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IntroductionThe Cape Town Commitment, which issued from The Third Lausanne Congress of World Evangelization, in Cape Town, South Africa (16-25 October 2010), is in two parts. It opens with The Cape Town Confession of Faith, compiled by a team of theologians drawn globally, in preparation for The Third Lausanne Congress; and it is completed by The Cape Town Call to Action, which reflects the voices of leaders from 198 nations, gathered together in Cape Town, to work to discern what the Holy Spirit is saying to the church.
The following bibliography notes major sources relating to the Commitment’s six themes. The listing, drawn together by a team of specialists, will, we trust, be useful for those building curricula in colleges and seminaries around the world. It is shaped to serve:
The Third Lausanne Congress was based around six major themes: (i) Bearing witness to the truth of Christ in a pluralistic, globalized world; (ii) Building the peace of Christ in our divided and broken world; (iii) Living the love of Christ among people of other faiths; (iv) Discerning the will of Christ for world evangelization; (v) Calling the church of Christ back to humility, integrity and simplicity; (vi) Partnering in the body of Christ for unity in mission. Its program was developed as a result of unhurried consultation over a four-year period, with evangelical leaders on all continents. The Commitment is structured around these six themes.
As a suggestion for teaching, the following curriculum is broken down into 12 units, but may be used as flexibly as fits the class. NB the presence of a listed work is not an endorsement of all its contents; it is merely a recognition that the work relates in a distinctive way, and is worthy of consideration in an academic setting. Most titles recommended are from evangelical scholars. The resources are designed to give a solid orientation to the topic, and to lead into healthy discussion.
On topics where evangelicals have liberty to disagree, we have invited a range of contributions. The order of presentation is not reflective of ranking.
The designation reflects that of The Cape Town Commitment. In Part I (The Cape Town Confession of Faith) there are ten sections. In Part II (The Cape Town Call to Action), there are six major sections, broken down into subsections, denoted numerically. These are followed in some places by a further breakdown denoted by a letter. To distinguish the separate parts, the major sections in The Cape Town Call to Action are predicated with II in each case.
It is our prayer that this listing of works will encourage careful reflection and robust discussion; and that these, in turn, will lead to action, born out of passion for Christ. Students who follow this curriculum will be engaging the most vital topics of life: God’s gospel, God’s sovereign purposes, and God’s saving and reconciling presence in our world.
Darrell Bock
Dallas Theological Seminary
Evvy Campbell
Wheaton College Graduate School
On behalf of the contributing team:
Contributor and Topic
We recommend two books for all students:
The Cape Town Commitment Study Edition (Rose Dowsett. Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson / Lausanne Library, 2012). This walks through the text with stimulating and searching questions on each section, suitable for use personally or in groups. Rose Dowsett, a UK missiologist with wide experience of tertiary-level teaching, was a member of the international Cape Town 2010 Statement Committee.
Christ our Reconciler (ed J.E.M. Cameron, Nottingham and Downers Grove, IVP / Lausanne Library, 2012). This substantial and pithy class reader, compiled from Congress addresses, sets the backdrop for The Cape Town Commitment. Each of the six major sections includes an exposition of Ephesians from a leading Bible teacher, and three or four presentations from some of the sharpest evangelical thinkers in their fields. The Foreword, by S. Douglas Birdsall, Executive Chairman of The Lausanne Movement, provides a summary explanation of both the context, and the goals, of the Congress.
For bulk copies:
The Lausanne Movement uses British and American English. This curriculum was compiled in the US, so we have employed American spellings.
If a link does not work, please email [email protected] identifying the section.
If you have suggestions of further works to be added, please complete this form to submit the relevant bibliographic details. Where a book is published in more than one country, please list all publishers, as this curriculum will be used globally. We are grateful for your help in keeping this list up to date.
From the Introduction to Bibliographic Resources for the Cape Town Commitment. Download the full document using the link below.
