A fascinating look at the lives of women who bore the heat of day in Christian mission, but who were often forgotten by history until now. Contributors include: Bonnie Sue Lewis, Christina Tellechea Accornero, Kevin Xiyi Yao, Lydia Huffman Hoyle, Catherine B. Allen, Melissa Lewis Hime, Silas Wu, Angelyn Dries, Mary Joseph Maher, Margaret Eletta Guider, Frances S. Adeney, Young Lee Hertig, Marsha Snulligan-Haney, and Miriam Adeney.

Questions related to the issue of gender remain insufficiently acknowledged and explored in contemporary theological literature. These issues form the basis of significant unresolved tensions among evangelicals, as evidenced in debates over the nature of the Trinity, Bible translation, church practice, choice of language, mission leadership, decision-making in homes, and parenting, to name but a few examples. The essays in this volume are not meant to provide a monolithic evangelical theology of gender, but rather to provide evangelical perspectives surrounding the topic of gender. To further this aim, each of the main essays is followed by a formal response with an attempt at a concise and lucid perspective on the essay and pointers to further areas for investigation. Some contributors are complementarian while others are egalitarian, although who is what is left to the discerning reader. Regardless of one's position on the issue, all will benefit from the contributors' commitment to the further exploration of gender issues from the perspective of a broadly conceive evangelicalism.

The Oxford Handbook of Mission Studies represents more than a century of scholarship related to the theology, history, and methodology of the propagation of Christian faith and the engagement of Christians with cultures, religions, and societies worldwide. It contains more than 40 articles by experts from different disciplinary and ecclesial perspectives, who are from all continents. It not only offers a broad overview of key approaches and issues in mission studies but it also highlights current trends and suggests future developments. The Handbook builds on renewed interest in mission studies this century generated by recent key statements on mission from ecumenical, evangelical, Catholic, and Orthodox sources, and by a spate of academic works on the topic. Western church leaders now apply insights from foreign missions (such as, inculturation, liberation, interfaith work, and power encounter) to today's multicultural societies. Meanwhile, there are new initiatives in mission from the Majority World, where most Christians live, so that sending is not only 'from the west to the rest' but 'from everywhere to everywhere'. Therefore, this volume aims to reflect the voices of the receivers of mission as well as its protagonists and to raise awareness of new movements. In a time of growing recognition of 'religions' more generally, this work examines and theorizes the missional dimensions of the world's largest religion: its agendas, growth, outreach, role in public life, effect on cultures, relevance for development, and its approaches to other communities.

Christian Women and Modern China presents a social history of women pioneers in Chinese Protestantism from the 1880s to the 2010s. The author interrupts a hegemonic framework of historical narratives by exploring formal institutions and rules as well as social networks and social norms that shape the lived experiences of women. This book achieves a more nuanced understanding about the interplays of Christianity, gender, power and modern Chinese history. It reintroduces Chinese Christian women pioneers not only to women’s history and the history of Chinese Christianity, but also to the history of global Christian mission and the global history of many modern professions, such as medicine, education, literature, music, charity, journalism, and literature.

Christianity has come to be a religion embraced especially by women and not least in Africa. This book provides one of the as yet rare case studies for the early stages of this development: how African women on the pre- and early colonial Gold Coast (Ghana) encountered Basel Mission Christianity, 1843-1885. Popular interpretations have tended to describe Christianity as either ‘empowering’ or ‘domesticating’ African women. Looking at variegated push-and-pull factors and in its focus on the agency of Ghanaian women this detailed analysis moves beyond. It situates the quest for Christian womanhood as part of trans-national discourses and exchanges, as well as local interactions, and writes a social history that is at once transnational and transcultural.

The SCM -- The "whys" of SCM's women leaders -- SCM committee women -- SCM general and assistant general secretaries -- Introducing the traveling secretary -- The ministry of the traveling secretary -- SCM short and long term pioneers -- SCM targeted student group pioneers -- Scm "warp and woof" pioneers -- SCM conference speakers -- SCM ecumenical pioneers -- SCM intellectual pioneers (biblical criticism and the social sciences) -- SCM social gospel pioneers -- SCM woman's movement pioneers (definition and causes) -- SCM woman's movement pioneers (benefits) -- Final thoughts

In this popular introduction to church history, now in its third edition, Mark Noll isolates key events that provide a framework for understanding the history of Christianity. The book presents Christianity as a worldwide phenomenon rather than just a Western experience. Now organized around fourteen key moments in church history, this well-received text provides contemporary Christians with a fuller understanding of God as he has revealed his purpose through the centuries. This new edition includes a new preface; updates throughout the book; revised "further readings" for each chapter; and two new chapters, including one spotlighting Vatican II and Lausanne as turning points of the recent past. Students in academic settings and church adult education contexts will benefit from this one-semester survey of Christian history.

Have you ever felt alone, facing the challenges life presents? Have you ever felt like you were parachuted onto an unpredictable path of leadership, with no road map? Then join us! Mirrored Reflections arose from the alienating experiences of a group of evangelical Christian women leaders known as AAWOL (Asian American Women On Leadership), who formed a community with the motto "Never Alone Again." Reflecting on how the stories of select biblical characters mirror their own stories, AAWOL core sisters reframe these biblical stories through a Yinist lens and envision fresh, powerful leadership principles. Reflection questions at the end of each chapter guide readers to discover and articulate their own stories and imagine how their own parallel those of the biblical characters. Read and be nourished, finding mirrored reflections of your own broken or unvoiced story--both female and male--and enjoy the redemptive nature of the stories' multivocality.

Stepping Up to the Cold War Challenge: The Norwegian-American Lutheran Experience in 1950s Japan describes the events that led to the Evangelical Lutheran Church (ELC), an American Christian denomination, to respond to General MacArthur’s call for missionaries. This Church did not initially respond, but did so in 1949 only after their missionaries had been expelled from China due to the victory of communist forces on the mainland. Because they feared Japan would also succumb to communism in less than ten years, the missionaries evaded ecumenical cooperation and social welfare projects to focus on evangelism and establishing congregations. Many of the ELC missionaries were children and grandchildren of Norwegian immigrants who had settled as farmers on the North American Great Plains. Based on interview transcripts and other primary sources, this book intimately describes the personal struggles of individuals responding to the call to be a missionary, adjusting to life in Japan, learning Japanese, raising a family, and engaging in mission work. As the Cold War threat diminished and independence movements elsewhere were ending colonialism, missionaries were compelled to change methods and attitudes. The 1950s was a time when missionaries went out much in the same manner that they did in the nineteenth century. Through the voices of the missionaries and their Japanese coworkers, the book documents how many of the traditional missionary assumptions begin to be questioned.

Volume V extends the study of the Oxford History of Dissenting Protestant Traditions series into the twentieth century, following the spatial, cultural, and intellectual changes in dissenting identity and practice as these once European traditions globalized and settled down in other places.