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Articles and books

On top you will find Vulnerable Mission related resources in English. Scroll down for resources in German, French and Spanish.

General articles and books on Vulnerable Mission

Bernhard, Deborah. “Upending Cultural Dependency: Honouring Local Buddhist Traditions as a Principle of Vulnerable Mission in the Buddhist Context“. (All Nations Christians College, Ware, Hertfordshire, UK, 2018).

Bosch, David. “The Vulnerability of Mission“. Zeitschrift Für Missionswissenschaft Und Religionswissenschaft 76, no. 3 (1992): 201–16.

Grohmann, Marcus. “Religious liberties of missionaries under pressure from within: The unsettling nature and the potential of vulnerable approaches to mission“. Norsk Tidsskrift for Misjonsvitenskap / Norwegian Journal for Missiology 77, no. 1 (2024): 5-21.

Harries, Jim. New Foundations for Appreciating Africa: Beyond Religious and Secular Deceptions. Bonn: Verlag für Kultur und Wissenschaft, 2016.

Harries, Jim. “Western Theology in Africa: Christian Mission in the Light of the Undermining of Scientific Hegemony“. International Review of Mission 106, no. 2 (2017): 241–60.

Harries, Jim. “Magic, Divine Revelation and Translation in Theological Education in the Majority World Today (with a Focus on Africa)“. Missionalia 47, no. 2 (2019): 165–76.

Harries, Jim. “Overcoming Invented Ogres: African Traditional Religions and World Religions in African Christian Perspective“. Evangelical Review of Theology 42, no. 2 (2018): 171–84.

Harries, Jim. “How Western Anti-Racism Harms Africa and How We Can Do Better“. Chichester: Faithbuilders, 2021. (See on Amazon).

Sadowitz, Chris and Harries, Jim (eds). Paul Planted, Apollos Watered, but God: Vulnerable Weakness in Ministry and Mission. Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock, 2023. (See on Amazon).

More works by Jim Harries on Vulnerable Mission, from shorter articles to books, can be found on his personal website as well as on Amazon.

The case for using local resources

Harries, Jim. “Resource Use as Hindrance to Sustainable Overseas Development Intervention: A View Focused on Pentecostal Christianity“. Missiology: An International Review 46, no. 3 (July 2018): 251–67.

Maranz, David E. African Friends and Money Matters, Second Edition: Observations from Africa. 2nd ed. Dallas, TX: SIL International, 2016. (See on Amazon).

The case for using local languages
Vulnerable Mission in practice

Harries, Jim. African Heartbeat and A Vulnerable Fool. Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2019. (See on Amazon).

Horst, Willis, Ute Paul, and Frank Paul, eds. “Mission without Conquest: An Alternative Missionary Practice“. Carlisle: Langham Global Library, 2015. (See on Amazon).

Grohmann, Marcus. “A Foolish Proposal? Vulnerability as an Alternative Attempt to Contribute to Decolonisation and Reconciliation in Post-Colonial South Africa“. Transformation: An International Journal of Holistic Mission Studies 37, no. 2 (April 2020): 140–59. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265378820910452 (free manuscript available here).

Johnson, Jean. “We Are Not the Hero: A Missionary’s Guide to Sharing Christ, Not a Culture of Dependency“. Sisters, OR: Deep River Books LLC, 2012. (See on Amazon).

Johnson, Jean, and Darryl Meekins. “We Are Not The Hero – The Participant’s Guide“. CreateSpace Publishing, 2018. (See on Amazon).

Further reading

Books we find inspiring

Bessenecker, Scott. Overturning Tables: Freeing Missions from the Christian-Industrial Complex. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2014. (See on Amazon).

Brown, Brené. Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead. Reprint Edition. New York: Avery, 2015. (See on Amazon).

Corbett, Steve and Fikkert, Brian. When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor . . . and Yourself. Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2014. (See on Amazon).

Lidstone, Julyan. Give Up the Purple: A Call for Servant Leadership in Hierarchical Cultures. Langham Global Library, 2019. (See on Amazon). – available also in Arabic, Farsi, German, Mandarin and Turkish. For an eBook-Version in Arabic and Farsi, please send a request via email.

Reese, Robert. Roots and Remedies of the Dependency Syndrome in World Missions. Pasadena, CA: William Carey Library, 2010. (See on Amazon).

Schwartz, Glenn J. 2007. When Charity Destroys Dignity: Overcoming Unhealthy Dependency in the Christian Movement. AuthorHouse. (See on Amazon).

Other languages

German: Texte und Bücher in Deutsch

Gühne, Pfr. Christine. ‚Einführungsreferat zu „Vulnerable Mission“‘. Vortrag bei der Tagung ‚Verletzliche Mission‘ am 9.5.2015 in Marburg.

Harries, Jim. ‚Verzichtende Mission: eine Alternative zu erfolglosen Hilfsmodellen – nicht nur in Afrika‘.

Harries, Jim. ‚Verzichtende Mission – auf dem Weg zu einer „Normalisierung“ christlicher Missionspraktiken in nachkolonialer Zeit‘.

Harries, Jim. ‘Die Herausforderungen Durch Ein Monistisches Weltbild Und Die Notwendigkeit Des Gebrauchs von Indigenen Sprachen Und Ressourcen in Afrika’. Evangelische Missiologie 34, no. 1 (2018): 12–28.

Johnson, Jean. ‚Was hast du in der Hand? – Über die Verwendung von Finanzen und anderen Ressourcen in christlicher Mission und Entwicklungszusammenarbeit‘.

Lidstone, Julyan. Legt den Purpur ab: Herausforderung zum Leiten ohne zu herrschen. OM Books, 2023. (Verfügbar bei Amazon und OM Deutschland). Das Buch ist auch in Arabisch, Farsi, Mandarin and Türkisch erhältlich. Eine eBook-Version in Arabisch und Farsi kann per E-mail angefragt werden.

Paul, Frank. ‚Aus Babel getürmt: Vom Segen der sprachlichen Vielfalt‘.

Paul, Frank und Paul, Ute. ‚Von der Kolonisierung zur „geschwisterlichen Begleitung“‘.

Paul, Frank und Paul, Ute. ‚Begleiten Statt Erobern – Missionare Als Gäste Im Nordargentinischen Chaco‘. Schwarzenfeld: Neufeld Verlag, 2010. (Auf Amazon ansehen).

Paul, Ute. Der Verletzliche Weg: Über Mut, Mission, Menschsein. OJC-Salzkorn 3 (2022).

Schwartz, Glenn J. 2020. Wenn Nächstenliebe klein macht: Finanzielle Abhängigkeit in Mission und Gemeinde überwinden. Cuxhaven: Neufeld-Verlag. (Auf Amazon ansehen).

French: Textes en français

Corbett, Steve et Fikkert, Brian. 2017. Quand aider fait du tort : Réduire la pauvreté sans se nuire… et nuire aux pauvres. (Voir sur Amazon).

Harries, Jim. Mission vulnérable – une «normalisation» des pratiques de la mission chrétienne en prévision d’une situation post-coloniale.

Harries, Jim. De la nécessité dʼutiliser les langues et ressources locales dans la Mission en Afrique.

Harries, Jim. De l’efficacité de la mission à court terme en l’Afrique en rapport à lʼoccidentalisation, la christianisation et la création de dépendance.

Schwartz, Glenn J. 2018. Quand La Charité Détruit La Dignité: La Dépendance Parmi Les Institutions Établies Par La Mission. AuthorHouse. (Voir sur Amazon).

Spanish: Textos y libros en español