Abstract:
The purpose of this article is to examine the changing understandings of processes and terms
which have been and are currently in use regarding the outworking of the mission of the
church. This historical and missiological approach will evaluate the contribution of a number
of African and other theologians during the 20th century and also the opening years of the 21st
century. It will cover the missionary period from the end of the 18th century with a special
focus on the impact during the ‘high missionary era’ (1880–1920) to the present. The focus will
predominantly be on Africa and Pentecostalism, the role of women and the African diaspora
as examples of effective inculturation.
