784900 research-article2018
MIS0010.1177/0091829618784900MissiologySmither
Article
Francis of Assisi, Christology, and mission
Missiology: An International Review 2018, Vol. 46(3) 283–292 © The Author(s) 2018 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav https://doi.org/10.1177/0091829618784900 DOI: 10.1177/0091829618784900 journals.sagepub.com/home/mis
Edward Smither
Columbia International University, USA
Abstract In recent years, global theologians of mission have emphasized a posture of mission from below—missional engagement from a place of weakness and vulnerability. In part a reaction to the mistakes of Christendom and Christian mission’s alliance with political and economic power, mission from below aims to recover first-century mission that emulates the way of Christ and the apostles. This approach to mission is also relevant in contexts today where Christian freedom (for worship and witness) is limited by tyrannical or resistant governments. As we strive to be as wise as serpents and gentle as doves in contemporary mission, it seems fruitful to explore the theology of mission of a medieval Italian mendicant monk who ministered to Muslims during the Crusades. In this article, following a brief narrative of Francis of Assisi’s (1181– 1226) life and journey in mission, I will focus on Francis’s Christology and how that shaped his approach to mission among Muslims and others. Finally, I will conclude with some reflections for what the church on mission today might gain from Francis. Keywords Francis of Assisi, Christology, mission, mission from below, Muslim ministry, Islam, history of mission
In recent years, global theologians of mission have emphasized a posture of mission from below—missional engagement from a place of weakness and vulnerability. In part a reaction to the mistakes of Christendom and Christian mission’s alliance with political and economic power, mission from below aims to recover first-century Corresponding author: Edward Smither, Columbia International University, 7435 Monticello Road, Columbia, SC 29203, USA Email: edsmither71@gmail.com