Arbeids- og næringslivet som misjonal arena

Momenter til en tverrfaglig forskningsagenda – inspirert av arven etter Hans Nielsen Hauge

Abstract

Being the ecclesia, Christians today need to execute their commission in a multiplicity of habitats where they work and live. The marketplace is a major arena, and more research is needed to gain new insight into the cognitive, behavioral, and theological factors involved. However, the academic missiological community has been slow at picking up the challenges. There is a deficit of empirical and theological research on Christian service and witness in the marketplace. The authors introduce a new framework for cross-disciplinary research on the nature, antecedents, and the consequences of missiological behavior in the marketplace. The discussion is inspired by the heritage of the Norwegian lay-preacher and serial-entrepreneur, Hans Nielsen Hauge. The framework invites contributions from a variety of disciplines, including theology, business research, history, psychology of religion, and sociology of religion. The authors suggest that, as a first step, there is a particular need for fresh conceptualizations and in-depth inductive research into the nature of missiological behavior in the modern marketplace.