Hannes Wiher on Holistic Mission

The World Evangelical Alliance’s Theological Commission has published the 25th volume in its ‘World of Theology Series’ on the topic of holistic mission:

Hannes Wiher, Holistic Mission: An Historical and Theological Study of Its Development, 1966–2011, World of Theology Series 25 (Bonn: Verlag für Kultur und Wissenschaft Culture and Science Publ., 2022).

Here’s some blurb:

‘For the last 50 years, one of the most important discussions in global evangelicalism has concerned the idea of holistic mission, which proposes the integration of verbal evangelism and social engagement within Christian mission. This book examines how key terms such as “evangelism” and “mission” have been understood in contemporary evangelical declarations from 1966 to 2011, in the Bible, and in the missiological debate.

‘It adopts an in-depth approach to the historical, biblical and theological analysis. The main thesis is that the different conceptions of evangelism and mission in general, and that of holistic mission in particular, have their root in the worldview of the various theologians and Christian leaders preparing these statements. The book evaluates the missiological conceptions of evangelism and mission proposed in the various declarations in the light of the Bible, so as to derive a biblical understanding of evangelism and mission.’

Further information is here, and the book is available for free download as a pdf here.

Evangelical Review of Theology 47, 1 (February 2023)

The latest Evangelical Review of Theology, published by The World Evangelical Alliance, is now online and available in its entirety as a pdf here.

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More Great Reading from the WEA

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Book Reviews

Evangelical Review of Theology 44, 3 (2020)

The World Evangelical Alliance’s Evangelical Review of Theology is becoming a free online journal, starting with its August 2020 issue (contents below).

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Welcome to the New ERT

Efraim Tendero

How to Advance the Kingdom of God without Travelling

John Langlois

A Candid History of the Evangelical Review of Theology

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Thomas K. Johnson

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Where Are the Goalposts Now? Christian Theology on Sexuality in a Changing World

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The Theology and Culture of Marriage in Nigerian Evangelical Film

Nigerian evangelicals have embraced filmmaking as a way to share Christian truth, but their transnational films expose the significant worldview differences between Christian cultures in Nigeria and the West. This article probes the somewhat mixed messages that appear in videos by Nigeria’s best-known evangelical film producer, Mike Bamiloye.

Johannes Reimer and Chris Pullenayegem

World Diasporas: An Opportunity for World Mission

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Simone Twibell

Interreligious Dialogue: Towards an Evangelical Approach

Engaging with people from other religious traditions, with respect and grace while also bearing witness to our faith, can be challenging for evangelical Christians but is also a crucial part of carrying out our mission. This article surveys various types and purposes of interreligious dialogue and offers practical guidance on how and why all of us should do it.

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Faith, Hope, Love and Jesus’ Lordship: A Simple Synthesis of Christianity

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Christian Witness in a Multi-Religious World

The World Evangelical Alliance (WEA), the World Council of Churches (WCC), and the Vatican’s Pontifical Council on Inter-religious Dialogue (PCID) have released what is being billed as ‘an historic document’ on the ethics of Christian mission – Christian Witness in a Multi-Religious World: Recommendations for Conduct (available here).

It is the result of a five-year collaboration of the WEA, WCC and the Vatican, who are together said to represent over 90 percent of the world’s total Christian population.

The document comes in three main parts:

• ‘A Basis for Christian Witness’ – laying out the biblical foundations for mission, asserting that Jesus is the example for Christians in witnessing to others, and outlining the church’s participation in God’s mission.

• ‘Principles’ – outlining 12 principles Christians are called to follow in witnessing to Christ in a manner consistent with the Gospel, including acting in God’s love, rejection of violence, mutual respect and solidarity.

• ‘Recommendations’ – to Christians, church bodies, mission organisations and agencies, including study of the document, building relationships of respect and trust with people of all religions, strengthening issues of identity and faith while at the same time deepening knowledge and understanding of different religions, advocating justice and respect for the common good, calling on governments and representatives to ensure religious freedom for all people, and praying for the well-being of neighbours.

The WEA also publish some comments from Geoff Tunnicliffe, Secretary General of the WEA, who claims that the document ‘is a valuable resource for church and ministry leaders for reflection and practice on how to best witness in ways faithful to the call of Christ and in line with the life and Spirit of Jesus’.