Mission Reading List (1)

My first post shows some books recommended by our Diocesan Mission Advisor. His comments are italicised.

Those I've already read are marked **

Donovan, V. (1982) Christianity Rediscovered, London: SCM. Classic of modern mission. If you have not yet read it then it’s your loss. **

Hull, J (2006) Mission Shaped Church – a Theological Response, London: SCM. Slim volume giving a positive critique of the Mission Shaped Church report.

MacLaren, D. (2004) Mission Implausible: Restoring Credibility to the Church, Milton Keynes: Paternoster.
Excellent account of why the church has struggled in the face of modernism. Un-missable but not an easy read.

Murray S (2004) Post-Christendom: Church and Mission in a Strange New World Carlisle: Paternoster.
Good overview of church in Post-Christendom. In places it is a bit of an Anabaptist rant but that can be excused for the insight you gain from reading the book.

Booker, M. & Ireland, M. (2005) Evangelism – Which Way Now? London: CHP.
Good overview and critique of the methods of evangelism we use today.

Bosch, D.J (1991) Transforming Mission, New York: Orbis. Have you not read this yet? Now looks a bit dated and is a very Westernised account of world mission but lots of bits where you will say,’ well, I wish I had thought of that.’ **

Davie, G. (1994) Religion in Britain since 1945, Oxford: Blackwell. Well it had to be on the list somewhere.

Drane, J. (2005) Do Christians Know How to be Spiritual? London: DLT. Tries not to be too depressing about the views of people outside the church on how spiritual they understand the church to be today but probably fails. Still this is a good way to face the realities of mission.

Gibbs E. & Bolger R.K. (2006) Emerging Churches: Creating Community in Postmodern Cultures London: SPCK. Good introduction to the emerging church scene.

Grenz S.J. (1996) A Primer on Postmodernism, Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans

Morisy, A (2004) Journeying Out, London: Chapman.
As with all her books, a good read.

Frost M. and Hirsch A. The Shaping of Things to Come Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson. 2006. How should the church recalibrate itself for mission? An Antipodean view but none the worse for that.

More suggestions to follow shortly. Bye for now....