IVP Reference – serie

This dictionary breaks new ground by combining articles on Christian ethics and pastoral theology in one volume. It seeks to integrate moral, pastoral and practical theology in a way not attempted before in a single work of reference.Instead of the usual A-Z listing throughout, it is arranged in two parts. Part One consists of eighteen extended articles, arranged in theological order, introducing users to the main themes of Christian ethics and pastoral theology. Part Two contains articles, alphabetically arranged, which stem from the main themes. An easy-to-use reference system enables quick transition from the first to the second part and vice versa.Articles address a wide range of topics: reproductive technologies and transplant surgery, health and health care; issues of economic and social justice; prison and prison reform; psychotherapy and family therapy; business ethics and data protection; as well as such traditional subjects as atonement, the kingdom of God, suffering, death and dying, and heaven and hell.This dictionary will therefore appeal to many groups: pastors, counsellors, medical practitioners, people employed in the caring services, Christians in professional or commercial life, and indeed to all who want to live out their faith meaningfully and ethically in today's complex and challenging world.Its spacious layout, superb design and clear print make this volume a delight to use, and its carefully drawn-up bibliographies will help readers to deepen their knowledge of particular subject.

This major reference work is offered as a resource for today's church in its life, worship, and mission to the world. It aims to enable readers not merely to defend the gospel of Jesus Christ against attack, but also to commend it positively.The Dictionary addresses the main intellectual objections to the Christian faith, and puts the case in its favour from a wide variety of perspectives. But since apologetics is the task of the whole person, the contributors also consider how the truth of the church's message can be demonstrated within the diverse elements of contemporary culture.Christian students and scholars in all major disciplines, pastors and lay leaders of local churches, and anyone actively involved in evangelism or social outreach will be empowered by this dictionary to witness more effectively to Christ, in word and deed.

Christian mission is changing and developing rapidly as the centre of gravity of the faith shifts ever further 'south'. The practice of mission 'from everywhere to everywhere' challenges many traditional models, and new contexts raise new questions for established theologies. Evangelicals need a mission theology that engages with these challenges and contexts, while also affirming foundational truths and scriptural boundaries.The 'Dictionary of Mission Theology' draws on the work of many scholars who are contributing to the renewal of mission thinking and practice among evangelicals. It highlights and explores the missiological implications of a wide range of Christian doctrines and theologies, and the theological dimensions of many mission themes. Contributors have been encouraged to discuss their subjects contextually, grounding their ideas and arguments in the real worlds where these have been conceived and applied. The resulting missiology both has its roots in cherished and recognized evangelical categories and interprets them in fresh and dynamic ways.The new pattern of world Christianity is reflected in the dictionary in a majority contribution from the Majority World. Some 60% of the 160 articles are by non-Western authors, though leading Western thinkers are also well represented.The Dictionary will be invaluable for church leaders, missionaries, students of mission and those involved in the teaching and practice of mission worldwide, and will be accessible to a non-specialist readership. It is intended for every context in which mission is learnt and done, and to set a new benchmark for evangelical mission theology.