Gospel and Our Culture Series (GOCS) – serie

 Academy of Parish Clergy’s Top Ten Books for Parish MinistryInsights from a noteworthy convergence of top scholars in biblical studies and missiology Over the past half century, it has become clear that mission is a central theme in the Bible's narrative and, moreover, is central to the very identity of the church. This book significantly widens and deepens the emerging conversation on missional hermeneutics. Essays from top biblical and missiological scholars discuss reading the Scriptures missionally, using mission as a key interpretive lens. Five introductory chapters probe various elements of a missional hermeneutic, followed by sections on the Old and New Testaments that include chapters on two books from each to illustrate what a missional reading of them looks like. Essays in two concluding sections draw out the implications of a missional reading of Scripture for preaching and for theological education.CONTRIBUTORS Craig G. Bartholomew Richard Bauckham Carl J. Bosma Tim J. Davy Dean Flemming John R. Franke Mark Glanville Michael W. Goheen Joel B. Green Darrell L. Guder George R. Hunsberger Timothy M. Sheridan Christopher J. H. Wright N. T. Wright

Over the course of several decades, missiologist George Hunsberger has written numerous essays on crucial themes for the church's recovery of its missional identity and practice. The Story That Chooses Us brings these essays together for the first time.The book as a whole presents a composite sense of the missional identity and faithful witness to which the church is called in contemporary Western society. Hunsberger engages with well-known missiologist Lesslie Newbigin throughout his work as he carefully discerns biblical and theological roots for a contemporary vision of missional theology. The recurring themes in Hunsberger's essays provide both theological mooring and practical guidance for churches following Christ on the missional path.

Distillation of crucial issues for the church by one of the leading voices in missional theology Since the publication of the groundbreaking volume Missional Church in 1998, there has been wide-ranging engagement with the theme of the missional church. One of the leading voices in the missional church conversation, Darrell Guder here lays out basic theological issues that must be addressed for the church to serve God faithfully as Christ's witnessing people. Guder argues that there are major consequences for every classical theological locus if the fundamental claims of the missional church discussion are acknowledged. In Called to Witness he delves into these consequences, saying that we need to keep doing missional theology until it is possible to leave off the "missional scaffolding" because, after all, mission defines the very essence and calling of the church.

An expert study of church planting in the most secular part of contemporary Europe   In this book Stefan Paas offers thoughtful analysis of reasons and motives for missionary church planting in Europe, and he explores successful and unsuccessful strategies in that post-Christian secularized context.   Drawing in part on his own involvement with planting two churches in the Netherlands, Paas explores confessional motives, growth motives, and innovation motives for church planting in Europe, tracing them back to different traditions and reflecting on them from theological and empirical perspectives. He presents examples from the European context and offers sound advice for improving existing missional practices. Paas also draws out lessons for North America in a chapter coauthored with Darrell Guder and John Franke. Finally, Paas weaves together the various threads in the book with a theological defense of church planting.   Presenting new research as it does, this critical missiological perspective will add significantly to a fuller understanding of church planting in our contemporary context.