To what extent to perceptions of Salvation Army history interact with a Salvationist's understanding of and engagement in mission?

<p dir="ltr">This thesis addresses four questions: How do members of The Salvation Army perceive the history of the movement? What is their understanding and experience of mission? To what extent do these two themes interact? What are the implications for Salvationist practice and missiology arising from the analysis of these interactions? As a life-long member of The Salvation Army and a former active officer, now retired, I have a particular interest in the history of the movement and wanted to explore the level of knowledge and how it affected the work of its members.</p><p dir="ltr">To assess this subject qualitative research methodology was employed using both interviews and focus groups. The five interviewees were selected because I considered that their experience and knowledge would provide useful research data. The twelve participants of the three focus groups were self-selected, allowing those who had an interest in Salvation Army history and mission to be part of this research. The semi-structured interviews were conducted using a set of six questions. The same series of questions were used in the focus groups. The data obtained from the interviewees and focus groups was brought into a critical dialogue with the conceptual framework which drew upon theoretical perspectives of history and missiology.</p><p dir="ltr">From the analysis of my research material, I offered a missiology that was contextualised with the life and practice of members of The Salvation Army. My research also showed a correlation in the interaction of the knowledge of Salvation Army history and mission which was strongest in those who strongly identified as Salvationists. The differing levels of knowledge of Salvation Army history and understanding of mission between Salvation Army officers and other members of The Salvation Army was noted. The thesis ends by considering the implications for practice within The Salvation Army with the potential of creating an online course to provide education about Salvation Army history and mission.</p>