The SCM Studyguide: Christian Mission explores the nature of Christian mission in contemporary post-modern society. It presents a range of answers from the past as well as the present.

It lays out some of the Biblical and doctrinal groundwork that is needed before looking for an answer. It examines the main historic types of mission in the Christian tradition, seeing how they were forged in the cross currents of history and how they continue to be expressed by different Christian communities today. It looks at contemporary social, economic and religious trends in society, global and local, listening to the signs of the times. It assesses different expressions of mission in the postmodern context, assessing how consistent they are with the underlying principles of Jesus’ own mission in Galilee.

In all of this it seeks to present resources that any student would need to work out their own understanding of the issues.

The Rev. Dr Stephen Spencer’s doctoral research was on the philosophy and social thought of William Temple. After ordination he served in London, Zimbabwe and Lancashire.  Since 2003 he has been Tutor in Mission Studies and Historical Theology on the Northern Ordination course in Manchester.