The master of the estate called his four servants before him. He said to them, "Tomorrow I must depart on my journey to the East. I don't know how long I will be gone... so I have decided to split up my wealth with you all to invest for me. I am placing my trust …
Permission to be Heard, and the Risk of Anti-Evangelizing
As I note regularly in my posts, my wife and I are part of a counseling center. One thing we like to tell our trainees (and I would like to think we practice) is "We have have to earn the right to be heard." A similar way of looking at it is "We need to …
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Eschatology and Christian Missions. Is it a Healthy Relationship? Part 2
In the previous post, I suggested that while Evangelical Christian Missions is often guided by Eschatology (the theological study of last things), it is often guided poorly. In fact, I would suggest that often it is guided by personal preferences and then justified (poorly) using poor eschatology. One of the most egregious, in my mind, …
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Eschatology and Christian Missions. Is it a Healthy Relationship? Part 1
I feel like I should dust off one of my Missiology books before writing this one… but I won’t. The thing is that Christian Missions as it is commonly identified today (at least the Evangelical Protestant flavor that predominates) sees Christian missions driven by Eschatology. Estchatology is the study of future or last things. In …
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Mano Po
A few days ago, I was asked by one of my students here at Philippine Baptist Theological Seminary what my view regarding "Mano Po" is. Now among the many things I am not an expert in is the Filipino cultural practice of "Mano po." However, since he, a Filipino pastor, was asking me, a foreigner …
When Your Dissertation Cannot Be Your Specialization
Back years ago when I was attending Asia Baptist Graduate Theological Seminary (ABGTS), I wasn't sure what my specialization would be. Actually, I originally thought about going with a Doctor of Missiology. Later, however, I decided to switch to Doctor of Theology (ThD) with a focus on Missions. Topically, I originally wanted to do my …
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Genius: Generalists, Specialists, and “Overlappers”
I have heard it said that "genius" can be seen as the ability to see connections between things that others do not or have not. This can exist by digging deeper in an area that others haven't. (I will be using digging in the earth for precious metals or gems as a metaphor in this …
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Evangelical Environmentalism
I have been reading "Environmental Missions" by Lowell Bliss. It has been a good book. But I have been struggling a bit with two or three issues that Bliss goes over quite a bit. I do think there is a healthy place for Evangelical Environmentalism. I know this is a bit controversial especially in the …
Book Review “Make Disciples of All Nations: A History of Southern Baptist International Missions.”
The book, title above, edited by John D. Massey, Mike Morris, and W. Madison Grace II (Kregel Academic, 2021) is an important book of missions history for the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) and to a lesser extent the Baptist movement. Baptists, especially as it relates to the American form, developed a group identity out of …
Character of a Missionary Candidate (In 1944)
I have been reading a book on Southern Baptist missions history ("Make Disciples of All Nations," edited by Massey, Morris, and Grace. Review will be posted in a few days). In it, they quote from and summarize the characteristics sought for a missionary candidate drawn from the 1944 Annual of the Southern Baptist Convention. I …
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