Missio Dei – the contemporary missionary paradigm and its reception in the Eastern Orthodox missionary theology

• Published in: Review of Ecumenical Studies Vol. 9; no. 1; pp. 70 - 91
• Main Author: Sonea, Cristian
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: De Gruyter Open 25.04.2017
• Subjects: Eastern Orthodox missiology; ecumenical missiology; indigenization of the gospel; missio Dei; mission from the margins; spiritual missiology; theosis
• ISSN: 2359-8107; 2359-8107
• DOI: 10.1515/ress-2017-0006

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the reception of the missio Dei paradigm in the Eastern Orthodox theology of mission. We will start with a short presentation of the genesis of the concept, and we will continue with its reception in the Protestant and Roman Catholic theology, as well as in the Eastern Orthodox thinking. The paper attempts to demonstrate that the contemporary way to understand the missionary theology and practice is in accordance with the Orthodox traditional missionary theology. At the same time, the article emphasizes the fact that the reception of missio Dei is connected with the view that different ecclesiastical bodies have about church itself. The conclusion includes some practical remarks about ways of applying the concept in the contemporary ecumenical missiology and in the field of spiritual missiology.