Centre for the Study of the Bible and Mission

This new Redcliffe College initiative aims to serve the Church by engaging in research, teaching, writing and speaking on mission in the Bible, and the Bible in mission thinking, practice and training. The Centre's goal is to encourage Christians to reflect on mission biblically and the Bible missionally. We aim to do this in ways that are scholarly, relevant, accessible, practical, faithful, imaginative and passionate.

The Centre has several areas of activity:

Teaching

The Centre is fully integrated into the life and teaching of Redcliffe, delivering content on the short-course, undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. Particularly, the Centre is responsible for the new MA in Bible and Mission.

Writing and research

The Centre will publish at both academic and popular levels to encourage further reflection within the Church and the academy on the Bible and Mission in theory and practice. Web and digital media will be used extensively to make the news and activities widely accessible. See, for example, the Bible and Mission issue of Encounters Mission Journal. Tim Davy, the Centre's Director, also writes the Bible and Mission blog which is incorporated into the Centre's website.

Annual public lecture and bi-annual consultation

Each year a significant speaker is invited to deliver Redcliffe's 'Annual Lecture in Bible and Mission'. In 2009 Revd Dr Chris Wright delivered the first lecture of this kind. The 2010 lecture was given by Prof Gordon Wenham on the subject of The Nations in the Psalms. The 2011 lecture, on the subject of Reading the Bible with the Global Church, was given by Eddie Arthur, Executive Director of Wycliffe Bible Translators.

The consultation is held every two years and draws together people with a shared interest in the thinking and practice of Bible and Mission.

Hosting a Visiting Bible and Mission Scholar

Each year we will invite a scholar from the Majority World to contribute to and benefit from the Centre's activities, for example Kar Yong Lim from Malaysia

The Bible and mission cannot be separated. The Bible is both the story of God's missionary activity and also a vital tool in the work of mission. As an organisation devoted to the translation and use of the scriptures, Wycliffe Bible Translators are delighted to be working in partnership with Redcliffe and others to develop the Centre for the Study of Bible and Mission
Eddie Arthur, UK Executive Director, Wycliffe Bible Translators