Description
How did Christian mission happen in the early church from AD 100 to 750? Beginning with a brief look at the social, political, cultural, and religious contexts, Mission in the Early Church tells the story of early Christian missionaries, their methods, and their missiology. Edward L. Smither explores some of the most prominent themes of mission in early Christianity, including suffering, evangelism, Bible translation, contextualization, ministry in word and deed, and the church. Based on this survey, modern readers are invited to a conversation that considers how early Christian mission might inform global mission thought and practice today.
About the Author
Edward L. Smither is Associate Professor of Intercultural Studies at Columbia International University, South Carolina. He is the author of Brazilian Evangelical Missions in the Arab World (2012) and Rethinking Constantine (also published by James Clarke & Co Ltd).
Contents
List of Illustrations
Acknowledgments
Abbreviations
Introduction
1. Backgrounds
2. Who Were the Missionaries?
3. Suffering
4. Evangelism
5. Bible Translation
6. Contextualization
7. Word and Deed
8. Church
Epilogue
Bibliography
Index
Endorsements and Reviews
Too many Christians suppose evangelism began when modern Westerners decided to bring the gospel to the ignorant masses of the world’s darkest continents. As both a missiologist and ancient church scholar, Edward L. Smither is perfectly positioned to recover the truth that missions began in the New Testament and never stopped expanding during the church’s earliest centuries. Writing with easy-to-read clarity and an expert’s mastery, Smither tells a forgotten story that no Christian should miss!
Bryan Litfin, Professor of Theology, Moody Bible Institute, Illinois
Mission in the Early Church has filled an important gap in historical mission studies by surveying the vibrant mission practice of the early church. Smither’s insights into the way the whole church was mobilized for mission has profound implications for us today. The sheer variety of how this mighty stream of lay witnesses bore witness to Christ is nothing short of breathtaking! It’s an enjoyable and informative journey – I recommend it.
Timothy C. Tennent, Professor of World Christianity, Asbury Theological Seminary, Kentucky
The chapter about contextualization is especially interesting.
Jorg Christian Salzmann, in Theologische Literaturzeitung, No 141, Heft 1/2
