Anthropology and Mission have had a long and stormy history to the present era. Nevertheless, anthropologists have used ethnographic data compiled by missionaries to develop their theoretical models. This article briefly traces this history and shows how applied anthropology emerged and impacted mission. Missionaries' use of anthropological insights is also explored, including discussion of the precursor to Missiology, the journal Practical Anthropology. The article concludes by drawing on the Incarnation as a model for mission and then arguing that there are biblical and theological reasons for developing a closer connection between anthropology and mission. In order to be more incarnational in cross-cultural ministry, we need to draw on the insights from anthropology.
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