Missio Dei

Abstract

Missio Dei represents a missiological attempt to articulate a theocentric concept of mission with reference to the missionary nature and act of the triune God. This attempt arose as a reaction to the ecclesiocentric understanding of mission which was predominant within the Western global missionary movements in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. This article briefly reviews the historical, biblical, and theological context of such an attempt, and then highlights an ongoing polarity in the employment of trinitarianism within missio Dei. The article concludes with a reflection on the implications of missio Dei for the church and Christian life in a contemporary, globalized society.

Keywords

• missio dei
• mission of god
• processio dei
• doctrine of god
• trinitarian theology
• the christian church
• ecclesiology
• missiology
• mission
• culture
• world christianity
• theology of religions