A theological study of a D N A model of Missio Dei

For the purpose of this study, I use Old Testament Scripture (First covenant Biblical books) and New Testament Scripture (New covenant Biblical books) of the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible to trace a DNA model of God's Trinitarian Mission.

For the purpose of this study, I use Craig Van Gelder's descriptive model of God's Trinitarian activity as: creative, redemptive, and consummative.  (The Essence of the Church 2001) In each of the biblical texts, I highlight with the color green to trace the Father/Creator, red to trace the Son/Redeemer, and yellow to trace the Spirit/Advocate to traces the DNA model of God's Trinitarian mission.

For the purpose of this study, I describing traces of a DNA model of God's Trinitarian Mission as the transcription of the genetic code of grace, within explicit and implicit biblical texts that translate the dynamics of mission as intra-relationships and inter-relationships..

For the purpose of this study, I interpret the traces of a DNA model of God's Trinitarian Mission as the transcription of the genetic code of grace, within the pluraform formal and informal contexts of  the mega-mission, macro-mission, and micro-mission.

Tracing the DNA of God's Trinitarian mission throughout post-biblical western church history is only a sample of what God's Trinitarian mission has been doing and saying as creator, redeemer, and advocate in the pluraform contexts of the world (mega-mission), the catholic church (macro-mission), and the local congregations (micro-missions). I use David Bosch's (TM page 187-188) divisions of post-biblical church history which are divided into six major "paradigm" periods: Patristic (100 ace - 400 ace); Middle Ages (400 ace - 1500 ace); Reformation (1500 ace - 1800 ace); Colonial (1800 ace-1960 ace); Ecumenical (1960 ace - 1990 ace) and Post-Modernity (1990 ace - present). 

I identify traces of the DNA of God's Trinitarian mission by examining the genetic code of grace, not with a telescope or microscope, but with theological discipline and tools. Theological discipline and tools need to be used from a perspective of faith, understanding and appreciation of God who acts within the context of the world through human encounters and experiences, by ordinary human perceptions of physical senses, intellectual imagination, emotional reflection, and spiritual reception. The following post Biblical sources, I believe trace the Mission of God, which has become popularly called, missio Dei.

Due to the limits of space and time in this project, I only provide a glimpse of the following  post-Biblical authors. I may use samples of author's writings from the various "paradigm periods" in my next class project of CL7522, the Missional Leader - Beyond the pastoral office.

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