Mission in Action

Missional ethics is concerned with the way in which the believing community’s behaviour is in and of itself a witness to the wisdom and goodness of God. The debate surrounding the relationship between word and deed, or evangelism and social action, remains a significant issue within evangelical missiology. Martin Salter seeks to address one aspect of that debate, namely the missional significance of ethics, by conducting detailed exegesis of key biblical texts. He argues that biblical ethics is neither entirely separate from, nor merely preparatory for mission, but is an integral part of the church’s mission. Missional ethics is a theme which arises from the biblical texts and is not imposed upon them. The church as both organism and institution embody a missional ethic which includes worship, justice, and charity. Word and deed belong together as an integral whole. Salter’s valuable study concludes by offering a definition of missional ethics.