metaphor and seeks to help organisation leaders, and anyone participating in God’s mission, navigate continuous change and multiple contexts and cultures with grace and discernment, while remaining firmly grounded and growing in God and his Word.

The Mission Matrix surveys the extensive realm of Mission Theology, dissecting its terminology and discerning its profound implications regarding God’s mission (missio Dei) primarily from the Protestant mission movement perspective. The reader is invited on a personal journey of growth as a reflective practitioner, fostering integrity, creativity, openness, and curiosity within the realm of mission, scrutinizing the factors that have shaped one’s own Mission Theology. This introspection, conducted against the backdrop of engagement with Scripture, mission context, ministry background, and personal experience, promises to be a transformative experience, equipping and informing the reader while creating an insatiable hunger to delve deeper into the profound world of God’s mission through Mission Theology.