Tippett was an Australian missionary to the Fiji Islands for more than 20 years, and an academic in the United States.
He earned his Ph.D. in anthropology at the University of Oregon in 1964 and taught part-time in the Institute of Church Growth, Fuller Theological Seminary.
Tippett also served as professor of Missionary Anthropology at Fuller Theological Seminary's School of World Mission in Pasadena, California.
[4] The faculty was expanded to include such scholars as Ralph D. Winter in history, Arthur Glasser in theology, Charles H. Kraft to join Tippett in anthropology, and C. Peter Wagner in church growth.
[5] Tippett authored over 500 pieces of literary work as part of his contributions to missions and he helped pioneer the theory as well as practice of missiological anthropology.