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Missiology in 1991
Bosch, David Jacobus, South African missiologist born near Kuruman, South Africa, 1929, died in a
car accident, 15 April 1992. He studied at the universities of Pretoria and Basel (ThD, 1957) and served
as a Dutch Reformed missionary in the Transkei. He founded the Southern African Missiological
Society (SAMS) in 1968 and was first editor of its journal, Missionalia. He became professor of
missiology at the University of South Africa (UNISA) in 1971. He was known for his gracious pastoral
and spiritual sensitivities, enjoyed the trust of diverse groups of Christians, and in his magisterial
Transforming Mission (1991) produced the summative work of classic 20th century missiology.
2
I understand missiology to refer to reflection, particularly within the Christian community, about
Gods purpose for the church in the context of his purpose for creation. As usuage has developed it may
be possible to understand the closely related term mission studies to be the study of the mission of
the church particularly in terms of its effects, not just its intentions, and as carried out by all interested
parties, including those in the academy whether or not they share a Christian commitment. Both
missiology and mission studies have tended to be associated with people whose perspective relates to
mission outside their own country or culture. In the 1990s both have often come to include a domestic
as well as a global focus. The core academic disciplines of those seeing themselves as missiologists
have often been church history, theology, cultural anthropology and religious studies, though there is no
reason why biblical or pastoral studies should not be more highly represented.
3
For discussion see among other sources in the bibliography, Johannes Aagaard, "Trends in
Missiological Thinking During the Sixties," International Review of Mission 62 (1973)., Arnulf Camps,
Missiology : An Ecumenical Introduction : Texts and Contexts of Global Christianity (Grand Rapids,
Mich.: William B. Eerdmans Pub. Co., 1995)., David J. Bosch, "Theological Education in Missionary
Perspective," Missiology X, no. 1 (1982)., Karl Mller et al., eds., Dictionary of Mission : Theology,
History, Perspectives, American Society of Missiology Series ; No. 24 (Maryknoll, N.Y.: Orbis Books,
1997)., Guttorm Myklebust Olav, Missiology in Contemporary Theological Education : A Factual
David J. Bosch, "Behind Melbourne and Pattaya: A Typology of Two Movements," IAMS Newsletter,
no. 16-17 (1980).
6
Lesslie Newbigin, The Gospel in a Pluralist Society (Grand Rapids, Mich: and Geneva: W. B.
Eerdmans ; and WCC Publications, 1989).
7
David B. Barrett and Todd M. Johnson, Our Globe and How to Reach It : Seeing the World
Evangelized by AD 2000 & Beyond : A Manual for the Decade of Evangelization, 1990-2000
(Birmingham, Ala.: New Hope, 1990).
8
Paul F. Knitter, No Other Name? : A Critical Survey of Christian Attitudes toward the World
Religions, American Society of Missiology Series ; No. 7 (Maryknoll, N.Y.: Orbis Books, 1985).
9
Andrew F. Walls, "Missiological Education in Historical Perspective," in Missiological Education for
the 21st Century. The Book, the Circle, and the Sandals. Essays in Honor of Paul E. Pierson., ed. J.
Dudley Woodberry, Charles Van Engen, and Edgar J. Elliston (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis, 1997).
10
Johannes Blauw, The Missionary Nature of the Church; a Survey of the Biblical Theology of Mission
(Grand Rapids, Mich.,: Eerdmans, 1974).. Reprinted by Eerdmans in 1974.
11
Donald Senior and Carroll Stuhlmueller, The Biblical Foundations for Mission (Maryknoll, N.Y.:
Orbis Books, 1983).
12
Lucien Legrand, Unity and Plurality. Mission in the Bible (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis, 1990)., Lucien
Legrand, Le Dieu Qui Vient : La Mission Dans La Bible (Paris: Desclee, 1988).
13
Andrew F. Walls, "Structural Problems in Mission Studies," International Bulletin of Missionary
Research 15, no. 4 (1991).
14
Stephen Neill, Gerald H. Anderson, and John Goodwin, Concise Dictionary of the Christian World
Mission (Nashville,: Abingdon Press, 1971).
15
Gerald H. Anderson, ed., The Theology of the Christian Mission (London: SCM Press, 1962).
16
Thomas F. Stransky, Gerald H. Anderson, and Charles W. Forman, Crucial Issues in Mission Today,
Mission Trends ; No. 1 (New York: Paulist Press, 1974)., Gerald H. Anderson and Thomas F. Stransky,
Evangelization, Mission Trends ; No. 2 (New York: Paulist Press, 1975)., Gerald H. Anderson and
Thomas F. Stransky, Third World Theologies, Mission Trends ; No. 3 (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans,
1978)., Gerald H. Anderson and Thomas F. Stransky, Liberation Theologies in North America and
Europe, Mission Trends ; No. 4 (New York: Paulist Press, 1979)., and Gerald H. Anderson and Thomas
F. Stransky, Faith Meets Faith, Mission Trends ; No. 5 (New York, NY. and Grand Rapids, Mich.:
Paulist Press ; and W.B. Eerdmans Pub. Co., 1981).
17
Kenneth Parker, Richard Peace, and James Singleton, Teaching Evangelism. A Collection of Syllabi
from North American Seminaries (MARC, 1990).
18
Ralph D. Winter and Steven C. Hawthorne, eds., Perspectives on the World Christian Movement. A
Reader (Pasadena, CA: William Carey Library, 1981).
19
(U.K.) Evangelical Alliance, "The Salvation of the Gentiles. Implications for Other Faiths,"
Evangelical Review of Theology January (1991).
20
John Sanders, No Other Name: An Investigation into the Destiny of the Unevangelized (Grand
Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Pub., 1992).
21
Nicholas Lossky, ed., Dictionary of the Ecumenical Movement (Geneva, and Grand Rapids, MI:
WCC Publications, and Eerdmans, 1991).
22
William R. Burrows, ed., Redemption and Dialogue. Reading Redemptoris Missio and Dialogue and
Proclamation. (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis, 1995)., William R. Burrows, "Redemptoris Missio after Ten
Years. Reflections from an American Perspective," (forthcoming).
23
Jon Bonk, Missions and Money : Affluence as a Western Missionary Problem, American Society of
Missiology Series ; No. 15 (Maryknoll, N.Y.: Orbis Books, 1991).
24
David Jacobus Bosch, Transforming Mission : Paradigm Shifts in Theology of Mission, American
Society of Missiology Series ; No. 16 (Maryknoll, N.Y.: Orbis Books, 1991).
Hwa Yung, "Transforming Mission," review of David J. Bosh, Transforming Mission: Paradigm
Shifts in Theology of Mission, Maryknoll: NY Orbis Books, 1991., International Review of Mission
LXXXI, no. 322 (1992)., Kirsteen Kim, "Post-Modern Mission. A Paradigm Shift in David Bosch's
Theology of Mission?," International Review of Mission LXXXIX, no. 353 (2000)., John Kevin
Livingston, A Missiology of the Road : The Theology of Mission and Evangelism in the Writings of
David J. Bosch (1992)., John Roxborogh, "The History and Scope of BISAM within IAMS: 1972 1992," in To Caste Fire Upon the Earth: Bible and Mission Collaborating in Today's Multicultural
Global Context, ed. Teresa Okure (Pietermaritzburg, South Africa: Cluster Publications, 2000)., Willem
Saayman and Klippies Kritzinger, eds., Mission in Bold Humility. David Bosch's Work Considered.
(Maryknoll, NY: Orbis, 1996)., Robert J. Schreiter, "Book Review : Transforming Mission: Paradigm
Shifts in the Theology of Mission. By David Bosch, Maryknoll, N.Y.; Orbis, 1991," International
Bulletin of Missionary Research 15, no. 4 (1991)., Philip H. Towner, "Paradigms Lost: Mission to the
Kosmos in John and in David Bosch's Biblical Models of Mission," Evangelical Quarterly 67, no. 2
(1995)..
26
Personal email from Stephen Hayes, 9 March 1999.
See Gerald J. Pillay, "Text, Paradigms and Context: An Examination of David Bosch's Use of
Paradigms in the Reading of Christian History," in Mission in Creative Tension: A Dialogue with David
Bosch, ed. J. N. J. Kritzinger and W. A. Saayman (Menlo Park: South African Missiological Society,
1990)..
28
The South African Missiological Society marked Boschs 60th birthday by making the theme of their
1990 congress A missiology of the road: In dialogue with David Bosch and publishing the papers as
a festschrift in his honour. What was different about these as festschrift papers was that they responded
to the invitation to dialogue by being critical of Bosch and each other Kritzinger and Saayman, eds.,
Mission in Creative Tension: A Dialogue with David Bosch.
29
Including, J. N. J. Kritzinger and W. A. Saayman, eds., Mission in Creative Tension: A Dialogue with
David Bosch (Pretoria, South Africa: South African Missiological Society, 1990)., Saayman and
Kritzinger, eds., Mission in Bold Humility. David Bosch's Work Considered. and Norman E. Thomas,
ed., Classic Texts in Mission and World Christianity, American Society of Missiology Series ; No. 20
(Maryknoll, N.Y.: Orbis Books, 1995)., which serves as a critique as well as a supplement to
Transforming Mission.
30
Thomas, ed., Classic Texts in Mission and World Christianity., xv.
31
Kim, "Post-Modern Mission. A Paradigm Shift in David Bosch's Theology of Mission?."
32
J. Andrew Kirk, What Is Mission? Theological Explorations. (London: Darton, Longman and Todd,
1999).
33
Bruce Nicholls and Bong Rin Ro, Beyond Canberra : Evangelical Responses to Contemporary
Ecumenical Issues, 1st ed. (Oxford: Regnum Books, 1993).. See also the statement signed by
Evangelicals at Canberra, including by New Zealanders John Evans, John McKinlay and Bruce
Nicholls.
34
David J Bosch, "Evangelism," Mission Focus 9, no. 4 (1981).. See alsoDavid Bosch, "In Search of
Mission: Reflections on 'Melbourne' and 'Pattaya.'" Missionalia 9, no. 1.
35
Mission Studies 11, 6(1) 61-69.
36
Ibid., 64.
37
Ibid., 14.
The contexts were not so much cultural particularities as the large eras of human history defined and
grouped as paradigms.
39
Frans J Verstraelen, "Mission in Bold Humility," in Mission in Bold Humilty. David Bosch's Work
Considered, ed. A. Saayman Willem and Klippies Kritzinger (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis, 1996). makes
astute observations about the character of Boschs writing, but perhaps could make more allowance for
this being the nature of the case for a work of theology of this nature.
40
Bosch, Transforming Mission : Paradigm Shifts in Theology of Mission. 489. Bosch quotes F. R.
Wilson, ed., The San Antonio Report (Geneva: World Council of Churches, 1990). 33 as the source of
the quote. He was at San Antonio and may himself have been the author of the phrase.
38
10
Beyond 2001
As J. Andrew Kirk, The Mission of Theology and Theology as Mission, ed. Alan Neely, H. Wayne
Pipkin, and Wilbert Shenk, Christian Mission and Modern Culture (Valley Forge, Pa. and Leominster,
Herefordshire: Trinity Press International ; and Gracewing, 1997).
42
Wilbert Shenk, "Christian Mission and the Coming "Clash of Civilizations"," Missiology XXVIII,
no. 3 (2000).
43
Samuel P. Huntington, The Clash of Civilisations and the Remaking of World Order (New York, NY:
Simon & Schuster, 1996).
12
See Kim, "Post-Modern Mission. A Paradigm Shift in David Bosch's Theology of Mission?.",
Stephen B. Bevans, "God inside Out: Toward a Missionary Theology of the Holy Spirit," International
Bulletin of Missionary Research 22, no. 3 (1998)., and a forthcoming paper by Susan Smith, The
Spirit and Contemporary Christian Mission".
45
Pachuau, "Missiology in a Pluralistic World. The Place of Mission Study in Theological Education."
13
14
Bibliography
Aagaard, Johannes. "Trends in Missiological Thinking During the
Sixties." International Review of Mission 62 (1973): 8-25.
Anderson, Gerald H., ed. The Theology of the Christian Mission.
London: SCM Press, 1962.
Anderson, Gerald H., and Thomas F. Stransky. Evangelization,
Mission Trends ; No. 2. New York: Paulist Press, 1975.
. Faith Meets Faith, Mission Trends ; No. 5. New York, NY.
and Grand Rapids, Mich.: Paulist Press ; and W.B. Eerdmans
Pub. Co., 1981.
. Liberation Theologies in North America and Europe,
Mission Trends ; No. 4. New York: Paulist Press, 1979.
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