Most Christians would agree that the Bible provides a basis for mission. But Christopher Wright boldly maintains that mission is bigger than that--there is in fact a missional basis for the Bible! The entire Bible is generated by and is all about God's mission.In order to understand the Bible, we need a missional hermeneutic of the Bible, an interpretive perspective that is in tune with this great missional theme. We need to see the "big picture" of God's mission and how the familiar bits and pieces fit into the grand narrative of Scripture.
Beginning with the Old Testament and the groundwork it lays for understanding who God is, what he has called his people to be and do, and how the nations fit into God's mission, Wright gives us a new hermeneutical perspective on Scripture. This new perspective provides a solid and expansive basis for holistic mission. Wright emphasizes throughout a holistic mission as the proper shape of Christian mission. God's mission is to reclaim the world--and that includes the created order--and God's people have a designated role to play in that mission.
Average Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars(3.5 out of 5 stars)
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4 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Walter McConnell (Northern Ireland), November 07, 2008
In The Mission of God Chris Wright articulates his view that the Bible not only provides fuel for lighting and maintaining a vision for mission, but that God's mission can and should be used as a hermeneutical "key that unlocks the whole grand narrative of the canon of Scripture." His concern is not so much to identify "The Biblical Basis of Mission" as "The Missional Basis of the Bible", since all Scripture was written to witness to the mission of God. This missional reading traces the contours of biblical theology by developing themes that highlight God's mission as revealed from Genesis through Revelation. The book reads largely as an OT theology of mission, showing how themes first encountered there are developed in the NT. Wright has produced an important book that should be read by missionaries, biblical scholars, pastors and others who desire to understand God's mission and their place in it. By developing OT themes about God and his people, Wright puts to rest common notions that mission is a NT phenomenon. While the emphasis on the OT provides material that is not available elsewhere, it may limit the use of the book in missions classrooms unless supplemented by readings on missiological themes primarily developed in the NT. The same emphasis means that the book could be a welcomed addition to a class on biblical theology, as it successfully models how key OT themes can be traced into the NT.
1 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by samuel mwaluvanda (Dodoma, Tanzania), November 25, 2007
This is one of the best books I have ever read in my MA studies. It should be available and used by all born again Christians in East Africa. This will inspire them to be good teachers of missions and involve directly in this holy work of the Lord.
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by david stump (olathe KS), January 30, 2007
Superb! Nothing quite like it! This is a serious heavy weight study of what the Bible is all about. This book is amazing in it's breadth of scope and total grasp of biblical content. The author grasps the intent of God's plan of redemption in scripture like few others have. Must, must reading for serious Bible students. I would give it 6 stars if that was an option. Maybe a bit too advanced for complete beginners though.
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