Transforming Mission is a scholarly, in-depth study of major missionary paradigms from the first century until the present. Bosch's point of departure is that the Christian faith is "intrinsically missionary." He distinguishes between the missio Dei - God's own involvement in the world, and Missions - the church's missionary activity. He believes that to carry out God's mission the church can neither focus its activity exclusively on saving souls nor on this-worldly human progress -it must do both.
He first surveys the New Testament model of mission, claiming that the advent of Jesus of Nazareth marked a significant change in the concept of mission as understood in the Old Testament. Jesus' ministry was characterized by inclusiveness and breaking down barriers between people. His goal was directed toward all Israel rather than only the remnant of the faithful. Bosch makes the point that one of the most well-known missionary texts, the Great Commission, cannot be divorced from the rest of Matthew's gospel. He believes that Matthew envisions a mission to both Jews and Gentiles and that this mission is characterized by discipleship and a call to challenge social injustice. Luke's understanding of mission highlights repentance and forgiveness of sins as well as economic justice and peace-making. Paul's understanding of mission focuses on the church as an eschatalogical community which is works for the improvement of society while awaiting the ultimate renewal of all things with the parousia.
In the second part of his analysis Bosch draws upon the work of Hans Kung and Thomas Kuhn. Kung identified six periods within the entire scope of Christian history during which a particular paradigm was prevalent: 1) The apocalyptic paradigm of primitive Christianity, 2) The Hellenistic paradigm of the patristic period, 3) The medieval Roman Catholic paradigm, 4) The Protestant Reformation paradigm, 5) The modern Enlightenment paradigm, and 6) The emerging ecumenical paradigm. Bosch makes a theological application of Thomas Kuhn's theory of scientific paradigm shifts, claiming that the six historical periods in the history of the church were each characterized by a particular theological paradigm. He points out that theological paradigms, unlike their scientific counterparts, do not make a complete break with old ideas. Sometimes elements from older paradigms are incorporated into new ones. Old and new paradigms can often exist simultateously among different groups of believers. Occasionally an old paradigm is rediscovered by a later generation.
At the conclusion of his survey of historical paradigms, Bosch emphasizes that mission is ultimately multidimensional. The contours of these many dimensions are shaped by six major "salvific events" chronicled in the New Testament: Christ's incarnation, by which he fully experienced the challenges and struggles of being human; his crucifixion, which signifies the completeness of his service and self-sacrifice; the resurrection, which conveys a message of victory and hope for humanity; the ascension, which calls Christians to work for a new order here on the earth which issues from above; Pentecost, which inaugurated the era of the church as a distinct community where social renewal is made manifest; and the parousia, which sets the sights of the church on the imminent and full realization of God's reign.
The depth and comprehensiveness of Bosch's work make it an important resource for any serious student of Christian missions. His many years of service on the field as a missionary coupled with his extensive theological training have given him many valuable insights into his subject matter.

Transforming missions is a scholarly work of importance for all scientists occupied with cross cultural encounters and matters of religion. The author, David Bosch, is one of several missologists who willingly share his rich and well documented work with other disciplines.

The book is well researched and the author is able to communicate complicated theological matters in a most convincing way. The book is readable and accessible to a long range of intrested persons and not merely to experts or specialists.

From a scholarly point of view Bosch provides the researcher with an analysis that gives a good framework for further research on the matter of missiology and historical cross cultural encounters. However, I miss references and analysis that can be more easily related to central social science authors like Giddens and Habermas and modern philosophers of care and interpersonal relationships.

I also miss a more penetrating discussion of the Eastern Orthodox churches and the paradigm shift in their missiological thinking.

Bosch has provided as with a bridge of understanding that is most helpful. His book will hopefully be read by many and will most certainly provide inspiration for many scholars.

There is a neat little series of books published by Eerdmans in the US and Gracewing in the UK, that I have appreciated a number of their titles over the last couple of years. It is the "Christian Mission and Modern Culture" series edited by three of the leading English-speaking missiologists of our time. I would commend these books to you. They are all around 60 pages long and are extended essays pertaining to a particularly relevant missiological theme. The other day, flying cross-country, I was able to both read and digest "Believing in the Future" by David J. Bosch.

Bosch was one of the leading missiological thinkers of our time. A South African, he was tragically killed in a car accident in 1992 soon after writing this essay - which was then published several years later. It is an attempt to formulate the parameters of missiological theology for the West. It is both bold and very accessible. I would commend it to all who are eager that tomorrow's church speak the Gospel boldly and effectively into tomorrow's world. It also can serve as an introduction to Bosch's major missiological work, published a year before his death, "Transforming Mission: Paradigm Shifts in the Theology of Mission" (Orbis, Maryknoll, NY, 1991). In that major work David Bosch makes demands upon his readers, but it is well worth the effort.

When I read a book I debate with it. The richer the conversation we have, the more scribblings, jottings, and underlinings a book will gather. My copy of "Believing in the Future" is now heavily annotated. Bosch's thesis is that we live in the "post" everything era. He writes, "We truly have entered into an epoch fundamentally at variance with anything we have experienced to date" (page 1). He points out that the Western church and its theology is deeply embedded in theological and ecclesiological paradigms that mute its ability to be what it should be, a missionary people taking the message of the Kingdom to ! a waiting world.

In an interesting observation he suggests that "it (is) impossible to distinguish between African THEOLOGY and African MISSIOLOGY... African theology (is), to a significant extent, missiological through and through" (page 27). This is true of most Two-Thirds World theologies. Meanwhile, Western churches have, for good reasons and bad, "operated on a basis of symbiosis between church and society and in which there were, officially, no nonbelievers" (page 28). The implications of this have been further reaching than most of us are prepared to imagine. While the time when this was the norm is passing, we still tend to function from this theological and ideological base.

This little book provides a missiologist's overview of postmodernity and its influence upon our culture, and he illustrates how the church is going to have to reshape itself if it is to be missionary as far as the West is concerned. He is critical of much of our church growth oriented thinking. "Mission," he tells us very firmly, "Is more and different from recruitment to our brand of religion; it is alerting people to the universal reign of God" (page 33). The implications of this are mind stretching, and will stretch us all as we seek to live this out in the years ahead.

Bosch's words should not make most of us Westerners feel very comfortable, but he does not leave us without hope and clues as to how we might proceed. He does not promise his readers success, indeed, on the last couple of pages he tells us that the charter for missiological praxis and reflection is not merely the Great Commission in St. Matthew 28. He suggests that we also take note of St. Matthew 10: "Be on your guard... they will hand you over to the local councils and flog you... On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses... It will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you" (Matthew 10.17-20). This is the most forceful way that I can i! magine of telling us that the age of Christendom is over and a new and very different kind of world is being born.

There is no way that faithful Christians in the West can be satisfied with our present modus vivendi. As we move away from it Bosch is telling us that we cannot expect to be encumbered by so much of the baggage that in the past has given us respectability, but which has muted the power of the Gospel message. Perhaps it is significant that in that same Chapter 10 of Matthew, Jesus also tells his disciples, as they go out into the towns and villages of Israel, that they should heal and cleanse as well as preach - and that they should not allow themselves the luxury of extra money, excessive clothing, and other excess baggage. "Whatever the future might be, our missionary task will remain. Let us prepare ourselves for it" (Page 61).