A Theology of Christian Mission
MICHAEL NIEBAUER
studies in historical and systematic theology
Virtuous Persuasion: A Theology of Christian Mission
Studies in Historical and Systematic Theology
Copyright 2022 Michael Niebauer
Lexham Academic, an imprint of Lexham Press
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Print ISBN 9781683595052
Digital ISBN 9781683595069
Library of Congress Control Number 2022933802
Lexham Editorial: Elliot Ritzema, Elizabeth Vince, Abigail Stocker, Danielle Thevenaz, Mandi Newell
Cover Design: Brittany Schrock
The American Society of Missiology Series Preface
The Critical Task: Three Models, Three Problems
The Constructive Task: Mission, Virtue, and the Practices of Proclamation and Gathering
4. Mission as Virtuous Practice
7. Entering into the Craft of Mission: Tragedy, Tradition, and Telos
This book is about the underlying and inevitable challenges faced by those who embark on the practices of mission and a call for those so engaged to morally reflect on their actions. The roots of this project can be traced as far back as 2005, when I had the extremely good fortune of starting a new church on the campus of Northwestern University with the help of William Beasley and Steve Long. In William I found someone who followed the Holy Spirit and was confident that the Holy Spirit would work in all faithful missional endeavors, no matter what the material outcome. From Steve I learned the value of consistent intellectual and moral reflection on such endeavors. This work is in many ways the confluence of these influences.
While taking Elizabeth Cochran’s class on virtue ethics at Duquesne University, I underlined a passage in Alasdair MacIntyre’s After Virtue concerning his critique of bureaucratic managers. In the margin I wrote “church planting?” That note ...
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About Virtuous Persuasion: A Theology of Christian MissionChristians should make disciples as disciples. Christians who are engaged in missions regularly face ethical challenges. But the approaches and standards of modern missions often further complicate, rather than alleviate, matters. Modern missiology debates what actions constitute mission work, how to measure growth, and the difference between persuasion and coercion. In Virtuous Persuasion, Michael Niebauer casts a holistic vision for Christian mission that is rooted in theological ethics and moral philosophy. Niebauer proposes a theology of mission grounded in virtue. Becoming a skilled missionary is more about following Christ than mastering techniques. Christian mission is best understood as specific activities that develop virtue in its practitioners and move them toward their ultimate goal of partaking in the glory of God. With Virtuous Persuasion, you can rethink the essence of Jesus’s Great Commission and how we seek to fulfill it. |
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