I’ve collected a few books on these topics. Here they are, for the interested. Some of the entries are annotated. The ones which have most influenced me are I’ve collected a few books on these topics. Here they are, for the interested. Some of the entries are annotated. The ones which have most influenced me are highlighted in bold. Which of these have you read? Or what books would you recommend to me?
Abé, Takao. The Jesuit Mission to New France: A New Interpretation in the Light of the Earlier Jesuit Experience in Japan. Studies in the History of Christian Traditions 151. Brill, 2010.
Addison, Steve. Pioneering Movements: Leadership That Multiplies Disciples and Churches. Forward by Dave Ferguson. IVP, 2015.
Adogame, Afe, Janice McClean and Anderson Jeremiah, eds. Engaging the World: Communities in Contemporary Global Societies. Regnum Edinburgh Centenary Series 21. Regnum, 2014.
Allen, Roland. Missionary Methods: St. Paul’s or Ours? A Study of the Church in the Four Provinces. Library of Historic Theology. Robert Scott Roxburghe House, 1912.
Note: This seminal text remains important … and in print, in various editions.
Alvarez, Miguel, ed. The Reshaping of Mission in Latin America. Regnum Edinburgh Centenary Series 30. Regnum, 2015.
Anderson, Gerald H. et al., eds. Mission Legacies: Biographical Studies of Leaders of the Modern Missionary Movement. American Society of Missiology Series. Orbis Press, 1994.
Appasamy, A. [Aiyadurai] J. [Jesudasen]. The Gospel and India’s Heritage. SPCK / MacMillan, 1942.
Aritonang, Jan Sihar and Karel Steenbrink, eds. A History of Christianity in Indonesia. Studies in Christian Mission 35. Brill, 2008.
Balia, Daryl and Kirsteen Kim, eds. Edinburgh 2010, vol. 2: Witnessing to Christ Today. Regnum, 2010.
Bantu, Vince L. A Multitude of All Peoples: Engaging Ancient Christianity’s Global Identity. Missiological Engagements. IVP Academic, 2020.
Baumer, Christoph. The Church of the East: An Illustrated History of Assyrian Christianity. I. B. Tauris, 2008.
Note: This is a good reference for some of the early missionary activity in Asia (including what are now Iraq, Iran, Central Asia, South Asia, China).
Bediako, Kwame. Christianity in Africa: The Renewal of Non-Western Religion. Studies in World Christianity. Orbis Books, 1995.
Bediako, Kwame. Theology & Identity:The impact of culture upon Christian thought in the second century and modern Africa. Regnum Books, 2002.
Behera, Marina Ngursangzeli, ed. Interfaith Relations after One Hundred Years: Christian Mission among Other Faiths. Regnum Edinburgh 2010 Series. Regnum Books, 2011/
Bevans, Stephen B., ed. A Century of Catholic Mission. Regnum Edinburgh Centenary Series 15. Regnum Books, 2013.
Bevans, Stephen, Teresa Chai, J. Nelson Jennings, Knud Jørgensen and Dietrich Werner, eds. Reflecting on and Equipping for Christian Mission. Regnum Edinburgh Centenary Series 27. Regnum Books, 2015.
Bevans, Stephen B. and Roger P. Schroeder. Constants in Context: A Theology of Mission for Today. American Society of Missiology Series. Orbis Press, 2004.
Bonk, Jonathan J. Missions and Money: Affluence as a Western Missionary Problem. American Society of Missiology Series 15. Orbis Books, 1991.
Bonk, Jonathan J. Missions and Money: Affluence as a Western Missionary Problem … Revisited. 2nd ed., revised and expanded. American Society of Missiology Series 15. Orbis Books, 2007.
Bosch, David J. Believing in the Future: Toward a Missiology of Western Culture. Christian Mission and Modern Culture. Trinity Press International, 1995.
Bosch, David J. Transforming Mission: Paradigm Shifts in Theology of Mission. American Society of Missiology Series 16. Orbis Books, 1991.
Boyd, Robin H. S. India and the Latin Captivity of the Church: The Cultural Context of the Gospel. Monograph Supplements to the Scottish Journal of Theology. Cambridge University Press, 1974.
Burke, Todd, and DeAnn Burke. Anointed for Burial. Logos International, 1977.
missions autobiography; the Burkes served in Cambodia.
Burrows, William R., Mark R. Gornik, and Janice A. McLean, eds. Understanding World Christianity: The Vision and Work of Andrew F. Walls. Orbis Books, 2011.
Carman, John B. and Chilkuri Vasantha Rao. Christians in South Indian Villages, 1959-2009: decline and revival in Telangana. Studies in the History of Christian Missions. Eerdmans, 2014.
Carmichael, Amy. Things as They Are: Mission Work in Southern India. Morgan and Scott, 1903, 1905.
Cochrane, Steve [A.]. Asia’s Forgotten Christian Story: Church of the East Monastic Mission in Ninth-Century Asia. Regnum Edinburgh Centenary Series. Fortress Press, 2019.
Constantineanu, Corneliu, Marcel V. Măcelaru, Anne-Marie Kool and Mihai Himcinschi, eds. Mission in Central and Eastern Europe: Realities, Perspectives, Trends. Regnum Edinburgh Centenary Series 34. Regnum, 2016.
Cornille, Catherine & Valeer Neckebrouck. A Universal Faith? Peoples, Cultures, Religions, and the Christ. Louvain Theological & Pastoral Monographs 9. Eerdmans, 1992.
Corrie, John and Cathy Ross, eds. Mission in Context: Explorations Inspired by Andrew J. Kirk. Forward by Christopher J. H. Wright. Ashgate, 2012.
chapters include:
• 11. Andrew F. Walls, “Worldviews and Christian Conversion.”
contributors include: J. Samuel Escobar, C. René Padilla, Hwa Yung, Vinoth Ramachandra, Wilbert R. Shenk, Allan Anderson, et al.
Costas, Orlando E. Christ Outside the Gate: Mission beyond Christendom. Orbis Books, 1982.
Coward, Harold, ed. Hindu-Christian dialogue: Perspectives and Encounters. Orbis Books, 1982.
Cuming, G. J., ed. The Mission of the Church and the Propagation of the Faith: Papers Read at the Seventh Summer Meeting and the Eighth Winter Meeting of the Ecclesiastical History Society. Studies in Church History 6. Cambridge University Press, 1970.
chapters include:
• Vlasto, A. P. “The mission of SS. Cyril and Methodios and its aftermath in Central Europe,” 1-16.
• Boxer, C. R. “The problem of the native clergy in the Portuguese and Spanish Empires from the sixteenth to the eighteenth centuries,” 59-84.
• Walls, A. F. “A Christian experiment: the early Sierra Leone colony,” 107-130.
• Neill, S. C. “The history of mission: an academic discipline,” 149-170.
Dahle, Lars, Margunn Serigstad Dahle, and Knud Jørgensen, eds. The Lausanne Movement: A Range of Perspectives. Regnum Edinburgh Centenary Series 22. Regnum, 2014.
Daily, Christopher. Robert Morrison and the Protestant Plan for China. Royal Asiatic Society Books. Hong Kong University Press, 2013.
Dayton, Edward R. and David A. Fraser. Planning Strategies for World Evangelization. Rev. ed. Eerdmans, 1990.
Desideri, Ippolito. Mission to Tibet: The Extraordinary Eighteenth-Century Account of Father Ippolito Desideri, S.J. Trans. Michael J. Sweet. Ed. Leonard Zwilling. Wisdom Publications, 2010.
Dickson, Neil and Thomas J. Marinello, eds. The Brethren and Mission: Essays in Honour of Timothy C. F. Stunt. Studies in Brethren History. Brethren Archivists and Historians Network, 2016.
(NB: Andrew Walls has a chapter.)
Donovan, Vincent J. Christianity Rediscovered: An Epistle from the Masai. Orbis Books, 1978.
Note: Subsequent editions were published in 1982 and 2003. This text has been quite influential and is often cited as the right way to do things. This should be taken with a grain of salt, however, as ultimately Donovan’s work (though I agree much of his missiology was sound) did not bear lasting fruit (as I’ve discussed elsewhere). Oh, and a pet peeve: he misspells “Maasai” as “Masai” throughout, in all three editions.
Dowsett, Rose, Isabel Phiri, Doug Birdsall, Dawit Olika Terfassa, Hwa Yung and Knud Jørgensen, eds. Evangelism and Diakonia in Context. Regnum Edinburgh Centenary Series 32. Regnum 2015.
Engelsviken, Tormod, Erling Lundeby and Dagfinn Solheim, eds. The Church Going Glocal: Mission and Globalisation. Proceedings of the Fjellhaug Symposium 2010. Regnum Edinburgh 2010 Series. Regnum Books, 2011.
Escobar, Samuel. A Time for Mission: The Challenge for Global Christianity. IVP, 2003.
Fagerli, Beate, Knud Jørgensen, Rolv Olsen, Kari Storstein Haug and Knut Tveitereid, eds. A Learning Missional Church: Reflections from Young Missiologists. Regnum Edinburgh Centenary Series. Regnum, 2012.
Farquhar, J. [John] N. The Crown of Hinduism. Humphrey Milford / Oxford University Press, 1913.
Fiedler, Klaus. Conflicted Power in Malawian Christianity: Essays Missionary and Evangelical from Malawi. Mzuni Press / African Books Collective, 2015.
Fiedler, Klaus. Interdenominational Faith Missions in Africa: History and Ecclesiology.
Mzuni Books 34. Mzuni Press / African Books Collective, 2018.
Fiedler, Klaus. Missions as the Theology of the Church: An Argument from Malawi. Mzuni Texts 2. Mzuni Press / African Books Collective, 2015.
Fischer, Moritz. Maasai Gestalten Christsein: Die Integrative Kraft Traditionaler Religion Unter Dem Einfluss Des Evangeliums. Erlanger Verlag für Mission und Ökumene, 2001.
Gallagher, Robert L. and Paul Hertig, eds. Landmark Essays in Mission and World Christianity. American Society of Missiology Series 43. Orbis Books, 2009.
chapters include:
• 9. Andrew F. Walls, “Is There a ‘Historic Christian Faith’?”
other contributors include: David J. Bosch, Karl Barth, Orlando E. Costas, Dana L. Robert, C. René Padilla, Kwame Bediako, Wilbert R. Shenk, Lesslie Newbigin, Charles E. Van Engen, Paul G. Hiebert, Daisy L. Machado, Peter C. Phan, and J. Samuel Escobar.
Georges, Jayson. Ministering in Patronage Cultures: Biblical Models and Missional Implications. IVP Academic, 2019.
Gibaut, John and Knud Jørgensen, eds. Called to Unity: For the Sake of Mission. Regnum Edinburgh Centenary Series 25. Regnum, 2014.
Gittins, Anthony J. Bread for the Journey: The Mission of Transformation and the Transformation of Mission. Orbis Books, 1993.
Godwin, R. Todd. Persian Christians at the Chinese Court: The Xi’an Stele and the Early Medieval Church of the East. I. B. Tauris, 2018.
Note: Andrew F. Walls told me, in March of 2018, that there was great opportunity for any historian/scholar who could read both ancient Syriac and Chinese, to bring more of the amazing history of early medieval Syriac/Persian/Sogdian/Tibetan/Chinese Christianity to light. Just a few months later, I learned that my friend Todd had just published this text.
Gorman, Michael J. Abide and Go: Missional Theosis in the Gospel of John. The 2016 Didsbury Lecture Series. Cascade Books, 2018.
Gorman, Michael J. Becoming the Gospel: Paul, Participation, and Mission. The Gospel and Our Culture. Eerdmans, 2015.
Gravaas, Hans Aage, Christof Sauer, Tormod Engelsviken, Maqsood Kamil and Knud Jørgensen, eds. Freedom of Belief and Christian Mission. Regnum Edinburgh Centenary Series 28. Regnum Books, 2015.
Gray, Richard. Black Christians & White Missionaries. Yale University Press, 1990.
Gray, Richard. Christianity, the Papacy, and Mission in Africa. Ed. with an Intro. by Lamin Sanneh. Orbis Books, 2012.
Griffiths, Bede. Christ in India: Essays towards a Hindu-Christian Dialogue. Temple Gate Publishers, 1984.
Groop, Kim. With the Gospel to Maasailand: Lutheran Mission Work among the Arusha and Maasai in Northern Tanzania 1904–1973. Åbo Akademi University Printing House, 2006.
Gunter, W. Stephen and Elaine Robinson, eds. Considering the Great Commission: Evangelism and Mission in the Wesleyan Spirit. Abingdon Press, 2005.
Hale, Thomas. On Being a Missionary. William Carey Library, 1994.
Hastings, Adrian. The Church in Africa 1450-1950. Ed. by Henry & Owen Chadwick. Oxford History of the Christian Church. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 2004.
Note: At 620 impressive pages, not including bibliography and index (706 total pages), this is broad and deep. But alas! I think there is only a single mention of the Turkana and the Maasai (misspelled as “Masai”), in the same single sentence, listed with three other tribes (p. 325). Hastings has also written A History of African Christianity 1950-1975 (352 pages, published 1979) which I have yet to acquire.
Hedlund, Roger E. God and the Nations: A Biblical Theology of Mission in the Asian Context. ISPCK, 1997.
Hiebert, Paul G. Anthropological Insights for Missionaries. Baker Books, 1985.
Hillman, Eugene. Toward an African Christianity: Inculturation Applied. Paulist Press, 1993.
This specifically explores an attempt of inculturation of the Gospel in Maasai contexts. Further note: This text is available in its entirety on the Internet Archive.
Hodgson, Dorothy Louise. The Church of Women: Gendered Encounters Between Maasai and Missionaries. Indiana University Press, 2005.
Hoggarth, Pauline, Fergus Macdonald, Bill Mitchell and Knud Jørgensen, eds. Bible in Mission. Regnum Edinburgh Centenary Series 18. Regnum, 2013.
chapters include:
• Richard Bauckham, “The Bible in Mission: The Modern/Postmodern Western Context,” 43-55;
• Lalsangkima Pachuau, “The Bible in Christian Mission among the Hindus,” 68-80;
together with a host of others covering pretty much every area of the inhabited earth.
Hull, Bill. Conversion and Discipleship: You Can’t Have One without the Other. Forward by Scot McKnight. Zondervan, 2016.
Im, Chandler H. and Amos Yong, eds. Global Diasporas and Mission. Regnum Edinburgh Centenary Series 23. Regnum, 2014.
Jones, E. [Eli] Stanley. The Christ of the Indian Road. Grosslap & Dunlap, 1925.
Kalu, Ogbu U. and Alaine Low, eds. Interpreting Contemporary Christianity: Global Processes and Local Identities. Studies in the History of Christian Missions. Eerdmans, 2008.
Kalu, Ogbu, Peter Vethanayagamony, and Edmund Kee-Fook Chia, eds. Mission after Christendom: Emergent Themes in Contemporary Mission. John Knox Press, 2010.
Kane, J. Herbert. A Concise History of the Christian World Mission. Rev. ed. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 1982.
Kaoma, Kapya J., ed. Creation Care in Christian Mission. Regnum Edinburgh Centenary Series 29. Regnum Books, 2015.
Kavunkal, Jacob and F. Hrangkhuma. Christ and Cultures. FOIM series 2. The Bombay St. Paul Society, 1994.
Keener, Craig S. For All Peoples: A Biblical Theology of Missions in the Gospels and Acts. APTS Press Occasional Papers 2. Forward by Wonsuk Ma. Wipf & Stock, 2020.
Kerr, David A. and Kenneth R. Ross, eds. Edinburgh 2010: Mission Then and Now. Edinburgh 2010 Series 1. Regnum Books, 2010.
Contributors to this important volume include: Andrew F. Walls, Kosuke Koyama, Ogbu U. Kalu, Vinoth Ramachandra, Samuel Escobar, Tinyiko Maluleke, Samuel Kobia, et al.
Kim, Kirsteen and Andrew Anderson, eds. Edinburgh 2010 Mission Today and Tomorrow. Regnum Edinburgh 2010 Series. Regnum Books, 2011.
Kollman, Paul. The Evangelization of Slaves and Catholic Origins in Eastern Africa. American Society of Missiology 38. Orbis, 2005.
Koyama, Kosuke. Water Buffalo Theology. Orbis Books, 1974.
Note: The twenty-fifth anniversary edition, revised and expanded, was published in 1999.
Kraft, Charles H. Anthropology for Christian Witness. Orbis Books, 1996.
Kwiyani, Harvey. Multicultural Kingdom: Ethnic Diversity, Mission and the Church. SCM Press, 2020.
Laing, Mark T. B. From Crisis to Creation: Lesslie Newbigin and the Reinvention of Christian Mission. With a Forward by Andrew F. Walls. Pickwick Publications, 2002.
Lal, Shyam. Tribals & Christian Missionaries. Manak Publications, 1994.
Latourette, Kenneth Scott. A History of the Expansion of Christianity. 7 volumes.
• vol. 1. The First Five Centuries: To 500 AD. Harper and Row, 1937, 1965, 1970; Paternoster Press, 1971.
• vol. 2. The Thousand Years of Uncertainity: 500–1500 AD. Harper and Row, 1938, 1966; Paternoster Press, 1971.
• vol. 3. Three Centuries of Advance: 1500–1800 AD. Harper and Row, 1939, 1967; Paternoster Press, 1971.
• vol. 4. The Great Century: Europe and the United States: 1800–1914 AD. Harper and Row, 1941, 1969; Paternoster Press, 1971.
• vol. 5. The Great Century: The Americas, Australasia and Africa: 1800–1914 AD. Harper and Row, 1943; Paternoster Press, 1971.
• vol. 6. The Great Century: North Africa and Asia: 1800–1914 AD. Harper and Row, 1944; Paternoster Press, 1971.
• vol. 7. Advance Through Storm: 1914 and after. Harper and Row, 1945, 1971; Paternoster Press, 1971.
Lee, Robert. The Clash of Civilizations: An Intrusive Gospel in Japanese Civilization. Trinity Press International, 1999.
Lekundayo, Godwin. The Cosmic Christ: Towards Effective Mission Among the Maasai. Regnum Studies in Mission. Regnum Books / Wipf and Stock, 2013.
Lewis, Donald M., ed. Christianity Reborn: Evangelicalism’s Global Expansion in the Twentieth Century. Studies in the History of Christian Missions. Eerdmans, 2004.
Lewis, Jonathan, ed. World Mission: An Analysis of the World Christian Movement, Parts 1, 2, and 3. [3 volumes.] William Carey Library, 1987.
Livingstone, Greg. Planting Churches in Muslim Cities: A Team Approach. Baker Books, 1993.
Longkumer, Atola, Jørgen Skov Sørensen, and Michael Biehl, eds. Mission and Power: History, Relevance and Perils. Regnum Edinburgh Centenary Series 33. Regnum, 2016.
Lygunda Li-M, Fohle. Transforming Missiology: An Alternative Approach to Missiological Education. Langham Global Monographs, 2018.
Ma, Julie C. and Wonsuk Ma. Mission in the Spirit: Towards a Pentecostal/Charismatic Missiology. Forward by Andrew F. Walls. Regnum Studies in Mission. Regnum, 2010.
Ma, Wonsuk and Kyo Seong Ahn, eds. Korean Church, God’s Mission, Global Christianity. Regnum Edinburgh Centenary Series 26. Regnum, 2015.
Ma, Wonsuk, Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen and J. Kwabena Asamoah-Gyadu, eds. Pentecostal Mission and Global Christianity. Regnum Edinburgh Centenary Series 20. Regnum, 2014.
Ma, Wonsuk, and Kenneth R. Ross, eds. Mission Spirituality and Authentic Discipleship. Regnum Edinburgh Centenary Series 14. Regnum, 2013.
Manktelow, Emily. Missionary families: Race, gender and generation on the spiritual frontier. Studies in Imperialism. Manchester University Press, 2013, 2016.
Maryks, Robert Aleksander and Festo Mkenda, eds. Encounters between Jesuits and Protestants in Africa. Jesuit Studies: Modernity through the Prism of Jesuit History 13. The Boston College International Symposia on Jesuit Studies 2. Brill, 2018.
Mattam, Joseph & Sebastian Kim. Dimensions of Mission in India. FOIM series 3. The Bombay St. Paul Society, 1995.
Mgojo, Khoza & George Irvine. Let the Flame Burn: A Mission Handbook for Methodists in Southern Africa. Methodist Publishing House, 2001.
Mingana, Alphonse. The Early Spread of Christianity in Central Asia and the East: A New Document. Analecta Gorgiana 640. Gorgias Press, 2010.
Note: This seminal study originally appeared in 1925. This reprint is most welcome!
Mtaita, Leonard A. The Wandering Shepherds and the Good Shepherd: Contextualization as the Way of Doing Mission with the Maasai in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania, Pare Diocese. Makumira Publications 11. Erlanger Verlag fur Mission und Okumene, 1998.
Murray, Andrew. The Key to the Missionary Problem: A Passionate Call to Obedience in Action. CLC Publications, 1979.
Note: This was first published in 1901 or 1902; the subtitle of the first edition is Thoughts Suggested by the Report of the Ecumenical Missionary Conference Held in New York, April 1900. This text is in print in multiple editions from various publishers, as recently as 2018.
Neckebrouck, Valeer. Le Maasai et le Christianism: Le temps du grand refus. Annua Nuntia Lovaniensia XLI. Peeters, 2002.
Neckebrouck, Valeer. Resistant Peoples: The Case of the Pastoral Maasai of East Africa. Inculturation: Working Papers on Living Faith and Cultures 14. Editrice Pontificia Universita Gregoriana, 1993.
Neill, Stephen. Colonialism and Christian Missions. Cambridge: Lutterworth press, 1966.
Neill, Stephen. A History of Christian Missions. 2nd ed. New York: Penguin, 1986.
Newbigin, Lesslie. Foolishness to the Greeks: the Gospel and Western Culture. Eerdmans, 1986.
Newbigin, Lesslie. The Gospel in a Pluralist Society. Eerdmans, 1989.
Newbigin, Lesslie. Proper Confidence: faith, doubt & certainty in christian discipleship. Eerdmans, 1995.
Ngursangzeli, Marina and Michael Biehl, eds. Witnessing to Christ In North-East India. Regnum Edinburgh Centenary Series 31. Regnum Books, 2016.
de Nobili, Roberto. Preaching Wisdom to the Wise: Three Treatises by Roberto de Nobili, S.J., Missionary and Scholar in 17th Century India. Trans. and Intro. Anand Amaladass and Francis X. Clooney. St Louis, MO: The Institute of Jesuit Resources, 2000.
Note: Surely de Nobili deserves an A+ for effort. These are English translations of his pioneering missiological/evangelical works, together with introductions and commentary.
Norris, Frederick W. Christianity: A Short Global History. London: OneWorld Publications, 2002.
Note: If I were to teach a one semester course (in English) on Church History, this would be required reading. Norris treats the expansion of the church East and West (instead of just westward, as is sadly customary) and North and South. This is probably the best introduction to the spread of the church. Norris does not have a western focus, but neither does he have a “non-western” focus. Instead, his coverage is balanced. A reader will learn as much about itinerant monastic Syrian missionaries and early interaction between established churches in Iraq and the Muslim conquerors as Luther and Calvin. The geographical centre of Christianity from the seventh until the late fifteenth century was in Sogdiana (modern Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan). Norris tells this whole story, instead of following the usual Jerusalem-Antioch-Alexandria-Rome-Luther-Calvin-English Reformation-America trajectory. Each chapter is divided into three sections: Christians and people of other faiths, Christians and their cultures, a Christian core.
Olsen, Rolv, et al., eds. Mission and Postmodernities. Regnum Edinburgh 2010 Series. Regnum Books, 2011.
Olson, Bruce E. Bruchko. Creation House, 1978.
Note: Missionary autobiography; Olson served among the Motilone of Columbia.
Pachuau, Lalsangkima and Knud Jørgensen, eds. Witnessing to Christ in a Pluralistic World: Christian Mission among Other Faiths. Regnum Edinburgh Centenary Series. Regnum Books, 2011.
Patterson, George and Richard Scoggins. Church Multiplication Guide: The Miracle of Church Reproduction. Rev. ed. William Carey Library, 2001.
Phan, Peter C. Mission & Catechesis: Alexandre de Rhodes & Inculturation in Seventeenth Century Vietnam. Orbis Books, 1998.
Note: Written by a Vietnamese christian scholar, this includes an insightful history of Catholic missions in Vietnam, focusing on the role of the Jesuit missionary Rhodes, an analysis of Rhodes’s Catechism (the first christian theological work written in Vietnamese), and a translation of the Catechism. Kip Lines says it’s the best thing that he’s been required to read while at Asbury.
Prevette, Bill, Keith J. White, C. Rosalee Velloso Ewell and D.J. Konz, eds. Theology, Mission and Child: Global Perspectives. Regnum Edinburgh Centenary Series 24. Regnum, 2014.
Pierson, Paul. The Dynamics of Christian Mission: History through a Missiological Perspective. William Carey International University Press, 2009.
Piper, John. Let the Nations Be Glad: the Supremacy of God in Missions. Baker Academic, 2003.
Note: The apparent commitment to hyper-Calvinism in this text detracts from the value it would otherwise have.
Priest, Doug, Jr. Doing Theology with the Maasai. William Carey Library, 1990.
Priest, Doug, Jr., ed. The Gospel Unhindered: Modern Missions and the Book of Acts, William Carey Library, 1994.
Rajkumar, Peniel Jesudason Rufus, Joseph Prabhakar Dayam, and I. P. Asheervadham, eds. Mission At and From the Margins: Patterns, Protagonists and Perspectives. Regnum Edinburgh Centenary Series 19. Regnum, 2014.
Ramachandra, Vinoth. The Recovery of Mission: Beyond the Pluralist Paradigm. Eerdmans, 1996.
Randall, Max Ward. We Would Do It Again. Missions Services Press, 1965.
Note: Missionary autobiography; the Wards served with the Church of Christ Mission in South Africa.
Ricci, Matteo. The True Meaning of the Lord of Heaven. Trans. with Intro. and Notes by Douglas Lancashire and Peter Hu Kuo-chen. Ed. Edward J. Malatesta. The Institute of Jesuit Resources, 1985.
Note: Matteo Ricci (1552–1610) served as a missionary in China from 1582 until his death. He is one of the most important figures in the history of missiology and contextualized Christian theology, arguably ranking with the Cappadocians and Origen. It’s too bad the Vatican later undid much of Ricci’s progress. This is Ricci’s great contextualization project in Chinese with English translation. It includes a good introduction and notes.
(After some controversy, Ricci’s missiologically sound principles were upheld by the rather enlightened Pope Gregory XV in 1622. In 1704 Pope Clement XI forbade such methods, setting back missions in China by at least 100 years.)
Richardson, Don. Lords of the Earth. Bethany House Publishers, 2014.
First published by Regal books in 1977.
Note: Missionary biography of Stan & Pat Dale, who served among the Yali of the Snow Mountains in Irian Jaya (the Indonesian-administered portion of New Guinea). Spoiler: This contains perhaps the single best martyrdom story I’ve ever heard. If you look this up, ignore the click-baity subtitle, and blame the publishers for that, not Richardson.
Richardson, Don. Peace Child. 3rd ed. Regal Books, 1976.
Note: Missionary autobiography; the Richardsons served as bible translators in New Guinea among the Sawi people in the West Papua province of Indonesia; develops the missiological concept of “redemptive analogy.” NOTE: For my money, his Lords of the Earth is the better book (see just above). Also, if you look this up, ignore the click-baity subtitle, and blame the publisher for that, not Richardson. Even though I prefer Lords of the Earth as a book, Peace Child is a seminal text which should be required reading for any English-speaking person interested in Christian missions.
Rickett, Daniel. Building Strategic Relationships: A Practical Guide to Partnering with Non-Western Missions. 3rd ed. Stem Press, 2008.
Robert, Dana L. American Women in Mission: A Social History of Their Thought and Practice. The Modern Mission Era, 1792-1992: An Appraisal. Ed. Wilbert R. Shenk. Mercer University Press, 1997.
Robert, Dana L. Christian Mission: How Christianity Became a World Religion. Wiley-Blackwell, 2009.
Robert, Dana L., ed. Gospel Bearers, Gender Barriers: Missionary Women in the Twentieth Century. American Society of Missiology Series 32. Orbis Books, 2002.
Roembke, Lianne. Building Credible Multicultural Teams. William Carey Library, 2000.
Ross, Cathy, ed. Life-Widening Mission Global Perspectives from the Anglican Communion. Regnum Edinburgh Centenary Series. Regnum Books, 2012.
Ross, Andrew C. Blantyre Mission and the Making of Modern Malawi. Luviri Reprints 2. Luviri Press / African Books Collective, 2018.
Ross, Kenneth R. Gospel Ferment in Malawi: Theological Essays. Luviri Press Reprints 6. Luviri Press / African Books Collective, 2018.
Ross, Kenneth R. Faith at the Frontiers of Knowledge. Luviri Reprints 2. Luviri Press / African Books Collective, 2018.
Ross, Kenneth R. Mission as God’s Spiral of Renewal. African Books Collective, 2019.
Ross, Kenneth R., ed. Roots and Fruits: Retrieving Scotland’s Missionary Story. Regnum Studies in Mission. Regnum / Wipf & Stock, 2014.
chapters include:
• Andrew F. Walls, “Three Hundred Years of Scottish Missions,” 4-37.
Ross, Kenneth R., Jooseop Keum, Kyriaki Avtzi and Roderick R. Hewitt, eds. Ecumenical Missiology: Changing Landscapes and New Perceptions of Mission. Regnum Edinburgh Centenary Series 35. Regnum, 2016.
Rowland, Stan. Multiplying Light and Truth through Community Health Evangelism. Campus Crusade for Christ / Evangel Publishing House, 1990.
Saint-Laurent, Jeanne-Nichole Mellon. Missionary Stories and the Formation of the Syriac Churches. Transformation of the Classical Heritage 55. University of California Press, 2015.
Sanneh, Lamin. Disciples of All Nations: Pillars of World Christianity. Oxford University Press, 2008.
Note: Sanneh (1945–2019), a native of The Gambia in West Africa and a convert to Christianity from Islam, was one of the preeminent missiologists during his lifetime.
Sanneh, Lamin. Translating the Message: The Missionary Impact on Culture. American Missiology Society 13. Orbis Books, 1989.
Note: This develops the translation principle of Christianity.
Sanneh, Lamin. Translating the Message: The Missionary Impact on Culture. 2nd ed., revised and expanded. American Missiology Society 13. Orbis Books, 2009.
(I have recently received a copy of this twentieth anniversary revised edition, and look forward to reading it!)
Schreiter, Robert and Knud Jørgensen, eds. Mission as Ministry of Reconciliation. Regnum Edinburgh Cenenary Series 16. Regnum Books, 2013.
Scherer, James, A. and Stephen B. Bevans, eds. New Directions in Mission & Evangelization 3: Faith and Culture. Orbis Books, 1999.
chapters include:
• 1. Andrew F. Walls, “The Gospel as Prisoner and Liberator of Culture.”
• 2. Kwame Bediako, “Translatability and the Cultural Incarnations of the Faith.”
Schnabel, Eckhard J. Early Christian Mission. IVP, 2004.
• vol. 1: Jesus and the Twelve.
• vol. 2: Paul and the Early Church.
Sesi, Stephen Mutuku et al. African Missiology: Contribution of Contemporary Thought. UZIMA, 2009.
Shaw, Mark R. The Kingdom of God in Africa: A Short History of African Christianity. Baker, 1996.
note: While this is not exhaustive and is only “a short history of African Christianity,” I recommend it as the place to start for the history of African Christianity, before moving on to authors such as Bengt Sundkler, Adrian Hastings, John Baur, Thomas Oden, and Elizabeth Isichei. His development of the “kingdom” theme changed how I teach and present Church History; if this were a “Church History” bibliography, this title would definitely be : While this is not exhaustive and is only “a short history of African Christianity,” I recommend it as the place to start for the history of African Christianity, before moving on to authors such as Bengt Sundkler, Adrian Hastings, John Baur, Thomas Oden, and Elizabeth Isichei. His development of the “kingdom” theme changed how I teach and present Church History; if this were a “Church History” bibliography, this title would definitely be highlighted. It warrants inclusion in this “Missions” bibliography especially due to it’s 12th chapter:
• “Ambassadors of the Kingdom: the Missionary Factor in Colonial Africa.”
Shaw, Mark R. Work, Play, Love: A Visual Guide to Calling, Career and the Mission of God. IVP, 2014.
note: Professor Mark Shaw is one of the most pastorally-oriented and Jesus-centered individuals I have ever known. Adding that depth to the breadth of his scholarship makes his an important voice to listen to. I was privileged to hear him present this material in person.
Shenk, Wilbert R. Write the Vision: The Church Renewed. Christian Mission and Modern Culture. Trinity Press International, 1995.
Simpson, Wolfgang. Houses that Change the World: the Return of the House Churches. C. & P. Publishing, 2000.
Sine, Tom. The Mustard Seed Conspiracy. Word Books, 1981.
Smalley, William A. Translation as Mission: Bible Translation in the Modern Missionary Movement. The Modern Mission Era, 1792–1992: An Appraisal. Ed. Wilbert R. Shenk. Mercer University Press, 1991.
Smither, Edward L. Christian Mission: A Concise Global History. Lexham Press, 2019.
Snodderly, Beth and A. Scott Moreau, eds. Evangelical and Frontier Mission Perspectives on the Global Progress of the Gospel. Regnum Edinburgh 2010 Series. Regnum Books, 2011.
Stanley, Brian, ed. Christian Missions and the Enlightenment. Studies in the History of Christian Missions. Eerdmans, 2001.
chapters include:
• Brian Stanley, “Christian Missions and the Enlightenment: A Reevalutation,” chapter 1
• Andrew F. Walls, “The Eighteenth-Century Protestant Missionary Awakening in Its European Context,” chapter 2
Stanley, Brian, ed. Missions, Nationalism, and the End of Empire. Studies in the History of Christian Missions. Eerdmans, 2004.
chapters include (among others):
• Adrian Hastings, “The Clash of Nationalism and Universalism within Twentieth-Century Missionary Christianity,” chapter 1, 15-33;
• Daniel H. Bays, “Foreign Missions and Indigenous Protestant Leaders in China, 1920-1955: Identity and Loyalty in an Age of Powerful Nationalism,” chapter 7, 144-164;
• Derek Peterson, “The Rhetoric of the Word: Bible Translation and Mau Mau in Colonial Central Kenya,” chapter 8, 165-181;
• Ogbu U. Kalu, “Passive Revolution and Its Saboteurs: African Christian Initiative in the Era of Decolonization, 1955-1975,” chapter 13, 250-277.
Stine, Phillip C. Bible Translation and the Spread of the Church: The Last 200 Years. Leiden: Brill, 1990.
chapters include (among others):
• Lamin Sanneh, “Gospel and Culture: Ramifying Effects of Scriptural Translation,” 1-23;
• Andrew F. Walls, “The Translation Principle in Christian History,” 24-39;
• Samuel Escobar, “The Role of Translation in Developing Indigenous Theologies — A Latin American View,” 81-94;
• Kosuke Koyama, “The Role of Translation in Developing Indigenous Theologies — An Asian View,” 95-107.
Sunquist, Scott W. Explorations in Asian Christianity: History, Theology, and Mission. Missiological Engagements. IVP Academic, 2017.
Taber, Charles R.The World Is Too Much With Us: “Culture” in Modern Protestant Missions. The Modern Mission Era, 1792–1992: An Appraisal. Ed. Wilbert R. Shenk. Mercer University Press, 1991.
Taber, Charles R. To Understand the World, To Save the World: The Interface between Missiology and the Social Sciences. Christian Mission and Modern Culture. Trinity Press International, 2000.
Thomas, Norman E., ed. Classic Texts in Mission and World Christianity. American Society of Missiology Series. Orbis Books, 1995.
Note: These are the source texts, in English translation, upon which Bosch based his Transforming Mission. Its coverage is broad, deep, and fair. I had students read several excerpts when I taught “History of Missions” and “Strategies of World Evangelization” at Nebraska Christian College.
Torres, Sergio, ed. The emergent Gospel: Theology from the underside of history: papers from the Ecumenical Dialogue of Third World Theologians, Dar es Salaam, August 5-12, 1976. Orbis Books, 1978.
Tucker, Ruth. From Jerusalem to Irian Jaya: A Biographical History of Christian Missions. Zondervan, 1983.
Some of Tucker’s conclusions can be challenged, but there is a wealth of stories.
Tucker, Ruth. From Jerusalem to Irian Jaya: A Biographical History of Christian Missions. 2nd ed. Zondervan, 2004.
(Yes, I do have both editions. But I only have the 2nd edition here with me in Kenya.)
Van Rheenan, Gailyn. Missions: Biblical Foundations and Contemporary Strategies. Zondervan, 1996.
Note: a 2nd edition was published in 2014; the author has made a PDF version of its text, sans pagination, available on Academia[dot]edu.
Vähäkangas, Mika. Between Ghambageu and Jesus: The Encounter between the Sonjo Traditional Leaders and Missionary Christianity. Studia Missiologica et Oecumenica Fennica 61. Helsinki, Finland: Luther-Agricola-Society, 2008.
Vanchipurackal, George. Why the Missions? A Study on the Necessity of Evangelism. 2nd ed. Claretian Publications, 1989.
Vassiliadis, Petros, ed. Orthodox Perspectives on Mission. Regnum Edinburgh Centenary Series 17. Regnum Books, 2013.
Voshaar, Jan [M. H.]. Maasai: Between the Oreteti-tree and the Tree of the Cross. Ker ken Theologie in Context / Church and Theology in Context. Kok, 1998.
Währisch-Oblau, Claudia and Fidon Mwombeki, eds. Mission Continues: Global Impulses for the 21st Century. Regnum Edinburgh 2010 Series. Regnum Books, 2010.
Walls, Andrew F. Crossing Cultural Frontiers. Orbis Books, 2017.
Walls, Andrew F. The Cross-Cultural Process in Christian History. Orbis Books, 2002.
Walls, Andrew F. The Missionary Movement in Christian History: Studies in the Transmission of Faith. Orbis Books, 1996.
Walls, Andrew and Cathy Ross, eds. Mission in the 21st Century: Exploring the Five Marks of Global Mission. Orbis Books, 2008.
- (NOTE: Just in case you’ve missed it: Andrew Walls is essential reading for anyone interested in any aspect of missions, missions history, and/or missiology. Seriously, if you’ve missed him, your education is lacking, even if you have a couple of PhDs.)
Ward, Kevin and Brian Stanley, eds. The Church Mission Society and World Christianity, 1799-1999. Studies in the History of Christian Missions. Eerdmans, 2000.
Watson, David and Paul Watson. Contagious Disciple Making: Leading Others on a Journey of Discovery. Thomas Nelson, 2014.
Wheeler, Rachel. To Live upon Hope: Mohicans and Missionaries in the Eighteenth-Century Northeast. Cornell University Press, 2008, 2013.
Wild-Wood, Emma and Peniel Rajkumar, eds. Foundations for Mission. Regnum Edinburgh Centenary Series 13. Regnum Books, 2013.
Wood, Ian. The Missionary Life: Saints and the Evangelisation of Europe, 400–1050. Longman, 2001.
(Later published by Routledge.)
Woodberry, J. Dudley, Charles Van Engen, and Edgar J. Elliston, eds. Missiological Education for the Twenty-First Century: The Book, the Circle, and the Sandals: Essays in Honor of Paul E. Pierson. Orbis Books, 1996.
(NB: There is also a reprint edition — Wipf & Stock, 2005)
chapter authors include (in addition to the editors): Andrew F. Walls, Paul G. Hiebert, Tite Tiénou, Samuel Escobar, Ken R. Gnanakan, William R. Shenk, Philip C. Stine, et al.
Woolnough, Brian and Wonsuk Ma, eds. Holistic Mission: God’s Plan for God’s People. Regnum Edinburgh 2010 Series. Regnum Books, 2010.
Wright, Christopher J. H. The Mission of God: Unlocking the Bible’s Grand Narrative. IVP, 2006.
Wright, Christopher J. H. The Mission of God’s People: A Biblical Theology of the Church’s Mission. Biblical Theology for Life. Zondervan / Langham, 2010.
Wright, Christopher J. H. Salvation Belongs to Our God: Celebrating the Bible’s Central Story. The Global Christian Library. IVP / Langham, 2008.
Young, Richard Fox, eds. India and the Indianness of Christianity: Essays on Understanding — Historical, Theological, and Bibliographical — in Honor of Robert Eric Frykenberg. Studies in the History of Christian Missions. Eerdmans, 2009.
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I don’t own copies of these next books, but highly recommend them. I’ve either read borrowed copies or have them on my wishlists.
Bauckham, Richard. Bible and Mission: Christian Witness in a Postmodern World. Easneye Lectures and Frumentius Lectures. Baker Academic, 2003.
Cochrane, Steve. Many Monks Across the Sea: Church of the East Monastic Mission in Ninth-Century Asia. Regnum Studies in Mission. Regnum, 2017.
Cushner, Nicholas P. Why Have You Come Here? The Jesuits and the First Evangelization of Native America. Oxford University Press, 2006.
Escobar, Samuel E. Changing Tides: Latin America and World Mission Today. Orbis Books, 2002.
du Jarric, Pierre. Akbar and the Jesuits: An Account of the Jesuit Missions to the Court of Akbar. Trans. with Introduction and Notes by C. H. Payne. The Broadway Travelers 2. 1st ed.: 1926. Reprint edition: Routledge, 2005.
Richardson, Don. Eternity in their Hearts. Regal Books, 1981; Bethany House Publishers, 2006.
Schnabel, Eckhard J. Paul the Missionary: Realities, Strategies and Methods. IVP Academic, 2008.