The Missiological Implications of the Theology of Gerhard Forde

Dr. Gerhard Forde (1927-2005) has exercised a significant influence on the life of the Lutheran church in America and beyond over the past several decades. During a teaching career of thirty-four years, twenty-nine of them at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota, it is estimated that he taught theology to over three thousand pastors. But Forde s substantial theological work brought him to the attention of the church far beyond the circle of his students. His literary production includes over one hundred books, articles, reviews, and cassettes. Forde s emphasis was what has come to be called radical Lutheranism. He argued that the God of the scriptures is an electing God, Godself doing through Christ and the proclamation of Christ all that is necessary to claim his own. Less frequently is Forde connected to the missional task of the church. It is possible to read Gerhard Forde s work without being conscious of mission, and thus conclude that it is an area that does not particularly concern him. The author, through careful research, identifies the insights in Forde s work that are helpful to the missional enterprise and allows them to make their contribution to the wider missiological conversation.