Understanding Christian Mission: Participation in Suffering and Glory

Scott W. Sunquist (PhD, Princeton Theological Seminary) is dean of the School of Intercultural Studies and professor of world Christianity at Fuller Theological Seminary at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. He previously served as professor of world Christianity at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. Sunquist is author of The Unexpected Christian Century, winner of the 2015 Book Award for Excellence in Missiology from The American Society of Missiology. He is also coauthor of the multivolume History of the World Christian Movement and coeditor of A Dictionary of Asian Christianity.

"Scott Sunquist has produced a rarity in this book that combines breadth of theological scope with depth of learning and life in equal measure. This wonderful compendium brings together deep biblical reflection, the wisdom of Christian ages past, and the experience of a lifetime lived in mission. This is a book to savor, ponder, and return to again and again."

—Christopher J. H. Wright, international ministries director, Langham Partnership; author of The Mission of God and The Mission of God's People

"This is a clearly written, wonderfully ecumenical introduction to missiology and, indeed, mission theology. Its value lies in conceiving missiology as deeply theological and spiritual, not simply as tips and strategies for more successful evangelism. We often speak of the importance of the missio Dei for an adequate understanding of mission. In this volume Scott Sunquist helps us understand this trinitarian perspective more deeply."

—Stephen Bevans, SVD, Louis J. Luzbetak, SVD Professor of Mission and Culture, Catholic Theological Union, Chicago

"No mere pragmatic missiology, Scott Sunquist's book is redolent with theology. This book shows us that we are steeped in suffering and in glory both across time and in today's global and urban challenges. What a high calling."

—Miriam Adeney, associate professor of world Christian studies, Seattle Pacific University; teaching fellow, Regent College; author of Kingdom without Borders: The Untold Story of Global Christianity

"This is an outstanding one-volume introduction to missiology. It is creative, unique, and captivating. I will recommend this text to all my colleagues."

—Charles Van Engen, Arthur F. Glasser Professor of Biblical Theology of Mission, School of Intercultural Studies, Fuller Theological Seminary

"Three mission books in one: Sunquist provides a sweeping history, a comprehensive theology, and an impassioned call for the church to be missional. Ambitious, inspiring, and sweeping. From Polycarp to Matteo Ricci and D. L. Moody, the range of this book is simply amazing."

—Alec Hill, president, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA

"This book offers a fresh understanding of Christian mission endeavor from historical, theological, and ecclesiological perspectives. It explains how the realities of suffering and glory have shaped the practitioners of mission in local, regional, and international contexts. Scott Sunquist's teaching and living in mission contexts shine through in his expert choice of peoples and events in world Christianity. This work is a must-read for all who reflect on Christian mission and its legacy and prospects."

—Reverend Daniel Jeyaraj, professor of world Christianity and director of Andrew F. Walls Centre for the Study of African and Asian Christianity, Liverpool Hope University, United Kingdom

"This is not another run-of-the-mill, practical mission sourcebook of how to effectively strategize and grow churches. It seeks to broaden missional frameworks and deserves to be carefully studied."

—The Rt. Rev. Dr. John Chew, retired bishop of Singapore and archbishop of Southeast Asia

"A powerful primer on the history and theology of mission, this book brilliantly lays out a clear understanding of God's mission, which the church today needs to recover and build on. It is a must-read for students exploring Christian mission for the first time as well as a comprehensive resource for practitioners currently involved with global mission."

—Tom Lin, vice president of missions and director of the Urbana Student Missions Conference, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship; international deputy director for North America, The Lausannne Movement

"This is a fresh and invigorating presentation of Christian mission for our day. Scott Sunquist draws on a recent burgeoning of biblical and theological studies that acknowledges the importance of the mission of God for understanding Christian existence. He identifies the biblical foundations, traces the historical unfolding of mission over two millennia, and summarizes contemporary missiological developments. This is a rich resource."

—Wilbert R. Shenk, senior professor of mission history, Fuller Graduate School of Intercultural Studies