Theology of Mission is "a multidisciplinary field that reads the Bible with missiological eyes and, based on that reading, continually reexamines, reevaluates and redirects the church's participation in God's mission in God's world" (Van Engen). It serves "to help the missionary understand the purposes of God so that He can be guided by them, furnishes the motivation to carry out God's mission, provides the content of the message preached, sustains the missionary during time of difficulty, and guides missionaries to ethically evaluate the practices and methodologies of missions" (Van Rheenen).

This bibliography gives foundational literature in this area of Theology of Mission.  If you have any suggestions of additional resources that should be in this bibliography, please e-mail Gailyn Van Rheenen.

Allen, Roland. 1964. Missionary Principles. London: World Dominion Press.

Anderson , Gerald H., ed. 1961. The Theology of the Christian Mission.New York: McGraw-Hill.

Bassham, Rodger. 1979. Mission Theology: 1948-1975 Years of Worldwide Creative Tension Ecumenical, Evangelical, and Roman Catholic. Pasadena: William Carey Library.

Beyerhaus, Peter. 1972. Shaken Foundations: Theological Foundations for Mission. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House.

Blauw, Johannes. 1962. The Missionary Nature of the Church: A survey of the biblical theology of mission. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.

Boer, Harry R. 1961. Pentecost and Missions. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.

Bosch, David J. 1991. Transforming Mission: Paradigm Shifts in Theology of Mission. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books.

Braaten, Carl. 1977. The Flaming Center: A Theology of the Christian Mission. Philadelphia: Fortress Press.

Culver, Robert. 1984. A Greater Commission: A Theology for World Missions. Chicago: Moody Press.

De Ridder, Richard R. 1971. Discipling the Nations. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.

DuBose, Francis. 1983. God Who Sends. Nashville: Broadman Press.

Fife, Eric. 1973. Let's Glorify God. Fort Washington, Pennsylvania: Christian Literature Crusade.

Gilliland, Dean. 1983. Pauline Theology and Mission Practice. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.

Glasser, Arthur F. and McGavran, Donald A. 1983. Contemporary Theologies of Mission. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.

Grassi, Joseph A. 1965. A World to Win: The Missionary Methods of Paul the Apostle. Maryknoll: Maryknoll Publications.

Hahn, Ferdinand. 1965. Mission in the New Testament. Naperville: Allenson, Inc.

Hedlund, Roger. 1991. The Mission of the Church in the World: A Biblical Theology. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.

Hesselgrave, David. Theology and Mission. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.

Kirk, J. Andrew. 2000. What Is Mission? Theological Explorations.Monrovia, CA: World Vision Publications.

Larkin, William J. and Joel F. Williams.  1998.  Mission in the New Testament. Marynoll, NY:  Orbis Books.

Lindsell, Harold. 1970. An Evangelical Theology of Missions. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House.
McQuilkin, Robertson. 1984. The Great Omission: A Biblical Basis for World Evangelism. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.

Newbigin, Lesslie. 1979. The Open Secret: Sketches for a Missionary Theology. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.

Peters, George W. 1972. A Biblical Theology of Missions. Chicago: Moody Press.

Piet, John. 1970. The Road Ahead: A Theology for the Church in Mission.Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.

Poe, Harry L. 1996. The Gospel and Its Meaning: A Theology for Evangelism and Church Growth. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

Scherer, James. 1987. Gospel, Church, and Kingdom: Comparative Studies in World, Mission Theology. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Augsburg Publishing House.

Senior, Donald & Stuhlmueller, Carroll. 1983. The Biblical Foundations for Mission. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books.

Stumme, Wayne. 1986. Bible and Mission: Biblical Foundation and Working Models for Congregational Ministry. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Augsburg Publishing House.

Starks, M. Thomas. 1984. Toward a Theology of Missions. Aurora, Ontario, Canada: Purpose Products.

Steyne, Philip M.  1992.  The God of the Nations, Houston, TX, Touch Publications.

Trueblood, Elton. 1971. The Validity of the Christian Mission. New York: Harper & Row Publishers.

Van Engen, Charles. 1992. The Good News of the Kingdom. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books.

_____________. 1996. Mission on the Way: Issues in Mission Theology.Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.

_____________. 2000. Footprints of God: A Narrative Theology of Mission. Monrovia, CA: World Vision Publications.

Van Rheenen, Gailyn. 1996. Missions: Biblical Foundations & Contemporary Strategies. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

Vicedom, Georg. 1965. The Mission of God: An Introduction to a Theology of Mission. St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House.

Warren, Max. 1976. I Believe in the Great Commission. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.

Webster, Douglas. 1966. Unchanging Mission: Biblical and Contemporary. London: Hodder and Stoughton.

White, Hugh. 1937. A Theology of Christian Missions. New York: Willett, Clark, and Company.
Wright. Christopher J. H. 2006. The mission of God. Intervarsity Press.