William Tyndale's Suggestions for a Protestant Missiology

Abstract

Without challenging the commonly held conclusion that the reformers generally did not stress the importance of missions, this article outlines the missiology suggested in the writings of William Tyndale. His references to the Turks make it clear that he was aware of non-Christians and of the Christians' responsibility. In face of the Turks' threat, Tyndale opposed armed resistance and, instead, emphasized love as the essential Christian motive for evangelism. The recovery of the lost art of preaching coupled with holy living constituted a missionary necessity laid on all Christians, men and women. Tyndale's role—and thus his fame—as a translator can thus be understood as a natural corollary of the reformer's missiology.