Unlikely Friends

“At its core missiology is the study of transformation; its roots in the preaching of the gospel, its effects in history, and the means by which it occurs. Unlikely Friends honors Dana Robert by following a course she plotted in examining how friendship plays a role in transformation beyond personal relationships. It is a welcome addition and enlargement of the tools available to missiologists. And a fulsome relief from decades of focusing on ideological analysis that often loses sight of the human dimension of mission. At the least it should send us all back to the archives to re-examine friendships forgotten or ignored and quite possibly discover where transformation really begins.”


—Robert Hunt, Director of Global Theological Education, Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University





“As one of Dana Robert’s early doctoral students, I have been blessed directly by her scholarship and intellect, care and companionship, for close to four decades. The authors’ contributions in this festschrift reflect the breadth and depth of her mentorship and faithfulness to companions on the way. Unlikely Friends is a fitting tribute to Dana Robert whose friendship has significantly advanced God’s mission of restoration and reconciliation in the academy and the global church.”


—Ian T. Douglas, Bishop, The Episcopal Church in Connecticut





“This remarkable collection honors and extends Dana Robert’s work on friendships in world Christianity—friendships that embrace diversity and transform societies. The authors present luminous narratives based in detailed research and vivifying the many faces of friendship. They reveal hidden histories as well as surprising transformations in widely different contexts, times of conflict and crisis, interfaith communities, culturally conflicted contexts, the transnational deaf community, and so much more. This book will inspire and transform you.”


—Mary Elizabeth Moore, Dean Emeritus and Professor of Theology and Education, Boston University School of Theology





“Sometimes simple truths have profound implications. That is the testimony of the essays in Unlikely Friends. Human friendships, which cross boundaries, are the crucible for understanding the practice of world mission. With skilled academic insight, these essays testify to the incarnational power of human relationships. These well-researched stories of friendship not only illumine the past, but also point the way forward, given the polarizing nature of modern cultures. Further, the wisdom found here suggests pathways for our ecumenical calling within world Christianity and beyond.”


—Wesley Granberg-Michaelson, member of the international committee for the Global Christian Forum