Theology of Mission: A Believers Church Perspective

NOTE: In troubling contrast to his work, we know that John Howard Yoder’s life was seriously flawed by acts of sexual violence against many women. Although his writings on nonviolence continue to be influential, we acknowledge that Yoder was, ironically and tragically, perpetuating violence, over many decades, in his private life. No reading or interpretation of Yoder can be done faithfully without understanding the extensive harmful legacy he has also left.

For more information, see Rachel Waltner Goossen’s research, published in Mennonite Quarterly Review, entitled “Defanging the Beast”.

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Working from a believers or free church perspective, Yoder effortlessly weaves together biblical, theological, practical and interreligious reflections to think about mission beyond Christendom. Along the way he traces the developments in the theology of mission and argues for an understanding of the church that is not merely a corrective but a genuine alternative.

The church is missionary by nature, called to bear witness to the coming kingdom, because it serves the missionary God of the Bible "who comes, who takes the initiative, who reaches across whatever it is that separates us." Decades later, these lectures read just as fresh and relevant as if they were written today. As the editors state in their preface, "those who have followed Yoder's work over the years will find this book to be some of his most striking unpublished material since The Politics of Jesus." Not just a volume for Yoder enthusiasts, Theology of Mission is for anyone who cares about the mission of the church today.