Somewhere in the mists of time, between history and hagiography, stands the great evangelist and missionary St. Patrick. Raised a “cultural Christian,” Patrick’s encounter with God during captivity in Ireland transformed his life and the history of a people. Freedom from slavery, and a return home to Britain, produced the divine summons—Vox Hibernia—to return to Ireland and the place of captivity in order to witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Christian witness in twenty-first-century Vancouver, Seattle, or Portland is a world away from fifth-century Armagh, Slane, or Cashel. Yet, the great evangelist to pre-Christian peoples of Hibernia has much to teach us as we seek to engage our secular, post-Christian context. There is wisdom in the missional leadership of the one we call St. Patrick that goes well beyond tales of snakes and shamrocks. How might Patrick’s mission experience with pre-Christian peoples direct our contemporary missional encounter with post-Christian peoples? Come explore the story of the shepherd slave turned shepherd of souls and discover that there is power still in the legacy of Patrick, when yoked with the Spirit-filled presence and purpose of the risen Christ.

Before Theological Study will orient students to the aptitudes, knowledge, spirituality, imagination, and dispositions that are appropriate to thoughtful, engaged, and generous theological study. The book has the character of a modern theological enchiridion (handbook) for engagement with the disciplines that are a part of preparation for ministry. It is characterized by the vision of the Vancouver School of Theology to prepare students for thoughtful, engaged, and generous Christian ministry practiced in a way that is alert to the multi-religious contexts and the colonial legacy of mainline Christianity. The essays in this handbook are written in a variety of registers, yet each remains accessible to the newcomer or potential newcomer to theological education. The book is not rooted in a unified orthodoxy but expresses the bandwidth of contemporary theological viewpoints.

Vancouver, British Columbia, now reports “no religion” as its leading religious identity, putting it in the vanguard of a trend happening across North America. What does this mean for the Christian communities that continue to worship, work, and witness in this mostly secular city? West Coast Mission seeks to uncover where Christianity in Vancouver is headed now that it is a minority belief system in the broader culture. Drawing on a five-year study of fourteen sites, including church plants, congregations, and para-church agencies, Ross Lockhart describes how Christians in Vancouver are organizing their communities, shaping their beliefs, and expressing themselves in mission. He finds that, rather than simply declining, Christianity in the city is adapting in response to immigration, decolonization, pluralism, and social crises. Christians are focusing on friendship and social connection in a culture that identifies as “spiritual not religious,” on affordable housing as a missional concern, on the communal value of environmental stewardship, and on sharing the gospel in light of the destructive legacies of colonialism and residential schools. West Coast Mission explores the evolving spectrum of religious identity in Vancouver and the significant cultural shifts taking place in how Christian mission and witness are approached in a secular city.

You have a calling, but you also have a “sending.” A calling is a familiar idea. People search for their true calling, hoping to find what they were made to do, eager to fulfill their life’s purpose. Let God Send reminds us that regardless of our individual vocation, we are always sent people, propelled by God’s Spirit into the world to serve others. This sent-ness comes from the very nature of God who is always on the move in our world. Jesus was sent. The Holy Spirit is sent. Abraham and Moses were sent. The first disciples became sent-ones as well. The journeyers in the biblical narrative show us that when God sends, the path is never clear or direct. Being sent can be daunting, disconcerting, and disorienting. We can feel under-qualified, under-educated, or unprepared. But none of our hesitancy changes the reality that a life of following Jesus is a life of being sent out. Using strong biblical narratives and questions for reflection or group discussion, Matt Brough guides us into an examination of what holds us back from making a move, how to go in a humble and listening way, and ultimately what each disciple of Jesus is called to do in our going. Let God Send is a straightforward, plainspoken plea for people who follow Jesus to get moving.

What does “missional” mean for small Christian communities in a deeply secular society? Leading missiologist Stefan Paas asks what missional spirituality could possibly mean for today’s local church. This fully revised new international edition will make this an important introduction to contemporary thinking on mission and the church.

A collection of essays examining the the concept of representing visions and dreams in the medieval period. Includes discussions of modern visions which highlight how our belief in the non-corporal world still exists.

Somewhere in the mists of time, between history and hagiography, stands the great evangelist and missionary St. Patrick. Raised a "cultural Christian," Patrick's encounter with God during captivity in Ireland transformed his life and the history of a people. Freedom from slavery, and a return home to Britain, produced the divine summons--Vox Hibernia--to return to Ireland and the place of captivity in order to witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Christian witness in twenty-first-century Vancouver, Seattle, or Portland is a world away from fifth-century Armagh, Slane, or Cashel. Yet, the great evangelist to pre-Christian peoples of Hibernia has much to teach us as we seek to engage our secular, post-Christian context. There is wisdom in the missional leadership of the one we call St. Patrick that goes well beyond tales of snakes and shamrocks. How might Patrick's mission experience with pre-Christian peoples direct our contemporary missional encounter with post-Christian peoples? Come explore the story of the shepherd slave turned shepherd of souls and discover that there is power still in the legacy of Patrick, when yoked with the Spirit-filled presence and purpose of the risen Christ.