History of Christian Mission

From its very beginning, the Christian church has been a missionary movement. As the church encountered different cultures and peoples, missionaries adapted their methods and practices to suit the context. Thus a historical understanding of Christian mission is an essential aspect of the missionary work of the church.

Five historical topics are worth particular attention

• Early Church
• Celtic Church
• Monasticism
• Anglican Approaches to Mission
• Modern Missionary Movements

Recommended Reading

Green, Michael, Evangelism in the Early Church (Eerdmans,2004).

Smither, Edward L. Mission in the Early Church: Themes and Reflections (Cascade Books, 2014).

Goheen, Michael W., Introducing Christian Mission Today: Scripture, History, and Issues (IVP Academic, 2014).

Resources for Further Study

Peters, Greg, The Story of Monasticism: Retrieving an Ancient Tradition for Contemporary Spirituality (Baker Academic, 2015).

Smither, Edward L., Missionary Monks (Cascade Books, 2016)

Hunter, George G. III The Celtic Way of Evangelism: How Christianity Can Reach the West . . .Again (Abingdon, 2010).

Stott, John, Christian Mission in the Modern World (IVP Academic, 2015)

Hopkins, Hugh Evan Charles Simeon of Cambridge (Eerdmans, 1977)

Missionary Work of the Church

==Canonical Areas==