For the past thirty years mission theology has taken a backseat to mission practice. Recently, however, people of all theological stripes have begun to reexamine the theological presuppositions that underlie the mission enterprise. In Mission on the Way Charles Van Engen masterfully articulates the contours of mission theology.

In the foreword Paul Hiebert notes some of the central missiological Issues that Van Engen fackles: "He examines the question of con-structing theologies in specific contexts, such as in the city, and shows us both the benefits and concerns we experience when we encourage all believers to theologize in their own settings. He traces the current debates on issues raised by religious pluralism and wrestles with how we can proclaim the uniqueness of Christ without being arrogant and triumphalistic. He looks at the impact modernitų and postmodernity are having on the mission movement in the West. and calls for a renewal of our own commitment as followers of Jesus Christ in the harsh cultural environments of our day. He explores the changing roles of missionaries and ministers in young churches, and he raises difficult questions related to the unity of the church in the midst of its global proliferation, diversity, and fragmentation."