Announcing the Kingdom
The Story of God’s Mission in the Bible
About
"The
This work surveys the development of the kingdom of God theme in the Old Testament and demonstrates how it reveals God's mission in creation, Israel, and among the nations. The authors then turn to the fulfillment of the kingdom through Jesus' ministry and the continuing work of the Holy Spirit.
Based on Arthur Glasser's more than thirty years of teaching experience, this study provides mission students and workers with an ideal textbook for a "Biblical Foundations of Mission" course.
Endorsements
"A superb book, it relates God's mission to God's people for God's Kingdom in God's world, as found in God's Word. Evangelical missiology at its best!"-Gerald H. Anderson, director emeritus, Overseas Ministries Study Center
"Announcing the Kingdom takes the reader on a panoramic tour of the Kingdom of God from Genesis to Revelation. A theology of mission centered on the Kingdom, it intersects biblical exegesis with missiological reflection to produce a solidly evangelical and relevant understanding of mission for Christians who want to share the good news in today's troubled world."-Gary B. McGee, Assemblies of God Theological Seminary
"For more than three decades, Arthur Glasser touched the lives of hundreds of students in the school of world mission at Fuller Theological Seminary with his exceptional scholarship on the theology of mission. Now his insights are available to the world through this volume. No other work provides such a thorough biblical foundation for God's mission of redeeming a lost and broken world."-Sherwood Lingenfelter, author of Ministering Cross-Culturally
"Glasser's long-anticipated Announcing the Kingdom is the culmination of a lifetime of biblical reflection and missionary action. This foundational volume is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the scriptural witness that undergirds the global mission of God's people."-Kenneth B. Mulholland, Columbia Biblical Seminary and School of Missions
"Announcing the Kingdom challenges biblical scholars to look outwardly and to think missionally and missiologists to base theory and experience in exegesis and biblical theology. While one may not agree with every detail of this theological reconstruction, all will profit immensely from the careful attention given to the biblical text in understanding the central place that mission plays in God's historical plan of establishing the Kingdom of God. This work will be used with great profit in biblical theology as well as missiology courses."-Michael J. Wilkins, dean of the faculty and professor of New Testament language and literature, Biola University
"Glasser has given us the illuminating result of a lifetime of theologically astute reflection on the biblical underpinnings of missionary vocation. This reliable and exciting guide to grasping the broad sweep of God's Kingdom purposes in redemption has been refined by the ongoing interactions of successive generations of faculty and student associates engaged in mission."-Paul A. Rader, president, Asbury University
"Written from a lifetime of teaching and practice, Arthur Glasser's Announcing the Kingdom tackles three theological deficiencies in Christendom: the role of the Kingdom of God, the missional nature of Scripture, and the integrative character of the sacred storybook from Genesis to Revelation. Conveyed through humble and honest scholarship, this welcome text tracks the unfolding revelation of the triumphant Kingdom of God that demands a call to conversion of all peoples."-Tom Steffen, Biola University
"A monumental work! This comprehensive study establishes a profound foundation for a theology of mission, and represents a lifetime of reflection on Scripture by a scholar and mission leader. It should be required reading in every seminary and Bible school."-Paul E. Pierson, Fuller Theological Seminary
"Glasser shows that the Kingdom of God is the dominant theme linking the task of mission in both Testaments and makes a strong case that it is the one theme upon which it is possible to build a comprehensive biblical theology of mission."-Gary Corwin, SIM (Serving in Mission)
"In an age when theologies of mission can be reductionistic in focus and concern, Glasser expounds the biblical revelation with detail and diligence. Announcing the Kingdom analyzes the Kingdom theme from Genesis to Revelation and along the way engages other issues of importance in contemporary debate, such as the centrality of social justice to holistic mission, the question of Jewish evangelization, and the fate of those who do not believe. This volume is a testament to a significant career and a rich foundation for continuing reflection on Christian mission."-M. Daniel Carroll R., professor of Old Testament, Denver Seminary
"Until now there has been little in-depth analysis of the Bible from a missiological perspective. With the appearance of this book, a premier mission theologian offers a thought-provoking study on the heart of God for the nations that covers the whole of Scripture."-Robert L. Gallagher, assistant professor of missions and intercultural studies, Wheaton College Graduate School
The Authors
-
Arthur F. Glasser
Arthur F. Glasser is Dean Emeritus of the School of World Mission at Fuller Theological Seminary.
Continue reading about Arthur F. Glasser
-
Charles E. Van Engen
Charles E. Van Engen is the Arthur F. Glasser Professor of Biblical Theology of Mission at Fuller.
Continue reading about Charles E. Van Engen
-
Dean S. Gilliland
Dean S. Gilliland is Senior Professor of Contextualized Theology and African Studies at Fuller.
Continue reading about Dean S. Gilliland
-
Shawn B. Redford
Shawn B. Redford is a Ph.D. candidate and adjunct faculty member at Fuller.
Continue reading about Shawn B. Redford
Reviews
"The kingdom of God perspective has been one of Glasser's major contributions to missiology. It has helped to broaden missiological reflection, to break the impasse between evangelism and social action, to create the possibility of ecumenical conversations about missiology, and to highlight the social and political implications of the kingdom of God for missionary activity."--New Testament Abstracts
"There certainly exist already a number of biblical theologies of mission. Few, however, have the breadth and depth of Glasser's study. This is clearly the product of a life's work of reading, reflection, and prayer. . . . This book will be read with deep appreciation by evangelical Christians. . . . All Christians, however, will profit from the wisdom that is found in these pages and from the convictions articulated by a scholar of evident faith."--Stephen B. Bevans, S.V.D., International Bulletin of Missionary Research
"This comprehensive biblical theology of mission, by a group of scholars from Fuller, presents a thorough overview of Scripture and how it relates to God's mission in the world."--Missiology
"Evangelical missions is committed to being biblical. Yet too often the Bible remains an assumed foundation rather than a functional authority in mission strategizing. This distillation of a lifetime of study on the 'Biblical Foundation of Missions' provides a helpful resource for correcting that anomaly."--William J. Larkin, Evangelical Missions Quarterly
"[Glasser] has been one of the most provocative thinkers of the last half of the twentieth century. . . . Glasser takes the reader deep into the Scriptures relevant to each era of salvation history and the kingdom of God. He is meticulous in keeping his focus on the kingdom of God as it relates to the missio Dei. Every chapter is replete with Scripture references and quotations that undergird this thesis that the kingdom of God and God's mission in the world are inextricably bound together. Glasser is intimately familiar with writings, both old and new, in the fields of mission theology and missiology. He has delved deeply into the works of others, but he has done his own original biblical exegesis. . . . A gold mine of stimulating insights into God's plan from eternity to eternity. Working through this fascinating volume will immeasurably reward mission theologians, professors, pastors, and serious laypeople. We are deeply indebted to Glasser for sharing the results of a lifetime of study and thought. . . . I highly recommend this book."--David M. Howard, Missiology
"This book reflects lessons learned and insights gained during [Glasser's] long and illustrious lifetime. . . . Apparently disparate strands are held together by the conviction that the Bible is central to effective Christian faith and witness, and that when read through the spectacles of missiological engagement it often challenges our preconceptions, even those held on apparently 'Biblical' grounds. . . . Provides an invaluable overview that will be particularly helpful to those with only a sketchy prior knowledge of the biblical narratives."--John Drane, Themelios
"A comprehensive study of scripture from Genesis to Revelation with the goal of establishing the biblical foundations of missionary thought, commitment, and practice. Neither the excellence nor the focus of this book come as a surprise to those acquainted with the work and writing of its author and his colleagues. Glasser has been a major figure in world missions in many capacities for more than half a century. . . . This book is the product of many years of classroom teaching on the biblical foundation of mission and everything about it is admirably adapted to this use. . . . Reading the whole book yields a fresh view of both biblical history and critical issues in missions. There are surprises and gems on page after page. . . . Perhaps its greatest contribution is its systematically holistic approach--human history and endeavor is given meaning by the grand story of the divine purpose. Biblical studies and theology, belief and practical application, personal commitment and corporate missionary responsibility, are all held together. It is highly recommended as a seminary classroom text, but also as essential reading for all bible students and missionary-minded persons."--Russell Staples, Mission Studies