The 1910 Edinburgh Centenary of the World Missionary Conference is a suggestive moment for many people seeking direction for Christian mission in the 21st century. Several different constituencies within world Christianity held significant events around 2010. Since 2005 an international group has worked collaboratively to develop an intercontinental and multi-denominational project, now known as Edinburgh 2010, and based at New College, University of Edinburgh. This initiative brought together representatives of twenty different global Christian bodies, representing all major Christian denominations and confessions and many different strands of mission and church life, to prepare for the Centenary.
Essential to the work of the Edinburgh 1910 Conference, and of abiding value, were the findings of the eight think-tanks or "commissions." These inspired the idea of a new round of collaborative reflection on Christian mission – but now focussed on nine themes identified as being key to mission in the 21st century. The study process has been polycentric, open-ended, and as inclusive as possible of the different genders, regions of the world, and theological and confessional perspectives in today’s church. The titles of the resulting Edinburgh 2010 Series are divided into two categories: (1) the three official titles of Edinburgh 2010, and (2) publications of various study groups, including the Edinburgh 2010 main study groups, transversal, regional, and different confessional study groups.
These publications express the ethos of Edinburgh 2010 and will make a significant contribution to its study process. Material published in this series will inevitably express a diverse range of views and positions. These will not necessarily represent those of the series’ editors or of the Edinburgh 2010 General Council, but in publishing them the leadership of Edinburgh 2010 hopes to encourage conversation between Christians and collaboration in mission. All the series volumes are commended for study and reflection in both churches and academies.
Views expressed in the items posted on the Digital Showcase are those of the contributors only. Their publication on the Digital Showcase does not express or imply endorsement by the Digital Showcase or Oral Roberts University.
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Interfaith Relations after One Hundred Years: Christian Mission among Other Faiths
Marina Ngursangzeli Behera
The essays in this book reflect not only this acceptance and celebration of pluralism within India but also by extension an acceptance as well as a need for unity among Indian Christians of different denominations. The essays were presented and studied at a preparatory consultation on Study Theme II: Christian Mission Among Other Faiths under the theme "Interfaith Relations Among Other Faiths" at the United Theological College, Bangalore, India
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The Church Going Glocal: Mission and Globalisation
Tormod Engelsviken, Erling Lundeby, and Dagfinn Solheim
'This book provides thought-provoking and inspiring reading for all concerned with mission in the 21st century. I have been challenged by its contributors to re-think our Gospel ministries in our new local contexts marked by globalization and migration. With its biblical foundation, its missiological reflection and interaction with contemporary society I warmly recommend this volume for study and pray that it will renew our passion for the Gospel and compassion for people'.
- Rt Rev Ole Chr M Kvarme, Bishop of Oslo
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Edinburgh 2010: Mission Today and Tomorrow
Kirsteen Kim and Andrew Anderson
The centenary of the historic and influential World Missionary Conference held in Edinburgh 1910 presented a unique opportunity for the whole church worldwide to come together in celebration, reflection and recommitment to witnessing to Christ today. Edinburgh 2010 also engaged in serious study and reflection on the current state of world mission and the challenges facing all those who seek to witness Christ today. The results of this research was presented and debated within the context of Christian fellowship and worship at the conference in June 2010. This record of that conference is intended to give the background to that Call, to share the spirit of the conference, and to stimulate informed and focused participation in God’s mission in Christ for the world’s salvation.
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Evangelical and Frontier Mission: Perspectives on the Global Progress of the Gospel
A. Scott Moreau and Beth Snodderly
This extraordinary compendium documents and illustrates the movement from what Edinburgh 1910 designated as ‘unoccupied fields’ to what R. Winter strategically designated as ‘unreached people groups’ thus re-pioneering frontier missiology focused on 'finishing the task.
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Mission and Postmodernities
Rolv Olsen, Kajsa Ahlstrand, J. Andrew Kirk, Tania Petrova, Teresa Francesca Rossi, and J. Jayakiran Sebastian
Some may consider 'postmodernities' a Western dilemma. The contributions from some writers in the Global South (China, India and Korea) unfold a larger canvas and explore the implications for Christian mission. This focus on 'mission' is central: this is not just a book about the many facets and trends of postmodernities. It is a book about the implications for mission, for what it means to live as Christians and as churches in a terra incognita, in a world where we have not been before.
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Witnessing to Christ in a Pluralistic World: Christian Mission among Other Faiths
Lalsangkima Pachuau and Knud Jorgensen
'Christian Mission among Other Faiths' was one of the Edinburgh 2010 themes. As part of the study process, position papers and case studies were invited from a wide range of contributors representing various theological positions, confessional traditions and denominational bodies. The quality of the studies and the variety they represent convinced us to publish in this form. The position papers are reflections on the theme by scholars belonging to Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Protestant-Conciliar, Protestant-Evangelical, Pentecostal, and Seventh-Day Adventist Churches. Among the case studies are articles on Christian mission among Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Jews, new religious movements and folk or primal religions.
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Edinburgh 2010: Witnessing to Christ Today
Daryl Balia and Kirsteen Kim
The Edinburgh 2010 study process is unique. Set up to mark the centenary of the World Missionary Conference, Edinburgh 1910, it is a project of churches worldwide which is multi-regional, cross-denominational and poly-centric. It involves all the major Christian world bodies, including Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, Evangelical and Pentecostal, with study events taking place in every continent that involve hundreds of Christians in different parts of the world. This volume, the second in the Edinburgh 2010 series, includes reports of the nine main study groups on different themes which will be used as the raw material for discussions at the conference in June 2010. Their collaborative work brings together perspectives that are as inclusive as possible of contemporary world Christianity and helps readers to grasp what it means to be ‘witnessing to Christ today’.
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Mission Continues: Global Impulses for the 21st Century
Claudia Wahrisch-Oblau and Fidon Mwombeki
In May 2009, 35 theologians from Asia, Africa and Europe met in Wuppertal, Germany, for a consultation on mission theology organized by the United Evangelical Mission: Communion of 35 Churches in Three Continents. The collection of papers in this book has been taken from papers delivered at the Wuppertal consultation. In some cases, short responses by one or two of the consultation participants were added to highlight the discussions that followed.
The very varied voices collected in this anthology nevertheless have much in common: Even where they are most theoretical it is obvious that all contributors come from missionary practice and bring in their contextual experiences.
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Holistic Mission: God’s Plan for God’s People
Brian Woolnough and Wonsuk Ma
This book reaffirms that to be true to the bible, to follow the example of Jesus, the church must address the whole person in all their needs. It considers the meaning of the holistic gospel, how it has developed, and implications for the individual Christian, for the local church, for denominations and church groups, for missionary societies, for Christian NGOs, and for theological training. It takes a global, eclectic approach, with 19 writers, church leaders, academics and practitioners and addresses critically and honestly one of the most exciting, challenging, and important issues facing the church today. To be part of God's Plan for God's People, the church must take holistic mission to the world.
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Edinburgh 2010: Mission Then and Now
David A. Kerr and Kenneth R. Ross
No one can fully understand the modern Christian missionary movement without engaging substantially with the World Missionary Conference, held at Edinburgh in 1910. As the centenary of the Conference approaches, the time is ripe to examine its meaning in light of the past century and the questions facing Christians today. This book is first to systematically examine the eight Commissions which reported to Edinburgh 1910 and gave the conference much of its substance and enduring value. It will deepen and extend the reflection being stimulated by the upcoming centenary and will kindle the missionary imagination for 2010 and beyond.
