THE MISSIONARY BETWEEN THE TIMES

The rapid emergence of a single global society having a single world history makes all previous history of the human race ancient, says the author. The church's missionary is caught in the confusion and bewilderment resulting from revolutionary changes. In this respect, there is little basic difference between the plight of the Protestant or the Roman Catholic missionary, or between the American or European. No blueprint can be made for the future; but the missionary involvement requires different forms than those of the nineteenth century. Dr. Beaver pursues the implications of these views of the current missionary enterprise in a variety of ways, ranging from a theological statement of the rationale of missions to questions having to do with missionary recruitment and the role of the missionary's wife. While he is clearly informed of the problems now confronting the mission of the church, his treatment sometimes seems to be too much preocupied with practical and minor matters where the reader might wish for a more critical analysis of the problems and the possibilities in the future. The questions are new; the answers do not always get beyond the traditional. The book will be useful in helping church leaders and members understand something of the missionary outlook today.