We Evangelicals and Our Mission. Lianna Davis
“David Hesselgrave shaped evangelical missiology in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. During the last months of his life, he penned We Evangelicals and Our Mission, a postscript that traces the history of evangelical missions in order to identify a modern crisis of doctrine and duty. The ‘Dean of Evangelical Missiology’ delivers one final lecture instructing evangelicals how to resolve this impending crisis by reviving historic doctrine and reengaging world evangelization.”
—Matt Queen, Associate Professor and L. R. Scarborough Chair of Evangelism, Associate Dean of the Roy J. Fish School of Evangelism and Missions, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
“David Hesselgrave, the dean of modern missiology, has produced a thoughtful, penetrating, and comprehensive examination of the foundations of the mission enterprise. We Evangelicals and Our Mission reviews the history of evangelicalism, defining and offering a solution to the problems of modern missions. . . . Every evangelical will benefit from reading this ground-breaking work that will stand the test of time.”
—Robin Dale Hadaway, Senior Professor of Missions, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
“Evangelical Christianity faces a crisis of identity. The greatest tragedy of this crisis is the way it erodes our missionary vision and zeal. We need to listen to the words of one of the greatest missiological thinkers of our time, David Hesselgrave. This book serves as a warning and provides correction for the church as we seek to maintain our focus on God’s mission. This book will be an important contribution to evangelical missiological literature and serves as Dr. Hesselgrave’s clarion call for us to stand strong and press forward for the glory of the God.”
—Scott Hildreth, Assistant Professor of Missiology, George Liele Director of the Center for Great Commission Studies, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary
“Readers will find in We Evangelicals and Our Mission an abundance of wisdom, careful and thoughtful reflection, biblical conviction tethered to the best of the Christian tradition, and a heart for faithful witness and mission. . . . Evangelical theology, world evangelization efforts, and church ministry will be strengthened by the much-needed and timely appeal to reconnect missions and ministry to historic orthodoxy articulated so clearly in this volume. Highly recommended!”
—David S. Dockery, President of International Alliance for Christian Education, and Distinguished Professor of Theology, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
“David Hesselgrave is perhaps the greatest missiologist of the last half of the twentieth century. Everything he has written is worth reading. We Evangelicals and Our Mission is no exception. Highly recommended.”
—Bruce Ashford, Professor of Theology and Culture, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary
“David Hesselgrave died in 2018, but he still speaks wisdom to us today. I’ve always admired how Hesselgrave integrates theology and missiology. This book does the same, but the author adds church history to the mix, to the benefit of his readers. This book reminds me of 2 Timothy, Paul’s last letter to his protégé. Hesselgrave warns his readers of theological dangers to missions and champions prioritism. I enthusiastically recommend this book.”
—John Mark Terry, Emeritus Professor of Missions, Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary
“The familiar tones of scholar, missionary, and prophet are on full display in this latest Hesselgrave volume. In many ways it continues his thoughts and exhortations from earlier works. Readers will be struck by Hesselgrave’s clear definition of evangelicalism and his compelling vision to reintegrate evangelicalism by unabashedly retethering it to the Bible, the great tradition, and an evangelistic thrust within our Great Commission efforts. This book is invaluable for the church and the academy.”
—Greg Mathias, Associate Director of Center for Great Commission Studies, Assistant Professor of Global Studies, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary
“At a time when everything is considered missions, even if the gospel is never shared, this book serves to remind and refocus the reader on the Great Commission task. Hesselgrave and Davis have done a noble work describing the relationship between present activity and history and belief. If you want a summary of where evangelicals have been, and potentially where we are going, read this book!”
—J. D. Payne, Professor of Christian Ministry, Samford University
We Evangelicals and Our Mission
How We Got to Where We Are and How to Get to Where We Should Be Going
David J. Hesselgrave with Lianna Davis
foreword by Keith E. Eitel
We Evangelicals and Our Mission
How We Got to Where We Are and How to Get to Where We Should Be Going
Copyright © 2020 David J. Hesselgrave and Lianna Davis. All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in critical publications or reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission from the publisher. Write: Permissions, Wipf and Stock Publishers, 199 W. 8th Ave., Suite 3, Eugene, OR 97401.
Cascade Books
An Imprint of Wipf and Stock Publishers
199 W. 8th Ave., Suite 3
Eugene, OR 97401
www.wipfandstock.com
paperback isbn: 978-1-7252-7128-9
hardcover isbn: 978-1-7252-7127-2
ebook isbn: 978-1-7252-7129-6
Cataloguing-in-Publication data:
Names: Hesselgrave, David J., author. | Davis, Lianna, author. | Eitel, Keith E., foreword.
Title: We evangelicals and our mission : how we got to where we are and how to get to where we should be going / by David J. Hesselgrave and Lianna Davis ; foreword by Keith E. Eitel.
Description: Eugene, OR: Cascade Books, 2020 | Includes bibliographical references.
Identifiers: isbn 978-1-7252-7128-9 (paperback) | isbn 978-1-7252-7127-2 (hardcover) | isbn 978-1-7252-7129-6 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Evangelicalism | Missions | Evangelistic work | Evangelicalism—United States
Classification: bv2063 h47 2020 (print) | bv2063 (ebook)
Manufactured in the U.S.A. 09/15/20
Dedicated to Carl F. H. Henry, Kenneth Kantzer, and Robert Culver
Illustrations and Tables
Figure 1: Three sources of Evangelicalism | 2
Figure 2: Three main elements of classical orthodoxy | 7
Table 1: Rules of faith and classic creeds | 11
Figure 3: Main movements of the Protestant Reformation | 17
Table 2: Formal and material principles of the Reformation | 29
Figure 4: Sources of Evangelicalism in the eighteenth century | 34
Figure 5: Great Century and Gathering Storm | 50
Figure 6: Twentieth-century conciliarism/ecumenism | 64
Figure 7: Twentieth-century fundamentalism and Evangelicalism | 72
Figure 8: Contemporary evangelical missiology | 84
Figure 9: Some evangelical proposals in theology and mission | 95
Figure 10: Doctrinal orthodoxy and contemporary evangelical movements | 112
Foreword
One former student returned from mission work in Jordan and presented me with a beautiful, hand-woven carpet depicting a scene of a train of camels in a caravan. Then