Lutheran Mission Matters Call for Papers
November 2024 and May 2025

Theology of the Cross and Mission November 2024

The editorial committee of Lutheran Mission Matters (LMM), formerly Missio Apostolica, invites you to submit an article for the November 2024 issue on the chosen theme, “Theology of the Cross and Mission.”
Luther nailed his 95 theses to the Castle Church door to spark a discussion. He was able to discuss his “new theology” in 1518 at Heidelberg. For this, he prepared some new theses for disputation, which today are often called the “Heidelberg Disputation.”
In the Heidelberg Disputation, Luther argues how works that seem good may actually be bad and works that seem bad may actually be good. This leads to Luther’s famous distinction between a theologian of glory and a theologian of the cross: “A theologian of glory calls evil good and good evil. A theologian of the cross calls a thing what it is.” Theologians of glory may not intend to, but they try to justify themselves, their actions, and their situations with their theology. By doing this, their theology gets things mixed up. They end up looking to works or praising strength, or avoiding shame. Theologians of the cross are willing to “call a spade a spade,” even if it makes them look bad, weak or foolish. Why? Because they know and believe in God as made known through the shame and foolishness of the crucified Christ. They do not have to justify themselves with their theology.
This raises important questions for all who are involved in ministry and mission, such as:

How does a theology of the cross shape our thinking about the church’s message? For example,
• What does it mean to “preach Christ crucified”?
• How might we be tempted or led into calling evil good and good evil?
How does a theology of the cross shape our thinking about suffering in mission? For example,
• What should we make of suffering and challenges in engaging others with the gospel?
• Are those who experience much pain, conflict, and sacrifice for the sake of Christ and His mission more commendable than those who experience little?
How does a theology of the cross shape our thinking about success and failure in mission? For example,
• How might we appropriately aim for and celebrate successful churches and success in mission fields?
• Are weak, struggling churches to be desired more than strong, vibrant churches?
• How are heroic or triumphalist portrayals of mission work harmful and/or helpful?
• What are the appropriate criteria for measuring success in a mission?
• How appropriate is it to allocate resources based on success?

How does a theology of the cross shape our thinking about faithfulness in mission? For example,
• How should we distinguish and measure faithfulness in mission?
• What does it mean to trust God and entrust ourselves to God’s mission? And what are ways that we may betray this trust?
Lutheran Mission Matters invites you to share your thoughts and insights regarding such questions. We especially hope to receive substantive contributions from parish pastors, mission practitioners, and theologians who share our common confession. Articles are generally about 3,000 words; however, shorter and longer articles will be considered.

Kindly send your submissions directly to Robert Scudieri (bscudieri@gmail.com) to consider your submission for inclusion in this special issue.

Witnessing Cross-Culturally to a Chinese and Multi-Asian Population May 2025

The editorial committee of Lutheran Mission Matters (LMM), formerly Missio Apostolica, invites you to submit an article for the May 2025 issue on the chosen theme: Witnessing cross-culturally to a Chinese and multi-Asian population.
China is a global hegemon, and “China” literally means “middle kingdom,” the center of the world. Chinese language, culture, and thought continue to thrive and in our interconnected and secular age. From dim sum to feng shui, Chinese influence and immigration are long-standing and significant aspects of everyday North American society and culture.
Papers are invited on approaches and strategies for reaching Chinese and multi-Asian populations particularly in North America, and in urban and suburban areas, as well in university contexts and campus ministries. Articles are also welcome that consider missiology in Asia and for multi-Asian populations, mission and ministry in southeast Asia, the Philippines, and the far east, and missiology and best practices for witnessing and ministering to the global Chinese, Filipino, Hmong, and greater Southeast Asian diaspora.
Witnessing cross-culturally to a Chinese population and in Chinese and multi-Asian contexts includes theological and missional reflection and praxis on the religions and cosmologies of China and East Asia: Confucianism, Buddhism, Daoism, and animist-folk religions, as well as modern secular-materialist worldviews. Comparisons and connections are welcome between Christ and Buddha, Lutheran paradoxes and traditional yin-yang dialectics, wu-wei and possible connections to Lutheran conceptions of active and passive righteousness, Biblical kenosis, and emptiness and fullness.

Other topics to consider include:
• Multigenerational mission, American born Chinese and China and Taiwanese born Chinese;
• Challenges of sustaining culture, and fears over losing culture in diverse North America;
• Best practices on witnessing to Chinese and multi-Asian populations in North America;
• Constructive examples of Lutheran Chinese mission especially in campus ministry;
• Interviews with first, second, and third generation Chinese Lutherans and Christians;
• Historical theological overviews of the importance of China and Chinese worldviews;
• Chinese missionaries and ministries based in China active throughout the world;
• Christian and Lutheran mission in the Philippines and to Filipinos in North America;
• Hmong mission and ministry globally and in North America;
• Christian and Lutheran mission in Korea and Koreans in North America;
• Christian and Lutheran mission in Japan and to Japanese in North America;
• Lutheran mission with Chinese characteristics.

Papers are welcome in both English and Chinese or other primary languages.
LMM articles are generally up to 3,000 words in length, although longer articles will be considered. The deadline of February 2025 is negotiable.
Send your articles, mission observers and book reviews concerning the theme ‘Witnessing cross-culturally to a Chinese and multi-Asian population’ to the editor of the journal, Dr. Victor Raj (rajv@csl.edu) with copies to the issue editor Dr. Joshua Hollmann (hollmann@csp.edu) and the Editorial Assistant at LSFMdesk@gmail.com

 

《路德傳教事工》(LMM）前身為《使徒使命》(Missio Apostolica) 編輯委員會邀請您為 2025 年 5 月號提交一篇文章，主題為：向華人和多完亞裔人口進行跨文化見證。

 

中國是全球霸主，“中國”字面意思是“中央王國”，即世界的中心。中國的語言、文化和思想在我們這個相互聯繫的世俗時代繼續蓬勃發展。從點心到風水，中國的影響和移民是北美日常社會和文化長期且重要的方面。

 

誠摯邀請就接觸華人和多完亞裔族群（特別是在北美、城市和郊區以及大學環境和校園事工）的方法和策略發表論文。也歡迎考慮亞洲和多完亞裔人口的宣教學、東南亞、菲律賓和遠東的宣教和事工，以及向全球華人、菲律賓人、苗族和東南亞僑民宣教和事奉的宣教學和最佳實踐的文章。

 

在中國和多完亞洲背景下向華人進行跨文化見證，包括對中國和東亞的宗教和宇宙觀的神學和宣教反思和實踐：儒教、佛教、道教、萬物有靈的民間宗教以及現代宗教。世界觀。歡迎對基督與佛佗、路德悖論與傳統陰陽辯證法、無為以及與路德教主動與被動正義、聖經虛己、空與滿等概念的可能聯繫進行比較和聯繫。

 

其他需要考慮的主題包括：

 

多代傳教，美國出生的華人和中國及台灣出生的華人；

維持文化的挑戰，以及對在多元化的北美失去文化的擔憂；

向北美華人和多亞裔人群作見證的最佳做法；

路德會華人宣教的建設性例子，特別是在校園事工方面；

對第一代、第二代、第三代中國路德會和基督徒的訪談；

中國和中國世界觀的重要性的歷史神學概述；

駐紮在中國的中國傳教士和活躍在世界各地的事工；

基督教和路德教在菲律賓和北美菲律賓人的宣教；

苗族在全球和北美的宣教和事工；

韓國的基督教和路德教傳教團以及北美洲的韓國人；

基督教和路德會在日本的傳教以及在北美洲的日本人傳教；

具有中國特色的路德會使命。

 

歡迎英文、中文或其他主要語言的論文。

 

請透過電子郵件將意見和疑問發送給賀嘉錫主任牧師博士:hollmann@csp.edu

Submission Guidelines are included in each journal issue, and available on the web.
Lutheran Mission Matters is a peer-reviewed journal published twice a year by the Lutheran Society For Missiology (LSFM). LSFM was founded thirty-three years ago with the purpose of providing a Lutheran perspective in the theological and practical working out of Christ’s mission to and in the world. Our publication is indexed in the ATLA Religion Database on the EBSCO platform, along with the full text of the articles. LMM articles are also available under the “Publications” tab on the Society’s web page at www.lsfm.global.

Send your ideas and questions to the editor of the journal, Dr. Victor Raj (rajv@csl.edu), with a copy to the editorial assistant at LSFMdesk@gmail.com  If you wish to submit a manuscript, please consult our submission guideline found at the back of the journal or on this page.

Please let us know soon of your willingness to be part of this publishing effort.

In Christ’s mission to the world, and on behalf of the Editorial Committee,

Rev. Dr. Victor Raj

Editor of Lutheran Mission Matters.