January 4, 2016
By Dr. Scott W. Sunquist
It is not wise for a historian, or
any Christian for that matter, to make predictions about the future. Prophecy
is a dangerous occupation: false prophets were killed and even true prophets
were often persecuted. Recently I have been amazed at what terrible prophets
the greatest of Christian leaders were at the beginning of the 20th century.
The best and brightest Christian leaders in the early 1900s had no idea of what
was happening all around them concerning g … [Read more...]
January 19, 2016
This is the second installment of a
ten part series by Dr. Scott Sunquist on what trends in missiology we can
expect in the coming years.Trend #1: Technology By Dr. Scott W. SunquistThe
past two centuries have been dominated by the use of new discoveries and
inventions for the sake of mission. The discovery of germs and their
relationship to disease in the 1860s increased the value of medical missions.
Clinics, nurses training, surgery and vaccination all were added to the
“normal” mis … [Read more...]
January 25, 2016
This is the third installment
of a ten part series by Dr. Scott Sunquist on what trends in missiology we can
expect in the coming years.Trend #2: Insider Movements Scott W. SunquistSince
the death of Muhammad in 632 Christianity has decreased where Islam has
increased. This exchange usually has occurred through the expansion of empires,
but also through trade and jihads. Some conversions from Islam to Christianity
have occurred, but usually these conversions were also related to … [Read more...]
February 1, 2016
This is the fourth installment
of a ten part series by Dr. Scott Sunquist on what trends in missiology we can
expect in the coming years.Trend #3: Preemptive Peacemakers Scott W.
SunquistMany western Christians now ask, “Is there a place for the western
Christian missionary anymore? We don’t seem to be wanted or needed.” Affirming
that the Great Commission is a call to all Christians to the end of time and to
the ends of the earth we must say “Yes, but….” There is a place for the western
… [Read more...]
February 9, 2016
This is the fifth installment
of a ten part series by Dr. Scott Sunquist on what trends in missiology we can
expect in the coming years.Trend #4: Scripture Scott W. SunquistOne of the
strongest lessons of the past ½ century in mission is that missionaries are
part of the larger missio Dei, but God’s mission is carried out in a myriad of
ways with or without apostolic figures. One of the ways his Kingdom is spread
is simply through the availability of the Bible translated in local lan … [Read more...]
February 15, 2016
This is the fifth installment
of a ten part series by Dr. Scott Sunquist on what trends in missiology we can
expect in the coming years.Trend #5: Migration and Displacement Scott W.
SunquistIn recent decades the importance of migration (and diaspora) in mission
has been a growing field of scholarship. Migration has always been important in
mission (it has been important for all of the history of Christianity and
Judaism), but it is just now getting the attention and study it needs.[1] F … [Read more...]
February 25, 2016
This is the seventh installment
of a ten part series by Dr. Scott Sunquist on what trends in missiology we can
expect in the coming years.Trend #6: Holy Spirit Scott W. SunquistIn
October of 2015, at the 50th Anniversary Celebration of the School of
Intercultural Studies, we heard again and again how the work, concept, and
reality of the Holy Spirit came up again and again in the first ½ century of
this particular school. Some of the innovations or major topics that came out
of the “S … [Read more...]
February 29, 2016
This is the eighth installment
of a ten part series by Dr. Scott Sunquist on what trends in missiology we can
expect in the coming years.Trend #7: Poverty and Promise Scott W. SunquistJesus
said that it was as hard for a wealthy person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven as
for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. This is becoming more evident in
the 21st century as the Christian movement grows more and more among the
displaced and the poor. Christianity has developed most rapidly … [Read more...]
March 7, 2016
This is the ninth installment
of a ten part series by Dr. Scott Sunquist on what trends in missiology we can
expect in the coming years.Trend #8: Mission from the South and the East Scott
W. SunquistFinally, it hardly needs to be mentioned that missionary work
continues to grow outside of the western world. The missionary movement is
growing from Asia (especially from East and Southeast Asia), from Africa and
from Latin America. We can expect the number of African churches in Europe and
… [Read more...]
March 14, 2016
This is the last installment of
a ten part series by Dr. Scott Sunquist on what trends in missiology we can
expect in the coming years.Conclusion: Hope and Future Scott W. SunquistWhen we
look at these eight trends it is easy to turn melancholy. The ubiquity of
technology can be seen as a rising idolatry; in fact, for some it is. As we try
to connect with other people “in person,” say talking to a person on the plane
or in a bus station, we often find out that they are already connected … [Read more...]
This blog post was taken from The State of Missiology Today by Charles E. Van Engen. Copyright (c) 2016 by Charles E. Van Engen. Used by permission of InterVarsity Press, P.O. Box 1400, Downers Grove, IL 60515-1426.www.ivpress.com. Pre-order the full book here (expected October 2016).
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