Revisiting the “Whole Gospel” : Toward a Biblical Model of Holistic Mission in the 21st Century

Abstract

This missiological reflection describes a contextualized understanding of mission, addressing questions such as these: (1) How does caring for the soul relate to caring for the body? (2) How should the church relate to social concerns, such as disease, poverty, injustice, and human rights violations? (3) What are the biblical precedents for a holistic integration of evangelism and transformation? (4) What is a working definition for holistic mission? In view of Luke 4, evangelism need not be divorced from the restoration of physical health, economic well-being, prosperity, social peace, and justice. All are important and nonnegotiable ingredients of a well-balanced missiology.