Theology of Mission

- 2014 Best Texts of Missiology, from Byron Borger, Hearts and Minds BookstoreJohn Howard Yoder, author of The Politics of Jesus (1972), was best known for his writing and teaching on Christian pacifism. The material in Theology of Mission shows he was a profound missiologist as well. Working from a believers or free church perspective, Yoder effortlessly weaves together biblical, theological, practical and interreligious reflections to think about mission beyond Christendom.Along the way he traces the developments in the theology of mission and argues for an understanding of the church that is not merely a corrective but a genuine alternative. The church is missionary by nature, called to bear witness to the coming kingdom, because it serves the missionary God of the Bible "who comes, who takes the initiative, who reaches across whatever it is that separates us."Decades later, these lectures read just as fresh and relevant as if they were written today. As the editors state in their preface, "those who have followed Yoder?s work over the years will find this book to be some of his most striking unpublished material since The Politics of Jesus." Not just a volume for Yoder enthusiasts, Theology of Mission is for anyone who cares about the mission of the church today. It only reinforces Yoder's status as one of the most important and prophetic theologians of the last century.

Gayle Gerber Koontz (Ph.D., Boston University) is professor of theology and ethics at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary. Among her many published essays is "Unity with Integrity: John H. Yoder's Ecumenical Theology and Practice," which appeared in the 2010 book Radical Ecumenicity: Pursuing Unity and Continuity after John Howard Yoder (edited by John C. Nugent).

John Howard Yoder (1927-1997), author of The Politics of Jesus (1972), was best known forhis writing and teaching on Christian pacifism. He studied theology and served as a Mennonite mission staff person in post-war Europe from 1949-1957 and continued in overseas mission administration from the agency's base in Elkhart, Indiana, from 1959-1965. He received his doctorate from the University of Basel. During the 1960s he began teaching at Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminaries, leaving it in 1984. He continued his teachingand scholarly work as professor of theology at the University of Notre Dame until his death at the age of 70.

Andy Alexis-Baker (M.A., Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary) is general editor with Tripp York of the Peaceable Kingdom series from Cascade Books. He recently published an essay on Christian pacifism in A Faith Not Worth Fighting For: Addressing Commonly Asked Questions about Christian Nonviolence edited by Tripp York and Justin Barringer (Cascade, 2012). He is currently finishing work on a Ph.D. in systematic theology and theological ethics at Marquette University.Alexis-Baker holds memberships in the International Jacques Ellul Society, the North American Patristics Society, the Mennonite Historical Society and the American Academy of Religion.