bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cultural Intelligence
Authors: Stallter Tom
Published: March 2013

Out of the convergence of psychology and anthropology, for success in the international business community, has come the idea of cultural intelligence. What are the implications of this for missiology? Reflective intelligence refers to cognitive abilities for problem solving. When this cognitive aspect of intelligence crosses into the social and cultural domains of unraveling problems in intercultural settings with competence and relevance, it is called cultural intelligence. Sternberg's components of reflective intelligence are combined here with appropriate resources to give us a model of cultural intelligence for interaction and problem solving in the cross-cultural endeavor of missions. With training, missionaries can increase their aptitudes and hone their skills to employ this CQ in the challenging world of holistic mission.
Nothing to Gain from the Forest?
Authors: Watson A. J.
Published: March 2013

Ramon Llull (d. 1316) was admired by early nineteenth and twentieth-century protestant missionaries as an enlightened model for evangelical mission, noted for his attempts to convert Muslims to Christianity through non-polemical means. A close examination of Llull's Vita and Book of the Gentile, however, indicates strong Islamic monotheistic influences on his thought. This aspect of his work speaks to the complexity of his time, and calls into question the accuracy of his use by later missionaries. This article evaluates Llull's monotheism and Islamic thought in light of Niebuhr's radical monotheism and examines its implications for interfaith work.
Dwelling in the Daily Life of a Place
Authors: Maddock Sherry
Published: March 2013

In this time of unprecedented cultural change. Western Christians must be willing to take the long view of mission work, dwelling in the daily life of a place and engaging in the slow, faithful work of our Reconciling God. Living in community, we are enabled to grow in our relationships with God, with each other, and with the place around us. This relational growth occurs in simple, local ways, face to face, one relationship at a time.
A Vision for the Sending of the Church in North America
Authors: Dietterich Inagrace
Published: March 2013

As a community of people seeking to discern and participate in God's redemptive mission in the world, the missional church is shaped and directed by the liberating and transforming presence of the Holy Spirit. It is not simply that the Spirit supports the missional work of the church, but that the Spirit is the active missionary. Much more than a strategy or a program, mission is the fulfillment of a promise (Acts 1:8). Continuing the theological work begun by the book Missional Church, the church is viewed as the locus of mission: a sent people among whom the Spirit speaks and acts. Called and empowered by the Creator Spirit, the Eschatological Spirit, and the Koinonia of the Spirit, the church is God's mission to a broken and rebellious world.
The Importance of Liturgy in Ecclesial Mission Animation
Authors: Burrows William R.
Published: March 2013

This article argues the case that a return to ancient traditions of liturgical celebration of the paschal mystery holds the promise of overcoming subjectivism in the understanding of mission and the setting of missionary goals and priorities. In particular, the author works from the principle that such a celebration of the paschal mystery will retrieve the centrality of the gospel as promise revolving around the forgiveness of sin and mission as the church's task in making known God's promise to save the world.
Missional Voices down under
Authors: Effa Allan
Published: March 2013

Australian missiologists Alan Hirsch and Michael Frost have made significant contributions to a global discussion of the missional church movement. This paper summarizes the contextual assumptions and strategic directives proposed in two of their best-known publications and offers a critique from a Canadian perspective, pointing out differences in our contextual situations as well as concerns arising from biblical and theological reflection on some of the implications of their proposals. It concludes with a summary of valuable insights and application points for the development of a Canadian missiology.
Translation and the Visual Predicament of the “JESUS” Film in West Africa
Authors: Merz Johannes
Published: March 2013

How well does the “JESUS” film communicate cross-culturally? This article shows that much more is communicated through a film's cinematography than through its spoken message. Cultural differences can cause audiences to misunderstand a message, even if its words are translated into the local language. Localized films that take into account the visual culture of their target audiences are necessary for successful communication.
Discipling through the Eyes of Oral Learners
Authors: Moon W. Jay
Published: March 2013

More than any other single invention, writing has changed the way people think (Ong 1982:78). As a result, literate learners often misunderstand the thought patterns and preferences of oral learners. Missionaries who are literate learners may overlook some of the most effective discipling practices in oral cultures. By viewing a funeral through the eyes of oral people, this article describes learning preferences for oral learners in order to reveal discipling practices that are more likely to transform oral learners to include songs, dances, rituals, dramas, stories, proverbs, and holistic development.
Pedagogical Conversions: From Propositions to Story and Symbol
Authors: Steffen Tom
Published: March 2013

The Ifugao of the Philippines challenged my pedagogical preference for the use of propositions in evangelism. I soon realized that if a church-planting movement was ever going to result among this people group, some personal pedagogical conversions would be necessary. This article documents some of the discoveries along the way, two of which are the multiple and integrative roles that stories and symbols play.
Matters of the Heart: Orality, Story and Cultural Transformation—The Critical Role of Storytelling in Affecting Worldview
Authors: Evans A. Steven
Published: March 2013

Cultures are dynamic and are always in flux. What happens, however, when cultural changes are not good — when there is evidence of an eroding values system? Can a particular culture's worldview intentionally and substantially change? It is unarguable that one's worldview, culture, and values are entrenched and that to influence the alteration of these is difficult. However, affecting one's worldview, culture, and values to the point of change is not impossible. There are certain catalysts affecting cultural change that can be harnessed for the propagation of the gospel, with special attention given to the role of oral tradition and the impact it has on cultural transformation. What this article proposes is that worldviews, cultures, and values can indeed be changed, resulting in not only the transformation of an individual's life, but an entire culture as well. Storytelling in particular is a catalyst that can bring about substantial changes in worldview, culture, and values.
Coming to Terms with Orality: A Holistic Model
Authors: Madinger Charles
Published: March 2013

In missiological circles, “orality” promotes reaching oral learners, but it often gets isolated to methodologies, neglecting to consider the principles and disciplines that make those methods work. A holistic approach defines orality as a complex whereby oral learners receive, remember, and replicate news, information, and truths. Seven disciplines converge in that complex, which, as they are more fully incorporated, can proportionately increase the transformative power of a message: Culture (interpreting the message), Language (receiving of the message), Literacy (understanding the message), Social Networks (relating the message), Memory (retaining the message), The Arts (packaging the message), and Media (delivering the message).
An Outstanding Mission Work in Japan: A Case Study of the Yohan Tokyo Christ Church
Authors: Chung Jun Ki
Published: March 2013

It is a generally accepted view that the missionary enterprise in Japan is a very difficult task, if not an impossibility. This view, however, has been completely challenged by a church called the Yohan Tokyo Christ Church in Japan. Recently, this church has proven to be the most flourishing religious body among all the Christian institutions in Japan in both Protestant and Roman Catholic circles. How was the church birthed? How does the church run? Which methodologies does this church employ to evangelize the Japanese people? What real factors contributed to her growth? What other elements does this church need in order to foster continual development? The purpose of this article is to answer these questions in two ways: through careful analysis of primary sources concerning this church, and through direct observation of the church.
Long Distance Managerial Intervention in Overseas Conflicts: Helping Missionaries Reframe Conflict along Multiple Dimensions
Authors: Dunaetz David R.
Published: March 2013

Effective ways of conflict management must be found for missionaries when no trusted mediator in the region is available. Home office management or leaders in other regions can intervene through context rich media such as the telephone and video conferencing to provide help. Intervention through context poor media, such as email, is much less likely to succeed. Effective managerial intervention involving interaction with each party can lead to reframing the conflict into an opportunity to cooperate and find mutually beneficial solutions. The manager can present information, ask questions, and help the parties see that resolution is possible by addressing key issues such as the relative importance of the consequences, the potential win-win nature of the solution, each party's sense of victimization, and the certainty of continued interaction in the relationship.
Russian Salvation: From Jokes to Jesus
Authors: Levicheva Larisa
Published: March 2013

This article highlights the development of a contextual theology among Russian Evangelical Christians. The prevalence of jokes in Russian culture makes humor an easy entrée into constructing a Russian local theology. The author proposes a process through which humor can be used as a way to make the Bible more relevant and more effective to the Russian people.
Weapons of the Weak
Authors: Cruz Gemma Tulud
Published: March 2013

This essay explores the missiological significance of oppressed peoples' cultural forms of resistance. It begins with a brief exposition on the concept of the weapons of the weak, followed by a discussion of examples of these subtle resistance strategies, namely, stories, songs, and dance, as well as humor and laughter. I then offer for missionary theology and practice some theological reflections on the implications of these cultural forms of resistance, and end with a brief conclusion.
The Perceived Nature of God in Europe and in Africa
Authors: Harries Jim
Published: March 2013

Context-dependence of meaning resulting in serious loss of content of theological language between the West and Africa, leads to the conclusion that genuine African theology must occur using African languages. To verify this conclusion, this article considers the use of distinct labels for reference to God arising from different “cultures,” followed by a study of altered states of consciousness and their impact on theology, especially in Africa.
A Comparative Missiological Study of Sinhalese Buddhist and Sinhalese Christian Attitudes toward the Puberty Ritual
Authors: Kim Mantae
Published: March 2013

This study examines the attitudes of Sinhalese Buddhists and Sinhalese Christians toward the puberty ritual in Sri Lanka. The results of a statistical analysis reveal that Sinhalese Buddhists strongly affirm the meaningfulness of the ceremony at the cognitive, affective, and behavioral levels, while Sinhalese Christians are more inclined to disapprove and are also polarized on the issue. The study's qualitative analysis provides details on Sinhalese Buddhists' experience of the rite, along with Sinhalese Christians' rationale for opposing it and alternative ideas with respect to the practice. The study asserts that by seriously engaging cultural meanings, affirming participants' relationships with God and performing a missional witness, a culturally relevant Christian puberty practice can enhance the Christian faith so as to be more readily accepted among the Sinhalese people.
Hispanic Ministry Where Language is No Barrier
Authors: Rodriguez Daniel A.
Published: March 2013

This study explores how linguistic, cultural, and social-economic factors have re-shaped ministry paradigms and practices in several churches across the United States that traditionally targeted foreign-born, Spanish-dominant Latinos, hut now also successfully target U.S.-born, English-dominant Latinos. Special attention is given to the contextually-appropriate approaches to evangelism, preaching, and worship in these multi-lingual and multi-generational Hispanic churches. The study concludes by identifying strategic implications for church leaders committed to Hispanic ministry in the United States.
Billy Graham, American Evangelicals, and Sino-American Relations
Authors: Showalter Nathan D. , Tu Yichao
Published: March 2013

Billy Graham, the most influential American Evangelical leader of the twentieth century, played a unique role in Sino-American relations during the second half of that century. Although an outspoken critic of communism in the 1950s, two decades later Graham was promoting the opening of Sino-American relations and paving the way for renewed missionary work in China. His evolving attitude toward China and its impact on Sino-American relations provide a significant commentary on the changing perceptions and interactions between two world powers. This paper explores the role American evangelicals have played in the recent history of Sino-American relations, using Billy Graham as a case study.
“The Modernity of Witchcraft” and the Gospel in Africa
Authors: Stabell Timothy D.
Published: March 2013

“Witchcraft” continues to be a topic that stirs passions and fears in many places around the world. The task of developing an effective, biblical, and contextually appropriate pastoral theology for addressing the issues raised is therefore an urgent one. The present article seeks to contribute to a better understanding of the social context of witchcraft discourse in African settings by examining recent anthropological research into the ambiguities of witchcraft discourse, and into the impact of globalization on these belief systems.
Colorful Initiatives
Authors: Adeney Miriam
Published: March 2013

While North America's ethnic churches have been documented in many publications, ethnic mission has received little attention. This vibrant phenomenon deserves attention. Three conceptual constructs that will frame the discussion are liminality, cultural identity, and power. Several case studies will illustrate the theme.
Diaspora
Authors: George Sam
Published: March 2013

With the recent demographic shift of Global Christianity's center of gravity, regions of the world who were once recipients of missionary work are now becoming a missionary sending force. Fresh deliberations are now needed that go beyond reaching out to immigrants in our backyards and caring for the refugees, important as those things are. The changing demographics of Christianity call for fresh reflection on the missionary task and our theological understanding of Christian Mission as from everywhere to everywhere. The roles that scattered communities play in the advancement of the Kingdom also need fresh missiological consideration.
Multiculturalism, Immigration and the North American Church
Authors: Howell Brian M.
Published: March 2013

Missiologists have recently debated the extent to which missions in North America should attend to the culture of newer immigrant groups in efforts to create culturally particular congregations. While congregations composed of a single linguistic or ethnic group may be appropriate in some cases, the idea of mission work based on ministry to distinct “people groups” represented among immigrants in North America ignores critical dynamics of power and change in these communities. Instead, missiologists should focus on preparing the wider North American church to minister to immigrant communities with radical hospitality, compassion, and justice, responding to cultural change and the social diversities present in most North American immigrant communities.
The Church and the Edinburgh Missionary Conference
Authors: Dawson David G.
Published: March 2013

The 1910 Edinburgh Missionary Conference's Commission VI (The Home Base of Missions) provides insights for the significance today of the local congregation in mission. In particular, the Edinburgh 1910 Commission VI report addresses such prominent matters as short-term mission phenomena and “missional church” conversations.
Comparative Leadership Development
Authors: Grant Beth
Published: March 2013

How self is defined in relation to others is a product of culture and has significant implications for evangelism, discipleship and spiritual transformation. By developing a greater understanding of the influence of individualism and collectivism on how people perceive the invitation of Jesus to discipleship and how new believers will expect the community of faith to function, missionaries can fulfill the Great Commission cross-culturally with increased wisdom and sensitivity. Contrasting traditional Western and Indian concepts of self are compared using research from cross-cultural psychology and anthropology. Both are explored in light of the transformed “Christ-self” which is the biblical goal for all believers, whatever their cultural context.
Missiological Imagination as a Pedagogical Tool
Authors: Hartley Benjamin L.
Published: March 2013

This article provides an example of how mission history may be utilized in imaginative ways to promote student reflection about missiology. The article first presents biographical portraits of three Christian leaders from Africa and Asia in the late eighteenth century with respect to three missiological themes (migration, empire, and theology of evangelism). The second section of the essay is a fictitious and imaginative conversation among these three historical characters and me, the author, where questions are posed concerning these same themes. The article concludes with pedagogical reflections on the use of a similar exercise with students.
The Rise of the Jilbabisasi in Indonesia
Authors: Jefferies Louise
Published: March 2013

This article reviews current literature in English about the nature of veiling in modern urban Indonesian society, particularly in Java, and presents key reasons behind the relatively recent rise in numbers of jilbabisasi, young Indonesian Muslim women who are choosing to veil. It argues that Christians need to be more strategic in the way they interact with jilbabisasi, presenting the gospel as an alternative, distinctive means of achieving the personal and social changes to which they aspire.
Proposals for a Missional Hermeneutic: Mapping a Conversation
Authors: Hunsberger George R.
Published: March 2013

Proposals for the development of what has come to be called a missional hermeneutic reflect a range of basic notions about what such a hermeneutic is and how it affects biblical interpretation. In a set of recent conversations among biblical scholars, missiologists, and scholars in other theological fields, four distinct emphases can be observed for defining a missional hermeneutic: the missio Dei as the unitive narrative theme of the Bible, the purpose of biblical writings to equip the church for its witness, the contextual and missional locatedness of the Christian community, and the dynamic of the gospel's engagement with human cultures. In their convergence, these streams of emphasis provide foundations for the continuing development of a robust missional hermeneutic.
Lesslie Newbigin's Missional Approach to the Modern Workplace
Authors: Kaemingk Matthew
Published: March 2013

In the vast collections of secondary literature related to Lesslie Newbigin's life, ministry, and thought, writers have reflected very little on his enduring passion for a missional approach to the modern secular workplace. This article examines the formative characters and experiences that shaped his groundbreaking thought on the theological nature of the laity's work. It focuses specifically on how his experience as a missionary in India equipped him with a unique contribution to the Western debate regarding workplace ministries. The article outlines the theological foundations of his approach and closes with an exploration of his radical ecclesial proposals for equipping the laity for Christ's work in modern vocations.
Revisiting the C1-C6 Spectrum in Muslim Contextualization
Authors: Williams Mark S.
Published: March 2013

For more than a decade, evangelicals have framed contextualization strategies for ministry to Muslims in terms of the so-called “C1-C6 Spectrum.” The devising of this Spectrum has helped to steer all subsequent discussion and discourse, even being utilized now by North American analysts who are wrestling with issues related to the “emerging church” phenomenon. The higher-end aspects of the Spectrum have created a stir with some evangelicals; they have also contributed to polarizing different Muslim-ministry practitioners. Perhaps these effects have less to do with direct strategy and methodology than they do with the assumptions and mechanics of the Spectrum itself. This article revisits those assumptions and suggests a change in the mechanics of C1-C6, especially regarding the tension between contextualization and traditionalism.
Agenda for a Discussion of African Initiatives in Christianity: The West African/Ghanaian Case
Authors: Omenyo Cephas N.
Published: March 2013

Contrary to the long-held erroneous thesis that Christianity was imposed on the African and that it would experience a demise after the exit of European colonizers and missionaries, Christianity is not only thriving in Africa, but Africa is fast becoming a major center of world Christianity. This paper attempts to show that the African is willing to accept the gospel because it resonates with the African worldview and that the African has willingly and consistently been part of the evangelizing team, eventually (or even sometimes initially, as we shall show) owning it and propagating it with his/her own resources. This paper tries also to map out various dimensions of African initiatives which the student of African Christianity could explore.
Indigenous Church Planting in Post Christian Europe: A Case Study of Belgian Pioneers
Authors: Godwin Colin
Published: March 2013

Based on the findings of 22 in-depth interviews, Colin Godwin describes the missiological conceptions of church planters working in francophone Belgium. The interviewees, pioneers of church planting in francophone Belgium, have worked with a variety of Protestant and Evangelical groups. In this article, Godwin paints a portrait of such indigenous church planters who succeed in planting churches in a context of slow growth, few resources, limited strategic planning, and general religious decline. The main challenges of their ministries are described. Godwin criticizes aspects of Anglo-Saxon church planting methodology as applied to the Belgian context and proposes three communities of support, which can both increase the perseverance of pioneer church planters and aid the contextualization of the Christian message in the new churches these pioneers have begun.
The Siberia-Manchuria Mission of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South (MECS) during the Years 1920–1930 — with Particular Interest in the Contributions of Methodism in Korea
Authors: Kimbrough S. T.
Published: March 2013

The Siberia-Manchuria Mission of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, 1920–1927, is an important story of mission growth under extremely adverse circumstances. There were two facets to the Mission, Korean-language work and Russian-language work. The Mission was centered in Russian Siberia and Chinese Manchuria, reaching as far east as the cities of Harbin and Tsitsihar. While there has been significant research regarding the Russian-language department of the Mission, little has been done in reference to the Korean-language department. This article is a first attempt to explore the reports of the Mission, to summarize the primary aspects of the work, and to evaluate the theology espoused, the lessons learned, and the contribution of Methodists in Korea.
Emerging Eucharist: “This is His Story, This is My Song”
Authors: Morgan Janine Paden
Published: March 2013

In a recent study on the practice of the Lord's Supper in three self-described emerging churches in the U.K., I found that the ritual was more effective at promoting spiritual depth in one community than in the others. In this community, the practice of the Eucharist effectively connected the divine narrative to the human one, allowing participants to experience the story beyond a mere cognitive acknowledgement of it. In this paper, I will report on those findings, while exploring the factors that allow rituals in worship to promote spiritual formation and enrich meaning making effectively. This paper on worship is relevant to missiological discussions, for worship and missions will always go hand in hand — the fulfillment of mission culminates when all the peoples of the world worship the living God.
Lessons from a Tentmaking Ascetic in the Egyptian Desert: The Case of Evagrius of Pontus
Authors: Smither Edward L.
Published: March 2013

In this article, an invitation is given to modern practitioners and thinkers on missionary tentmaking — especially those from the majority world — to reflect on the apparent tentmaking approach of the fourth-century monk Evagrius of Pontus (c. 345–399). Though not a missionary himself, Evagrius proved to be innovative in his approach to work, which sustained his primary spiritual calling — monasticism. After exploring the necessity and context for his manual labor, his theology of work and the relationship between physical and spiritual labor will be considered. Finally, some suggestions for applying Evagrius' tentmaking principles will be offered.
Rethinking the Relationship between Christianity and World Religions, and Exploring Its Implications for Doing Christian Mission in Asia
Authors: Tan Jonathan Y.
Published: March 2013

This essay explores the relationship between Christianity and other world religions, and considers its implications for doing Christian mission in Asia. It seeks to respond to the question of how Asian Christians are being challenged to formulate their understanding of the relationship between Christianity and other world religions. It also reflects upon the implications of this relationship for doing Christian mission in Asia in the midst of the resurgence and renewed vitality of indigenous religions in postcolonial Asia.
Mission Spirituality in Global Perspective
Authors: Karecki Madge
Published: March 2013

Today there is a growing interest in spirituality at both the popular and academic levels. Some missiologists have been suspicious of spirituality because of how it has been defined. This article looks at definitions of spirituality and how they interface with missiology in a way that is mutually enriching for both disciplines. Four regions of the world are examined to see what they might contribute to our understanding of mission spirituality. Emphasis is placed on the need for contemplative prayer to shape and sustain mission praxis.
Faith, Reason, and Christian Witness in a Pluralistic World: Interdisciplinary Reflections on the Epistemology of Religious Disagreement
Authors: Lee Michael Hakmin
Published: March 2013

How should Christians, who possess the awareness that seemingly benevolent and intelligent people hold different and even contrary religious convictions, respond to the epistemic dilemma of religious plurality? What might an epistemologically and missiologically justifiable response to the reality of religious diversity and disagreement look like? Are Christians under any obligation to resolve such epistemic conflicts? Five approaches (non-exclusivism, religious pluralism, epistemic permission, hard exclusivism, and soft exclusivism) that answer these questions differently will be evaluated both on the merits of philosophical plausibility and missiological viability.
Witchcraft, Envy, Development, and Christian Mission in Africa
Authors: Harries Jim
Published: March 2013

This article elaborates on the relationship between witchcraft and envy. It points out how much of tradition in parts of Africa is oriented to avoiding envy and suggests that countering the fear of envy is vital to community development on the continent. Tackling envy, being a theological task, points to the central role of mission that has too often allowed such vital objectives to be clouded by secular thinking.
When is Transformational Development Completed?
Authors: Shaw Richard William
Published: March 2013

The critical distinction between a transformational development project and a transformational development process is explored and clarified through a case study from a Muslim village in eastern Macedonia, begun in 1998 and continuing to the present. Using Bruce Bradshaw's six evaluative assumptions (creational harmony, divine corporate covenant, positive attitude toward Christian converts, decisions to become Christian, Christian contextualization at the cultural level, and community shalom) and metric, and Timothy Keller's hermeneutic of biblical justice tzadeqah and mishpat, Shaw substantiates the essential link between project and process, negating the notion of a stand-alone transformational development project.
Ten Talents: The Role of Church-Based Programs in the Microfinance Industry
Authors: Boucher Megan C.
Published: March 2013

This article provides the rationale for Christian microfinance as a development strategy that works with the inherent capabilities of the poor and their communities instead of facilitating unhealthy dependency. Microfinance programs are valuable additions to mission programs as they can strengthen local churches. The best way to achieve a program that combines financial services and spiritual development is for local churches to partner with microfinance institutions. This article explains what such partnerships can look like and argues that programs like this need to gain more support from church missions programs in order to succeed and thrive.
Toward a Spirituality of Accompaniment in Solidarity Partnerships
Authors: Lamberty Kim Marie
Published: March 2013

This article will examine the widespread and growing movement of solidarity partnerships as a primary way in which ordinary churchgoers practice global mission in today's church. It will describe the movement and attempt to view it from the eyes of the resource-poor partners in the developing world. It will look at the strengths, challenges, and failures of solidarity partnerships, and illustrate some of the best practices. It suggests that solidarity partnerships have enormous potential to contribute to “overcoming the divisions in our world” but all too frequently have amplified them. The article concludes with recommendations for a changed approach.
The Second African Synod and the Challenges of Reconciliation, Justice, and Peace in Africa's Social Context: A Missional Theological Praxis for Transformation—Part 2
Authors: Ilo Stan Chu
Published: March 2013

This essay continues the discussion (started in “Part 1” in the April 2012 issue) on the proposals of the Second African Synod for reconciliation, justice, and peace in Africa. In this second part, the theme of reconciliation is developed, while I propose a missional theological praxis of transformation in Africa through African Christianity. The paper argues that this requires the departure from a triumphalistic theology that glories simply in Christian expansion in Africa to a deeper concern on how to bring about the fruits of the eschatological harvest of God's kingdom in the challenging and changing social contexts of African societies. The article proposes how to mine the riches of the new Pentecost currently swiping through Africa by valorizing the agency of African Christians and cultural traditions to bring about a better and more hopeful Africa.
The Relationship between Christ and the Spirit in a Christian Theology of Religions
Authors: Van Den Toren Benno
Published: March 2013

This article explores the recent turn in the theology of religions, visible in diverse quarters, to pneumatology as a way to foster a greater openness to the work of God the Holy Spirit in non-Christian religions. It gives particular attention to the work of Jacques Dupuis (Roman Catholic), George Khodr (Orthodox) and Clark Pinnock (Evangelical Protestant). It argues that recognition of the work of the Holy Spirit allows for an exploration of a variegated activity of God outside the boundaries of the church that cannot be reduced to his presence as Creator or as non-incarnate Word. It, therefore, also allows for dialogue in which commitment to God's supreme revelation in Christ can be combined with an openness to learn from other religious traditions. It does at the same time point to the need to frame the attention for the wider work of the Spirit in the context of the one plan of salvation of the triune God such as not to separate the “two hands of God.” It argues that the work of the Spirit outside the boundaries of the church remains directed to the eschatological salvation inaugurated by Christ and, therefore, also to the church as the “first fruits” of the eschaton and as the community where this salvation is proclaimed and embraced.
Getting a “Handle” on Holistic Christian Mission: The Contribution of Isaiah 61 as a Discrete Old Testament Voice
Authors: Mason Steven D.
Published: March 2013

This study of Isaiah attempts to show that Isaiah 61 reflects a number of ideas indicative of a holistic view of salvation in the eschatological age—an age inaugurated by Jesus. The development of “righteousness” and the “servants of the Servant” themes serve to show that the individual of Isaiah 61 fulfills the high standard on both accounts. Moreover, the mission of the servant in Isaiah 61 is inherently holistic, as had been established early on in the book. This involves the covenant expectation to fulfill a range of righteous actions indicative of the good news of salvation. To argue that Isaiah 61 serves as a paradigm for Christian mission is, on one level, self-evident from Jesus' own reference to the text in Luke 4. However, this essay has a larger hermeneutical point. A Christian reading of Isaiah 61 in its own context complements what we learn from the New Testament's employment of the text. Isaiah 61 reveals a call placed upon all Christians, not just Jesus. This standard for mission is not only achievable by the Spirit of God (Isa 61:1) but is also to be emulated by all servants of the Servant as the progression of the book implies. As Christians pursue holistic, and distinctively Christian mission, the fundamental idea must be recalled—as servants of the Servant Jesus Christ, righteous action, in terms outlined in Isaiah 61 and its context, is a covenant obligation.
Mission and the Emerging Church: Pauline Reflections on a New Kind of Missiology
Authors: Mackenzie Ed
Published: March 2013

The emerging church movement is best seen as an ecclesiological and missiological response to postmodern culture. Three key themes illustrate the movement's attempt to contextualize the gospel in this setting: an embrace of mystery, a stress on journey, and a commitment to conversation. While these themes can claim some biblical and theological warrants, Paul's missiological approach in Galatians assumes a coherent gospel, a call to conversion, and a commitment to proclamation, a trio of themes that provide a necessary balance to approaches to mission in the emerging church.
Changing Our Prayer Behaviors through Short-Term Missions
Authors: Norton Bryce
Published: March 2013

This study from dissertation research explores how participating in a short-term mission trip may impact the prayer behaviors of the participants. By entering into another culture, short-term mission participants avoid many of the hindrances, such as the busyness of life and lack of exposure to other worldviews, that limit the growth of positive prayer behaviors at home. While the research results suggest that positive prayer behavior changes will occur even without intentional teaching on prayer, the implications and suggestions from the study provide ways that may encourage more positive prayer behavior changes on future mission trips.
Toward a Cross-Cultural Definition of Sin
Authors: Dye T. Wayne
Published: March 2013

Every culture has some standard of right and wrong. This is not fully discovered in a people's behavior, our author reminds us, but in their ideals. These ideals may, in essence, closely parallel the Decalogue; but this essence may be applied with widely varying emphases in the real life situations of different cultures. If the missionary, jealous for the essence of God's righteous demands, relies too heavily on the applications and emphases of his own culture, he may experience little conviction of sin in his hearers — and confused standards in the emerging church. Fully recognizing the dilemma this imposes on the cross-cultural witness, linguist-translator Dye finds hope and help in an ethnotheological approach to the problem.
The Religio-Ethical Concepts of the Chamars in Northern India
Authors: Fuchs Stephen
Published: March 2013

As missionary priest and anthropological researcher, Stephen Fuchs presents this case study in comparative religion from the missiological viewpoint. Ritual observances are seen in their wider sociological context. The resultant view of sin emerges not only as inadequate from a Christian perspective, but as a source of the continuing misery, spiritually and socially, of the subject people. Father Fuchs' colleagues can draw direct benefit, both motivational and strategic, from this study — a practical goal of all missiological research. At the same time, the value of such models for wider application puts all of us in the author's debt.
“Gold from Egypt”: The Contribution of Rhetoric to Cross-Cultural Communication
Authors: Hesselgrave David J.
Published: March 2013

Rhetoric, as a discipline involving the effective use of words to influence or persuade, shares important common ground with both evangelism and Christian apologetics. Just as Augustine found gold in the secular art of the classical rhetoricians and used it to popularize the sermonic form of Christian communication, Professor Hesselgrave shows how today's missionary can harness the “new rhetoric” to the task of communicating the Christian faith cross-culturally. Missiology indeed!
The Missionary Society as an Apostolic Team
Authors: Murphy Edward F.
Published: March 2013

Some churchmen view missionary societies as a historical contingency of the nineteenth century. Others see them as Protestant counterparts of the Catholic missionary orders — and both as successors of the missionary bands so prominently chronicled in the book of Acts. Mission executive Murphy and his colleagues, in their struggle for organizational self-understanding, have probed beyond the mere fact of those first century bands; they have also sought to identify their apostolic function and their relationship to the early congregations. Such an analysis of the apostolic team as a structural prototype can bring a theological dimension to the needed reevaluation that mission agencies face today.
Cross-Cultural Models for Muslim Evangelism
Authors: McCurry Don M.
Published: March 2013

Missionary Professor McCurry wants to approach his Muslim friends with increasing sensitivity toward their Islamic culture, while still avoiding compromise of crucial theological issues. In his desire to be informed by Scripture, he has concentrated on biblical models particularly applicable to crossing the cultural boundary between Western Christianity and Islam. What he finds is that we not only are justified in taking a more cultural approach, but we certainly should do so if we are to avoid distorting our message. The author assumes the reader will make his own application of the biblical models cited; but he takes time to share the personal adjustments he plans for his own ministry upon his return to Pakistan.
The Missionary Approach to Islam: Christian or “Cultic”
Authors: Anderson John D.C.
Published: March 2013

Just as honest autobiography is the most penetrating form of personal history, so candid self-criticism hits targets that quite elude the detached or peripheral critic. This analysis by mission executive Anderson is at once empathetic and incisive — temperate but specific. Yet it is more than a historical analysis or confession. The author calls for a radical reappraisal of our approaches in terms of how Christian they really are. He also brings forward some positive proposals for consideration and debate.
Linguistic Hang-Ups in Communicating with Muslims
Authors: Khair-Ullah F.S.
Published: March 2013

Why have so many Christian missionaries to Muslims been reluctant to use the name Allah for God? Dr. Khair-Ullah traces this reluctance, along with other semantic tensions, to deeper East-West differences. Specifically, he documents a prejudice of the West against the East (in general, and Islam in particular), and a Western prejudice for words. This word bias tends to hold the receptor at a safe distance, confining communication to a “words-deep” level. Even in our penchant for definitions we seldom probe behind words to the deeper meanings that involve intention, tone and feeling in addition to sense. The author also argues persuasively for another essential ingredient in understanding Eastern thought forms: genuine respect for Eastern life styles.
Personal Encounters with Muslims and Their Faith
Authors: Kerr David
Published: March 2013

The BBC asked Professor Kerr to give a series of talks on his personal attitudes, as a Christian, toward Islam. These vignettes, selected from that series, are suggestive of ways that we can, by our involvement with Muslims, in their world or ours, appreciate and profit by the positive values of their faith. Far from diluting our own Christian faith, such contacts may serve to enhance it, as Dr. Kerr found. This kind of purposeful involvement may be a necessary first step toward achieving the higher level of respect that is a crucial prerequisite to effective Christian-Muslim encounter in our day.
The Qur'an: A Bridge to Christian Faith
Authors: Accad Fuad
Published: March 2013

Searching the Qur'an for “Christian arguments is not new. But too often it has led to fruitless polemics. Bible Society veteran (now a “re-cycled” second-career missionary pastor) Fuad Accad approaches the Qur'an and his Muslim brethren in quite a different spirit. His motive is to begin where they are. Furthermore, standing as he does somewhat closer to their thought patterns, he has looked specifically for passages that convey insights beyond traditional interpretations. In this, he finds allies among the ancient Muslim commentators. Primarily, he seeks and finds passages that point to Jesus as more than prophet and miracle-worker. But Accad's most unique contribution in this abridged paper is the door he opens by underscoring the concept of atonement in both the Qur'an and current Muslim practice. Is this the key redemptive analogy?
Contemporary Islam and its World Mission
Authors: Von Sicard S.
Published: March 2013

Like Christianity, Islam has a world mission. That mission includes evangelistic activity, but is by no means limited to it. In fact, the unity of Islam (religious, cultural, political, economic) is a much more dominant theme today. After two centuries of humiliating subservience to non-Muslims, the Islamic world experienced political emancipation after World War II and has made gradual but accelerating progress the past three decades toward recapturing its sense of unity — aided (and sometimes hindered) by the Palestine conflict, and by oil. In this paper, Professor Sicard traces the current Islamic Renaissance and underscores the new opportunities it affords Christians for vital communication with Muslims today.
Consolidating Christianity in Africa
Authors: Kalanda Paul
Published: March 2013

Ranging widely and perceptively over the problems facing the African churches today, Fr. Kalanda deals with the moratorium question, the need for increased lay participation, and the need to come to grips with the challenge of African traditional religion. In the latter instance, the author believes a dialogue is called for; yet he recognizes the tensions inherent in such a dialogue. A helpful appendix deals briefly with Islam in sub-Saharan Africa and the challenge it poses for Christianity.
Mission Churches, Independent Churches, and Felt Needs in Africa
Authors: Loewen Jacob A.
Published: March 2013

The African independent churches often have to stand against the traditional churches in order to emphasize what is African — but often at the expense of spiritual development. Is it possible to help the independent churches become more biblical while continuing to meet the basic needs of the African Christian? At the same time, can the churches that came to Africa deeply imbedded in Western culture extricate themselves from this cultural encumbrance and become churches that will produce true African Christians? Bible Society Consultant Jake Loewen believes that the answer to both questions is “yes”.
Cultural Concomitants of Higi Conversion: Early Period
Authors: Kraft Charles H.
Published: March 2013

In this case study, involving a widespread conversion of the Higi people to Christ, the very concentration on cultural factors silently highlights the underlying theological dimension of God's Spirit at work — both apart from and through conscious advocates, both insiders and outsiders. By his anthropologically-informed approach, Professor Kraft was able to work with these forces already at work, rather than against them.
Models of Communication in the New Testament
Authors: Jørgensen Knud
Published: March 2013

While insightfully and tellingly drawing communication models from biblical studies, the author has incidentally produced another kind of model for missiological writing. Although his primary purpose is to explore for us some New Testament approaches to the complex issue of communication, he has, in the end, warmed and challenged our hearts while informing and stretching our minds — not with a sermon, but with a first class piece of scientific journalism.
A Catholic Pioneer in Missiology
Authors: Alderson Calvin
Published: March 2013

In this first-of-a-series article about influential missiologists in history, Professor Alderson introduces us to a man much less well known than Lull, Ricci, Venn and Rufus Anderson. While Thomas of Jesus primarily compiled the best thought of those who preceded him, he also contributed creative insights of his own, some of which, the author feels, anticipate modern concepts that only fully surfaced at Vatican II. Thomas also spoke very directly to the practical problems of his time. Yet his work had abiding value and may have helped lay missiological foundations for the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith which was established in his lifetime.
Missionary Preparation: Confronting the Presuppositional Barrier
Authors: Larson Donald N.
Published: March 2013

Happily, most missionary preparation has moved well past a mere briefing regarding do's and dont's. Excellent training is now available in linguistic skills, psychological sensitivity and cultural awareness. But Professor Larson feels that future preparation must go deeper yet, dealing with feelings and firmly-rooted presuppositions. He also suggests that in turning to the Bible for help in this matter, we will find ourselves working at an additional depth level which he calls the pan-human level of human experience.