Cultural sensitivity in Christian mission to resistant people: an historical perspective: the link between mission praxis and theological presupposition
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Date
2007-10
Authors
Coleman, Marc
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of the Free State
Abstract
A thesis of approximately 73,000 words that deals with subject of historical approaches to the
mission of the church. The title is indicative of the often-sensitive nature of theological
discussions concerning culture in missions. It is also indicative of the fact that missionaries
throughout the history of Christian mission have each had to decide how to be sensitive to the
culture of the evangelized.
The main thesis of this research is that in the history of Christian mission to resistant people
theology predisposes to a particular set of mission principles and methodologies. Stated
otherwise, there is a link between what one believes about the Bible and other Christian doctrines
and how one goes about the task of doing mission. I argue that history bears out this assertion and
that the link is more than as casual one.
In this study, I take a descriptive look at the factors leading up to, facilitating, and hampering a
variety of mission movements in Christian history. The progress of the study follows, in a general
way, the timeline of church history. The goal is to find possible trends and links between the
three Mission Praxis Paradigms (MPP) and theology. For that reason, a selection of prominent
mission movements in the history of the church is employed for study. I hypothesize that there
are a variety of theological variables that underpin mission methodology. These are weighed for
each mission movement in light of the MPP adopted by the missionaries. Questions about how
much one should include pagan or non-Christian elements in mission, what one believes about
eschatology, soteriology and the Bible are all examined.
This study demonstrates that the responses to these questions have manifested themselves in three
broad-based approaches which I call mission praxis paradigms (MPP). These MPP’s are practical
approaches to cross-cultural mission that encompass almost all mission endeavors (with a few
exceptions) since the beginning of the Christian Church. These three approaches; the
authoritative MPP, the inclusivist MPP, and the Neo-inclusivist MPP hold many ideologies in
common while concurrently holding many conflicting theological positions. This study
demonstrates that mission approach or methodology in its broadest sense throughout history has
been a function of theological orientation. It is not a critique of any one approach but rather
demonstrative of the tendencies to one’s approach or particular theological leanings
Among other things, the study reveals several trends in several keys areas of belief that may
useful indicators of one’s likely mission methodology. It ends with recommendations for more
detailed study of the finding that views of inspiration and place of the Bible in Christian mission
is the factor most likely to determine mission methodology.
Description
Keywords
Thesis (Ph.D. (Missiology))--University of the Free State, 2007, Christianity and other religions, Missions, Christianity and culture, Church history