Social Engagement

The digital copies of this book are available for free at First Fruits website.
place.asburyseminary.edu/firstfruits

FORWARD

In one way or another the papers that follow respond to our 2013 conference theme highlighting missiology’s growing engagement with social issues. This marks a “social turn” of sorts that expands missiological reflection in the direction of social change, social justice, activism, advocacy, and related research. Such emphasis is hardly new but taking it with renewed seriousness raises fresh questions for professors of mission. Of primary importance to our members are questions about how we equip our students to concretely and practically engage social realities while reflecting on them theologically and theoretically. And in keeping with APM’s mission to advance the teaching of mission studies, such educational questions were brought to the center of our discussions this year.

With this pedagogical emphasis in mind, our collection of papers begins and ends with the plenary papers presented by David Fenrick, from Northwestern College, and Al Tizon, from Palmer Theological Seminary. Both papers concentrate on service-learning or “engaged” scholarship as they explore new ways to move beyond the classroom to train missioners as scholar-practitioners. David presented a vital (even path-breaking) model for experience-based education; Al described the challenges of creating an entire graduate program rooting classroom instruction in social advocacy and activism. Both are instructive as we envision new curricula and new programs for effectively training the next generation of missioners and missiologists. In between these plenaries, twelve other papers were presented in workshops. Several of these also touch on pedagogical issues related to engaged scholarship and service-learning. Others explore theoretical, historical and social-cultural issues in missiological perspective.

The Association of Professors of Mission (APM) was formed in 1952 at Louisville, Kentucky and was developed as an organization to focus on the needs of people involved in the classroom teaching of mission studies. However, the organization also challenged members to be professionally involved in scholarly research and share this research through regular meetings. In the 1960's Roman Catholic scholars and scholars from conservative Evangelical schools joined the conciliar Protestants who initially founded the organization. With the discussion to broaden membership to include other scholars from areas like anthropology, sociology, and linguistics who were actively engaged in mission beyond the teaching profession, the decision was made to found the American Society of Missiology (ASM) in 1972. Since the importance of working with mission educators was still vital, the APM continued as a separate organization, but always met in conjunction with the ASM at their annual meetings. The APM continues as a professional society of those interested in the teaching of mission from as wide an ecumenical spectrum as possible. As an organization it works to help and support those who teach mission, especially those who often lack a professional network to help mentor and guide them in this task. Through its influence, the APM has also helped establish the prominence and scholarly importance of the academic discipline of missiology throughout theological education.