Graceful Evangelism: Christian Witness in a Complex World

by Frances S. Adeney

Publisher:

Baker

, 2011

Overview

Although evangelism has been practiced in different ways across the centuries, it has always been crucial to Christianity. This text by a seasoned evangelism scholar offers a comprehensive treatment of evangelism, from biblical models to contemporary practice. Frances Adeney shows that new evangelism theologies and methods are necessary in today’s religiously pluralistic and secular contexts. She provides a historical survey of evangelism, assesses the current situation, and offers a way forward. By understanding different contexts and approaches to evangelism and accepting the views of others on this crucial topic, readers can replace the “evangelism wars” (social action vs. proclamation) with a more graceful approach to sharing God’s good news with the world. Professors and students in evangelism, outreach, ministry, and missions courses; evangelism and mission scholars; and pastors, church leaders, and missionaries will value this work.

In the Logos edition, this volume is enhanced by amazing functionality. Important terms link to dictionaries, encyclopedias, and a wealth of other resources in your digital library. Perform powerful searches to find exactly what you’re looking for. Take the discussion with you using tablet and mobile apps. With Logos Bible Software, the most efficient and comprehensive research tools are in one place, so you get the most out of your study.

Key Features

• Offers a comprehensive treatment of evangelism
• Includes theological discussions of modern evangelism
• Provides a historical survey of evangelism and offers a way forward

Contents

• What Is Evangelism? Perspectives and Problems
• What Does the Bible Say? Biblical Models of Evangelism
• Patterns of Evangelism through the Ages
• The Western Missionary Movement in the Nineteenth Century: An American Perspective
• The Situation for Evangelism in the Twenty-first Century: Two Sides of a Coin
• Today’s Mission Trends
• Contemporary Theologies of Evangelism
• Abundant Life
• A Mission Statement for Evangelism
• Changing Context: Transforming Mission
• Insights from Contemporary Theologies of Evangelism
• Challenges to Crafting a Graceful Evangelism
• Changes: New Movements and Institutional Re-visionings
• Seeing through Their Eyes: A Spiral of Knowledge Acquisition
• Radical Habits: Practices for Evangelism Today

Praise for the Print Edition

Frances Adeney calls the church to be graceful—gentle, humble, respectful—in its evangelism, and she writes her book in the same graceful way. These pages are filled with experience, conviction, and faith. They should inspire pastors, students, and ordinary Christians, all of whom are called to live out their baptismal vocation to evangelize.

—Stephen Bevans, professor of mission and culture, Catholic Theological Union

Product Details

• Title: Graceful Evangelism: Christian Witness in a Complex World
• Author: Frances S. Adeney
• Publisher: Baker
• Print Publication Date: 2011
• Logos Release Date: 2011
• Pages: 240
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Subjects: Christianity and culture; Evangelistic work; Missions
• ISBNs: 9781441249661, 9780801031854, 1441249664, 0801031850
• Resource ID: LLS:3A817B23D903BED90B5D71B957DC0F4E
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2022-09-28T20:13:37Z

About Frances S. Adeney

Frances S. Adeney joined the Seminary faculty in 1999. As a professor of evangelism and global mission, she specializes in issues of Christianity and culture, and more specifically, the place of religion in the social world and the implications for ethics in the interactions between religion and society. She believes that one issue facing the church and society today is mission. “The church faces a critical need to move beyond divisive views of evangelism and mission and develop broad understandings that celebrate diversity – ethnic, cultural, theological and geographical.†From 1991 to 1996, Dr. Adeney served in a Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) mission assignment in Indonesia, where she served as a professor and as a national delegate for the 100 Years: World Parliament of Religions, held in conjunction with the Chicago World Parliament meeting. Before coming to Louisville Seminary, Dr. Adeney held appointments at the University of Southern California, Satya Wacana Christian University in Indonesia, Jakarta Theological Seminary, and New College, Berkeley. She has been visiting professor at the Graduate Theological Union in California; St. John’s School of Theology in Collegeville, Minn.; Asia Theological Seminary in Manila, Philippines; Fuller Seminary; and St. Edmund’s College of Cambridge University. During a recent sabbatical, she taught World Religions at Trinity Theological College in Singapore. Her recent publications include Christian Women in Indonesia: A Narrative Study Gender and Religion (Syracuse University Press, 2003), “Feet First: How Practices Have Shaped My Theology of Evangelism and Mission†in Teaching Mission in a Global Context (Westminster, 2001), and contributions to Gospel Bearers, Gender Barriers: Missionary Women in the Twentieth Century edited by Dana Robert (Orbis, 2002) and Ethics and World Religions (Orbis, 1999). Currently she is completing the forthcoming Christianity and Human Rights: Influences and Issues (SUNY Press) and Christians Encounter the World’s Religions, which will discuss the challenges of mission in a global context and present the church with ways to interact with other religions while affirming the centrality of the gospel to Christian faith.