Reading James Missiologically: The Missionary Motive, Message, and Methods of James

What can James teach us about mission?

While books on a New Testament theology of mission abound, most of them focus only on certain tried-and-true books and passages while often ignoring the contribution of the General Epistles. In Reading Hebrews Missiologically and Reading 1 Peter Missiologically, we began to address this gap in missiological scholarship, and we seek to continue in the same vein in this work on the book of James.

Reading James Missiologically explores the missionary dimensions of the Epistle of James through three parts: the missionary motive is the reason behind missionary efforts (the why), the missionary message reveals what missionaries communicate (the what), and the missionary methods outline strategies for mission (the how). The global contributors examine James’s profound call to action among the poor and inspire believers toward holistic engagement with the world as ＂doers of the word, not hearers only＂ (Jas 1:22 ESV).

Abeneazer G. Urga (PhD, Columbia International University) lectures in biblical studies at Evangelical Theological College in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and is an adjunct professor at Columbia International University and Ethiopian Graduate School of Theology. He is a member of Equip International and SIL Ethiopia/International. He has authored several books and articles. His most recent book is Intercession of Jesus in Hebrews (Mohr Siebeck, 2023). He is also the co-editor of and contributor to Reading Hebrews and 1 Peter from Majority World Perspectives (T&T Clark, 2024).

Jessica A. Udall (PhD, Columbia International University) is a professor at Evangelical Theological College in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, an adjunct professor for CIU Global, and a member of SIL Ethiopia/International. She has served in cross-cultural ministry in Ethiopia and among immigrants in the United States. She is the author of Building Community Through Hospitality: Insights from Ethiopia for America’s Loneliness Epidemic (Pickwick, 2024) and the co-editor of several books on mission.

Edward L. Smither (PhD, University of Wales-Trinity Saint David; PhD, University of Pretoria) is Dean of the School of Missions and Intercultural Ministry and Professor of History of Global Christianity at Columbia International University. Previously, he served for fourteen years in intercultural ministry in North Africa, France, and the USA. His previous books include Christian Mission: A Concise Global History and Mission as Hospitality.