Virtuous Persuasion: A Theology of Christian Mission

2022 Christianity Today Finalist, Missions & Global Church

2023 Outreach Magazine Missional and Cross-Cultural Resource of the Year

2023 Academy of Parish Clergy (APC) Top 10 Books of the Year

Christians should make disciples as disciples.

Christians who are engaged in missions regularly face ethical challenges. But the approaches and standards of modern missions often further complicate, rather than alleviate, matters. Modern missiology debates what actions constitute mission work, how to measure growth, and the difference between persuasion and coercion. In Virtuous Persuasion, Michael Niebauer casts a holistic vision for Christian mission that is rooted in theological ethics and moral philosophy. Niebauer proposes a theology of mission grounded in virtue. Becoming a skilled missionary is more about following Christ than mastering techniques. Christian mission is best understood as specific activities that develop virtue in its practitioners and move them toward their ultimate goal of partaking in the glory of God. With Virtuous Persuasion, you can rethink the essence of Jesus's Great Commission and how we seek to fulfill it.