Let all the peoples praise Him: Toward a teleological paradigm of the missio Dei

This dissertation attempts to form a missio Dei paradigm that is impelled by God Himself pursuing the purpose of being glorified in the worship of all peoples. It begins by tracing the mutation of the category of purpose in Enlightenment thought, showing how a succession of operative teleologies have shaped Protestant mission theology, contributing to an inconclusive formulation of missio Dei mission theology. Using intertextual methods of biblical theology, select motifs are examined with attention to indicators of overriding purpose that suggest major plot lines of purpose in the Bible. Two large motifs are selected, God's name and glory among the nations, and the related theme of the worship of the nations. Many texts of the Bible highlight God pursuing His purpose to be known, not only as a God who is great, but as a God who loves; and even more, that He desires to be recognized as the God who is loved in worship by His people. Inherent in God's purpose to be known among the nations—what I refer to as the revelatory telos—is a relational telos: He will be worshiped in loving obedience by a people formed in the risen Christ from every people. The primary component of the paradigm is not a narrative merely to be continued, but instead, it is a theodrama that must be enacted toward fulfillment. The Christotelic drama is fulfilled as people are formed in worshiping communities that openly love and obey Him. Three other essential components of the paradigm are explored: First, seeing the trinity in mission, focused by the "God-ward" relationality of the paradigm, provides a robust and yet ordered intra-trinitarian relationality in which love is received as well as given by God. Second, a Christotelic ecclesiology envisions the church endowed with mission as a gift, joined with Christ to collaborate with God in missiological synergism. Third, a contingent eschatology offers a motivation framework of teleological necessity. The significance of this study is multifaceted. A conclusion outlines possible contributions to ethnodoxology, contextualization challenges and mission mobililization