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What
Professor Andrew F. Walls says about the
International
Bulletin of Missionary Research
Dear Colleague:
It is not the oldest journal in the field of
mission studies, nor is it the bulkiest; but if there is one
journal, in that field, in any language, that can properly be
called indispensable, it is the International Bulletin of
Missionary Research.
 One reason for this is the breadth of vision in
the coverage, the range of disciplines, the interaction of the
scholarly and the practical, the fact that every part of the
globe is represented in its pages. Another is its ecumenical
spirit; all traditions of the Christian faith can be found
there, and a kaleidoscope of varied perspectives is revealed in
fruitful interchange. Yet another is its sensitivity to new
frontiers of study and new methods of research, so that it
frequently provides an index to the contemporary development of
study. And not least of its merits is its readability; high
editorial standards secure an accessibility that serves, but
never patronises, the reader.
I cannot afford to be without it; neither, I
believe, can any person, or any library, seriously concerned
with the Christian faith as a world-wide phenomenon, or anyone
engaged at any level in mission studies, or anyone involved in
the issues of Gospel and culture.
In the words that the young Augustine heard
about a still greater publication and (to his great profit)
responded to, "Take it up and read it!"
Yours sincerely,
Andrew F. Walls
Honorary Professor in the
University of Edinburgh and
formerly Director of the Centre for the Study of Christianity in
the Non-Western World
Emeritus Professor of Religious
Studies, University of Aberdeen
Visiting Professor at the
Akrofi-Christaller Memorial Centre, Ghana
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