SUBJECT DESCRIPTION

Perspectives is a study program which has been developed by the Institute of International Studies, US Centre for World Missions, Pasadena. This course has been widely used throughout the world. A reader has been produced that looks at the Biblical, Historical, Cultural and Strategic perspectives on world mission. This book will be the basis of the course, with the notes as a guide to enable students to engage creatively and critically with the text. The course will also explore another perspective - the Personal and Local Church perspective.

Various study guides to accompany the Reader have been produced. This course has been given permission to use portions of the Study Guide, Australasian Edition produced by the Centre for Mission Direction, Christchurch, New Zealand.

SUBJECT CONTENT

The course is divided into thirteen lessons. Each lesson has specific sections of required reading from the set text in order to be completed.

The Biblical Perspective

1 The Living God Is a Missionary God

• Stott p. 3-9
• Stott, p.21-26
• Piper p. 49-54
• Blackaby and Willis, p.55-58
  

2 Mission in the Old Testament

• Kaiser p.10-16
• Verkuyl p.27-33
• Hawthorne p. 34-43
• Bosch p.59-63

3 A Man and a Mission for All Peoples

• Van Engen p.162-168
• Fernando p.169-178
• Hawthorne p.108-112
• Glasser p.127-134

The Historical Perspective

4 Eras of Mission History

• Winter, p.195-213
• Bosch, Transforming Mission, p.230-236
• Winter, p.220-230
• Howard, p.277-286
• Pierson, p.262-268

5 Pioneers in Mission

• Winter, p.253-261
• Carey, p.293-299
• Hudson Taylor, p.300-304
• Townsend, p.309-310
• McGavran, p.323-338

The Cultural Perspective

6 What Is Culture And Does It Help or Hinder Mission?

• Hiebert, p.384-391
• Willowbank Report, p.483-506

7 Communicating the Gospel Across Cultures

• Hesselgrave, p.392-396
• Richardson, p.397-403
• Larson, p.438-443
• Nida, p.429-437

8 Missionaries, Church and Culture

• Hiebert, p.422-428
• Parshall, p.456-459
• Reyburn, p.449-455
• Pollock, Third Culture Kid Experience, p.19-35
• Smalley, p.474-479

The Strategic Perspective

9 Unreached Peoples

• Winter, p.339-353
• Winter, p.509-524
• Johnstone, p.541-552
• Greenway, p.553-558

10 Church Planting and Development

• McGavran, p.617-622
• Patterson, p.595-605
• Montgomery, p.606-612
• Moffett, 575-577
• Voorhies, p.586-591
• Schwartz, p.592-594

11 Reaching Muslims

• Massey, The Amazing Diversity of God, p.114-126
• Chastain, 650-654
• Ibrahim, p.646-649
• Travis, p.658-659
• Travis, p. 660-663
• Parshall, p.655-659

The Local Church Perspective

12 From Local to Global

• Stearns, p.724-728
• Long, Suburban Mission, p.10-17
• Griffiths, A Task Unfinished, p.32-55
• Miley, p.729-732

The Personal Perspective

13 Being a World Christian

• Hawthorne, p.708-713
• Winter, p.718-723
• Siemens, p.733-741
• Bryant, p.702-704

LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of the subject, students should:

• Have developed a clearer perspective on God's global mission in the world.

• Have critically appraised the past, present and future development of the Christian movement in the world today.

• Understand the challenges and potential involved in communicating cross-culturally in the as yet unreached blocs of humanity.

• Have been confronted by the personal challenge of how the student as an individual can be involved in global mission, whether as a penetrator, an active sender, or an equipper.

ASSESSMENT

B.Min / B.Th

12 weekly reading responses
of 300 words each 3,600

Essay 2,000

Total 5,600

Graduate Diploma / M.A. / M.Div

12 weekly reading responses

of 300 words each 3,600

Essay 3,000

Total 6,600

Textbooks

Perspectives on the World Christian Movement: A Reader, 3rd edition, edited by Ralph D Winter and Steven C Hawthorne, William Carey Library, Pasadena CA: 1999

Highly recommended

Charles Van Engen, Mission on the Way: Issues in Mission Theology, Baker Books, Grand Rapids MI : 1996

Patrick Johnstone and Jason Mandryk, Operation World, 21st Century Edition, Paternoster Lifestyle, Carlisle UK: 2001

Also Relevant

Perspectives on the World Christian Movement Part One: Study Guide, Australasian edition, Centre for Mission Direction, Christchurch NZ : 2000

Mission Frontiers Journal
Missiology