Horizons of Mission (New Church's Teaching Series) [Paperback]

Titus Presler (Author)

Book Description

Series: New Church's Teaching Series | Publication Date: May 25, 2001

In this volume of The New Church’s Teaching Series, Titus Presler offers a fresh vision of mission in the multicultural environment of a global community. Arguing that Christian mission expresses God’s longing to embrace humanity in love, Presler explores how gospel understandings are being reshaped by Christians in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, Christianity’s new centers of gravity. He explores the scriptural basis of mission, historical and contemporary Anglican approaches to mission, the encounter with other religions, and the interaction of gospel and culture. His ten principles for mission in the twenty-first century will help parishes and dioceses to engage in world mission as companions in mutuality. As with each book in The New Church’s Teaching Series, recommended resources for further reading and questions for discussion are included.

Editorial Reviews

Review

It is a very useful and good book for study groups, mission committees, etc. and is a great question starter for discussion. It is a book for those beginning to explore just what mission is about. (Mark Harris Executive Director Of The Global Episcopal Mission Network )

About the Author

Titus Presler has mission experience in India and Zimbabwe and is rector of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He holds a doctorate from Boston University in mission and the New Testament, and is the author of Transfigured Night: Mission and Culture in Zimbabwe’s Vigil Movement.

Titus Presler has mission experience in India and Zimbabwe and is rector of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He holds a doctorate from Boston University in mission and the New Testament, and is the author of Transfigured Night: Mission and Culture in Zimbabwe’s Vigil Movement.

Product Details

• Paperback: 223 pages
• Publisher: Cowley Publications; Underlining/Spine Lean edition (May 25, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1561011908
• ISBN-13: 978-1561011902
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #417,024 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A vision of mission for the global community, August 3, 2001

By 

Cowley Publications (Boston, MA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Horizons of Mission (New Church's Teaching Series) (Paperback)

Who are we to be? What are we sent to do? These questions are essential questions of mission. God is the sender, we are the sent. What does God seek to accomplish through us in the world? Horizons of Mission offers a fresh vision of mission in the multicultural environment of a global community. Arguing that Christian mission expresses God's longing to embrace humanity in love, Titus Presler explores how gospel understandings are being reshaped by Christians in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, Christianity's new centers of gravity. He explores the scriptural basis of mission, historiacl and contemporary Anglican approaches to mission, the encounter with other religions, and the interaction of gospel and culture. His ten principles for mission in the twenty-first century will help parishes and dioceses to engage in world mission as companions in mutuality. About the author: Titus Presler has mission experience in India and Zimbabwe and is the rector of St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He holds a doctorate from Boston University in mission amd New Testament.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mission: possible..., June 16, 2004

By 

FrKurt Messick "FrKurt Messick" (Bloomington, IN USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Horizons of Mission (New Church's Teaching Series) (Paperback)

The Episcopal church in the twentieth century took advantage of the general availability of publishing to good advantage, compiling through several auspices different collections and teaching series, the latest of which was only completed a few years ago. There have been 'unofficial' collections of teaching texts, such as the Anglican Studies Series by Morehouse press, put out in the 1980s, as well as an earlier teaching series. However, each generation approaches things anew; the New Church Teaching Series, published by Cowley Publications (a company operated as part of the ministry of the Society of St. John the Evangelist - SSJE - one of the religious/monastic communities in the Episcopal church, based in the Boston area) is the most recent series, and in its thirteen volumes, explores in depth and breadth the theology, history, liturgy, ethics, mission and more of the modern Anglican vision in America.

This eleventh volume, 'Horizons of Mission' by Titus Presler, continues to look purposes of the Anglican church in the greater community, from local to international levels. The first question that Presler addresses is, what is mission? Part of this question is the question of identity, both of the Christians who undertake the mission, and those to whom the mission is sent. This is not a guidebook on missionary work, and while the Anglican church has in the past, like most Western Christian denominations, sent forth missionaries with the intention of `saving the heathens and pagans', mission today is far more complex, and less motivated toward such simple goals.

Presler looks for missions of transformation. Using the example of his early curate experience, he writes his youth group seemed lively, growing and successful, but was it in fact bearing adequate and appropriate witness? Presler has a great respect for other cultures and traditions, and explores some of the purposes and pitfalls of mission. He explains that mission is important not only for those who are sent and those to whom the missions are sent, if done appropriately, but also for those back home, to feel a broader connection - however, this should not be done in such as way as to avoid having to do one's own mission and action on behalf of the gospel. Presler also highlights the advent in recent times of missionaries being sent from the two-thirds world to the developed West as part of a spiritual re-energising - this sometimes creates problems of culture and intention, but these are growing experiences.

Presler traces a brief history of general Christian mission work, and specifically Anglican mission work, highlighting some of the problems that have arisen in the past as well as some of the successes. He looks at ecumenical and inter-faith relationship issues, and addresses multicultural concerns in terms of post-colonialism as well as the flexibility in the gospel message to be something different yet valid for different cultures.

Titus Presler is an Episcopal priest in Massachusetts, having spent much time abroad in mission work in India and Zimbabwe. An author and holder of a doctorate in mission and the New Testament, Presler brings academic knowledge and experience together in this volume.

Each of the texts is relatively short (only two of the volumes exceed 200 pages; this is one of them), the print and text of each easy to read, designed not for scholars but for the regular church-goer, but not condescending either - the authors operate on the assumption that the readers are genuinely interested in deepening their faith and practice. Each volume concludes with questions for use in discussion group settings, and with annotated lists of further readings recommended.

4.0 out of 5 stars A Foundation of Practical Guidance and Inspiration, May 29, 2011

By 

Edward J. Barton (Tukwila, WA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Horizons of Mission (New Church's Teaching Series) (Paperback)

A good overview of both the Anglican view of missionary work, as well as a number of stories, caveats and encouragements to serve as a background for understanding missionary work. Not just a collection of stories, however, the book delves deeper into exploring the principles of missionary work in the 21st Century - including interaction with other Christian denominations, interaction with other religions, the challenge of Christian witness, and 10 core principles for action within an Anglican mission setting - including principles of cooperation, pilgrimage, collaboration, forgiveness, struggling and nurturing. Easy to read and inspiring in message, the author also reminds us that mission work starts at home and within ourselves.