The Mission of God's People: A Biblical Theology of the Church's Mission (Biblical Theology for Life)

Chris Wright's pioneering 2006 book, The Mission of God, revealed that the typical Christian understanding of 'missions' encompasses only a small part of God's overarching mission for the world. God is relentlessly reclaiming the entire world for himself. In The Mission of God's People, Wright shows how God's big-picture plan directs the purpose of God's people, the church. Wright emphasizes what the Old Testament teaches Christians about being the people of God. He addresses questions of both ecclesiology and missiology with topics like 'called to care for creation,' 'called to bless the nations,' 'sending and being sent,' and 'rejecting false gods.' As part of the Biblical Theology for Life Series, this book provides pastors, teachers and lay learners with first-rate biblical study while at the same time addressing the practical concerns of contemporary ministry. The Mission of God's People promises to enliven and refocus the study, teaching, and ministry of those truly committed to joining God's work in the world.

Customer Reviews:

Very Biblical, very good, and very convicting.

By PastoralMusings "mslapastor" - September 25, 2010

To say that I was surprised by "The Mission of God's People" (henceforth TMGP)would be an understatement. I had two expectations: 1. That it would not be substantial. 2. That it would be fluff that was simply geared toward social justice sorts of causes. Why? Because I had no idea of the author and his writings. This reviewer was proven to be very, very wrong on both counts. In fact, I greatly enjoyed the book, because it was substantial, and because it engaged Scripture in a very honest manner. Over and over again as I read this book I found myself nodding in agreement and wanting to scream out "YES!" This guy has nailed it.
TMGP is through and through a Biblically based book. It is saturated with Bible. It is thoroughly theological. It is not dull, however. It is theology for living. He says, "No theology without missional impact; no mission without theological foundations."
Wright explains to us why we were created, and why we have been re-created in the... read more

identity-mission-ethic of the people of God

By Michael Thompson - October 15, 2010

The two questions which appear to be inescapable from modern discussions of the church are, Who are we? and Why are we here? Everyone seems to have a horse in this race, and there is no shortage of answers to this self-imposed query. The fact that many people are asking, however, does not necessarily mean that they are poor questions. In fact, they are vital to the foundation and direction of the church.

And it is this set of questions which drives Christopher Wright's latest book forward. Who are we, the church? Why are we, the church, here? His answer comes in the focused discussion of missions . . . or missiology, missional, missions-minded, etc . . . that many have spoken of before. What makes this reading unique and worthwhile? My opinion would suggest that this is one of the best and most accessible biblical discussions on the nature of the church that you can pick up today. Although I am by no means an expert on missiology, I do know that the church culture is... read more

Missio Dei is holistic

By kengster13.blogspot - November 11, 2011

Christopher J. H. Wright's The Mission of God's People is book that uncovers the biblical theology of mission and its implication for all Christians. It is a book from Zondervan's Biblical Theology For Life series. The book has the stated purpose of uncovering the "so what?" question for all Christians and in Wright's terms, to answer the question, "What does the Bible as a whole in both testaments have to tell us about why the people of God exist and what it is they are supposed to be and do in the world?"1

Wright's main thrust is that God's mission has a broad redemptive agenda. The simplistic view of mission as just the proclamation of the gospel is tossed out and Wright offers a holistic understanding of the mission of God. This reviewer cannot help but sense Wright's favorable view of holism in the prioritism versus holism debate of approaches to evangelization of the world. Regardless of where we might stand in that debate, Wright's presentation of God's mission in... read more