The early twenty-first century has dashed hopes for a more peaceful, harmonious, and prosperous world order as many societies have been plunged into conflict and living conditions for many have become ever more precarious. The crisis is compounded by the advance of damaging climate change that jeopardizes the future of life on earth. Where can the imagination be found to meet such an unprecedented crisis? This book mines one hundred years of ecumenical reflection on mission, affirming the strengths of this tradition. It does so in a spirit of metanoia (repentance), recognizing that churches and missions were often complicit in trends that have proved to be damaging. At the same time, it draws on elements of renewal in thinking about mission--cherishing of life, environmental responsibility, action for justice, deepening of spirituality, working from a basis in ecumenical Christianity to make common cause with people of all faiths and convictions who share similar concerns. While the book is unflinching in confronting the injustice and destructiveness of the prevailing world order, its final message is one of hope, proposing that a retrieval and renewal of the ecumenical vision holds the promise of a brighter future.

Marina Ngursangzeli Behera, from Mizoram, India, is in charge of MPhil stage, a research tutor, and the editor of the peer-reviewed academic journal Transformation at the Oxford Centre for Mission Studies, UK.

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Michael Biehl (Germany), retired, taught mission studies, ecumenics, and religious studies and is a research associate at the Faculty of Theology, University of Pretoria.

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Risto Jukko is director of the Office for Global Mission of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland and adjunct professor at the University of Helsinki and University of Eastern Finland.

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Kenneth R. Ross is professor of theology and dean of postgraduate studies at Zomba Theological University in Malawi.