Mission in the Early Church: Themes and Reflections

by Edward L. Smither

Publisher:

Cascade Books

, 2014

Overview

How did Christian missions happen in the early church from AD 100 to 750? Beginning with a brief look at the social, political, cultural, and religious contexts, Mission in the Early Church tells the story of early Christian missionaries, their methods, and their missiology. This book explores some of the most prominent themes of mission in early Christianity, including suffering, evangelism, Bible translation, contextualization, ministry in Word and deed, and the church. Based on this survey, modern readers are invited to a conversation that considers how early Christian mission might inform global mission thought and practice today.

Contents

Top Highlights

“I prefer Justo Gonzalez’s take on Christian history—that ‘the history of the church is the history of its mission.’^{1” (Page 1)}

“First, the early church did take seriously the command of Jesus to make disciples of all nations” (Page 46)

“the Christian movement was founded upon and birthed through suffering and persecution” (Page 50)

“ the church in Armenia regards Thaddeus and Bartholomew as its founding evangelists” (Page 30)

“What characterized basilica art in this period? Wilken helpfully writes: ‘Christian art tends toward narrative, the telling of a story, the depiction of events from biblical history … so it was to this history, and the persons and events who appear in the biblical stories that Christians turned when they wished to decorate their churches.’⁵⁰ Jensen adds that church images were especially concerned with conveying a complete narrative; not merely a single figure or element of a story.” (Page 158)

Product Details

• Title: Mission in the Early Church: Themes and Reflections
• Author: Edward L. Smither
• Publisher: Cascade Books
• Print Publication Date: 2014
• Logos Release Date: 2019
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Subjects: Missions › History--Early church, approximately 30-600; Church history › Primitive and early church, approximately 30-600
• ISBNs: 9781610975216, 9780227174852, 9780227902950, 9781498214193, 1610975219, 0227174852, 0227902955, 1498214193
• Resource ID: LLS:MSSNRLYTRFLCTNS
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2024-11-27T19:32:08Z

About Edward L. Smither

Edward L. Smither (PhD, University of Wales-Trinity Saint David; PhD, University of Pretoria) is professor and dean of intercultural studies at Columbia International University. He spent 14 years in intercultural ministry in North Africa, France, and the USA. His previous books include Missionary Monks, Mission in the Early Church, and Augustine as Mentor.