Written in an engaging style and intended largely for a lay audience, The Evangelization of the World tells the remarkable story of how Christianity grew from an insignificant Jewish sect in the first century until, by the beginning of the twenty-first century, it had become the world’s first truly global religion. The book is careful to explain historical context and mission theory, but the foci of the narrative are the great personalities of mission—the Apostle Paul, St. Martin of Tours, St. Patrick, St. Francis Xavier, John Eliot, Count Von Zinzendorf, William Carey, Robert Morrison, David Livingstone, Mary Slessor, Albert Schweitzer, and many others—who make this account of the expansion of the church a fascinating and often dramatic tale. In addition, the book does not neglect the great mission conferences of the twentieth century, nor does it avoid the controversial aspects of mission that, in many instances, continue to vex the movement today.

The Unseen Heroes of the Global Missionary Movement The Student Volunteer Movement for Foreign Missions was a Protestant missionary recruiting organization. Launched in the late nineteenth century, it played an indispensable role in the creation of the modern missionary movement. While it was influenced by the optimism and expansiveness that characterized Americans at the turn of the century, it also mirrored the period's provincialism and ethnocentrism. The Kingdom of Character provides a thorough history of the Student Volunteer Movement (SVM), exposing both its strengths and weaknesses. Parker highlights how these student leaders addressed issues such as gender roles, the social impact of World War I, and various internal controversies, while emphasizing an American middle-class worldview that stressed the Victorian idea of character in their hope to spread the gospel around the world. The Kingdom of Character is a great read for those interested in the creation of the modern missionary movement.

This study aims to read Jesus's foot washing narrative missionally (John 13:1-38). A missional reading is identical to a missional hermeneutics based on the literary-theological interpretation of the text. John uses sending language and formulae, and the frame of "as . . ., so . . ." throughout the whole Gospel, which clarifies Jesus's and his disciples' mission as integrated witness. In this literary context, the foot washing narrative signifies the integrated witness of Jesus and the disciples. The narrative consists of two parts: one, Jesus's symbolic action for his death, and the other, for its interpretation for the disciple community. Jesus's death, as his unique mission, results in purifying both his disciples and the world so that they might dwell in the holy union with the triune God. The disciples are sent into the world. Just as Jesus did, so must they proclaim Jesus and his teachings. Also, they should bear witness to him by living Jesus's life-pattern of self-giving, sacrificial love, and humble service. Their verbal proclamation as evangelism and life-witness cannot be separated to testify to Jesus and their identity. Finally, today's Christians, specifically Evangelicals, are invited to participate in the Johannine mission as the integrated witness of evangelism and life-witness.

The revised and enlarged second edition of J. Dudley Woodberry’s From Seed to Fruit expands on the next stage of the ongoing collaborative research and reflections of many people from many organizations desiring to bless Muslims. Seven additional chapters survey major trends in global Islam today and explore themes that prove to have considerable influence on fruitfulness, including a new chapter on building Christlike relationships with Muslims. The Global Trends Research Group has continued to update the demographic materials on Muslim people groups, their access to Christian witness, and when and how Christian groups covenant to provide meaningful access. From Seed to Fruit presents the most recent worldwide research on witness to Christ among Muslim peoples, using biblical images from nature to show the interaction between God's activity and human responsibility in blessing these peoples.

Contrary to popular impressions, the days of the missionary are far from over. North American churches send more missionaries than ever before, and 90 percent of them are evangelicals who are not affiliated with the "mainline" Protestant mission boards. The first major historical treatment of the distinctly evangelical wing of twentieth-century American missions, Earthen Vessels truly breaks new ground. Covering territory that missions histories have scarcely explored yet, the distinguished historians contributing to this volume portray the North American (including Canadian) evangelical missionary enterprise from the Student Volunteer Movement to the very recent past. The book traces the influences of premillennial eschatology, the fundamentalist-modernist controversies, the rise of independent missions and conservative denominational boards, the role of World War II and America's rise to world power, the recent development of a distinctly evangelical theology of missions, and the growing influence of the Two-Thirds World's evangelical leaders. While this volume certainly does not contain the last word on these subjects, in a number of areas it does offer very nearly the first look. With its fresh subject matter and new historical interpretations, Earthen Vessels will interest church history scholars and students, missionaries and ministers, and any others who wish to know more about American missions.

"I can't tell you how many times I have preached and afterward promised God I would never embarrass Him like that again." — Joseph M. Stowell. Unnatural. Supernatural. A gift. Hard work. Exhilarating. Terrifying. These words only begin to describe the challenge and reward each pastor experiences. So what can assist today's pastors in such an endeavor? The Moody Handbook of Preaching. With contributors like Michael Easley, Joseph Stowell, and George Sweeting, these pages will reinvigorate you with an energizing love for preaching. And with topics such as evangelism, homiletics, and historical narrative, this book will equip you to be effective in today's postmodern age. A rich resource, The Moody Handbook of Preaching encompasses the philosophy, formation, and delivery of preaching. Whether you're a seminary student or a seasoned pastor, this book will prove invaluable in your call by God to preach.