bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Toward a Current Strategy: Discerning God's Hand in Islam Today
Authors: Stacey Vivienne
Published: March 2013

Given the new forces at work in the world of Islam, how does the Christian Church respond? Of first importance, says author Stacey, is understanding, as far as discernible, God's strategy. Her long years of experience in Pakistan and the Middle East, particularly relating to Muslim students, press her to recall two phenomena which historically have been crucial to Christian expansion: migrations and dispersions; and the revival of religion in the older churches. She also offers practical proposals for the total mobilization of Christian resources including relevant training options for Christians in international secular occupations.
The Vocation of the Church: Some Exegetical Clues
Authors: Minear Paul S.
Published: March 2013

Every so often an article reaches us that not only comes from the pen of a distinguished scholar, but also speaks directly to the heart of the missiological task. In these days when great polarization exists within the Church over the nature of the Gospel, this strong word from Dr. Minear is most timely. He clearly identifies the mandate God has given his people touching their stewardship of his good news for modern man.
Two Centuries of Cultural Adaptation in American Church Action: Praise, Censure or Challenge?
Authors: Luzbetak Louis J.
Published: March 2013

At the 1976 meeting of the American Society of Missiology, the papers presented and responses given viewed “American missions from a bicentennial perspective.” In his Presidential Address which follows, Father Luzbetak evaluates both our attitudes and our progress toward establishing culturally authentic churches among diverse peoples. This he does not only from the perspective of the 200-year period now ended. He also takes a realistic forward look from this vantage point and notes how much we have yet to accomplish.
The Effect of Commercial Cloth on the Rundi Culture
Authors: Hohensee Donald
Published: March 2013

“Beer belongs” says Madison Avenue. In Burundi, the anthropologist would agree. But as beer-drinking has become excessive, it has created major problems in a number of young African nations, including Burundi. Missionary Hohensee looks beyond such obvious factors as the introduction of commercial brews, and finds a pattern of ramifying culture change that is reminiscent of Lauriston Sharp's “Steel Axes for Stone-Age Australians.” The alien villain that upset the cultural balance is not so much European beer as European cloth.
Roland Allen: Pioneer in a Spirit-Centered Theology of Mission
Authors: Branner John E.
Published: March 2013

Among missiologists of the Twentieth Century, none seemed so aware of the inescapable components of conflict and suffering in the missionary task as Roland Allen. More, none seemed so convinced of the Church's need to submit to the Holy Spirit's direction and to follow the patterns he had given the apostles for their missionary obedience. As a result, he was the apostle of the “voluntary clergy” and the champion of “spontaneous expansion.” Allen's writings were produced long before the Charismatic Movement became worldwide, but they are suffused with its distinctive — that the world can be evangelized, not by the might of missions, or by the organizational and intellectual power of Christians, but by the Spirit of the living God.
Towards Wholeness in Ministry among the Iban
Authors: Fowler J. Andrew
Published: March 2013

In working toward a holistic ministry among the Iban, Professor Fowler also finds clues that might help us accept the dynamic tensions inherent in our ministry. “The Iban worldview tends to view seemingly opposite qualities as complementary.” Applying this Asian perspective to biblical motifs, he constructs an experimental “Holistic Model of Ministry” that our readers will find helpful.
Messianic Judaism: A Progress Report
Authors: Hutchens James M.
Published: March 2013

In this update on an infant movement, author Hutchens not only summarizes its public image and developing distinctives — so fraught with missiological implications — but also shares frankly, as a participant, some of the internal problems that threaten its future.
God's Providence or Fatalism in China?
Authors: Covell Ralph R.
Published: March 2013

This is more than a historical analysis of nineteenth century missions to China. Professor Covell probes the writings of some of the key missionary figures who involved themselves with two historical phenomena — the Taiping Rebellion and the negotiation of tolerance clauses in the unequal treaties — and shows how they struggled, or failed to struggle, with underlying questions of ethics, philosophy of history and church/state relations. In pointing up the trends to casuistry that surfaced during this period, the author raises a warning about similar trends in our own day.
The Apostolate of the Church in the Second Century
Authors: Chaney Charles
Published: March 2013

Recognizing that the Christian writers of the “silent” second century focused mainly on other concerns, Historian Charles Chaney nevertheless finds evidences of evangelistic emphasis and world awareness in several categories of their documents. He organizes this data for us in a helpful manner and provides a new understanding of the surprising limitations on the churches' missionary perspective when the Christian movement was still young.
The Africanization of Christianity, An Anthropologist's View
Authors: Droogers André
Published: March 2013

Our sincerest efforts to facilitate Africanization may prove counter-productive. And this may arise from the academic outlook of the facilitators, whether Western missiologists or African churchmen. Both are vulnerable to generalized or idealized views of African culture; and these trends may be accentuated either by guilt feelings, on the one hand, or cultural chauvinism, on the other, leading us to seek solutions in broad theoretical categories rather than in the specific diversity of the real Africa. Anthropologist Droogers believes that a better application of his discipline can help avoid the resultant risk of “artificial Africanization.” But even more importantly, he urges us to discern realistically, and view more optimistically, the degree of spontaneous folk-level Africanization that has already taken place — despite the obvious and regretted Western outer-garments that most African churches wear.
The Mission Station as “Sample Community”: A Contemporary Case from Botswana
Authors: Guenther Mathias Georg
Published: March 2013

Readers of Missiology deeply acquainted with the mission situation in Southern Africa may argue that this contemporary case study represents a model of mission activity that should have been abandoned before the 20th Century even began. However, we have felt that it should be included in this issue, if for no other reason than to illuminate the anguish and racial polarizations that are at the heart of Southern Africa's troubles today.
Contemporary Concepts of Mission1
Authors: Ponsi Frank
Published: March 2013

It is a little late to speak of merely polarized or dichotomous views of mission, Fr. Ponsi identifies at least 5 current approaches to conceptualizing the Church's missionary task. He objectively describes these diverse models in terms of the socio-cultural experience of the proponents, their biblical emphases and theological assumptions, their goals, and their resultant strategies. He thus lays a helpful base for continuing the current debate with, hopefully, less heat and more light.
The Viable Missionary: Learner, Trader, Story Teller
Authors: Larson Donald N.
Published: March 2013

What's a nice pragmatic article for mission administrators and candidates doing in an academic journal like this? The should-be-obvious answer: the discipline of missiology is not complete without the applied dimensions of mission methodology and strategy. Furthermore, anthropology Professor Larson makes some subtle-but-telling points in applied theology before he draws his conclusions. In the end, he speaks to all missionaries. If your first 2 or 3 terms were frustrating, perhaps you'll find here a “Eureka” for a fresh start.
Missions and Anthropology: A Love/Hate Relationship
Authors: Hiebert Paul G.
Published: March 2013

This insightful article traces the history of anthropology through its earlier stages, and describes the ambivalent attitudes many missionaries developed toward this brash, emerging discipline. It then turns to the current scene and shows how the fundamental revolution in western thought — which Professor Hiebert describes as a paradigm shift in epistomology — drastically affected the social sciences. Christians in general, and missiologists in particular, should welcome this shift, despite the tensions it generates, for we are thereby brought “closer to the biblical perspective of the limits of human knowledge and of the importance of faith.”
Theological Education by Extension: Service or Subversion?
Authors: Kinsler F. Ross
Published: March 2013

How is TEE faring in the land of its birth? This 15-year position report reveals the kind of statistical “success” one would expect. But despite this success — even because of it —this innovative approach has encountered significant opposition. This should come as no surprise to us, Professor Kinsler maintains. For the extension concept is not a mere add-on to traditional leadership training. Rather, it calls into question the validity of existing institutions and the concept of ministry that they imply. By separating the ongoing function from the traditional form, we are forced to take a new look at the nature of “the ministry” and how to train the people of God for it.
Liberation Theology in Latin America: Antecedents and Autochthony
Authors: Neely Alan
Published: March 2013

Liberation theology surfaced at Medellin in 1968. Professor Neely, whose eleven-year service in Colombia included that date, fully acknowledges the importance of the CELAM conference. However, he feels that the beginnings or antecedents of this movement can be traced to a number of sources both in Latin America and elsewhere. We're deeply indebted to the author for this careful, objective analysis which views the Latin American developments in terms of a broader historical perspective.
The Filipino Samaritan: A Parable of Responsible Cross-Cultural Behavior
Authors: Mayers Marvin K.
Published: March 2013

What's your responsibility quotient in the culture where you live and work? What's your “score” in translating biblical/ethical principles? Here's practical missiology in a very small package.
Reading Symbolic Systems: Key to Evangelization and a Challenge to Modern Mission
Authors: Flatt Donald C.
Published: March 2013

“What part does an understanding of the symbolic systems we know as ‘cultures' and ‘religions' have to play in evangelization?”
The Case Study of an Iranian Young Man and Modernizing Influences
Authors: Braswell George W.
Published: March 2013

This article written before the present change in government gives a timely study of the historical, cultural and religious forces affecting Iran today.
Bruno Gutmann of Kilimanjaro: Setting the Record Straight
Authors: Hassing Per
Published: March 2013

Professor Hassing challenges a distorted perspective on this missiologist whose ideas on nationalism were used by Nazi philosophers in justifying their views.
Music in the Early Evangelization of Mexico
Authors: Popp Linda
Published: March 2013

Librarian Popp brings to light historical data showing how music was used as an effective cross-cultural communicator by the early missionaries to “New Spain.”
Missions and Cross-Cultural Conflict
Authors: Bates Gerald E.
Published: March 2013

Observing that conflict is a reality of human existence, Dr. Bates defines cross-cultural conflicts and suggests how they might be coped with especially in a mission setting.
Is Islamic Theistic Socialism a Barrier to Christian Missions?
Authors: Jennings George J.
Published: March 2013

In order to bridge Muslim-Christian differences, Professor Jennings proposes that a dialogue could be established by linking tenets of Islamic Theistic Socialism to corresponding passages of the New Testament. He makes specific proposals where mutual exploration could begin.
Acholi Birth Ceremonies and Infant Baptism: A Pastoral Paper
Authors: Glenday David K.
Published: March 2013

Today's flood of theoretical essays seeking to probe the significance and urgency of the contextualization process has generated a growing protest: “Yes, but how is this to be carried out in a specific culture? What clues and signals should we be looking for?” Hence, it is with real delight that we publish this case study. The fascinating record of Father Glenday's attempts to relate birth ceremonies to infant baptism is a significant contribution to what contextualization can really mean to a people in the particular dimension of their “rites of passage.”
The Concept of Limited Good and the Spread of the Gospel
Authors: Pike Eunice V.
Published: March 2013

Professor Pike shares the implications of the anthropological insight of the “Concept of Limited Good” held by some indigenous peoples and how these affect the role of evangelizer.
The Protestant Neglect of “Missionary Art”
Authors: Butler John F.
Published: March 2013

Professor Butler challenges Protestants to rectify their long-term neglect of art which he sees as a valid missiological instrument to communicate the gospel message across cultural barriers.
Jerusalem 1928: Its Message for Today
Authors: Cox James L.
Published: March 2013

This article is most timely. Following hard on our report in the January issue, of the ASM reflections on last year's conferences at Melbourne (CWME) and Pattaya (COWE), it suggests an alternative resolution to a problem that concerns us all — the polarization between Conciliar and non-Conciliar approaches to the mission of the Church. Cox suggests that we learn from history or — to follow the familiar line — we may be condemned to repeat it!
Don't Neglect Third World Suburbia!
Authors: Racine Carl
Published: March 2013

Middle-class North Americans may find an evangelistic opportunity they can easily identify with among the rapidly-growing middle-class in Latin America's huge cities. They may also find them open to the more participative forms of ministry which often accompany North American renewal movements.
Different Views of Sociocultural Change: Towards an Awareness of Our Own Socioanthropological Presuppositions in Mission and Church Growth Studies
Authors: Paredes Ruben “Tito”
Published: March 2013

How can the missiologist trained in North America evaluate accurately the ongoing needs of the Christian mission in Latin America? Will not faulty conclusions be reached if presuppositions are not consciously examined and only appropriate models of analysis used? Anthropologist Paredes alerts us to the complexities involved in this task.
Issues in Renewal in the Roman Catholic Church
Authors: Chittister Joan D.
Published: March 2013

In the 20th century one of the greatest gifts to the whole Christian church was Pope John XXIIII and his decision to call a council. The four years' deliberations of his bishops resulted in documents that have been pondered much these past 15 years. Increasingly we are understanding the implications that came from the windows this council opened to new vistas of truth. We are grateful to Dr. Chittister for sharing her insights into Vatican II as well as for pointing out the time bombs that were planted there.
Every Person a Shaman
Authors: Shaw R. Daniel
Published: March 2013

An anthropological look at the rituals of the Samo reveals many bridges that can be used to communicate the gospel within their own context. This case study uncovers valuable universal principles which can be applied in all cross-cultural situations.
A Transcultural Gospel?
Authors: Carmody Brendan
Published: March 2013

In this search for common factors in world religions, Brendan Carmody stresses the unique contributions of Christianity to world religions vis-à-vis the reality in African religious experience.
Centripetal Mission or Evangelization by Hospitality
Authors: Arias Mortimer
Published: March 2013

Bishop Arias points out that traditionally hospitality has been a well-used evangelistic tool for the church and suggests that it is a neglected topic in missiological circles, even though he recognizes that our Western context makes hospitality a Christian virtue that is sometimes uncomfortable to practice.
A Methodology in the Development of Indigenous Hymnody
Authors: Friesen Albert W. D.
Published: March 2013

In this helpful essay on the contextualization of music for the Christian church the author provides specific guidelines for even the non-musical missioner who wants to learn how to promote indigenous Christian music.
The Preservation of Mission Records
Authors: Shuster Robert
Published: March 2013

This paper has a bit of a commercial thrown in. Both Shuster's text and his commercial are important. And the ASM rejoices that it can have a part in encouraging one and all to reach for the possible and thereby make varied and important contributions to the cause!
Bible Studies
Authors: Padilla C. Rene
Published: March 2013

The highlight of this gathering were the Bible studies conducted by Rene Padilla, for they created the climate for the serious interpersonal reflection that was structured into the program when all the participants broke into small groups and reflected on the implications of Jesus' concern for the multitudes.
Emerging Agendas in World Mission
Authors: Chatfield Joan
Published: March 2013

Reconciliation as a sign of our witness must be a serious consideration, says Sister Joan Chatfield, in our emerging agendas of world mission. Only when we are reconciled to one another within the church will the world without Christ be able to comprehend our being part of one Body, one baptism and one Lord.
“You Will Be My Witnesses”: Aspects of Mission in the Acts of the Apostles
Authors: Gaventa Beverly Roberts
Published: March 2013

Concerned that mission scholars are not approaching Acts wholistically, Professor Gaventa here gives us a helpful literary study of mission as portrayed in Acts, shedding new light on familiar passages.
The Bible and Mission: A Response to Walter Brueggemann and Beverly Gaventa
Authors: Schreiter Robert J.
Published: March 2013

Here Professor Schreiter completes this interdisciplinary dialogue with a valuable and practical missiological response to these biblical scholars — to Brueggemann who used a social approach to reveal meanings in Scriptural texts and to Gaventa who used a literary approach — with his own semiotic approach which studies signs as bearers of meaning, probing the linguistic depths of a text, and stressing what the Bible can be for mission as well as in mission.
Missionary Women as Models in the Cross-Cultural Context
Authors: Hiebert Frances
Published: March 2013

Long neglected in missionary histories, women missionaries are the unsung heroes of the past century, and well may be the source of much of this century's missionary success stories, says Fran Hiebert in this provocative article. Instead of claiming to be the champions of women, Western mission agencies may need to repent and look for some ashcloth if they are not going to lose their credibility vis-à-vis the church in the Two-Thirds World.
A Critical Profile of Choan-Seng Song's Theology
Authors: Moore Michael S.
Published: March 2013

No serious student of mission can afford to ignore C. S. Song's work, says Pastor Michael S. Moore, who recognizes that theology no longer monopolized by Western voices. Here he delves into this provocative Asian theologian's thoughts — and the criticism they engender. Though Song's clear, strong voice is singing an old melody in a new key, his overarching concern is Asia's need for a biblical religion.
How “Christian” Are African Independent Churches?
Authors: Gilliland Dean S.
Published: March 2013

The article recognizes the impact that independent churches are having on the formation of Christianity on the African continent. Failure to recognize these churches arises from issues that are related to the historical missionary movement. A responsible theological evaluation of these churches must be done. Superficial acceptance is as intolerable as unfair condemnation. A grid for typing the wide-ranging movements is as follows: (1) Primary-evangelical Pentecostal, (2) Secondary-evangelical Pentecostal, (3) Revelational-indigenous, (4) Indigenous-eclectic. Classification of the churches into these groups utilizes African religious phenomena as well as normative Christian factors such as the role of Scripture, the place of Christ, and the sacraments.
Receptivity to an outside Religion: Light from Interaction between Sociology and Missiology
Authors: Montgomery Robert L.
Published: March 2013

Since missiology is a more comprehensive discipline than the social sciences, it is especially important for missiologists to mark transitions from one discipline to the other. As an example of the utility of the social sciences for missiology when the integrity of the former is maintained, a social scientific perspective, recently developed in Europe, is applied to the topic of receptivity to Christianity or to any religion or ideology introduced from outside a society. It is theorized that receptivity will be affected by the perception of the contribution the new religion or ideology makes to social identity. This perception, in turn, is affected by intergroup relations. Cases are considered and then implications for missiology discussed.
The Educational Needs of the Children of Expatriates
Authors: Hill Brian V.
Published: March 2013

As a preliminary to theorizing about meeting the needs of missionary children, a questionnaire was distributed to parents in over seventy missionary locations. Their responses exhibited a contradiction in their thought between the benefits they perceived the multicultural experience conferred on their children and the readiness with which they embraced quite different values when deciding on their children's further formal education. A more consistent rationale is developed in the second part of the study, arguing for four elements in a balanced education for such children. From these are derived a charter of specific curriculum expectations.
Participation and Common Witness: Creating a Future in Mission
Authors: Motte Mary
Published: March 2013

As we contemplate the future of world Christian mission, participation and common witness are significant issues. Their importance derives both from the experience which they create and from the larger questions they raise about the issues of ecclesiology and ecumenism.
Women and Evangelism in the Early Church
Authors: Liefeld Walter L.
Published: March 2013

From its earliest days Christianity has been characterized by active female involvement in ministry. In the New Testament period this activity is spoken of in the Gospels, the book of Acts, and throughout the Epistles. In the post-apostolic period, there are also references to female involvement in evangelistic ministry. These references, however, give only a glimpse of church activity as a whole, and it is difficult to determine the extent of female participation. Evangelism then was often conducted on a personal level; records of such activity are sparse. Yet there are stirring instances of women such as Vibia Perpetua and Quinta who publicly testified of their faith and suffered martyrdom as a result.
Rosario Rivera: Reaching Lima's Children
Authors: Maust John
Published: March 2013

Rosario Rivera, a former communist guerrilla, was converted after attending a meeting conducted by evangelist Luis Palau. Her life was transformed, and she redirected her concern for the poor and underprivileged from violent attacks on the political regime to loving outreach to children in a Christian context. She has refused to accept a salary or make appeals for funds, depending, rather, on her personal trust in God to supply what is needed. Her efforts have focused on giving breakfast and Bible lessons to Lima's impoverished children, and by 1986, more than 2,500 children were being reached through the program. Her ministry is not without controversy and problems, but Rivera serves as a role model for women throughout the world who would commit their lives to sacrificial ministry among the poor.
Forecasting the Future in World Mission: Some Future Faces of Missions
Authors: Barrett David B.
Published: March 2013

In this article, mission researcher David Barrett brings the work of futures research to bear on future planning for mission, raising important questions for how mission boards and agencies make their projections for the future. He also raises challenges for missiologists about how they approach the future.
Early Asian Christian Approaches to Non-Christian Cultures
Authors: Moffett Samuel Hugh
Published: March 2013

In this, his ASM Presidential Address, Samuel Moffett explores the models of missionary activity of the Nestorian Church, drawing out of it lessons for today—and for the future.
The Teaching of Missiology: Some Reflections on the Historical and Current Scene
Authors: Hogg William Richey
Published: March 2013

This article makes a representative survey of the study of mission in theological education. It relies in considerable measure on O. G. Myklebust's classic work, The Study of Missions in Theological Education (2 vols., 1955, 1957) in the first part, and centers, as did Myklebust, on five seminaries at mid-century: Southern Baptist, Yale, Union, Princeton, and Hartford. The second half examines, as of 1987, Princeton, Southwestern Baptist, Fuller's School of World Mission, Asbury's E. Stanley Jones School of World Mission and Evangelism, and the Overseas Ministries Study Center, and presents five brief reflective comments.
Theology, Kairos, and the Church in South Africa
Authors: Toit Brian M. Du
Published: March 2013

The theology of a people is in part a product of their history, but is also influenced by current living conditions. In South Africa two different theologies have emerged as whites developed a privileged-status position and blacks were forced into an inferior status. In time this dichotomy has been questioned and today, primarily in concert, interdenominational and interethnic groups seek a solution to the problems of race in religion. The Kairos document is one such an attempt.
Dreams and the Ordinary Muslim
Authors: Musk Bill
Published: March 2013

Reality is seen in very different ways by people from different cultural backgrounds. Ordinary Muslims live in a world in which transempirical “beings” and “powers” impinge on their everyday lives. In that process, the role of dreams is significant. This article examines ways in which dreams function among ordinary Muslims. A summary of the significance of dreams in the Bible is followed by an analysis of the roles that dreams have played in the processes of conversion for those coming to Christ from a Muslim background. Finally, some conclusions are drawn for contemporary witness among ordinary Muslims.
African Humanism in South Africa, 1850–1920: The Utopian, Traditionalist, and Colonialist Worlds of the Mission-Educated Elites
Authors: Kapenzi Geoffrey Z.
Published: March 2013

The purpose of this article is to analyze the origins, dimensions, and effects of African humanism—here defined as the ideological commitment to individualism, nonracialism, nonviolence, and universalism in the settler environment of South Africa from 1850 to 1920. The article explores the attitudes, goals, and actions of the mission-educated African preachers, teachers, lawyers, doctors, engineers, businessmen, and clerks, in relation to the Utopian world of missionaries, humanitarians, and the traditionalist work of the African masses among whom they lived and worked as well as the colonialist world of racism, exploitation, and oppression.
Designing Leadership Education
Authors: Elliston Edgar J.
Published: March 2013

Many leadership crises troubling both established and younger churches arise from inappropriate educational programs. Several basic curricular questions focus our attention on both leadership development needs and the design of leadership development curricula. Leadership theory, theology, anthropology, communication theory, curriculum theory, and development theory combine to help build perspectives for cross-cultural leadership development. Both the educational structures and processes as well as the content combine to shape the outcomes of educational programs. Curricula, then, which contextually balance the advantages of formal, nonformal, and informal education promise to be significantly more effective in terms of the purpose for theological education than traditional approaches.
The Ethiopian Orthodox Church: A Study in Indigenization
Authors: Shenk Calvin E.
Published: March 2013

The Ethiopian Orthodox Church is a fascinating study in indigenization. Its deep rootage in the lives of the people is evidenced by the way in which the Church has been preserved since the fourth century in spite of repeated threats from enemies within and outside of Ethiopia. The church has Christianized important aspects of Old Testament and Hebrew culture as well as certain remnants of primal religion. It adapted beliefs and symbols which reflected and reinforced African traditions, and either absorbed or transfigured that which suited its purposes. The Ethiopian Church is an indigenous church, not an indigenized one. The process of its indigenization is described and important lessons from this rather natural development are identified that help in understanding the importance of critical contextualization. The successes and failures of the Ethiopian Church provide perspective for contemporary attempts at contextualization. This study is significant for understanding African Christianity but also has missiological implications for the wider world.
Toward Contextualized Apologetics
Authors: Netland Harold
Published: March 2013

Apologetics is frequently rejected as irrelevant or even counterproductive in non-Western contexts. While it is true that apologetics, as it has been conducted in the past, is generally identified with Western theology, the author suggests that, properly construed, apologetics is unavoidable and that developing an informed and culturally sensitive apologetic is an indispensable task for the non-Western church. A crucial distinction is made between transcultural apologetics and culture-specific (contextualized) apologetics. The article concludes by suggesting in general terms the shape a contextualized apologetic for contemporary Japan might take.
The Holy Spirit and Mission in the New Testament
Authors: Ford J. Massyngbaerde
Published: March 2013

The work of the Holy Spirit in the missionary task is seen in the impulse given to sharing, to compassion and empathy, to reconciliation among many different groups, and to a hope which embraces economic, political, social and spiritual levels. Such a vision markedly contrasts with that of the early conquistadores who came to the New World in search of a Utopia and an earthly paradise.
Christianity and Ancestor Practices in Hong Kong: Toward a Contextual Strategy
Authors: Smith Henry N.
Published: March 2013

Christianity's response to ancestor worship remains a live issue throughout Asia, including Hong Kong, where residents sense a need for cultural continuity, where traditional rites have gradually been secularized, but where the church continues to depend on Western thought-forms and customs. A viable contextual strategy should simultaneously accommodate traditional forms and values, reinterpret them in the light of Christian theology and ethics, and innovate forms which are consistent with biblical faith, with the Chinese cultural heritage, and with emerging social values. By accommodating, reinterpreting, and innovating, the Chinese churches can express their cultural loyalty, maintain biblical integrity, and pursue the transformational goal of contextualization.
The Trinity: Paradigm for Mission in the Spirit
Authors: Zahniser A. H. Mathias
Published: March 2013

Looking at the Trinity as a model of how God carries out his mission in the world contributes to our own attempts to cooperate with God in mission. The convictions implied in the belief in God the Father provide a motivation for mission that can be strong and humble in a pluralistic world. The incarnation, as God's way of communicating, offers the model for mission across cultural boundaries. The Holy Spirit's persistent, pervasive, unobtrusive, but creative and sensitive working toward the values of God's reign represents the mode of a mission which discerns bridgeheads for the Spirit, exalts the person of Christ, and empowers individuals and communities of faith.
Bibliography of the Writings of Orlando E. Costas
Authors: Calienes Raúl Fernández
Published: March 2013

During his life, the Rev. Dr. Orlando E. Costas made significant contributions to the literature of missiology and theology. Though he was only 45 years old at the time of his death, he personally authored over 100 books and articles, and made over thirty contributions (e.g., chapters, articles, prologues) to the books of other people from around the world. His own interests were varied, but centered mostly on mission, evangelism, and Latin America. This bibliography is an attempt to collect and record his writings, all in one place. It is offered as a tribute to his life and ministry.

Wherever possible, searching aids have been included. Examples are the Library of Congress cataloguing numbers (for most of the books) and the Reigner Recording Library Catalog numbers (for the sound recordings at the Union Theological Seminary, Richmond, Virginia).
Can the Story Be Told without Them? The Role of Women in the Student Volunteer Movement
Authors: Russell Thomas
Published: March 2013

Too much of the history of missions has been written about the men who went to the field. Studies of Victorian missions have followed this course. While women played a pivotal role in the Protestant missionary enterprise of the late nineteenth century, their story has often been neglected. This essay analyzes the role of women in the Student Volunteer Movement and challenges historians and missiologists alike to reexamine the SVM saga in light of the contributions of women.
Missiology Faces the Lion
Authors: McGavran Donald A.
Published: March 2013

This article discusses how the understanding of mission which originally emphasized evangelism has changed through time to incorporate many other activities of a humanitarian nature. The argument is that this focus on improving human existence is the “lion” that threatens to devour mission by deflecting attention away from discipling the whole of humanity. Four responses, representing divergent points of view, are included. These are followed by a rejoinder from the author.
Globalization and the Teaching of Mission
Authors: Thomas Norman E.
Published: March 2013

The Association of Theological Schools in North America has adopted “globalization” as the major program emphasis for the 1990s. This is an analysis of the new opportunities which result for missiology and the missiologist within North American theological seminaries. Missiology can move from the periphery to the integrative core of the theological curriculum, relating globalization to the central task of the church and its ministry to be in mission.
Maintaining Quality Control in Christian Missions
Authors: Tollefson Kenneth
Published: March 2013

Quality control is important in the church and in industry. Two methods for maintaining quality control in the church are membership criteria and external persecution. Traditional societies, Hellenistic Judaism, and the post-apostolic church exercised quality control through the monitoring of minimum standards maintained during the transition phase in rites of passage. Candidates during the transition phase lose their former status and so seek new identities and acquire new skills to qualify for new statuses. Few other occasions in life provide a more significant pedagogical opportunity for promoting personal development and spiritual growth. It is the universal method par excellence for maintaining quality control in societies.
Ritual Process and Christian Discipling: Contextualizing a Buddhist Rite of Passage
Authors: Zahniser A. H. Mathias
Published: March 2013

The study of ritual process has shown that the liminal phase of a typical rite of passage suspends social structures and provides an anti-structure or sense of community in which formation is facilitated or effected. One such rite accompanying the passage from childhood to adulthood effects this “bonding to meaning” in a particularly striking way. As such it represents a ritual structure particularly useful for the discipling of new or immature believers, particularly, though not exclusively, those from traditional religious backgrounds. The Buddhist Shin Byu ceremony in which Burmese children are formed into adult Buddhists by following the Buddha's own transition from wealth to enlightenment provides a test case for critical contextualization. Can a similarly structured rite of passage for Christian discipling be modeled after some inaugural events in the life of Jesus?
When Culture Leaves Contextualized Christianity behind
Authors: Connor John H.
Published: March 2013

Contextualized Christianity is culturally specific. If the process is consistent with objective truth and subjective reality, it leads not only to stability, but also to fixed position. Cultures are dynamic entities going through constant and, in this age of global mass media, rapid change. The contextualized church faces the danger of being left out of context unless it can impartially understand the forces of change in its own cultural setting and constantly decontextualize and recontextualize in new culture as it develops.
Seeing Mission through Images
Authors: Bevans Stephen
Published: March 2013

We do not so much see images as see through images, writes theologian John Shea. Taking this insight, this article explores eight images of the missionary and through them comes to an understanding of mission itself. Images explored are those of (1) treasure hunter, (2) teacher, (3) prophet, (4) guest, (5) stranger, (6) partner, (7) migrant worker, and (8) ghost.

Mission is understood not as a mere communication of a content, but as an invitation to search for what is already hidden in a culture. It has the courage to preach God's good, though sometimes challenging, news in season and out of season. It works through the gratefulness of a guest, the challenge of the stranger, the encouragement of the equal partner. It is concerned not with rights and prestige and recognition, but with the good of human beings. Ultimately, mission prolongs God's incarnation by continuing to make visible God's consoling and transforming love.
The House Church: A Missiological Model
Authors: Birkey Del
Published: March 2013

This article focuses on the house churches of the New Testament and their unique socio-physical structure. Since all the churches of the New Testament were communities small enough to meet in somebody's private home, certain theological and sociological ramifications arise out of this stark reality. From this data we can observe a “missionary model” which has relevancy for contemporary mission and church planting. Examples of effective church decentralization in the Two Thirds World further support this thesis.
Evaluating Religions
Authors: Turner Paul R.
Published: March 2013

Missionary efforts to convert a group of people from one religion to another may be impossible to justify to most people when the emphasis is on changing different religious beliefs. But if the emphasis is shifted to behavioral changes resulting from conversion, then these changes can be evaluated in terms of eight universal value categories. To the extent that there are increases in each one of these value categories due to conversion, the new religion can be justified as a better religion for the group of people in focus than its old religion.
A Universal Theology of Religion?
Authors: Pickard William M.
Published: March 2013

The fact of a plurality of religions implies for many Christian theologians that we must develop a “universal theology of religion” based on relativism. This article rejects relativism and questions whether there can be a universal “theology” when beliefs and values of some religions are actually non-theistic. Religions as parts of culture are indeed relative to one another. However, this article maintains that absolutes are essential in all of life and that holding to religious absolutes does not imply superiority attitudes so long as we are open to recognize and respect contradictory absolutes we disagree with, and to dialogue with those who hold to these opposing absolutes.
How Anthropologists Raise Children Overseas: What Missionary Parents Can Learn
Authors: Adeney Miriam
Published: March 2013

Like missionaries, anthropologists who take their children overseas face a number of challenges. Joan Cassell's Children in the Field (1987) presents essays by nearly a dozen such anthropologists. Schooling; health care; local babysitters with different childrearing customs; siblings who adapt differently; the birth of a child; the death of a child; children as bridges; children as impediments—all are explored, along with many useful logistical strategies. A particularly intriguing finding is that several children criticize their parents for too much cultural adaptation. Might missionary children raise the same cry? How could parents respond?
Developing a Commitment to Social Justice Issues in Evangelical Missionary Children: The Role of the Culture, the Home, and the Missionary School
Authors: Sharp Larry W.
Published: March 2013

A sample of 533 adult children of missionaries was studied in an effort to determine just how these Christians developed a commitment to issues of social justice. Several correlates were examined, and the research reveals the important role of the local culture and the Christian home, but exposes the MK school for its detracting role in social justice issues. Implications exist for missionaries, mission executives, and anyone concerned with the process of developing concern for the disadvantaged of this world.
The Newbigin Gauntlet: Developing a Domestic Missiology for North America
Authors: Hunsberger George R.
Published: March 2013

The contextual missiology of the North American churches is poorly formed, at best. At the heart of the recent work of Lesslie Newbigin, there lies a challenge to develop a domestic missiology marked by the theological depth he has habitually brought to bear on missiological issues. To do so will require that we acknowledge the fundamentally new social circumstances in which the churches of North America now live, and pursue the answer to three questions in light of those circumstances: How must we grasp our identity? How must we seek the “common good”? And how must we tell the gospel?
Why Resident Aliens Struck a Chord
Authors: Hauerwas Stanley , Willimon Will
Published: March 2013

If our book, Resident Aliens, has struck a chord, it is because it is part of a symphony. More than needing “great theologians” the church needs the renewal of intelligible theological discourse for “anyone,” the kind of discourse a community does. That comes as the church awakens from comfortable life as a civilizational religion and as Christians recover their status as “resident aliens.” The task is to disengage from the Constantinian habits that have led us to confuse America with God's salvation. Where the book strikes a chord, we hope it is the chord of challenge to leave behind past forms of unfaithfulness and live adventurously.
Reconciliation as a Missionary Task
Authors: Schreiter Robert J.
Published: March 2013

As dictatorships fall and governments are realigned, societies need to reorient themselves to a new civil order. Part of doing that is coming to terms with the past. One of the great resources that the Christian missionary has to offer is the biblical understanding of reconciliation. This article explores this teaching and looks toward its application in the missionary context.
Toward a New Paradigm in Spiritual Formation One Example: The Miskito Nation
Authors: Smutko Gregory
Published: March 2013

Instead of offering one of the traditional Christian spiritualities to the laity, a new paradigm outlined here attempts to empower them to analyze their reality and discern what type of spirituality the Spirit is calling them to in their culture and milieu. The article describes how this was done by a group of Miskito indigenous lay pastors in Nicaragua in December 1988, to help heal the wounds of war. It is an open-ended paradigm that is not limited to indigenous groups nor to postwar traumas. The process is eminently inculturated, strongly affirms the culture of the participants, and is instrumental in the evangelization of cultures.
Voices of Compassion
Authors: González Justo L.
Published: March 2013

The “voices of compassion” in the Spanish conquest were many. Rather than being isolated voices, they were part of a movement, and in many cases of a network. They had at least three characteristics in common: they were born out of direct experience with the suffering of the native inhabitants of these lands; they went beyond verbal protest to planning and organizing structural and political alternatives; and they developed a theological outlook which contrasts with what was dominant in Spain at the time, but which found support in Spain among those who had most direct contact with the missionary enterprise.
Anthropology of Knowledge and the Christian Dialogue with African Traditional Religions
Authors: Kirby Jon P.
Published: March 2013

Local theologies in Africa have taken their cue from the dialogue with African traditional religions (ATRs). But this important dialogue is new, and it has much to learn from one already long established—that between Islam and ATRs. In this article the author explores the way in which Islam has used divination and other traditional African religious institutions to transform the way in which traditional problems are perceived, interpreted, and solved, thus allowing a resultant cultural and religious transformation to proceed naturally from its own indigenous roots.
American Missionary Candidates—Out of these Worlds
Authors: Jennings George J.
Published: March 2013

American mission personnel directors, in evaluating candidates who seek appointment for cross-cultural work, find that typical missionary candidates are enculturated with American values that hamper those appointed for missionary service. Six scholars of American culture are cited to identify some of the adverse traits which become part of the candidates' mentality which may limit success in service.
African Traditional Healing Practices and the Christian Community
Authors: Berends Willem
Published: March 2013

The article draws attention to the continuing popularity of African traditional healing practices, and asks whether African churches and modern medical programs can continue simply to denounce or to ignore such practices. The need for a further appraisal becomes apparent when it is shown that the purposes of these healing practices fulfill certain functions not met by modern medicine. When a comparison shows that the healing practices recorded in the Old and New Testaments often have more in common with African traditional practices than with modern medicine, the question whether the African Christian community should re-evaluate the traditional healing practices becomes unavoidable.