In John 17:21, Jesus established his relationship with the Father as a pattern for his followers in the context of his mission in the world. What are the implications of that trinitarian perspective on the mission of evangelical Protestant missionaries who work in areas of the world where Christian churches date back many centuries?
This article traces the tie between missions and trinitarian reflection and considers the ways in which the perichoretic understanding of the divine Trinity provides an example, pattern, or model that provides an unmistakable source of contextuality, comprehensiveness, and coherence to missional endeavors in post-Christendom lands.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
BedardBob1996Evangelization: A Challenge for the Catholic Church. Ontario, Canada: Catholic Renewal Centre in Ottawa.
2.
BjorkDavid E.1997Unfamiliar Paths: The Challenge of Recognizing the Work of Christ in Strange Clothing. Pasadena, CA: William Carey Library.
3.
BloeschDonald G.1983The Future of Evangelical Christianity: A Call for Unity Amid Diversity. Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Company, Inc.
4.
ButinPhilip Walker1994Revelation, Redemption and Response. New York: Oxford University Press.
5.
DawsonChristopher1965 [1960] The Historic Reality of Christian Culture. New York: Harper Torchbooks.
6.
EvansRobert P.1963Let Europe Hear. Chicago, IL: Moody Press.
7.
GuntonColin E.1993The One, the Three and the Many: God, Creation and the Culture of Modernity. Cambridge, UK: University Press.
8.
HarrisonVerna1991“Perichoresis in the Greek Fathers.”St. Vladimir's Theological Quarterly35(1):53–65.
9.
HillWilliam J.1982The Three-Personed God: The Trinity as a Mystery of Salvation. Washington, DC: The Catholic University of America Press.
10.
KoopAllen V.1986American Evangelical Missionaries in France, 1945–1975. New York: University Press of America.
11.
KraftCharles H.1991Communication Theory for Christian Witness. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books.
12.
LaCugnaCatherine Mowry1991God for Us: The Trinity and Christian Life. San Francisco, CA: Harper.
13.
LowryCharles Wesley1946The Trinity and Christian Devotion. London, UK: Eyre and Spottiswoode.
14.
NewbiginLesslie1964Trinitarian Faith and Today's Mission. Richmond, VA: John Knox Press.
15.
NewbiginLesslie1987“Can the West Be Converted?”International Bulletin of Missionary Research11(1):2–7.
16.
PohleJoseph1950The Divine Trinity. St. Louis, MO: B. Herder Book Co..
17.
RauschThomas P.SJ1996“Catholic-Evangelical Relations: Signs of Progress.”One In Christ32(1):40–52.
18.
SchaefferFrancis A.1970The Church at the End of the Twentieth Century. Downers Grove, IL: Inter Varsity.
19.
ShenkWilbert R.1994“Encounters with ‘Culture’ Christianity.”International Bulletin of Missionary Research18(1):8–13.
20.
SpindlerMarc H.1987“Europe's Neo-Paganism: A Perverse Inculturation.”International Bulletin of Missionary Research11(1):8–10.
21.
TorranceThomas F.1996The Christian Doctrine of God, One Being Three Persons. Edinburgh, UK: T&T Clark.
22.
WagnerC. Peter1968“Winning Roman Catholics in the Post-Vatican II Era.” Paper presented at the Missions Executives Retreat, IFMA - EFMA, Winona Lake, Indiana.
23.
WhiteJames R.1996The Roman Catholic Controversy?Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House Publishers.
24.
ZacchelloJoseph1988Secrets of Romanism. Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers.
25.
ZinsRobert M.1995Romanism: The Relentless Roman Catholic Assault on the Gospel of Jesus Christ!Huntsville, AL: White Horse Publications.
