The Outrageous Idea of the Missional Professor

The outrageous idea of this book is that God wants to use professors as professors to reach others, transform the academy, and meet the needs of the world. God is on a mission to redeem and restore this fallen world, and as members of one of the most influential institutions in society, Christian professors in the university play an important role in that mission. Becoming a missional professor will require a clear vision of God's heart for the lost as well as humankind's purpose and calling under the banner of Christ, an understanding of the significance of the university as a cultural shaping institution and mission field, and a desire for Christian wholeness in a fragmented world. This idea is outrageous because many Christian professors struggle to live missionally and need a clear vision of such a life as well as role models to lead the way. Many professors already living missional lives need encouragement to ""excel still more"" (1 Thess 4:10). We all need God's grace and mercy as we try to faithfully follow Christ within the university. ""What does it mean to be a faithful follower of Jesus as a University professor? Paul Gould, in The Outrageous Idea of the Missional Professor, has the boldness to suggest that faithfulness involves taking up the mission of Jesus in the academy. Combining clear analysis and concrete steps, Gould motivates academics to a deeper commitment to that mission."" --Gregory E. Ganssle, Professor of Philosophy, Talbot School of Theology, Biola University, La Mirada, CA ""This book is for anyone in a teaching profession wondering what it means to be 'called' to serve God in the classroom, library, or lab. Expertly combining foundational principles and points of practical application, Gould offers a roadmap to flourishing as a Christian academic."" --Stan Wallace, President, Global Scholars, Overland Park, KS ""Paul Gould is one of the brightest young scholars in the evangelical world, and The Outrageous Idea of the Missional Professor is an excellent book which argues that evangelical institutions and faculty members need to 'revision' themselves as missional institutions and professors. I agree with Gould and recommend the book highly to leaders, administrators, and faculty members in the world of Christian higher education."" --Bruce Ashford, Associate Professor of Theology and Culture, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Wake Forest, NC ""Professor Gould has issued a challenge for anyone interested in the needs of higher education in America. He argues forcefully that Christian professors should live their lives before God as participants in His mission of redemption and restoration to a world badly in need of hope, a missio dei extending to the classroom, the faculty lounge, the research lab, and the myriad other venues one finds the soul of the modern university. May his message find a widespread audience."" --Andrew H. Trotter Jr., Executive Director, Consortium of Christian Study Centers, Charlottesville, VA Paul M. Gould is Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Christian Apologetics at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, TX. He is the editor of Beyond the Control of God? Six Views on the Problem of God and Abstract Objects and the co-editor of The Two Tasks of the Christian Scholar: Redeeming the Soul, Redeeming the Mind and Loving God with Your Mind: Essays in Honor of J. P. Moreland.