DFC MTC INT'L

About the discipline
Missiology is a relatively recent addition to the range of subjects which fall within the broad category of "theology", though of course mission in a variety of forms has been practised by the church since Pentecost. Indeed, the majority of theology courses, in British universities at least, do not include missiology. It is also one of the areas most difficult to define. It clearly relates to the traditional disciplines of biblical studies, church history and theology. However, because mission is above all something which is practised, mission studies must also relate to practical theology. With its focus on the engagement of the Gospel with culture, it is also informed by the social sciences, in particular the disciplines of anthropology, sociology and communication theory. And since mission involves the contact between the Christian faith and other faiths, it also relates to the discipline of religious studies, and the study of particular non-Christian religious traditions. In some universities and colleges the subject is referred to as mission studies rather than missiology. The two terms are close in meaning, though mission studies usually places more stress on the study of Christian mission and its impact throughout history and in different cultures (and in British universities it tends to be mission studies which is taught, whereas North American and some European seminaries will teach missiology). It may be that missiology is best understood as a multi-disciplinary subject, which both draws on Biblical studies, theology, church history, practical theology and the social sciences and also influences them. For example, reading the New Testament as documents which emerged in a missionary context may give fresh insights into understanding it. Likewise, learning to talk about theology in the context of engaging with other religious traditions may sharpen our grasp of key beliefs. And of course, in western contexts where society is arguably be