Theology Of Mission Research Articles

A Theology of Interreligious Relations

A review of volume 3, A Theology of Interreligious Relations, of Henning Wrogemann’s three-volume Intercultural Theology. This work is a textbook appropriate for courses in the theology of mission, religious pluralism, and interreligious dialogue. It focuses especially on the problems of interreligious relations, both peaceful and conflictual, from a Christian point of view.

Pentecost as Facet of the Church-in-Mission or Culmination of the Missio Dei? A Pentecostal Renewing of Bosch’s (Reformed) Mission Theology

David Bosch’s Transforming Mission remains a landmark work now over a quarter of a century after its initial publication. With only one formal missiological response from the Pentecostal scholarly community to date, this essay seeks further reconsideration perhaps less from a strictly classical Pentecostal perspective than from one that takes the Day of Pentecost as a starting point for mission theology in the present ecclesial dispensation. Hermeneutical, historiographical, and theological contributions are offered, each intended to enrich and perhaps even fulfill the practically inexhaustible potential of our Reformed South African New Testament scholar’s legacy.

CONCEPTUL DE PREZENȚĂ A LUI DUMNEZEU – LIANT ÎNTRE TEOLOGIA MISIONARĂ ȘI SPIRITUALITATEA CREȘTINĂ

In a world of religious and moral dissolution, in which nihilist atheism and hedonistic consumerism prevail, missionary theology must propose to the secularized human the experience of reunion with God as a means of restarting the religious experience manifested concretely through prayer and intense spiritual life. Modernity has obviously fuelled deified conceptions, isolating God in an inaccessible transcendence, and promoting a total abandonment of the possibility of experiencing any form of real encounter with Him. The only way to get in touch with Him was rational knowledge, as it was found in the Bible, or logical deductions resulting from the dialogue between theology and science. But they dangerously lead to the postmodern concept of a God-idea, concept, force, etc., lacking the attribute of personality. According to Orthodox doctrine, God has a personal character, being, more specifically, a Trinity of Persons.

Streams of Latin American Protestant Theology

Abstract Although church historians often call the 19th century the Great Century of Protestant mission, for Latin America it was the 20th century that was the great century of Protestant growth and expansion. The 20th century witnessed vast societal changes and the realization of systemic poverty and injustice as well as the exponential growth, pentecostalization, and diversification of Latin American Protestantism. Latin American Protestant Theology emerged during this century of change. This text provides an introduction to Latin American Protestant Theology by engaging its dominant theological streams (Liberal, Evangelical, and Pentecostal) and how they understand themselves through the lens of mission. The text offers both a critique of the Christendom cartography that is dominant in Latin American Protestant Theology as well as suggestions for how to move towards a transformative theology of mission. The primary intention of this text is to offer an informed outline and analysis of the theological landscape of Latin American Protestantism. The secondary intention of this book is to note the contributions as well as deficiencies of the streams of LAPT in the hope to signal a possible path towards the development of an integral, transformative, contextual, and decolonial theological voice.

Gospel Interpretation and Christian Life by Francis J. Moloney, SDB

Reviewed by: Gospel Interpretation and Christian Life by Francis J. Moloney, SDB Donald Senior C.P. francis j. moloney, sdb, Gospel Interpretation and Christian Life (Adelaide: ATF Press, 2017). Pp. xiv + 421. Paper $33.71. This is a collection of sixteen previously published essays and presentations by the distinguished Australian biblical scholar Francis J. Moloney. Except for a few minor stylistic adaptations, the essays remain in their original formats. The structure of the collection is twofold: the first nine essays falling under the heading "Gospel Interpretation": "Mark 6:6b-30: The Twelve, Mission, and Failure"; "Following Jesus into Radical Discipleship: [End Page 346] A Reading of Mark 8:14–9:29"; "Marriage and Wealth: A Study of Mark 10:1-31"; "Literary Strategies in the Markan Passion Narrative: Mark 14:1–15:47"; "'He Is Going before You into Galilee': Mark 16:6-8 and the Christian Community"; "God's Gift of Servant Discipleship in the Gospel of Mark"; "Matthew 5:17-18 and the Matthean Use of 'Righteousness'"; "Luke 22:14-38: Eucharist and Mission"; and "When Is John Talking about Sacraments?" The remaining seven essays are included under the heading "Christian Life": "Sacred Scripture and the Magisterium: A Restless Relationship?"; "Sacred Scripture at Vatican II"; "The Gospel of Creation: A Biblical Response to Laudato Si' "; "A New Testament Hermeneutic for Divorce and Remarriage in the Catholic Tradition"; "On the Writing of The Gospel According to Judas: Some Theological and Pastoral Reflections"; "The Word of God, Jesus Christ, and the Eucharist: Christian Hope in a Secularized World"; and "The Word in the World: Then and Now." As the author himself notes, however, this boundary is somewhat porous since many of his more explicit exegetical essays in the first half also lead to theological and pastoral conclusions. A feature of this collection is its "autobiographical" cast. As the author explains in an introductory essay, "The Story behind the Book," he has enjoyed a varied academic journey, with his doctoral studies in Oxford and then a stretch of teaching at theological schools in Australia, followed by a period as professor of biblical studies at Catholic University of America and his eventual appointment as Dean of the School of Theology and Religious studies there. Later he would be called back to Australia to serve as provincial superior of his Salesian religious community and to resume his teaching career there. Along the way, he also served as a member of the Pontifical Theological Commission. His selection of exegetical essays reflects this mix of both academic responsibilities and immersion in the pastoral life of the church. The essays in the first half draw primarily on M.'s interest in the Gospel of Mark. Explorations of Matthew, Luke and John have one essay each, although the author is probably most well known for his publications on the Gospel of John. His interest in Mark's Gospel was developed especially during his time at Catholic University and supplemented his original (and continuing) interest in Johannine theology. The six essays on Mark have a strong emphasis on Mark's portrayal of discipleship, including the fate of the disciples in the context of the passion narrative. M. subscribes to the view that the evangelist presents a decidedly negative view of the disciples, including the response of the women at the empty tomb—an emphasis on the failure of the disciples crafted by Mark for pastoral purposes that, in fact, was darker than the historical reality of the original disciples' relationship to Jesus. The essay on Matthew's Gospel traces the meaning of the key term of diakosynē, or "righteousness," which M. defines as living in accord with the fullness of righteousness revealed by Jesus himself. The essays on Luke and John both deal with sacramental tones in these Gospels. In Luke, M. traces the evangelist's portrayal of Jesus's many meals, climaxing in the final Passover meal; there is an essential link in Luke's Gospel between the eucharistic meal and mission. In his essay on John, the earliest of the essays in the collection, composed in 1982, M. reviews the perennial debate about whether there is a sacramental perspective in the Fourth Gospel, concluding cautiously that...

결혼이주여성의 타자화에 대한 선교적 고찰 - 하갈과 룻 내러티브 분석을 중심으로

결혼이주여성의 타자화에 대한 선교적 고찰 - 하갈과 룻 내러티브 분석을 중심으로

Introduction

At the end of 2019, Prof. Pieter Verster officially retires as Professor in the Department of Practical and Missional Theology of the Faculty of Theology and Religion, University of the Free State. Since 1981, he has been a minister of the Word of God in the Dutch Reformed Church; since 1992, he has been lecturer and, from 1997, Professor in Missiology. He has had an outstanding academic career. In recognising his academic contribution, acclaiming his dedication to the formation of students and in appreciating him as colleague and loyal friend, it has been decided to dedicate this Acta Theologica Supplementum edition as Festschrift in honour of him.

The Seldom Acknowledged Difficulties of Leading Missional Churches: Challenges Faced by Those Who Seek to Explore Different Forms of Being and Doing Church

The Church in Australia finds itself pushed to the margins of society and lacking the status it once enjoyed in previous generations. The importance and role of the church in society’s life is now questioned and it would seem that the church’s long term survival is being challenged. How should the church respond? One response is found in the exploration of new forms of church birthed out of missional theology – a theology that sees the church partnering with the God who is actively on mission in his world. This response however, does not come without its own inherent challenges. Leaders of missional communities within the Australian context were interviewed in an attempt to decipher what those challenges might be. The results can largely be covered under the rubrics of: Ambiguity, Anxiety, Audience and Abandonment.

Theology of Mission of Banua Niha Keriso Protestant in the Context of Religious Pluralism in Indonesia: A Critical Analysis

Banua Niha Keriso Protestan (BNKP) is one of the churches organized by the Western missionaries in Nias, Indonesia. Missionaries sent by Rheinische Missions-Gesellschaft (RMG) since 1865 imparted a theology of mission which emphasized the superiority of Christianity compared to other religions. This kind of mission theology can cause tension and triggered conflict among religions because of the issue of Christianization. Therefore, the primary purpose of this study was to do a critical analysis of the theology of mission of BNKP that is informed by the theology of religion, which addresses the challenge of religious pluralism in Indonesia. This research focused on mission and religions studies. Through historical, sociological, or anthropological studies and content analysis of religions and BNKP, author found four models of mission that is acknowledged by BNKP. The first is a mission as conversion. Here, mission means being a witness of the Gospel to others, so they make a personal decision to believe in Jesus Christ and to be a member of the church. The second is the church-centered mission. The mission is done for the sake of planting and building the church by self-governing, self-propagating, and self-sustaining churches. The third is missio Dei. The mission is understood as God’s mission, and the church is only the instrument of God’s mission. The last is a mission as a holistic mission. In this model, mission means reaching the whole dimension of life including the whole creation.

Bonavetura da Bagnoregio – una teologia affettiva o sapienziale?

The author in this study responds to the ambiguity about the concept of the theology of Bonaventure of Bagnoregio, specifically the expression that refers to “affective theology”. Based on the source texts, he proves that Bonaventure's theology is sapiential, not just emotional and devotional. The term “affective” is necessary to understand as a synecdochical expression of the sapiential character of Bonaventure’s theology. In the introduction to the Bonaventure’s Commentary of the Sentences the author discovers a text in which Bonaventure portrays theology as wisdom in the middle of an imaginary cross with axes: intellect – affection, and contemplation – practice. This fact is up-to-date as the International Theological Commission, in one of its latest papers, encourages today's theologians not to forgive the sapiential dimension of their work.

Jesus, Paul, and the Early Church: Missionary Realities in Historical Contexts; Collected Essays

Jesus, Paul, and the Early Church: Missionary Realities in Historical Contexts; Collected Essays

Theologies of Mission

A review of volume 2, Theologies of Mission, of Henning Wrogemann’s three-volume Intercultural Theology. This work is a textbook appropriate for courses in the theology and history of mission, focusing especially on Christian missions in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.

’n Vraag ‘door de Christelijke predikanten uit Oost-Indië overgezonden’. Die Dordtse Sinode (1618–1619), die sending en die doop van kinders uit nie-Christelike ouers

A question sent over by the Christian ministers from East-India: The Synod of Dordt (1618–1619), mission and the baptism of children born of non-Christian parents: It is well-known that the renowned Synod of Dordt (1618–1619) decided that children, born of non-Christian (ethnici) parents, but adopted into Christian house holdings in East-India, should not be baptised, unless foundational teaching in the Christian doctrine and confession of faith occurred. It was a decision of theological, ecclesiastical and historical consequence, also for the church in Africa. The decision was taken by a majority vote, since the issue divided the Synod. It gave effect to one of the most significant theological debates in the Synod. The article traces the dispute, with consideration of the differentiating views that arose among the delegates as it was recorded in the original acts of the Synod. The decision had after-effects and repercussions. It would be instrumental in shaping the character of the church in a non-Christian colonial context. The article indicates that the effects of the decision were not necessarily carried by the theology of mission, formulated in such an inspiring way by the Canons of Dordt.

Book Review: Consuming Mission: Towards a Theology of Short-Term Mission and Pilgrimage

Book Review: Consuming Mission: Towards a Theology of Short-Term Mission and Pilgrimage

로잔운동의 선교신학적 관점에서 바라본 기독교 중국화

본 연구는 기독교 중국화를 중국 기독교 상황화의 한 형태로 보고, 로잔신학의 상황화 관점에서 분석하여 최근 중국에서 빈번하게 발생하고 있는 선교사 비자발적 철수와 입국 거절사태를 극복할 대안을 찾기 위한 목적으로 설계되었다. 기독교 선교의 역사가 선교사의 복음전파 사명과 선교현장의 복음 수용자 사이의 간극을 극복해온 과정이다. 사회주의 체제의 중국에서의 선교는 종교와 이데올로기 또는 기독교 복음과 사회주의 체제의 상관관계를 우선적으로 고려하지 않을 수 없다. 사회주의 이념을 다원화사회 개념의 범주에 포함할 수 있다면 다원화 상황에서 복음을 전하기 위한 상황화 선교신학을 중국 정부가 사회주의 체제에서 시도하고 있는 기독교 중국화와 연계하여 설명할 수 있다. 중화인민공화국 건국이후 사회주의 종교관에 근거한 중국 정부는 통일전선전략에 입각한 삼자애국운동을 통해 중국 기독교계를 장악하거나 지하로 몰아내고, 종교강제소멸을 시도하였지만 실패하였고, 사회주의 종교관에 대한 재해석을 바탕으로 대외적으로는 종교자유정책을 시행한다고 선전하지만 실제로는 강력한 <종교사무조례>를 수정한 강력한 종교법을 ''선교방지법''으로 시행함으로써 선교사들의 활동을 엄격하게 규제하면서 동시에 학계와 종교계를 총 동원하여 기독교 중국화를 강력하게 추진하고 있다. 기독교 중국화를 중국 기독교의 본색화, 상황화와 동일 선상에 놓인 선교신학적 관점에서 분석하려는 목적을 가지고 본 연구자는 로잔운동이 추구하는 상황화를 그 분석 근거로 삼고자 했다. 로잔운동이 논의하고 있는 상황화는 “모든 민족에게 복음을 전하기 위해 모든 가능한 수단을 동원”하고자 하는 로잔운동의 처음 목적을 달성하는 데 적절한 선교신학적 근거를 제공한다. 따라서 기독교 중국화를 기독교를 복음과 문화의 최적화된 만남을 추구하는 상황화이며, 중국 특색을 지닌 상황화로 인정한다면 로잔운동의 상황화 신학은 기독교 중국화의 선교신학적 근거가 될 수 있다. 그러나 기독교 중국화는 여전히 중국 정부가 기독교를 사회주의 체제 유지에 활용하기 위한 통일전선전략의 변화된 형태라는 혐의를 부정하기 어렵다. 따라서 향후 기독교 중국화가 로잔운동의 상황화 선교신학을 수용함으로써 정치적 의도에서 벗어나 진정한 기독교 ‘중국화’의 길을 걸을 수 있기를 기대한다

Gisbertus Voetius (1589–1676): Some perspectives on his influence on developments in the South African Dutch Reformed Church’s missiology and mission practice

Gisbertus Voetius (1589–1676) played a significant role in the Synod of Dordt 1618–1619. As orthodox Calvinist and leading intellectual in the Dutch Second Reformation, he helped to shape the religious, philosophical and cultural landscape of the 17th century Dutch ‘Golden Age’. He was the first Protestant to have developed a comprehensive ‘theology of mission’. This article reflects on Voetius’ missiology, and specifically its influence on developments in the mission practice and theology in the Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa. The article also enters into a conversation with Voetius from a current South African missional discourse.

The Spirit and the Many-sided Other: Amos Yong’s Pneumatological Re-imagining of Mission Theology

Abstract This article explores Amos Yong’s contributions to missiology through his concept of “pneumatological imagination” – that is, the hermeneutical embrace of Pentecost’s multivalent boundary-crossing potential. Two spheres of mission encounter that Yong has engaged with are examined: the spirit world, and the religions. In the Spirit’s encounter with spirit cosmologies, Yong looks for fruitful lines of continuity rather than radical severance, and develops a theology of “the powers” which connects the spirits to structural realities. In the Spirit’s encounter with the religions, Yong sets out avenues for discerning the Holy Spirit’s presence and activity in settings where Christ is not known or named. In this second, more controversial, area, Yong’s approach is critiqued for blurring the distinction between the Spirit’s sustaining and liberating activity. Concrete examples are suggested for how the Spirit might be seen as missionally active within non-Christian religions in ways that are more verifiably Christo-logical.

What has eschatology to do with the gospel? An analysis of papal documents on mission ad gentes

A theology of mission includes consideration of the reasons for the missionary endeavor. An important source for this area of theology is the set of eight papal documents beginning with Pope Benedict XV’s Maximum illud with the most recent being Pope Francis’s Evangelii gaudium. Beginning with Jesus’ proclamation of the gospel, the mission ad gentes has been carried out with the conviction that on its reception depended a hearer’s eternal destiny. Such a rationale based on eschatological beliefs has continued into our day, although during the past century there has been some serious questioning of this view. In this article I analyze the seven papal documents on mission for the frequency with which they mention eschatological and non-eschatological reasons for missionary work. Noteworthy trends emerge from this analysis which raise questions about the continuing vigor of the church’s mission ad gentes.

19세기 말-20세기 초 한중 양국에서 발생한 민중운동에 미친 개신교 선교신학의 영향 고찰: 대한민국의 3·1운동과 중국의 5·4운동 및 의화단운동을 중심으로

19세기 말-20세기 초 한중 양국에서 발생한 민중운동에 미친 개신교 선교신학의 영향 고찰: 대한민국의 3·1운동과 중국의 5·4운동 및 의화단운동을 중심으로

The Missionary Theology of D. T. Niles

D. T. Niles is best known for his often-quoted definition of evangelism, “one beggar telling another beggar where to get food.” Yet few seem to be aware of the scope of his missionary theology. His writings reflect a striking breadth and comprehensiveness of missional and ecumenical concerns and interests. Niles’s insights into Christian mission and unity still have much to contribute to a greater understanding of the nature and calling of the church. This article examines Niles’s view of the church as a missionary community, his theology of evangelism, and his commitment to the unity and indigenization of the church.