David J. Hesselgrave’s Paradigms in Conflict: 10 Key Questions in Christian Missions Today is a must-read for anyone passionate about missions. Hesselgrave, a leading evangelical missiologist, long-time missionary to Japan, and professor of missions at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, discusses 10 key issues that affect mission strategies. The ten key issues he discusses are:
1. Sovereignty and Free Will: An Impossible Mix or a Perfect Match?
2. Restrictivism and Inclusivism: Is This Mission Trip Really Necessary?
3. Common Ground and Enemy Territory: How Should We Approach Adherent of Other Faiths?
4. Holism and Prioritism: For Whom is the Gospel Good News?
5. Incarnationalism and Representationalism: Who is Our Missionary Model- Jesus or Paul?
6. Power Encounter and Truth Encounter: What Is Essential in Spiritual Warfare?
7. Amateurization and Professionalism: A Call for Missionaries or a Divine Call?
8. Form and Meaning: How Does the Inspiration of Scripture “In-form” Contextualization and Make It “Meaning-full”?
9. Countdown and Prophetic Alerts: If We Go in Force, Will He Come in Haste?
10. The Kingdom of God and the Church of Christ: What on Earth is God Building- Here and Now?
For each of the ten issues, Hesselgrave provides an in-depth analysis of the topic, as well as how the issues have affected missions. Although you might not agree with Hesselgrave’s position on every topic, Paradigms will definitely help you develop a more robust theology, philosophy, and methodology of missions.
Additional books by Hesselgrave well worth reading are:
Hesselgrave, David J. Communicating Christ Cross-Culturally: An Introduction to Missionary Communication. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1990.
Hesselgrave, David J. Planting Churches Cross-Culturally: North America and Beyond. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2000.
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Wow. Looks like a fascinating read. I’ll have to pick it up.
The books has a lot to offer. How I wish is downloadable.