Mission as Penance

“The collected essays by Reformed theologian Charles Fensham contribute to important conversations about public missiology. Fensham applies the lens of ‘penance’ to urgent issues such as settler colonialism and the oppression of First Nations peoples, gender identities, ecology and climate change, and the legacies of Canadian eurocentrism. Theologically astute and engaging, this thoughtful volume furthers the decolonization of North American missiology. I look forward to using it in classes on mission theology.”


—Dana L. Robert, director, Center for Global Christianity and Mission, Boston University





“If we can speak of mission as transformation, as some have done, or mission as reconciliation, as others have done, then Charles Fensham’s call for mission as penance moves us to account for the nuanced implications of both. Nourished in the Christian tradition and guided by the biblical witness to God’s ultimate purposes, he encourages (even goads!) his readers to a fresh imagination and practice of the way of penance. This book promises to renovate the character of Christian faithfulness in today’s world.”


—George R. Hunsberger, professor emeritus of missiology, Western Theological Seminary





“Charles Fensham’s Mission as Penance is a necessary addition to contemporary Christian missiology. His masterful opening sections give clarity and depth to the call for penance as central to contextual Christian witness. The closing sections then bring this perspective into dialogue with missiological discourse in the midst of social and ecological crisis. I recommend this work for both academic courses in missiology and study by anyone engaged in Christian mission.”


—Robert Hunt, professor of Christian mission and interreligious relations, SMU Perkins School of Theology