Studies in the Intercultural History of Christianity, published by Peter Lang since 1975, is nowadays the largest series in the wide field of missiology, intercultural theology, and comparative religion/theology. The present editors decided to celebrate the publication of no less than one hundred and fifty volumes by evaluating and rethinking «intercultural theology». This book is meant to encourage Christian theology to be done more thoroughly, adequately, and effectively in the contemporary global and local setting. On the one hand, the volume offers new insights into the nature of doing biblical studies, church history, and systematic and practical theology as well as comparative theology, in an intercultural way. On the other hand, it argues for accomplishing interdisciplinary studies in the fields of theology and religion.

Recent years have seen a paradigm shift in Christian self-understanding. In place of the eurocentric model of »Christendom«, a new understanding is emerging of Christianity as a world movement with considerable cultural variety. Concomitant with this changing self-perception, a new theological discipline begins to take shape which analyzes the inter- and transcultural character and performance of global Christianity: Intercultural Theology. Judith Gruber discusses this nascent theological approach in two parts. She first gives a critical analysis of its historical development – in the first part of the book, two theological sub-disciplines of particular relevance are analysed: (1) missiology and its reflection on the encounter of Western Christianity with other cultures in the context of colonialism; (2) contextual theologies which focus on the particularity and dignity of the diverse cultural contexts of theological practice, but fail to sufficiently integrate the universal dimension of Christianity into their theological reflections. Secondly, this study offers a constructive theological approach to intercultural theology. It does that by bringing systematic theology into conversation with cultural studies. This interdisciplinary approach adds significant complexity to existing reflections on Intercultural Theology: Re-reading the theological history of Christianity within the critical framework of cultural theories exposes a host of disparate and conflictive Christianities underneath its dominant master narrative, and, moreover, it no longer allows a recourse to essentialist concepts of Christian identity, with which previous approaches to Intercultural Theology have mitigated this unsettling cultural plurality of Christianity: After the »Cultural Turn«, which has made a metaphysical epistemology untenable, new ways for thinking the unity and universality of Christianity have to be paved. The book draws on Paul Ricoeur's and Michel Foucault's concept of the event and on Michel deCerteau's proposal of a »Weak Christianity« in order to develop such a post-metaphysical framework, which allows to conceive of the unity and universality of Christianity without concealing its cultural plurality and contingency.

The Oxford Handbook of Mission Studies represents more than a century of scholarship related to the theology, history, and methodology of the propagation of Christian faith and the engagement of Christians with cultures, religions, and societies worldwide. It contains more than 40 articles by experts from different disciplinary and ecclesial perspectives, who are from all continents. It not only offers a broad overview of key approaches and issues in mission studies but it also highlights current trends and suggests future developments. The Handbook builds on renewed interest in mission studies this century generated by recent key statements on mission from ecumenical, evangelical, Catholic, and Orthodox sources, and by a spate of academic works on the topic. Western church leaders now apply insights from foreign missions (such as, inculturation, liberation, interfaith work, and power encounter) to today's multicultural societies. Meanwhile, there are new initiatives in mission from the Majority World, where most Christians live, so that sending is not only 'from the west to the rest' but 'from everywhere to everywhere'. Therefore, this volume aims to reflect the voices of the receivers of mission as well as its protagonists and to raise awareness of new movements. In a time of growing recognition of 'religions' more generally, this work examines and theorizes the missional dimensions of the world's largest religion: its agendas, growth, outreach, role in public life, effect on cultures, relevance for development, and its approaches to other communities.

Renowned missiologist Henning Wrogemann has written the most comprehensive textbook on the subject of Christianity and culture today. In three volumes his Intercultural Theology provides an exhaustive account of the history, theory, and practice of Christian mission. Volume 1 focuses on hermeneutical theories, concepts of culture, and contextual theologies.

This two-volume handbook provides readers with a comprehensive interpretation of globality through the multifaceted prism of the humanities and social sciences. Key concepts and symbolizations rooted in and shaped by European academic traditions are discussed and reinterpreted under the conditions of the global turn. Highlighting consistent anthropological features and socio-cultural realities, the handbook gathers coherently structured articles written by 110 professors in the humanities and social sciences at Bonn University, Germany, who initiate a global dialogue on meaningful and sustainable notions of human life in the age of globality. Volume 1 introduces readers to various interpretations of globality, and discusses notions of human development, communication and aesthetics. Volume 2 covers notions of technical meaning, of political and moral order, and reflections on the shaping of globality.

In the light of the centennial of the World Mission Conference in Edinburgh (1910-2010), Dutch missiologists reflect on issues on the borderline between missiology and intercultural theology, with some international guests joining the choir. Organized in four parts, their contributions open up new perspectives on the future of the discipline in terms of foundational theology, contextuality, gender, and methodology. (Series: ContactZone. Explorations in Intercultural Theology - Vol. 10)

In this fascinating and ground-breaking study, Vinoth Ramachandra explores the complex nature of conflict among the major world religions of Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and Christianity, and also between them and the rising tide of secularism.

With a diverse list of contributors, this volume seeks to discuss in depth some of the key issues that migration poses to World Christianity in the fields of constructive theology, ethics, spirituality, mission, ministry, inculturation, interreligious dialogue, and theological education.

In this thought-provoking and momentous book, the author poses the questions, what is the role of the church in our society and should there be any relationship between the state and the church for the development of the society and what could be the effect of such collaboration if there is any? In asking on what bases is the church getting involved with the society, he explores both the Biblical foundations and three major theories that have emerged about societies and social behaviour. Particular attention is paid to the relationship between religion and social change to the case of the church in Lagos, Nigeria as an agent of social and political change in society. Using a thematic structure, Richard Adekoya illustrates different roles the church can play in society, especially in a democratic milieu, for example humanity services, educational development, spiritual and moral development and social and ethical development. He examines the various contributions of the churches in Nigeria right from the missionaries era to the contemporary dispensation. The book basically proved that the church mandate is not limited to its evangelical obligations. Its involvement in many aspects of peoples lives in society, particularly the social and political aspects, is part of its cultural mandate. This is a challenging book, rich in example and wide-ranging in scope: key ideas that so often appear impossible for the church to practice - employment generation, political leadership, public enlightenment, tackling corruption in the polity here practically seem possible. Richard Adekoyas excellent work, tackles this set of issues in a very thorough way. By looking at the issues through the lens of the Bible, church history and sociological analysis he makes a powerful theological case for the involvement of the church in the societies in which it finds itself called to give a witness. Understandably and helpfully there is a particular emphasis on Nigeria, a nation which he knows well. By choosing Nigeria as a kind of case history the broader, general case is given a particular and penetrating illustration that strengthens his wider argument. Dr. Martin Robinson, Principal, ForMission College, Birmingham, UK

What is intercultural communication? How does perspective shape a person’s definition of the key tenets of the term and the field? These are the core questions explored by this accessible global introduction to intercultural communication. Each chapter explores the topic from a different geographic, religious, theoretical, and/or methodological perspective, with an emphasis on non-Western approaches, including Buddhist, South American, Muslim, and Chinese perspectives. Featuring the voices of a range of international contributors, this new textbook presents the full breadth of diverse approaches to intercultural communication and showcases the economic, political, and cultural/societal needs for and benefits of communicative competence.