Abstract
The book begins by examining the role of the alien in the Old Testament, noting that the word most commonly used in the Septuagint is prosēlutos, the one who draws near. It also examines how Jesus reacts to the other.
It then looks at contemporary missiologists on dialogue, before arguing that dialogue needs to be extended by recognising the givenness of other, a concept drawn from phenomenology. The book then argues that if the other is important for mission, this should be true also in historical examples.
Thus, it chooses three diverse figures - St Ignatius of Loyola, William Carey, and St Innocent of Alaska - to demonstrate that the recognition of the gift of the other has always been present in Christian mission and can continue to inspire.