Missio Dei’s Pleromatic Disposition: The Infinite Missionary God

Abstract

What characterized the missiological shift from pre- to post-1952 Willingen and its resulting perspectives is the recognition of the pleromatic (Greek for “Fullness”) nature of the mission, denoting the totality of the Trinitarian God constantly or coherently at work saving the entire universe. Although the missiological literature commendably continues to emphasize total salvation and the attainment of the all-encompassing kingdom of God as the fundamental objectives of the missio Dei, its pleromatic character, that of the missionary triune God, so to speak, remains less obvious—and therefore in need of explanation. Accordingly, this article relies upon literature to highlight the importance of the pleroma as a theological concept, with the intention of contextualizing its use along with efforts to deepen the understanding of the missio Dei. Although this terminology is more associated with Gnosticism, it is intentionally used here in a different sense from that of the Gnostics, but merely streamlined to emphasize the infinite nature of the missio Dei. Consequently, it is here concluded that the scope of the missio Dei, when understood through its pleromatic character, transcends conceivable human and ecclesiastical limits, religious parameters, and even the limits of the universe or the cosmos itself. Therefore, the scope of this paper justifies further research aimed at uncovering the pleromatic character of the missio Dei, which is constantly at work and inhabits the universe in its entirety.

Keywords

• missio dei
• triune god
• pleroma
• total salvation
• all-encompassing kingdom