Michael W. Goheen, A Light to the Nations: The Missional Church and the Biblical Story. Baker Academic, 2011.
Referenced in: Theology of Mission
LifeandLeadership.com Summary
This is an excellent theology of mission from a missional/missio Dei perspective. There are four strengths of this text. First, Goheen demonstrates the continuity of the Old and New Testaments’ witness regarding the mission of God. He traces mission through the story line of scripture starting with the Abrahamic call for Israel to be a “light to the nations.” Second is his development of the New Testament images of mission. Third, Goheen interacts beautifully with most of the leading authors on this subject, and distills the best of missional theology to date. Fourth, he writes in a fairly non-technical, accessible style, increasing usefulness among church leaders.
From the Publisher
There is a growing body of literature about the missional church, but the word missional is often defined in competing ways with little attempt to ground it deeply in Scripture. Michael Goheen, a dynamic speaker and the coauthor of two popular texts on the biblical narrative, unpacks the missional identity of the church by tracing the role God’s people are called to play in the biblical story. Goheen shows that the church’s identity can be understood only when its role is articulated in the context of the whole biblical story—not just the New Testament, but the Old Testament as well. He also explores practical outworkings and implications, offering field-tested suggestions for contemporary churches.
Editorial Reviews
“Goheen expertly traces the continuities of and developments in the Bible’s grand story of the people of God, showing that at every stage God’s people exist for the sake of God’s mission to all the peoples of the world. Here is the biblical depth needed for the contemporary church’s reflection on and practice of its missional identity.” – Richard Bauckham, University of St. Andrews, Scotland; Ridley Hall, Cambridge
“A book that stands out from the crowd and merits careful attention, A Light to the Nations is a much-needed and well-crafted basic text for the biblical study of the missional church. Based on careful reading and interpretation of an impressive range of biblical scholars, Goheen’s book engages the scholarly voices that merit serious interaction, lays out the major themes of a biblical theology of the missional church, and offers an integrative approach that will stimulate further investigation. Certainly it will become a staple of college and seminary syllabi dealing with the church and its mission. Pastors, congregations, and mission agencies will find in this book biblical orientation for faithful mission in a time of rapid and challenging change.” – Darrell L. Guder, Princeton Theological Seminary
“A Light to the Nations masterfully calls readers to a renewed missional imagination. Goheen traces the missional theme through Scripture, enabling us to see that his vision is not really new but the rediscovery of the robust, missional ecclesiology that has always characterized the people of God at their best. Goheen leads us into an expansive vision of what it means to be God’s called, eschatological people embodying the new creation. If you long to understand what it really means to be a missional church, not as a simple slogan but as our deepest identity, then this book is the indispensable road map. I heartily recommend it!” – Timothy C. Tennent, Asbury Theological Seminary
“Based on the whole biblical narrative, this book is a powerful presentation of what it takes for a missional church in the twenty-first century to be ‘A Light to the Nations.’ It is both compelling and persuasive!” – Gerald H. Anderson, Overseas Ministries Study Center, New Haven, CT
About the Author
Michael W. Goheen (PhD, University of Utrecht) is Geneva Professor of Worldview and Religious Studies at Trinity Western University in Langley, British Columbia, and a teaching fellow in mission and world Christianity at Regent College, Vancouver. He is also minister of preaching at New West Christian Reformed Church and the author or coauthor of several books, including The Drama of Scripture, Living at the Crossroads, and a work on Lesslie Newbigin’s missionary ecclesiology.
***For additional information on this resource, including reviews, click the bookstore links. Check the reference at page top or the links below for resource guides on related topics.***
See Resources on Over 100 Areas of Ministry Leadership: