Reading Revelation Missiologically

• Few would think to turn to the book of Revelation when it comes to the topic of missiology and missions in the New Testament, but they would perhaps miss one of the most profoundly visionary missional texts of the Bible. This is something robustly demonstrated in Reading Revelation Missiologically, edited by Abeneazer G. Urga, Michael P. Naylor, and Edward L. Smither. This volume contains stimulating and insightful essays written by first-rate biblical and missiological scholars. The essays are grouped according to the missionary motivation, message, and methods found within John’s Apocalypse. While I have long believed Revelation has a missiological thrust, these essays explore and argue for it with extensive and profound depth beyond anything I’ve ever seen before. This book examines missiology in Revelation with scholarly acumen, methodological rigor, and vibrant faithfulness. I highly recommend this book and believe it is an excellent contribution to scholarship in the fields of Revelation and missiology studies.

  — Alan S. Bandy, PhD, Professor of New Testament & Greek and Robert L. Hamblin Chair of New Testament Exposition, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary

• All of the writings that make up the New Testament were produced in the context of the missiological engagement between the followers of Jesus and the surrounding culture of the ancient Roman world. Sadly, these texts, and especially Revelation, have frequently not been read with this missional purpose in mind, leading to conclusions that are often at odds with the mission of God in the world. The essays in this volume seek to recover the missional intent and purpose of Revelation, and in so doing provide fresh insights into the most misunderstood text of the New Testament.

  — John R. Franke, DPhil, Affiliate Professor of Theology, Fuller Theological SeminaryCoauthor, Liberating Scripture: An Invitation to Missional Hermeneutics

• The biblical canon has a missional trajectory that moves from one nation to all nations. Therefore, reading any part of the scriptural canon faithfully must align with this missional direction. Our blindness to this in the past is being overcome today by a growing number of publications that engage various parts of the canon with a missional hermeneutic. In this book, a fine group of international scholars helps us see the missional orientation of the book of Revelation. Revelation perhaps contains the richest theology of any New Testament book and has mission at the core of its message. I am delighted to see this book come into print and to see such good scholarship put to the task of examining various dimensions of the unfolding message of Revelation for the sake of the church’s mission today.

  — Michael W. Goheen, PhD, Professor of Missional Theology, Calvin Theological Seminary

• I have long argued that Revelation is a missional text for a missional people in a challenging, even dangerous context. The scholarly but readable—and timely—chapters in this book confirm, expand, and deepen that view of Revelation from diverse perspectives. Every student and teacher of the Bible’s last book will benefit immensely from this volume.

  — Michael J. Gorman, PhD, Raymond E. Brown Professor of Biblical Studies and Theology, St. Mary’s Seminary & University

• In all my years of life and service in the church, no other part of the Bible has sparked half as much misunderstanding, anxiety, and genuine fear in myself and my fellow Christ-followers as John’s Apocalypse. Helpfully, the cure for such maladies lies right in this volume’s title. Reading Revelation Missiologically (another formidable volume in a landmark series) unveils one of the most mysterious books in Christian Scripture by inviting us to place the book within the context of God’s unfolding mission to reconcile the whole cosmos to himself. The authors expertly unpack the final words of the Bible, examining what mission means in Revelation, how it functions in the book, and how it forms the church to understand itself and its work in the world. This volume belongs on the shelves of missiologists, practical theologians, and pastors alike. Anyone who wants to better understand why God sent this Revelation to his beloved churches will be greatly edified by Reading Revelation Missiologically. I plan to do so from now on.

  — Danny Hunter, PhD, Director of the Ralph D. Winter Research Center, William Carey International University

• Reading Revelation Missiologically is a timely and incisive contribution to contemporary biblical and missiological scholarship. For too long, Revelation has been marginalized by both scholars and church practitioners, often dismissed for its dense symbolism and apocalyptic imagery. Yet in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and amid ongoing global disruption, apocalyptic language has resurfaced as a vital existential discourse that offers not only hope but also profound insight into what it means to be human in a world marked by uncertainty and upheaval.In this context, an evangelical missiological reading of Revelation is both urgent and indispensable. This volume boldly reclaims Revelation’s theological and missional dimensions, unveiling a compelling portrait of a missionary God actively engaged in history’s unfolding drama. It is a significant, courageous, and necessary work—one that should command the attention of biblical scholars, theologians, missiologists, and mission practitioners alike.

  — Chammah J. Kaunda, PhD, Academic Dean, Oxford Centre for Mission Studies

• Reading Revelation Missiologically is a rare gem that focuses on the contribution of the book of Revelation to the mission of God. The authors, drawn from different theological commitments and ecclesial traditions, challenge the readers to utilize the book of Revelation for life, ministry, and mission. This is a timely, well-researched, and inspiring call to see Revelation not merely as prophecy, and certainly not as that book we fear to read, but as an inspiration for how we live, worship, and expect the return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Take it. Read it. Let it propel you to serve faithfully in and for God’s mission. 

  — David Tarus, PhD, Executive Director, Association for Christian Theological Education in Africa (ACTEA)

• This edited volume provides a contextual understanding of the Book of Revelation in relation to mission, engaging scholars from diverse backgrounds. It addresses relevant issues concerning both the text and the contemporary context, making it a valuable addition for biblical and missiological students.

  — Nebeyou A. Tefere, PhD, Bible Translation Consultant, Wycliffe Ethiopia

Authors

• Abeneazer G. Urga
  Abeneazer G. Urga

  Abeneazer G. Urga (PhD, Columbia International University) lectures at the Ethiopian Graduate School of Theology and is Director of Research at the Association for Christian Theological Education in Africa (ACTEA). He has served as the department head for the MA in Biblical Studies, has lectured in biblical studies at the Evangelical Theological College in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and is an adjunct professor at Columbia International University. He is a member of Equip International, SIL Ethiopia/International, and an associate member of Studiorum Novi Testamenti Societas (SNTS). He is the author of Intercession of Jesus in Hebrews (Mohr Siebeck, 2023) and co-edited Reading Hebrews and 1 Peter from Majority World Perspectives (Bloomsbury, T&T Clark, 2024), An African Introduction to the New Testament (Fortress Press, 2026), and the Reading Missiologically Series (William Carey Publishing).

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• Michael P. Naylor
  Michael P. Naylor

  Michael P. Naylor (PhD, University of Edinburgh) is Professor of New Testament at Columbia International University in Columbia, South Carolina. He is the NT book review editor for the Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society and is the author of Complexity and Creativity: John’s Presentation of Jesus in the Book of Revelation. He has also served as a guest lecturer at ministry training centers in Tasmania and Albania.

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• Edward L. Smither
  Edward L. Smither

  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.

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