Scattered Thoughts on Theology and Ministry…
I recently read an article by Lesslie Newbigin titled, “The Enduring Validity of Cross-Cultural Mission.” It was originally presented as an address at the dedication of the new location of the “Overseas Ministries Study Center” on October 5, 1987. In this essay he discusses some of the sentiments that lie behind the center’s former useContinue reading “The Enduring Validity of Cross-Cultural Mission”
In an entry on “Missiology” in the Encyclopedia of Protestantism, Wilbert Shenk offers, what I take, to be a pretty broad definition of missiology. According to him it is the academic study of all dimensions of the Christian mission. He includes several aspects of what “all dimensions” actually refers to, including, “biblical and theological foundations,”Continue reading “Who do Missiologists Answer to?”
Today we wrap the comparison between the missiology of Samuel Escobar and Stephen Holmes by looking at their specific theologies of mission, then we conclude by comparing and contrasting them. ——————————————————————- Samuel Escobar Escobar begins his paper by noticing the incorrectly held assumption that Christianity is essentially a western religion.[1] Because Christianity is notContinue reading “Christological and Trinitarian Missiologies (pt. 2)”
Over the next few days I will be examining and comparing the missiology of Samuel Escobar and Stephen Holmes; at the end of the mini-series I hope it becomes evident that our cultural/social/traditional context affects how we do theology. ——————————————————————- Missiology is an interdisciplinary discipline, drawing from various fields like biblical studies, anthropology, linguistics, sociology,Continue reading “Christological and Trinitarian Missiologies (pt. 1)”
Today we conclude this series by comparing Samuel Escobar’s theology of mission and Jeremy Wynne’s interpretation of Moltmann’s theology of mission. ______________________________ Comparison The fundamental difference between Escobar’s and Wynne’s way of doing theology of mission is how they address the existential realities of human beings. Escobar stresses how social and political realities have affectedContinue reading “Contextual Theologies of Mission: Samuel Escobar and Jeremy Wynne Compared (Pt. 3)”
Today we continue this series exploring the similiarities and differences between Samuel Escobar’s theology of mission and Jeremy Wynne’s interpretation of Moltmann’s theology of mission. In this post we will take a quick look at Jeremy Wynne’s reading of Moltmann. ______________________________ Jeremy Wynee While Escobar constructs a theology of mission which takes into account socialContinue reading “Contextual Theologies of Mission: Samuel Escobar and Jeremy Wynne Compared (Pt. 2)”
When studying theology from around the world we come to see how much a theologian’s context affects his or her theology. This is partly due to the fact that different situations beg different questions and demand appropriate answers to those questions, but it is also partly due to the theological tradition in which that theologianContinue reading “Contextual Theologies of Mission: Samuel Escobar and Jeremy Wynne Compared (Pt. 1)”
Branson, Mark Lau and Martinez Juan F. Churches, Cultures, and Leadership. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2011. In this book Branson and Martinez offer a practical theology of congregations and ethnicities. They do this by studying churches, mission, and ethnicity from a contextual and theological point of view. They go on to look at various interculturalContinue reading “Missiology Book Review: Churches, Cultures, and Leadership”
Hanciles, Jehu. Beyond Christendom. Maryknoll: Orbis Books, 2008. In this book Hanciles looks at three different subjects: 1) globalization, 2) African migration, and 3) the transformation of the West by these immigrants. Hanciles’ main argument is that migration and mission are inextricably connected. He shows that migration and Christian expansion have always gone hand inContinue reading “Missiology Book Review: Beyond Christendom”
Over the last few days I have been posting some thoughts on an issue facing the future of the church, namely the explosion of urban populations. I started by taking a look at some of the issues brought about by the urban explosion. Today, in our final entry, we will wrap up the story thatContinue reading “Missiology: Urban Mission Part 9 – Retelling the Story: Looking to the Cross”
CWoznicki Think Out Loud 