Missional theology wants to hold tensions in a balancing act Scot McKnight Image: Cover Photo Any reading of missional theology today intensifies the tensions of local context and continuity in the church. It is the genius of missional theology. It is also its problem. Just what one is to believe or even do are not spelled out with concreteness. Why? It can’t be done that way. That’s what missional theology is about. There is much emphasis in particularity, or local expression of the gospel and mission. There is also a buy-in on unity and even theological affirmations, but many think unity is strained today and many think any appeal to unity is coercive. There is so much diversity – or Franke’s sense of plurality and manifold witness – that one can be forgiven for bypassing any meaningful sense of unity.