Craig Ott - The Mission of the Church: Five Views in Conversation

Over the past fifty years a growing discussion has emerged in missiological circles over the nature of the mission of the church. This conversation has expanded to include church leaders and theologians who do not typically live in the world of missiology. Controversies are of both a theological and a practical nature with far-reaching consequences. Changes in the place of the church in Western cultural contexts along with developments in the Majority World church have heightened the relevance of the discussion for all who are concerned about the challenges and opportunities facing the church in the contemporary world. An overview of developments in this discussion is offered in the introductory chapter. Consensus among nearly all branches of Christianity has gradually emerged regarding the missionary nature of the church, which has its source in the very character and acts of the Triune God, in the missio Dei (mission of God). Yet at the same time differences remain regarding the practical implications of that conviction. This book is an attempt to explore those commonalities and differences.

Numerous views books have appeared over the years in which various positions on a theological topic are presented by leading thinkers, followed by contributor responses to one another. Typically the positions are in clear contradistinction to one another and often mutually exclusive, and the discussion takes the form of a debate. This collection of essays, though similar in structure, is somewhat different in spirit. Contributors were invited to enter a charitable dialogue with one another, engaging in direct conversation, exploring commonalities, and clarifying differences. There has been a stronger emphasis upon mutual listening and understanding, less on debate. Of course differences remainmany rooted in fundamental theological, confessional convictions beyond the scope of this volumeand those differences have not been glossed over. However, a spirit of dialogue and mutual appreciation is more dominant, while questions in need of further clarification and honest debate are identified and addressed in a nuanced manner.

The selection of contributors to this conversation was not easy. The fact that four of the five authors are white, male North Americans is an admitted weakness. On the other hand, readers familiar with the conversation will recognize the names of these contributors as leading thinkers and writers on the various positions. Strictly speaking, these views are not representative of different confessions, though the authors themselves are at home in various traditions: Stephen B. Bevans is a Roman Catholic, Darrell L. Guder a mainline Protestant, Ruth Padilla DeBorst a Latina evangelical, Edward Rommen an Orthodox, and Ed Stetzer a North American evangelical.

Finally, it may come as a surprise to some readers that I, as an evangelical, have chosen to edit such a volume. Evangelicals are not known for their enthusiasm for ecumenical dialogue! The simple explanation is that I believe where we differ on important issues, we should seek to understand, appreciate, and learn from one another. This does not entail compromising our own convictions. We sometimes discover that we have more in common than we thought, and we often come to understand and articulate our own viewpoint more clearly by engaging those with whom we differ. Much will have been accomplished if readers not only clarify their own understanding as a result of reading these pages but also grow in their appreciation of others.

Craig Ott
Deerfield, Illinois, 2016