United witness: a theology of evangelism in light of participation in Christ

Abstract

Evangelism is tied to the good news that Jesus is Lord. However, because of coercive methodologies of the past or the ties with church expansion and colonialism, many have suggested a great deal of caution concerning evangelism. This research project seeks to contribute to a renewed theology of evangelism. First, three different paradigms of evangelism in current use are evaluated in order to determine their strengths and weaknesses. Second, evidence is given to show that evangelism and mission studies have not kept up with current changes in biblical studies, particularly Paul’s theology. The theme of “participation in Christ” in Paul’s theology is examined to discern the impact it would have on a theology of evangelism. The results show that the theme of “participation” is a fruitful foundation for understanding the gospel, the goal of evangelism, and how evangelism should be practiced.