Reclaiming Mission as Constructive Theology

"Paul Chung proposes fresh ways to envision the mission of the church within its global, multi-cultural, and inter-religious contexts, and he does so with a view to the future. Grounding his thinking in the biblical narrative of God's salvific drama, Chung aligns missiology with other theological disciplines, providing a breadth of inter-disciplinary scholarship. He engages the contributions of contemporary missiologists and listens to the voices of the global church, past and present. All is brought together to advance our thinking within the new contexts of global mission."

-Arland J. Hultgren

First Theological Degrees Luther Seminary



"In these essays, a noted international theologian takes another creative and constructive look at the concept of the missio Dei. He not only reaffirms the importance of God's mission in the current fragmented world but also revamps the concept in light of the latest developments in post-colonial missiology and mission theology. Part of this intriguing interdisciplinary conversation is the reconsideration of the meaning and significance of the notion of "missional church," a topic widely discussed not only in North America but also elsewhere."

-Veli-Matti Karkkainen

Fuller Theological Seminary and University of Helsinki, Finland



"Reclaiming Mission as Constructive Theology locates the contemporary discussion of missional church in its fullest eschatological horizon. Chung advocates for socially engaged mission that attends to the emergence of world Christianity, the imperative of public theology, and the call to serve God's diakonia for the life of the world. Informed by mission history and recent hermeneutical theory, this book deepens and broadens the study of missiology to address the urgent issues of our time."

-Craig L. Nessan

Wartburg Theological Seminary



"For those seeking a theologically-grounded understanding of mission that is equally as concerned with effective practice, Paul Chung's presentation of 'Mission as Constructive Theology' is an impressive, expansive integration of confessional theology and cultural analysis. Dr. Chung argues that because of the embodied narrative of God in Jesus Christ, anthropology is essential to the development of a faithful and effective understanding and practice of mission. In Paul Chung's innovative missiology, confessional commitments are essential to a faithful understanding of mission; equally essential, if mission is to be effective, is that these confessional commitments be understood and interpreted through the concreteness of each particular context so as to become the living voice of God in each time and place."

-Roland D. Martinson

Luther Seminary



"In his new book, Paul Chung performs a great service, bringing together the themes and concerns of two equally urgent but too-often separated conversations: missional church and world Christianity. Even better, he gives both conversations new life by weaving them together with a robust theology of the Word focused on the living voice of the gospel. In both his constructive theology and his stories of pastoral practice, missio Dei shows itself to be pro-missio Dei."

-Jonathan Strandjord

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America



"With amazing scholarship and breadth of learning, Paul Chung brings the missiological conversation home to our multicultural, multireligious, and postcolonial United States. Missiology for Chung is public theology; a missional church is a public church."

-Stephen Bevans, SVD

Catholic Theological Union, Chicago