Description: Jesus is calling his church to be a multiethnic and missional people who listen and learn from the many voices of world Christianity. Graham Joseph Hill issues a moving call for churches to be missional by being conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. Hill does this by exploring the thinking of twenty-five Asian, African, Latin American, Indigenous, African American, diaspora, Caribbean, Oceanian, Eastern European, and Middle Eastern pastors and theologians. These are as diverse as Melba Padilla Maggay, Emmanuel Katongole, Lamin Sanneh, Oscar Muriu, Ruth Padilla DeBorst, Pope Francis, Richard Twiss, Lisa Sharon Harper, Willie James Jennings, Ada Maria Isasi-Diaz, Soong-Chan Rah, and Mitri Raheb. These voices show us the future of missional churches in world Christianity. When churches are conformed to Christ they make disciples, heal a broken world, and witness to Jesus and his gospel. Jesus forms us in his image and moves us to be a people of shalom, humility, character, justice, peace, wisdom, prayer, beauty, and witness. The church has had a Reformation but now it needs a Conformation. Hill explores biblical themes and the voices of world Christianity to show that a missional church is conformed to the image of the incarnate, crucified, resurrected, and glorified Christ. Conformity to Christ is the heart of missional ecclesiology and discipleship.
Brief description: Grace Ji-Sun Kim is Professor of Theology at Earlham School of Religion. She is the author of Embracing the Other (forthcoming); Here I Am; Christian Doctrines for Global Gender Justice co-edited with Jenny Daggers; Theological Reflections on "Gangnam Style" co-written with Joseph Cheah; Reimagining with Christian Doctrines co-edited with Jenny Daggers; Contemplations from the Heart; Colonialism, Han and the Transformative Spirit; The Holy Spirit, Chi, and the Other; and The Grace of Sophia. She is a co-editor with Dr. Joseph Cheah for the Palgrave Macmillan Book Series, Asian Christianity in Diaspora.
Review Quotes: "Graham Joseph Hill's monumental work of listening to Christian voices from around the world and across a range of traditions continues with this second volume of Salt, Light, and a City. It reaches its climax with Hill's compelling and inspiring vision of a global church submitted to what he calls 'conformation'--that is, a church conformed to the image of Christ, guided in some measure by insights from his people from every corner of the planet. Masterly and stirring."
--Michael Frost, Professor of Missiology, Morling College; author of The Shaping of Things to Come
"Graham Joseph Hill is for me one of the leading voices of global Christianity and his approach is to bring diverse voices to the table for a conversation. Many talk diversity but their diversity becomes colonializing of the diverse voices into a single noise, but Hill has a capacity to bring these alternative voices to the table and let them speak their theology in their language. Having listened and listened, Hill then offers salient insights into the kind of unity and 'conformity' that God is accomplishing in our world."
--Scot McKnight, Professor of New Testament, Northern Seminary; author of The Jesus Creed
"This is truly a rich work to draw us into the global conversation on missions. Each part of the global 'body of Christ' plays a different but complementary role in the health of the whole, and such conversations not only help us appreciate and rejoice in one another more, but also balance our understanding of the gospel as different continents and global voices contribute their voices around the round table of missions."
--Oscar Muriu, Senior Pastor, Nairobi Chapel
"Are you searching for a more biblical and equitable sense of mission? In your wildest imagination you might consider traveling the whole world to interview Majority World leaders to garner insight from their expertise and worldview. Graham Joseph Hill has already completed this daunting task for you and his new volume on Majority World Voices opens that door to the world, introducing you to the people and works of those you really do need to meet! Your opportunity, now, is simply to walk through the door."
--Randy S. Woodley, Distinguished Professor of Faith and Culture, George Fox University/Portland Seminary; author of Shalom and the Community of Creation: An Indigenous Vision