bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Missiology in Contemporary Latin America: A Survey
Authors: Costas Orlando E.
Published: March 2013

Missiology is a relatively new discipline insofar as the Church in North America is concerned. Consequently, members of the ASM have a special and vital interest in knowing how Christians in other parts of the world are reflecting on the missionary task. Dr. Costas, who has been a widely-recognized, successful evangelist throughout Latin America, has recently moved to the center of the stage as a leading missiologist of that part of the world. Through this survey he not only introduces us to the manner in which the Latin American Church approaches its task and makes us aware of its growing creativity, but he also awakens in us a desire to know of other parts of the world and the missiological thought that has begun to emerge.
Concepts of Power in a Melanesian and Biblical Perspective
Authors: Ahrens Theodor
Published: March 2013

The word “pawa” in Melanesian Pidgin and its equivalents in local vernaculars present key concepts in traditional Melanesian cosmologies as well as in the ideology of adjustment movements and in Christian folk-religion. This study explores Melanesian and biblical perspectives of “pawa”. It was designed both to assist pastoral communication and to stimulate further theological discussion on an issue which is vital in a Melanesian context.
Spirits and Spiritual Direction: The Pastoral Counselling of the Possessed
Authors: Singleton Michael
Published: March 2013

In this case study, Fr. Singleton seeks to illustrate one way in which missionary and anthropological goals can merge into “a harmonious and helpful pastoral strategy.” And he does this in the much-neglected area of the spirit-orientated belief systems of traditional peoples, modified, as they inevitably are, by the forces of social and ideological change that surround them.
Conversion as a Dynamic Process in Christian Mission
Authors: Tippett Alan R.
Published: March 2013

In recent years, Dr. Tippett, the former editor of MISSIOLOGY, has been seeking to schematize the conversion process in non-western societies. His concern arose over the felt need to organize and interpret the extensive field data on this phenomenon he had observed and gathered over the years while serving as a missionary and anthropologist in the island world of the Pacific. This article reflects the progression of his thinking over the last decade. Those who are acquainted with his extensive writing in the field of “power encounter” and “people-movements” will appreciate this extensive description of the conversion experience which brings these two phenomena into clear and related focus.
The Missionary and the Holy Spirit
Authors: Martin Malcolm
Published: March 2013

Nothing is so important in effective missionary service as the dynamic, ongoing interplay between the field missionary and the indwelling Presence of the Holy Spirit in his heart and life. Father Martin, writing from a rich missionary experience in which he knew his life as “hid with Christ in God,” details the essentials of the spiritual formation of the missionary and those which should characterize the life of the mission community. He underscores the exciting possibilities for effective witness and outgoing service made possible by the wise use of Holy Scripture and the gifts of the Spirit.
Some Reflections on Possibilities for People Movements among Muslims
Authors: Wilder John W.
Published: March 2013

These reflections have arisen from the author's study of early Hebrew Christianity, on the one hand, and the contemporary Messianic Jewish Movement on the other. The result is no mere collection of miscellaneous thoughts, for missionary Wilder has probed his subject deeply, widely and comprehensively. He projects possible scenarios of what spontaneous Christward movements among Muslims might look like, helpfully alerting us to just how different they could be from what we might expect. He also suggests realistic ways to relate to such potential movements — a task calling for well above-average Christian maturity, openness and cultural sensitivity.
The Christian Mission to the Chinese People, as Viewed from the Development of the Chinese Church, 1949–1976
Authors: Chao Jonathan T'ien-En
Published: March 2013

With the death of Mao Tse-tung, China is entering a new era. And the Chinese Church is also moving into a new epoch. Such is the conviction of Professor Chao who here wrestles with the question: what do these mean missiologically? Originally presented last summer to the Lutheran World Federation's Consultation on “The Implications of the New China for Missions,” this paper, says the author, “is an attempt to provide a Chinese perspective on the Christian mission to the Chinese people today in the light of the historical developments of the Chinese Church inside and outside China since 1949.”
Henry Venn's Instructions to Missionaries
Authors: Shenk Wilbert R.
Published: March 2013

In the relatively brief history of Protestant missiology, no name is more respected than that of Henry Venn. As one of his successors in the leadership of the Church Missionary Society, Max Warren, observed, “On almost any reckoning, Venn was the outstanding European missionary leader, thinker and administrator of the nineteenth century.” Author Shenk goes to the primary record of Venn's missiological thought — the Letters of Instructions to missionary appointees — and provides us with a balanced summary of his reflections on some major themes. Viewed realistically in his Victorian context, Venn was clearly a man on the cutting edge. An Anglican of firm evangelical principles, his writings mirror an irenic mind and an ecumenical spirit as he sought to develop the praxis of the Church Missionary Society.
The American Indian Ethos: A Key for Christian Missions?
Authors: Jennings George J.
Published: March 2013

Please don't pass by this article just because your interest ranges far beyond our back yard. Sharing common real estate only sharpens the contrast between the value structures of middle-class Americans and American Indians; similar cleavages exist between the middle-American ethos and the ideals of most other peoples. Professor Jennings has given us, in his comparative summations of values, a further tool for understanding ourselves — the indispensable first step in communicating with others.
Communicating the Gospel in Terms of Felt Needs
Authors: Hile Pat
Published: March 2013

The missiologist is inevitably, and commendably, concerned with man's real needs — needs which he may not even be aware of; our author calls these supracultural or ultimate needs. But the missionary theologian may focus his communication of the Gospel too narrowly on the kerygma as the answer to these hardly-perceived needs; while the missionary sociologist may focus too theoretically on socio-ethical issues that have not yet entered the consciousness of the target people. Missionary-anthropologist Hile's thesis is that the Gospel only becomes the good news to a people as the kerygma is applied to the deeply felt needs of that particular people. In case study fashion, he illustrates the working out of this evangelistic principle among the Chiquimula-Quiché of Guatemala.
God and the Gods: Reviewing the Biblical Roots
Authors: De Ridder Richard R.
Published: March 2013

In many quarters today inter-religious dialogue is identified as “the esse” of Christian mission. This emphasis on dialogue is increasingly generating a euphoria that is buttressed by much extravagant language: the Gospel of Jesus Christ “need not be exclusive”; the “wider ecumenism” to which we are called only demands that the world's diverse peoples “share each other's spirituality” — they do not need to be “converted.” On and on. However, by this paper Professor De Ridder confronts us with the stark biblical witness to God — and also the gods — data that can easily be overlooked in the current debate.
The Limits of Indigenization in Theology
Authors: Taber Charles R.
Published: March 2013

How should the younger churches “do” theology? While Professor Taber maintains that they, not we, must answer this question, he sets forth some areas in which we have both over-indigenized and under-indigenized our theology in the West; then he expresses hope that the churches of the East and the South can not only avoid these pit-falls, but teach us in the process. He hopes, for example, that their efforts will be truly pastoral, preferring to speak to real needs within the community as they arise, rather than dealing technically or systematically with western time-encrusted categories. While concerned that the Gospel be conceptually understandable within each culture, he is equally concerned that the Gospel speak to each culture — including our own. He concludes with a delineation of 7 suggested “criteria” which he sees as universally normative for Christian theology.
The Achilles Heel of Anglican Mission: The Selwyn Legacy in New Zealand
Authors: Pinnington Judith E.
Published: March 2013

Historical case studies can be painful. The editorial question must be: does the pain bring forth usable insights? In this analysis, historian Pinnington looks beyond overt, oft-cited problems like “the land issue” and focuses on the unresolved root problems of isolation, individualism — and even rivalry — which wracked the missionary force, depriving them of desperately-needed mutual support, and blunting the cutting edge of their mission. “They were not enough a community in love … The Maoris had already too great a sense of their own community to be built into the Body of Christ by mere missionary committees.” For Western missions in the late 20th Century, relevant insights indeed!
Karnu: Witchdoctor or Prophet?
Authors: Christensen Thomas G.
Published: March 2013

If you've been intrigued by Haliburton's account of the Prophet Harris, you'll find yourself in Professor Christensen's debt for this careful analysis of another African John-the-Baptist-like figure. The author's approach is as instructive as the content: comparing the European written, “objective” historical data with the “inside” oral tradition of the Gbaya people — including the perspectives of the Gbaya Christian community.
Luther's Bible: A Dynamic Equivalence Translation and Germanizing Force
Authors: Kasdorf Hans
Published: March 2013

Cross-cultural communication is more than linguistics. But no effective transmission of the Gospel takes place across cultural boundaries apart from careful attention to the linguistic component. The same can be said for indigenization and contextualization. And these missiological insights were not born in the twentieth century. They were strongly operative in the Protestant Reformation, and especially in Luther's pen. Anabaptist Kasdorf writes admiringly of his forebears' antagonist who so effectively did for his German compatriots what Jerome had earlier done for the common people of Rome. His earthy methods for translating biblical concepts into the “coarse and crude” emerging German language of his time can be instructive to the translator even today.
“The Anonymous Christian and Christology”: A Response
Authors: Danker William J.
Published: March 2013

In our last issue (January) we published three papers delivered at the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Missiology, including “The Anonymous Christian and Christology” by Fr. Robert Schreiter. We had originally intended to publish this prepared response in the same issue, but space limitations and schedules frustrated our efforts. Readers unable to attend the meeting will find interesting these sincere words of appreciation and critical evaluation — along with comments on alternatives. Dr. Danker suggests that a law/promise paradigm is more useful (and biblical) than knowledge/praxis in dealing with the nature/grace dichotomy.
Towards True Mutuality: Exchanging the Same Commodities or Supplementing Each Others' Needs?
Authors: Bosch David J.
Published: March 2013

This paper, delivered to the Mid-Western Fellowship of Professors of Mission, concludes with a challenging focus on the task of preparing Western men and women for missionary service. Professor Bosch's concern is that we help them understand how much they, in turn, receive from those with whom they share their witness and service. But first, he helpfully identifies some root causes of the continuing tension in mission/church relationships. He also makes highly relevant suggestions for achieving true mutuality through our sharing with each other on the basis of our diverse strengths.
Cross-Cultural Communication and Ethics
Authors: Kelly David C.
Published: March 2013

Can behavior be judged apart from its cultural context? No, says Professor Kelly, but that does not foreclose moral judgments; in fact, to withhold judgment is to avoid responsibility. But if we focus only on the external act, we fail to see how it relates to the group and to the ethical system of the group — its assumptions and worldview. Conscious ethical reflection can not only help us in our cross-cultural communication, but in this process it can heighten and sharpen our moral sensitivities. Father Kelly also suggests some methodological tools to assist us in this reflection.
Gregorian Adaptation in the Augustinian Mission to England
Authors: McCulloch Robert
Published: March 2013

Do the letters of Gregory I to Augustine and his missionary party in England reveal the early missiological reflection of a Benedictine or the practical realism of papal responsibility? Both, says Father McCulloch, and the mix is neither inconsistent nor incompatible. While Gregory planned and Augustine acted within the context of political realities, their “adaptation” primarily involved flexible approaches to issues of life and order. The author shows that this cultural flexibility accorded the newly-converted English pagans was not duplicated in the Mediterranean world (e.g. Sicily and Sardinia) where the issue was pagan resurgence among nominal Christians.
Maranatha: Advent in the Muslim World
Authors: Von Sicard S.
Published: March 2013

The search continues for new or currently valid points of identification with Muslim faith that can serve as starting points for sharing our Christian witness. The eschatological dimension that Professor von Sicard discusses here may prove particularly relevant because it penetrates beyond the domain of the educated Muslim to the folk faith of the common people.
What is Evangelization?
Authors: Hendricks Barbara
Published: March 2013

How about “gospelization” as a synonym? This is just one idea Sister Hendricks wrestles with as she searches for a current, relevant understanding of evangelization — something more than a definition. She deals positively and decisively with evangelization in context, in holistic terms, in relation to theology of mission and in terms of understanding salvation. We must be the Gospel and do the Gospel (incarnation and diakonia). Yet evangelization is, at its core, “the communication of our faith experience.” Don't miss her concluding challenge to all those engaged in missionary outreach.
Christianity in the Punjab
Authors: Webster John C.B.
Published: March 2013

Writing as a social historian, Professor Webster assesses the state of the Christian community in the Indian Punjab — a community not just in the facile usage of American church renewal literature, but in terms of sociological realities. Designated a “Backward Class” by the Indian government, this community is not only marked by its low-caste origins, but it has been buffeted by the ramifications of democratization, Independence and the Partition. In his concluding section, the author discusses the need and prospect of this community to see the Gospel not only in terms of the Cross — a call to suffering — but also as the power of God to transform man and his world.
The Church in Mission and the Missionary Task
Authors: Martenson Robert R.
Published: March 2013

It is a truism that changes in word usage can involve more than semantics, and changes in structured relationships can involve more than efficiency. In recent years, both kinds of changes have tended to reflect differing perspectives on the missionary task of the Church. Reviewing all this from a Lutheran perspective, Dr. Martenson asks us to maintain the careful distinction between the task of inter-church relationships and the task of establishing new churches where none now exist. Only then, he feels, will all churches be truly free to participate in the latter endeavor — the specifically missionary task.
The Spiritual Dimensions of the Scientific World
Authors: Duchrow Ulrich
Published: March 2013

Scientists have rediscovered the spiritual dimension of reality making it possible once again for them to communicate with Christian supernaturalists. Duchrow examines the spiritual options of the Christian church in the face of this encounter with the materialistic world and posits that mission must become the go-between for these two worlds, incarnating the love of Christ and producing hope vis-à-vis the dilemma of the human condition.
The Spiritual Dimension of the World Order
Authors: Muller Robert
Published: March 2013

Nothing is more refreshing to the Christian than to learn of highly-placed leaders in the United Nations whose approach to the complexities of today's world is informed by the spiritual dimension of human existence. UN official Robert Muller speaks to the possibility for nations to resolve even their most acute differences through patient and respectful dialogic encounter.
Protestant Mission Societies: The American Experience
Authors: Winter Ralph D.
Published: March 2013

When outgoing ASM president Ralph D. Winter was asked to tailor his address to the special circumstances of a joint meeting between the ASM and a sister organization, the International Association of Mission Studies, he decided to present a large canvas interpreting the overall phenomenon of Protestant missions in American experience. The special focus of this address, now in the form of an article, is characteristic of a recurring emphasis in his writings: a comparison between Protestant and Catholic structural mechanisms of mission. His historical summary attempts to explain both how and why the number of overseas missionaries sent out by member denominations of the NCCCUSA is now less than 71/2% of the U.S. Protestant total.
The Problem of Christian Cross-Cultural Communication Illustrated: Research Notes on “The Finding of the Prophet Harris by M. Benoît. September 1926”
Authors: Shank David A.
Published: March 2013

Prophet William Wade Harris of the Ivory Coast has been described as “perhaps the most remarkable figure” of all African Christians of the last hundred years. This careful historiography of one of the greatest evangelists in the religious movements in Africa is drawn from David A. Shank's recently completed doctoral thesis.
Puebla: Hope of the Poor
Authors: Richard Pablo
Published: March 2013

One of the liberation theologians who was at Puebla as a consultant to certain bishops there, discusses the conference and analyzes three important documents that resulted from it.
Silent Women Will Never Be Heard
Authors: Isasi-Diaz Ada Maria
Published: March 2013

Many active Catholic women are not allowing the hierarchy to ignore the controversial question of the woman's role in the church today. Activist Ada Maŕia Isasi-Díaz was part of a group of women at Puebla and discusses the feminine presence there.
Gospel for the Poor?
Authors: Gort J.D.
Published: March 2013

In this essay Professor Gort questions whether the emphasis placed on the poor by many, such as the liberation theologians, has been excessive, distorting the message of the Gospel.
Interpreting Values Cross-Culturally “With Special Reference to Insulting People!”
Authors: Franklin Karl J.
Published: March 2013

This essay approaches communication from an unexpected quarter — insults. In the final analysis communicating the Gospel involves communicating the mighty acts of God in Christ within the context of values. Since insults are directly related to cultural values, they become important to those concerned with effective communication of the Gospel. Dr. Franklin explains how by identifying the various components of values they can be judged vis-à-vis supernatural values, aiding the communicator in knowing which values need “conversion”.
A Plea for Common Sense
Authors: Sontag Frederick
Published: March 2013

As a Fulbright Visiting Professor in Asia last year, Professor Sontag saw the growing sentiment for “indigenous” theology growing. Seeing the need for remembering the overview, he asks important questions of those who would contextualize theology.
Symbol and Myth in Melanesian Cultures
Authors: Flannery Wendy
Published: March 2013

Symbolic expressions must be understood as important pastoral concerns by cross-cultural evangelizers, says Sister Flannery, if we are to meaningfully communicate across sociocultural barriers.
Phenomenology as Mission Method
Authors: Gilliland Dean
Published: March 2013

All religions reveal the essence of truth held sacred by a people. It is important that missionaries respect and search for religious truths in a receptor culture rather than merely attempt to “convert”. Phenomenology opens a way to understand the “other faith”. Professor Gilliland asks that the Christian messenger be an intense observer as well as a faithful representative.
“Kolonial-Sehnsucht”: Reflections of a New Missionary
Authors: Vigen J.B.
Published: March 2013

The musings of a new recruit point to a perennial cross-cultural problem.
Missiology as Local Theology and Interreligious Encounter
Authors: Spae Joseph J.
Published: March 2013

Missiology, all hands agree, has fallen upon hard times. In Europe some missiological schools have closed for lack of interest and students. Yet, on both sides of the Atlantic, renewal movements are afoot. The awareness is gaining ground that missiology is a constitutive part of any theological curriculum. Professor Spae contends that “doing theology” basically implies the checking out of Christian data in the service of the new international and interreligious context in which we live. In illustration of this thesis he critically examines one recent teaching experience and draws from it widely applicable conclusions. This article is the extended text of an address delivered at the inauguration of the Institute on May 23, 1979.
Contextualized Baptism for Muslim Converts
Authors: Parshall Phil
Published: March 2013

With modern transportation and communication facilities the world of Islam seems ever more familiar. Yet the lack of sensitive understanding between the world's two largest religions is appalling. One focus of controversy relates to the rite of Christian baptism for Muslim converts. Phil Parshall, veteran missionary to Bangladesh, explores the dimensions of the issue and makes specific suggestions which could defuse the problem.
Who Do We Say That He Is? On the Uniqueness and Universality of Jesus Christ
Authors: Braaten Carl E.
Published: March 2013

Professor Braaten examines the two extreme positions on the uniqueness of Jesus Christ in history and feels that both the “left” and the “right” sectors need to examine their views.
American Catholic Missioners in China after World War II
Authors: Unsworth Virginia
Published: March 2013

Dr. Unsworth surveys the reconstruction of the Chinese church after World War II and discusses the difficulties presented to Catholic missioners by this land filled with turmoil, hunger and war.
Foundations of the Seventh-Day Adventist Message and Mission
Authors: Damsteegt P. Gerard
Published: March 2013

This abstract from Dr. Damsteegt's book of the same title studies the missiological picture of Adventism at its foundations.
The Student Volunteer Movement for Foreign Missions and Its Contribution to 20th Century Missions
Authors: Harder Ben
Published: March 2013

Tracing the history of the Student Volunteer Movement, Professor Harder sheds light on this forerunner of Christian student organization. Its significant impact on the worldwide mission of the church in its day has raised the hope that this type of movement may reoccur out of today's growing student interest in world mission.
Christianity in an African Lakeside Town
Authors: Groot Francis
Published: March 2013

The phenomenon of the myriad schisms which have produced thousands of new Christian churches in Africa is made understandable by this sketch of the microcosm of Kisumu. Dr. Groot describes how Christianity was implanted here by the missionary movement which accompanied colonialism. These churches especially met the needs of the new urban areas. When political freedom from colonial powers was established, it seemed only natural that independent church movements would proliferate. In fact these are the churches flourishing today.
The Limits of Comity: Presbyterian-Baptist Relations in the Philippines, 1900–1925
Authors: Clymer Kenton J.
Published: March 2013

This historical overview of the comity arrangements made in the Philippines brings us insights into the problems and benefits of missiological cooperation which are still valid today.
Language Learning Midwifery
Authors: Brewster E. Thomas , Brewster Elizabeth S.
Published: March 2013

Learning a second language need not be an agonizing, technology-oriented process, argue the Brewsters in this distillation of the current direction of their thought which makes analogies between natural childbirth and the art of language learning. They stress the benefits of the more natural processes for both these undertakings.
Our Approach to Bible Teaching in Church Building
Authors: Hitchen J. M.
Published: March 2013

The divine potential and absolute essentiality of the Scriptures in cross-cultural evangelization must not be ignored says Professor Hitchen who sees biblical studies as the key to vital congregational life, church growth and the missiological task.
All Things to All Persons — The Missionary as a Racist-Imperialist, 1860–1918
Authors: Bonk Jon
Published: March 2013

We need this helpful essay. In it Professor Bonk gently chides us for regarding 19th century missionaries with scholarly scorn because of their racist-imperialism overlarded with triumphalistic paternalism. Whereas we, as “modern” missiologists, think we are particularly sensitive to the demands of contextualizing the Christian mission, he calls us to apply this in reverse and interpret the labors of those devoted missionaries more charitably as we see them in their context.
Christianity and Culture Change among the Mizoram
Authors: Strom Donna
Published: March 2013

By tracing the impact of Christianity on this headhunting culture, Donna Strom again underlines the contributions made by the missiological community in helping these people not only adapt to the rigors of the modern world but also become a strong, capable indigenous church in the process.
Experiences with the Base Ecclesial Communities in Brazil
Authors: Libânio J. B.
Published: March 2013

One of the phenomena of this century has been the grass roots church movements which have burgeoned on several continents. Here Dr. Libânio gives a historical overview of how the Latin American Base Ecclesial Communities emerged in Brazil as well as an in-depth analysis of how they function.
Christianity as a Tribal Response to Change in Northeast India
Authors: Downs Frederick S.
Published: March 2013

Long accused of destroying the tribal cultures, missionaries are here defended by Professor Downs who sees Christianity offering the best option for tribal acculturation to modernization.
Reformulating the Mission of the Church
Authors: Reuteler James Thomas
Published: March 2013

It is time for the church to contextualize its mission in the world, says Professor Reuteler, who uses insights of political and liberation theology to suggest new emphases for the church. He takes the dialectic a step further to ask Third World theologians to question some of their own assumptions.
SVD Priorities: Facing Ministry and Evangelization Dilemmas
Authors: Burrows William R.
Published: March 2013

It is time to examine our priorities and question our traditional strategies to ascertain whether our missionary vision will remain effective in today's changing world, says Professor Burrows.
Cults, Cargo and Christianity: Samoan Responses to Western Religion
Authors: Holmes Lowell D.
Published: March 2013

By painting this historical overview of the coming of Christianity, sailor cults and cargo religion to Samoa, Professor Holmes helps put the Great Awakening of 1839 in proper Samoan context and also gives us the necessary tools for understanding Samoan Christianity today.
Toward a Trinitarian Theology of Mission
Authors: Connor John S.
Published: March 2013

Most of the recent contributions to the ongoing search for a theology of mission reflect a studied awareness of the relevance of the Trinity as an integrating center. However in their development towards humans as the object of God's redemptive concern, the issue of racial and cultural distinctives often are overlooked. In reaction, theologian Connor presses on to provide us with a refreshingly distinctive approach to this complex matter and relates it to the interior world of the Godhead.
Social Change without Violence
Authors: Guenther Titus F.
Published: March 2013

This essay relates a concrete historical case in which an economically advantaged group of people, by their own volition and without a bloody revolution, gave heed to and acted upon the frustrations of their disadvantaged neighbors. Consequently, it represents a challenge to those who maintain that significant social change can only be achieved by violent revolutionary struggle. But the author goes on to point out the broader missiological implications of the migrating Christian community model by which, paradoxically in this case, two tribes of hunters and gatherers were transformed by their own motivation into Christianized settlers.
I Found It: A Bibliographical Footnote
Authors: Covell Ralph R.
Published: March 2013

Because first-class missiologists keep abreast of the historical dimensions of the church's mission, they tend to make more sense than most when they evaluate “things as they are” today or guide us in reflecting on mission tomorrow. Dean Covell is one of these! His persistent investigations into 19th century mission history have already put us all in his debt. His biographical study of W. A. P. Martin (1827–1916), one of America's “pioneers for progress in China” (Eerdmans 1978), is a solid refutation to those who see only blunders and arrogance in American past missionary service in China. And Covell still keeps researching! A recent sabbatical took him to Britain. This article tells us what he found.
Some Relevant Anthropological Concepts for Effective Cross-Cultural Ministry
Authors: Whiteman Darrell L.
Published: March 2013

Many of our regular readers may find this article rather elementary. But our newer readers, especially those in field situations, will be grateful for this helpful summary of anthropological principles that can be applied to the missionary task. And the review — by a “behavioral science convert” — is good for us all. Furthermore, author Whiteman will be building on these basic principles with a further essay in our next (July) issue on the effective communication of the Gospel amid cultural diversity.
“Rich” and “Poor” Nations and the Christian Enterprise: Some Personal Comments
Authors: Fernando Ajith
Published: March 2013

As one of Sri Lanka's most successful youth ministry leaders, Ajith Fernando makes some observations about the necessary attitudes needed to establish true partnership in mission. From his long-term relationship with the international Christian community, he encourages us all to grapple with the disparities in wealth and how they affect the seriousness with which we listen to one another.
Stewardship in Younger Churches: Observations and Caveats from an African Perspective
Authors: Crawford John R.
Published: March 2013

In a world of growing scarcity and need, the issue of Christian stewardship increasingly surfaces as a global missiological concern. We would like to see this subject debated in the pages of our journal. Therefore, we are happy to present this review of some of the inherent problems, though admittedly from a Western perspective. We earnestly hope that our Asian, African and Latin American missiologists will share with us their insights as they view the broader stewardship questions in their own contexts.
Racism and Evangelical Missionaries: Some Examples and Questions
Authors: Hexham Irving
Published: March 2013

Tracing the rise and fall of racism among evangelical missionaries, Professor Hexham shows us that there are no categories that neatly fit the evidence and no answers to the questions that such a study provokes. However it is important for us with historical hindsight to ponder the racism of the 19th century in view of the fact that we still live with its effects.
State-Church Conflict in Taiwan: Its Historical Roots and Contemporary Manifestations
Authors: Sawatzky Sheldon
Published: March 2013

As oppressive systems increasingly confront Christians around the world, the problem of when the church is to be a prophetic voice and when it is to be a suffering servant is ever with us. Here Dr. Sawatzky traces some of the historical roots of the church-state conflict in Taiwan and suggests some issues that must be grappled with by all Christians living under authoritarian governments.
Paul, the Organizer
Authors: Cook Richard B.
Published: March 2013

Having ministered for several years among social activists and political organizers, Richard Cook brings an appreciation for Paul's organizing abilities to this essay on that famous first-century missiologist. He claims that by looking at Paul's actions we can learn how to translate his programs to the modern scene and thus be able to be his imitators, as Paul enjoined us.
Theological Education in Missionary Perspective
Authors: Bosch David J.
Published: March 2013

Concerned that missiology is being neglected as a theological discipline in academic circles, Professor Bosch here gives us a historical overview of missiology and proceeds to show how the missiological perspective is not only necessary but a vital complement to the other theological disciplines so that it deserves the full attention of Christian scholars.
The Flaw of the Excluded Middle
Authors: Hiebert Paul G.
Published: March 2013

Western world view has a blind spot that makes it difficult for many Western missionaries to understand, let alone answer, problems related to spirits, ancestors and astrology. Dr. Hiebert here brings us a reevaluation of these problems from a Biblical perspective which challenges some of the assumptions of Western theology and opens the door for a more holistic, relational and relevant theology of mission.
Using Indigenous Principles in Medical Missions
Authors: Hofman J. Samuel
Published: March 2013

This practical guide based on personal experience explains how simple medical centers, established in remote areas of the world, cannot only provide critically needed services but also be an effective evangelistic tool for the local church as it follows Christ's command to heal the sick.
The Kingdom: Preferential Option for the Poor
Authors: Hoesl Marcella
Published: March 2013

Ever since the Latin American bishops conference in Puebla, Mexico said that the church is called to have a “preferential option” for the poor, we have been grappling with what that means concretely for the Christian community. Here Dr. Hoesl shares important insights on this subject drawn from the experience of her religious community and her missionary service around the world.
Creating a New Missiology for the Church
Authors: Smith Simon E.
Published: March 2013

Our Book Review Editor, Simon E. Smith, here shares with us a report on an interesting missiological gathering held this last fall which promises to have important consequences on Catholic mission for the next several decades.
Our Muslim Neighbors: The Contribution of Samuel M. Zwemer to Christian Mission
Authors: Werff Lyle Vander
Published: March 2013

As Muslims move commercially into all corners of the world, communicating the gospel to these neighbors becomes a universal opportunity. In this timely and informative historical essay, Professor Vander Werff traces the pilgrimage and work of the important missionary model, Samuel Zwemer, whose compassion and love for Muslims motivated his entire ministry.
Mission History — A Manifesto
Authors: Jenkins Paul
Published: March 2013

To be truly contextualized, Mission History must survey not only the mission field but also the sending field, says Dr. Jenkins, who finds mission history written by missionaries to be one-sided and probably distorted. He calls for a renewed interest in writing the history of the church worldwide from an inclusive viewpoint — the evangelizers and the evangelized.
The Church and Violence in Central America
Authors: Kelly David C.
Published: March 2013

In this reflection on the violence of Central America which has taken the lives of many dedicated religious workers, Professor Kelly explores the deeper issues: How does the church formulate moral norms in such a context and what does Christian ethic require of us here?
Book Summary
Authors: Cook Guillermo
Published: March 2013

Since this important book remains beyond the purview of most of our readers, we are thankful to Guillermo Cook for making this summary available to us. Based on a Brazilian sociological study of the theology from the “underside”, to use Liberation Theology parlance, this book sheds light on the grass roots community phenomena insisting that the religiosity of the very poor should be understood in political terms and not only in cultural and religious terms as heretofore.
Christian Mission and the Peoples of Asia
Authors: Niles D. Preman
Published: March 2013

This paper presented at the IAMS conference deals with the important issue of the relationship of Christians to other religions, especially in Asia. Professor Niles posits that mission must be Christ-centered if it is to communicate the redemption story that all peoples are looking for — and this then will be a theology of the people.
The Bible and Mission: Some Interdisciplinary Implications for Teaching
Authors: Brueggemann Walter A.
Published: March 2013

Using five scriptural models, Professor Brueggemann begins a dialogue, carried forward in the next two articles, on the interdisciplinary implications of the Bible and mission, stressing for us sociological aspects of Scripture study which shed light on the current contextualization of mission. With fresh insight, he uses five scripture texts as missional models, opening for us a field of metaphors which sheds perception on social reality as well as social possibility.
Biblical Foundations for African Theology
Authors: Tienou Tite
Published: March 2013

The personal nature of God is important to the African context since traditionally many African religions have posited a Deus absconditus. Rather than a presentation of theology in abstract terms, Professor Tienou stresses the need for an evangelizing message which shows God present and interacting with his people in the world.
The Two-Thirds World Church and the Multinational Mission Agencies
Authors: Samuel Vinay , Sugden Chris
Published: March 2013

Concerned that many large missions are aping the tactics of transnational corporations to the detriment of spreading the gospel as Christ taught it, authors Samuel and Sugden here make a disturbing comparison that leaves all missiologists with serious questions that we must not ignore. In the church the power of decision making must be wrested from the wealthy and invested in the indigenous, even if that church is poor.
The Evolution of a Mission Policy: A Case Study
Authors: Arbuckle Gerald A.
Published: March 2013

Vatican 11 introduced into the Catholic Church major theological, administrative, and pastoral changes relating to its view of mission. Since the council, these changes have been further refined. This article is about how one missionary religious congregation, the Society of Mary (Marist Fathers), reacted to these changes. Prior to the council, the congregation accepted the Euro-centric superiority view of the church with unfortunate consequences for all concerned. Today the congregation has absorbed at least in theory the new changes. Internalization of the new mission emphases is slower. The case study illustrates inter alia the importance of leadership being fully aware of theological and anthropological insights for the development of a mission policy.
Anglican Evangelical Missiology 1922–1984
Authors: Yates Timothy
Published: March 2013

Stephen Neill and Max Warren were the two leading missiologists among Anglican evangelicals of their time. Certain emphases which they struck in their writings on such issues as conversion, the importance of history for Christian theology, and the distinctiveness of Christ show them, unlike many contemporary thinkers, to have been unafraid of the so-called “scandal of particularity.”
William Tyndale's Suggestions for a Protestant Missiology
Authors: Smeeton Donald Dean
Published: March 2013

Without challenging the commonly held conclusion that the reformers generally did not stress the importance of missions, this article outlines the missiology suggested in the writings of William Tyndale. His references to the Turks make it clear that he was aware of non-Christians and of the Christians' responsibility. In face of the Turks' threat, Tyndale opposed armed resistance and, instead, emphasized love as the essential Christian motive for evangelism. The recovery of the lost art of preaching coupled with holy living constituted a missionary necessity laid on all Christians, men and women. Tyndale's role—and thus his fame—as a translator can thus be understood as a natural corollary of the reformer's missiology.
From Wheaton to Lausanne: The Road to Modification of Contemporary Evangelical Mission Theology
Authors: Utuk Efiong S.
Published: March 2013

The evangelical movement projects itself as the locus classicus for “authentic evangelism” and as qualitatively different from its conciliar counterpart. Through an analysis of its first three worldwide conferences, Wheaton (1966), Berlin (1966), and Lausanne (1974), the paper argues that this projection is misleading and, that, like its conciliar counterpart, the evangelical missionary motivation has not remained a constant. Factors compelling the modification of its traditional positions are described. Emerging as “the new fact of our time” is, surprisingly, a consensus on many missiological questions. Unresolved questions with which both camps should preoccupy themselves, rather than engage in infighting, are identified.
Toward Developing an Adequate and Comprehensive Understanding of Evangelization
Authors: Persha Jerry
Published: March 2013

This article seeks to explore the evangelizing mission of the church within the contemporary world. It takes as one of its major theological sources, Paul VI's Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii Nuntiandi, and attempts to explore systematically the meaning, importance, and purpose of the ecclesial community for humanity. The perspective of this exploration is from the viewpoint of Jesus Christ as universal Savior.
Reason, Religion, and Decision-Making in Mission
Authors: Ramseyer Robert L.
Published: March 2013

A continuum in criteria for decision-making is proposed. Human culture pulls toward the “closed” end where decisions are dependent on precedent and tradition, on logic and consistency. The God of the Bible, a law unto himself is at the other “open” end. Jesus and the early Christians were near the open end where considerations about people are always more important than precedent, logic, and consistency when decisions are made. However, we, as human beings, are always being pulled by our culture toward the opposite end of the continuum. A model of incarnational decision-making is outlined, modeled on the example of Jesus in the Gospels, in which decisions are made by those who are fully involved in the situation rather than by those who are “disinterested” and “objective.” The implications of this for Christian mission today are probed.
The New Testament Language of Quantity and Growth in Relation to the Church
Authors: Taber Charles R.
Published: March 2013

In this presidential address given at the 1986 ASM annual meeting, the author seeks in a preliminary way to develop a more responsible view of church growth from a biblical perspective. Contending that some current understandings of church growth are probably illegitimate from a biblical standpoint. Taber examines the scriptural evidence in three areas: God's desire that all be saved, what the New Testament anticipates in terms of concrete results, and various metaphors for growth employed in the Bible. Six hypotheses illustrate the main conclusion: that numerical increase of believers is not the primary understanding of growth in the New Testament.
The Mission of Ministry
Authors: Costas Orlando E.
Published: March 2013

This article explores the missiological significance of the ordained ministry. It argues that ministry is a gift of the Spirit to the church in mission. Using the case of the Antiochene church and its missiological implications as a point of reference, it underscores the pneumatic-vocational nature of ministry and the concomitant requirement of a ministerial formation informed by the historical priorities of God's mission. Costas proposes three priorities for the agenda of the ordained ministry in the last quarter of the twentieth century: (1) to help the church address the challenge of those who have yet to hear the gospel and consider it an option for their lives, (2) to enable the church to respond to the cry of “the sinned-against,” and (3) to challenge the church to become an efficacious instrument and sign of human solidarity and Christian unity.
The Church and Indigenous Land Rights: Pitjantjatjara Land Rights in Australia
Authors: Edwards William H.
Published: March 2013

In this article the author, whose experience in cross-cultural communication as a missionary was used by a group of Australian Aboriginal people among whom he had worked to interpret their demand for title to their traditional land, outlines aspects of the traditional life of the Pitjantjatjara people and their conception of their relation to the land. Edwards traces the history of the dispossession of the land following European settlement, and the history of negotiations which led to the recognition of their title to the land under South Australian legislation. He comments on the role of the churches in these events and reflects on a Christian approach to indigenous land rights, noting that churches in other lands, in their mission work, are also involved with indigenous peoples in struggles to achieve just recognition to title for their land.
Nurses, Midwives, and Joans-of-All-Trades
Authors: Salamone Frank A.
Published: March 2013

The Dominican Sisters have been in Nigeria for over 30 years. While there, they have performed a wide variety of tasks: nursing, midwifery, catechetical instruction, and some jobs not found in any dictionary of professions. Their main job, however, has been to serve as models of modern women. The author asserts that they have been performing post-Vatican II work from pre-Vatican II days. Reasons for this fact are examined, and differences between male and female mission orientations are examined. Salamone's paper is the result of field work and oral histories taken from returned missionaries in Great Bend, Kansas, in July 1985.
The Nehemiah Model for Christian Missions
Authors: Tollefson Kenneth
Published: March 2013

The Nehemiah model for Christian missions provides a comprehensive approach to world evangelism based upon a holistic ministry to human needs. The model integrates the physical with the spiritual, the idealistic with the realistic, and the individual with the communal. The model confronts human hurts (felt needs) and advocates pragmatic solutions (real needs). The model places considerable demands upon the missionary, as an agent of change, to relate to the total situation: economic, social, political, and religious. It also places considerable demands upon the local people: to address local problems, to mobilize local resources, to seek local solutions, and to modify local customs.