Footprints of God: a Narrative Theology of Mission

Brief Description: Twenty-five doctoral students from around the world recently set out to forge a new path toward a theology of mission. As they blazed a new trail, they discovered the footprints of God--evidence that God was their trial guide. Charles Van Engen led this group of mission practitioners, pastors, teachers, and mission executives as they set out to discover answers to important questions, such as "What is theology of mission?" and "What is missiology?"The team used a new approach to answer these questions, employing narrative to integrate personal story, community stories, cultural stories, and biblical stories. Each writer brings his or her own unique context to bear on these important questions through personal story and by highlighting the work of a major missiologist who has impacted their life and work. By drawing from personal stories, the authors show how human factors affect missiology. All of the chapters are set within a unique theological framework created by Charles Van Engen that focuses on mission of the way, mission in the way, and mission on the way. This framework reveals that mission must be "of the way" (Christ-centered), "in the way" (happening among the peoples and cultures of the world), and "on the way" (moving forward over time through God's people as they anticipate Christ's present and coming kingdom). If you are concerned about connecting the Bible, theology, and ministry with the complexity and variety of contexts facing Christians today, then you will want to join this journey to discover the footprints of God. As Van Engen says, you will be encouraged to "think theologically about mission, and missiologically about theology."

Contributor Bio:  Van Engen, Charles Charles Van Engen is the Arthur F. Glasses professor of Biblical Theology of Mission at Fuller Seminary's School of World Mission. Contributor Bio:  Gallagher, Robert Everyone has problems; everyone has their own way of handling a situation, and only some have a way of making it through these situations. As a person living in a world like today, filled with countless everyday problems they have to face on their own, it's no wonder that they might become subject to stress and declining ability to act or even lose hope. There are innumerable examples of this type of behavior that can be seen everywhere, and as a matter of fact, you don't have to look that far. You, without a doubt, may have felt this too. Just as our surrounding may very well be the cause, there is also a solution. Dr. Robert Gallagher is a general practitioner who has firsthand knowledge of what mental stress can do to a person. Dr. Robert Gallagher has done extensive research on his own and also consulted with various experts to uncover the full-scale causes and ramifications of the type of mental disabilities that cause stress. He has also worked with a number of patients after their discharge. Upon being suggested that the cause of further worsening health was a change in the patient's lifestyle and their refusal to take medication, Dr. Gallagher was not only later able to connect the situations of his patients to their lifestyle but also detected similar findings. That's when he sought another way rather than just providing practical assistance. Dr. Robert Gallagher is now the author of a number of books that provide a more thorough diagnosis to his patients. These books help heal the mind off stress. One of his many outstanding achievements at only 27 was that he was praised by colleagues and readers alike for this accomplishment. One of his books, titled Stress Management quickly became his first bestseller, with many to follow, including Bullying is for Losers, Self Confidence and From Surviving to Thriving. Dr Robert Gallagher has proved that hard work and determination can very well find solutions to any problem.