The Pilgrimage of the Evangelical Dictionary of World Missions

Abstract

This article describes the six-year development process and the undergirding philosophy of the Evangelical Dictionary of World Missions (EDWM). One of a series of reference works published by Baker Book House, the EDWM presents in irenic fashion a broad-based evangelical orientation toward the missionary enterprise. The roughly 1,440 entries (760,000 assigned words) provide comprehensive coverage of the field (including theology, social sciences, history, religions, theory, practice, people, and geography). The writing style enables accessibility for the lay reader, and the additional helps (bibliographies, an outline of the articles, indices, and cross-references) make the EDWM usable for the scholar or student of mission who needs to survey a missiological discipline.