Mission to the World

Tormod Engelsviken

2008  |  472pp  |  ISBN: 9781870345644

Communicating the Gospel in the 21st Century. Essays in Honour of Knud Jørgensen.

Director of Areopagos and Associate Professor of Missiology at MF Norwegian School of Theology, Dr. Knud Jørgensen, is 65 years on September 29, 2007. On this occasion a festschrift in his honour is published by Regnum in cooperation with Areopagos and Egede Instituttet in Oslo, Norway.

Knud Jørgensen is a Dane who for most of his life has lived in Norway. His life has been one of a series of various ministries in Denmark, Norway, Ethiopia, Switzerland, USA and China. He is an international church and mission leader with connections and contacts in most parts of the global church.

The title of the festschrift, Mission to the World. Communicating the Gospel in the 21st Century. Essays in Honour of Knud Jørgensen, indicates a program: It reflects the various main areas of Knud Jørgensen’s commitment to mission. At the same time it focuses on themain frontier ofmission, theworld, the content of mission, the Gospel, the fact that the Gospel has to be communicated, and the context of contemporary mission: the 21st century.

Knud Jørgensen is firmly planted in the Church, with a strong Evangelical, Ecumenical, Charismatic, and Lutheran spirituality expressed in clear theological convictions. He is aman with a great vision for the future of the church inmission in a global perspective, a vision which he pursues with strength, wisdom and integrity. By using his gifts he has functioned as a theological teacher, an inspiring preacher and thoughtful advisor in many contexts and to a variety of people. His leadership qualities have brought him into leading positions in several organizations on the local, national and global level andmade himable to lead others to achieve high common goals. He is a man with an unusual energy and effectivenesswho is able to carry through his plans and visions in practice.

This festschrift is a tribute to him from his many friends and colleagues around the world, and at the same time a contribution to critical reflection on awide variety of contemporary missiological issues.

Human dignity is about respect for life, from conception to natural death. It is about respect for others, respect for the small, the weak and those who are considered outsiders in the world. Forme, human dignitymeans a commitment to fight for the poor and the persecuted. I believe in a Godwho sees theworld fromthe perspective of theweak, the children, and the oppressed. We cannot shut our eyes to poverty and oppression.We are all part of a global fellowship and we must join together with all those who are struggling for justice.

Mr. Kjell Magne Bondevik, founder and president of the Oslo Center for Peace and Human Rights, former Prime Minister of Norway

When it comes to theological education, we may ask whether we should take the next step, and let a missiological understanding permeate all theological disciplines and be a premise for all theological thinking.

Professor Vidar L. Haanes, president of MF Norwegian School of Theology, in his contribution to this festschrift.