Paul Mojzes

Mission in Central and Eastern Europe

Evangelism & Missions

“Rarely, if ever in history, have many millions of Christians experienced a more radical change from severe restrictions and persecution to a transformation toward liberty and altered mission opportunities in such a short time as the one that is the context of this remarkable book. Amazingly comprehensive and varied it includes authors from nearly all confessional backgrounds and theological perspectives. Read some articles or read all – you will be rewarded by the deep insight into the past, present, and future of Christian mission in this turbulent part of Europe. Prof. Dr. Paul Mojzes, Editor-in-Chief of Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe, Co-Editor of the Journal of Ecumenical Studies This is a wonderfully comprehensive and informative book on a subject about which little has been written or is known. It provides a veritable encyclopaedia that will be a useful addition to any mission scholar’s library. Prof. Dr. Allan H. Anderson, Professor of Mission and Pentecostal Studies, University of Birmingham, UK Among the burgeoning areas of research and investigation under the general rubric of ‘Studies in World Christianity’ is the whole thematic area of the missional church in central and Eastern Europe. In the last decades there has been a remarkable growth in rigorous study of the Christian movement in cultures so long profoundly shaped by the Russian Empire. The dynamism and energy of emerging Christian witness in a great diversity of shapes and approaches calls for disciplined analysis and reflection. This volume of essays is an important and comprehensive expansion of the missional literature on this crucial part of the world church, both inviting and enabling critical and constructive interaction across cultural boundaries. Prof. Dr. Darrell Guder, Henry Winters Luce Professor of Missional and Ecumenical Theology, Princeton Theological Seminary These publications reflect the ethos of Edinburgh 2010 and will make a significant contribution to ongoing studies in mission. It should be clear that material published in this series will inevitably reflect a diverse range of views and positions. These will not necessarily represent those of the series’ editors or of the Edinburgh 2010 General Council, but in publishing them the leadership of Edinburgh 2010 hopes to encourage conversation between Christians and collaboration in mission. All the series’ volumes are commended for study and reflection in both church and academy.”

The Unknown Europe

“As a native of Eastern Europe—the subject of this book—I am impressed by the fairness and accuracy by which James Payton presents the centuries-long history of this vast area, by focusing on the eleven most-important watershed events. Payton is writing from a general Western vantage point, specifically from a distinctly North American perspective. He insists that viewing Eastern Europe primarily by focusing on the period of its Soviet domination yields a warped impression. It is much more accurate to affirm, as he does, the crucial role of the Christian Byzantine Empire in the formation of Eastern European cultures.”