Virtuous Persuasion

Christians 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.

Michael Niebauer (PhD, Duquesne University) is pastor of Incarnation Church in State College, Pennsylvania, and a teaching fellow at Trinity School for Ministry. He is an ecclesial fellow in the Center for Pastor Theologians and hosts the Christian catechesis podcast This We Believe.