Editing Missiology (section)

== Definition ==
Broadly speaking, missiology is "an interdisciplinary field of inquiry into Christian mission or missions that utilizes theological, historical, and various social scientific methods."<ref name="OHMS">{{cite book |last1=Kim |first1=Kirsteen |last2=Fitchett-Climenhaga |first2=Alison |author1-link=Kirsteen Kim |editor1-last=Kim |editor1-first=Kirsteen |editor2-last=Jørgensen |editor2-first=Knud |editor3-last=Fitchett-Climenhaga |editor3-first=Alison |title=The Oxford Handbook of Mission Studies |date=2022 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-256757-4 |page=3 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rL9pEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA3 |language=en |chapter=Introduction to Mission Studies: Analyzing Missiology's Current Configuration and Charting Future Prospects}}</ref> It has historically focused on the missionary and evangelistic work of Protestant and Catholic denominations from Europe and North America into other continents. But the decline in Christian numbers in the West has been met by the rise of Evangelical and Pentecostal Christians in the [[Majority World]] "for which mission and evangelism are their raison d'être."<ref name="OHMS"/>

Through missionary work in new contexts and the gradual shift in the [[World Christianity|World Christian population]] from the West to the non-Western world, Christians have had to grapple with new questions. While biblical and theologically rooted, missiology has therefore sought a deep engagement in the social sciences, in disciplines such as anthropology, history, geography, communication theory, comparative religious studies, social studies, education, psychology, and inter-religious relations.<ref>{{cite dictionary|last=Morreau|first=A. S.|chapter=Missiology|title=Evangelical Dictionary of Theology|editor-first=Walter A.|editor-last=Elwell|edition=2nd|location=Grand Rapids, MI|publisher=Baker Academic|date=2001|pages=780–783|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yu846j61u0wC&pg=PA780}}</ref> Missiology has thus included topics like [[inculturation]], [[contextual theology|contextualization]], [[interfaith relations]], and [[reverse mission]].<ref name="OHMS"/>