Ten Outstanding Books in Mission Studies, World Christianity and Intercultural Theology for 2019 - International Bulletin of Mission Research (IBMR) Noted theologian Samuel Escobar offers a magisterial survey and study of Christology in Latin America. Starting with the first Spanish influence and moving through popular religiosity and liberationist themes in Catholic and Protestant thought of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, In Search of Christ in Latin America culminates in an important description of the work of the Latin American Theological Fraternity (FTL). Escobar chronologically traces the journey of Latin American Christology and describes the milestones along the way toward a rich understanding of the spiritual reality and powerful message of Jesus. IVP Academic is pleased to release this important work, originally published in Spanish as En busca de Cristo en America Latina, for the first time in English. Offers theological, historical, and cultural analysis of Latin American understandings of Christ Discusses the sixteenth-century Spanish Christ, popular religiosity, and developed theological reflection Covers the full spectrum of theological traditions in Latin America Examines the figure of Jesus Christ in the context of Latin American culture of the twentieth century Places liberation theology within its social and revolutionary context

Description: Democratic principles have not taken root readily in Latin America in part because spiritual inwardness, a necessary prerequisite of democracy that is inseparable from the Bible, has been lacking. During the twentieth century Protestant workers like John Mackay (1889-1983) brought the evangelical message to that continent through lectures and writings. This collection of John Mackay's early essays presents a range of his contributions, and the ideas in the essays are grounded in his clear understanding of the nature and dignity of human beings in the light of God. The fruit of this teaching is self-confidence, courage, steadfastness, and other positive ethical attributes that accompany progress and success for individuals and peoples. The essays touch on religious, educational, literary, political, and philosophical themes in the service of Christian truth. They embody key ideas and strategic judgments related to the presentation of the Evangel, the most basic and first work of the church. The message balances spiritual and social aspects of Christianity to meet the needs of the people, and it accompanied progressive social and political changes in the region. The historical experience of Protestantism in Latin America is well worth recalling today by readers in North America and elsewhere.

Mission is the responsibility of a global church. The heart of "mission" is the drive to cross geographical, cultural and social barriers in order to share the good news of Jesus Christ with all peoples. Drawing on his involvement in missionary work over many years, Samuel Escobar explores how the church spreads the Christian faith. God's word forms the foundation for his reflections, while he uses insights from theological and historical studies as well as from the social sciences to gain a clearer understanding of the church's missionary calling. His stimulating and challenging analysis contributes significantly to a global evangelical dialogue on mission today and in the future. SAMUEL ESCOBAR, a native of Peru and a leading Latin American theologian, was one of the key participants in the International Congress on World Evangelization at Lausanne, Switzerland, in 1974. He is Professor Emeritus of Missiology at Palmer Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania, USA and teaches Contemporary Theology at Facultad Protestante de Teologia UEBE in Madrid, Spain. He has previously served as president of the United Bible Societies and the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students. The Langham Global Library provides inter-cultural exposition and application of the Christian faith, within the framework of the Cape Town Commitment, by authors from the international evangelical community.

Synopsis: The Liberating Mission of Jesus deals with the central message of the Gospel of Luke, provocatively arguing that the liberating mission of Jesus has two central themes: the universality of the love of God and the special love God has for the defenseless of society. Both of these pillars form the bedrock of Luke's theological vision, animate his Gospel throughout, and summarize the good news of the reign of God in subversive and radical form. This book shows how the liberating message announced by Jesus, as well as his liberating practice, is manifested throughout the Gospel and its implications for Christian life today. Through this thorough treatment, the full depth of Luke's vision of the liberating mission of Jesus is shown to be a paradigm for the personal and collective witness of believers, regardless of the social, political, cultural, or religious boundaries that try to inhibit them from giving witness to the God of life. Endorsements: "I am deeply grateful for Dario Lopez Rodriguez's fantastic work on the liberating mission of Jesus, for he has provided us with a crucial and persuasive biblical call to work for peace, justice, empowerment, and liberation. I will continue to require it in my classes and I highly recommend it." --Paul Alexander Professor of Christian Ethics & Public Policy, Palmer Theological Seminary, Eastern University Editor of Pentecostals and Peacemaking (2009) and Christ at the Checkpoint (2012) "I have used this book as a study text in my teaching in the Americas and Europe, especially in courses dedicated to the foundations and understanding of Christian mission in the twenty-first century. An important reference point for men and women that approach the text of Luke today is that the author of this work is not a classroom academic, but a Pentecostal pastor that lives on the frontiers of service to the poor. This second edition has been enriched with new chapters, and at various points the author has corrected and refined his treatment of the biblical text, also updating references to bibliographical sources. All of this will be of great help to scholars who wish to deepen their understanding of the Third Gospel, beginning with the missiological and pastoral fundamentals that Dr. Lopez offers us with such clarity." --from the Foreword by Samuel Escobar Author Biography: Dario Lopez Rodriguez is pastor of the Church of God of Peru (Cleveland, TN), professor in different theological centers in Latin America, and author of various books on the topics of Pentecostalism and the public presence of Evangelicals. He is currently president of the National Evangelical Council of Peru and Bishop of the Lima Region of the Church of God of Peru.

In the context of Latin America, the theology of liberation is both dominant and world renowned. However, this context and the pursuit of theological relevance belong also to other voices. Orlando E. Costas, Samuel Escobar, Andrew Kirk, Emilio A. Nunez and C. Rene Padilla are thinkers who have sought to bring an evangelical understanding of liberation to the people of Latin America. Despite their influence on national and international theology, and despite their transformative contribution to the praxis of churches ministering in contexts of poverty, their thought has not been systematized to date. This work deals with this Iacuna presenting the vitality of Latin American evangelical theology which seeks to be biblical, relevant and missiologically effective, thus offering a liberation which is holistic and grounded in the kingdom of God.

Features & Benefits- Introduces Christian mission- Shows that Christian mission is now truly global, with missionaries from all places going to all peoples- Assesses a changing mission field simultaneously secular and syncretistic- Offers a thoroughly biblical theology of missions- Considers implications for how Christians are to go about the task of global mission- Written by a veteran missiologist and leading Latin American theologian

Building on the work and legacy of Darrell L. Guder, Converting Witness: The Future of Christian Mission in the New Millennium constructively explores key questions and new possibilities in the field of missiology in light of the context of world Christianity. The conversation around missional theology and the missional church sought to address the gap between theology and mission and foster renewal within North American Christianity, but the growing consciousness around world Christianity has forced theologians and missiologists to give greater consideration to global cultural diversity. Many of the classic categories and methods-such as church planting, catholicity, and even the term "world Christianity" itself-are in need of fresh examination and thoughtful analysis. The contributors to this volume address a range of important missiological topics, including globalization, interfaith dialogue, integral mission, intercultural hermeneutics, and church practices.