Missions Monday: New Missiology Text That is Worth a Look

The heart of the greatest commandment according to Jesus is to "love the Lord your God with all your heart," and "love your neighbor as yourself."  This two-fold passion forms the basis for any Biblically sound, missionally-vibrant, culturally effective approach to sharing the Gospel with people--be they across the street, or on the other side of the world.  And in just a  few days, three Southern Seminary missions professors will release a new introductory textbook designed to evoke both a greater love for both Jesus, and the world He died to save.

"Introduction to Global Missions" will release July 1 from B&H Publishing Group.  The three faculty who write its pages are all veteran missionaries, and speak eloquently and accurately to the way that Theology, Cultural Anthropology, and Cross-cultural communications should affect the way missions is executed in the 21st century.

A few quotes:

"The missionary's challenge is to avoid judging the culture as inferior before he understands it....We can never totally erase ethnocentrism, but being aware of it can help us delay critical judgement and learn to appreciate many aspects of other cultures."

"Given the level of syncretism with animism that exists in most religions, it is necessary to explore what people actually believe and do, not what their formal religion says they ought to believe.  The purpose of this research is not disinterested in scholarship or pluralistic dialogue, but effective communication.  People hear new information through the filter of their existing worldview."

From what I have read thus far, this should be a great resource for students, missionaries, and those who prepare missionaries.