Discovering Missiology: What is it?
When I started researching evangelism under the umbrella of “North American Missiology,” I knew very little about the topic. I figured that since I considered myself a missionary and because my life centered around missions, the study of missiology made sense. I supposed that an academic approach to meaningful gospel conversations might even enhance my understanding of the mission of evangelism and add teeth to twenty-first century strategic initiatives.
Along the way, I discovered that most of my friends and co-workers did not understand missiology either. In fact, just this week Bob (my own husband!) said, “I think you need to find a new word to describe missiology.” After we rankled about his suggestion for a while, we ended up agreeing that I should write about missiology. So, I’m introducing a new topic here: Discovering Missiology.
What is Missiology?
Missiology is a theological discipline that seeks to understand the comprehensive creating and redeeming mission of God, the missio Dei, across history and is anchored in the canon of Scripture (Genesis to Revelation).
Missiology requires us to get to know God and the mission of God by reading the greatest missionary text of all—the True Story of the Whole World.
Missiology, then, depends on the lead of the Spirit of God who invites and empowers people like us to participate as gospel witnesses—we are all part of the True Story.
God, since the very beginning, has called on ordinary men and women to make his name known. Consider Noah, called by God to build an ark and deliver his family and a boat load of animals, or Esther who risked her life to save a nation, or John the Baptist whose voice was but a cry in the wilderness preparing the way. Missiology informed by the missio Dei has always required bravery, adaptability, and the posture of a humble learner.
Right at the center of the True Story the missio Dei is most brilliantly displayed in the Incarnation—the birth of Jesus, the Word who became flesh and came to live among us.
God sent Jesus to “proclaim liberty to the captives, recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty the oppressed, and the proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor!” (Luke 4:18–21)
Missiologists describe the Incarnation as the “scandal of particularity.” God the Son took on the human flesh of a first century Jewish male, he was born in Bethlehem, grew up in Nazareth, was put to death on a cross in Jerusalem, was buried and rose again on the third day, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. Jesus, in turn, sends us to be his witnesses just like the Father sent him.
Missiology also accompanies other disciplines of study such as sociology, philosophy, anthropology, or history to inform our understanding of God’s mission in all the varied contexts across the globe. For example, the significant demographic changes in North America lend insight into religious and cultural worldviews introduced by refugees, migrants, and immigrants and informs the way we approach meaningful gospel conversations.
Missiology creates unrest and resists complacency, challenges the institutional impulse to preserve and protect, and is meant to heighten our senses and enable us to join the work of the Spirit in our current context in our corner of the world.
When we ground our missiological discoveries in the missio Dei we discover that God is always creating and redeeming and has created and redeemed us to be his witnesses.
Next: Discovering Missiology: Puzzles and Surprises
