Vol. 15, No.1 nternatlona• January 1991 etln• Taking Stock: Mission in the Last Decade of the Mi1lenniutn

he woodcutter is forever sharpening his ax; the church sessment of the achievement, present direction, and prospects of T is always reforming; and mission engages in unrelenting the Christian world mission. reassessment. The last decade of the millennium, which began Other stimulating features await your reading. May they all January 1, 1991, invites a retrospective evaluation of the Christian help us to sharpen the skills of mission no less than the woodsman world mission. sharpens his ax (Ecclesiastes 10:10). In this issue Lamin Sanneh offers a provocatively different reappraisal of the impact of Christian mission in Africa. Sanneh finds not only that the secular critics of mission in Africa over­ reached in their criticism but that the Christian world as well On Page failed to appreciate the indigenous dynamics that Christian mis­ sion mobilized and unleashed. Even the more astute monitors 2 The Yogi and the Commissar: Christian within the mission community, concerned about Western mis­ Missions and the African Response sionary paternalism, underestimated the power of the message Lamin Sanneh and its indigenously inscribed Word to propel African societies 12 The Christian Gospel and World Religions: along paths of their own choosing. "The most fruitful ques­ How Much Have American Evangelicals tion," Sanneh insists, "is what happened to missions on the Changed? ground in Africa, and how to distinguish that from the slogans, Ralph R. Covell rhetoric, and popular propaganda in the field and back home." 17 A Boon or a "Drag"? How North American On another front, Ralph Covell assesses developments among Evangelical Missionaries Experience Home North American evangelicals in regard to their stance on the Furloughs uniqueness of Christ. Without yielding on the New Testament Robert T. Coote manifesto--"Salvation is found in no one else" (Acts 4:12, NIV)-­ 23 Reader's Response Lausanne-oriented evangelicals, says Covell, in the last two dec­ 24 Annual Statistical Table on Global Mission: ades "have turned the corner" in regard to certain key atti­ 1991 tudes and styles of Gospel witness to people of other faiths. David B. Barrett David B. Barrett, in his annual statistical assessment of Chris­ 26 The Legacy of Robert P. Wilder tian mission, focuses on "World A," the 23 percent of the James A. Patterson globe that "is ignorant of Christianity, Christ, and. the Gospel." 28 Noteworthy Barrett asserts that "World A" is the touchstone of missional 33 Personality Disorders and the Selection Process relevance. Unless the Christian community "massively rede­ for Overseas Missionaries ploy[s] its resources into direct contact with World A," says Bar­ Esther Schubert, M.D. rett, "it will remain virtually irrelevant in the unfolding global 36 Book Reviews drama." Given that more than 90 percent of all Christian mission 39 Fifteen Outstanding Books of 1990 for Mission effort is directed at populations within the already Christianized Studies world or "evangelized" world (by Barrett's admittedly prob­ 46 Dissertation Notices lematical definition), what we have here is indeed a radical reas­ 48 Book Notes of Isslonory• • search The Yogi and the Commissar: Christian Missions and the African Response

Lamin Sanneh

n many people's minds Christian missions were respon­ of aggressive Western exploitation, thereby accelerating Africa's I sible for disrupting and destabilizing society in Africa. disinheritance. Through educated converts, J the argument goes, With malice and forethought, critics allege, missions obstructed the West came within striking range of societies stripped of indigenous authority and induced surrender to European colonial their ability to resist. Consequently, the missionary and the coloni­ control. alist were the yogi and the commissar who complemented each We have, consequently, inherited a large body of scholarly other: the one supplied pacified natives for the other's aggressive and popular works occupied with proving that mission and co­ strategy. lonialism were bedfellows, and that, although much might be Even apart from acknowledging the influence of writers who said in mitigation, missions were essentially the religious version advance such a view of missions, we have to admit missionaries of Western political and economic imperialism, offering Africans committed many sins of omission and commission, and that their a pious formula of otherworldly distraction while foreign con­ presence initiated wide-ranging changes in the societies affected. quest proceeded unchallenged. However, saying that leaves us still considerably short of the full This view of mission dies hard, in part because it is reinforced range of the impact of missions. by a complex chemistry of galvanized guilt and residual pater­ This article is concerned with the attempt to lay down some nalism, and in part because massive expansion in former mis­ general principles for a fresh interpretation of the materials. It sionary fields has boosted the fortunes of a begrudged religion. argues that to view missionaries as perennial historical villains is On one page, writers press the view of the damaging conse­ too one sided to be useful for any dynamic understanding of quences of Western interference in African societies, with mis­ change, and that to view Africans as a victimized projection of sionaries being among the most insidious influences. O~ another, Western ill will is to leave them with too little initiative to be writers harp on the idea of African converts as classic victims who arbiters of their destiny and meaningful players on the historical henceforth lost, their original capability. In any event, the spate stage. I attempt a three-part alternative exposition that builds on the nature and practice of missions as well as on the nature and The missionary was seen quality of the African impulse and response. Whatever the long­ term effects of Western contact, the missionary impact in Africa as the yogi who supplied was not entirely or permanently at the price of a reawakened pacified natives for the indigenous impulse. In the first part I raise briefly how the West's ambivalence toward missions has affected its image at home and colonialist commissar's abroad. In the second, I rehearse some of the negative criticisms aggressive strategy. against missions, and point out gaps in the material. In the third and final constructive part, I offer an alternative evaluation of the evidence. The paper is concerned chiefly with South Africa, with of atoning ink spilled in rehearsing the wrongs and injuries done comparative observations drawn from other parts of Africa. to Africans swamped any possible independent African response, allowing the West to continue as the authoritative outlet of what Mission and the Western Image was, or was not, good for Africa. Similarly, any suggestion that missionary contact, however intended, might have had a positive In much that is otherwise respectable scholarly literature, the impact is discounted outright because contact as such is judged subject of missions is given rather short shrift, often without the bad. relevant evidence. In any case, the subject ruffles the secular West This leaves us with a grim, cyclical picture of history in which by the upbeat confidence of missions that religion is worthy of missionary dominance of the field persists with the spread of its world allegiance. It is not that the secular West does not believe influence through continuing conversions. Such impressive evi­ that its own materialist worldview has a future beyond its borders dence of conversion could in fact be used to concede intrinsic but that it sees that worldview as the exclusive successor to the worth to the subject; on the contrary, writers have wrung from religious order, though somewhat removed from criticism for not it proof of external manipulation. it is a procedure that reduces having an explicit text. So in the name of secular commitment religion to a political project, saying, for instance, that the Su­ the West combats the church at home and missions abroad, in preme Being of missionary preaching is synonymous with the spite of the fact that in the latter case it intrudes on societies that worldview of imperialism, and that African converts were yoke­ it wishes to protect from outside interference. This might explain bearers for colonial subjugation. not just the inconsistency of rejecting missionary interference but It is thus alleged that the two representative institutions in­ also the frustration of Third World scholars who accept at face strumental in the colonial takeover of Africa were the school and value Western liberal defence of their societies, only to be stumped the church, twin engines that thrust the continent into the path by pre-established Western judgments on the matter. Hence the irony of the most liberal religious and academic institutions being also the slowest to include Third World persons in positions of Lamin Sanneh, a Contributing Editor, is Professor of Missions and World Chris­ responsibility, a situation that should make us pause about the tianity at Yale Divinity School, New Haven, Connecticut. world prospects of liberal secularism.

2 INTERNATIONAL BULLETIN OF MISSIONARYREsEARCH Instead of dismissing missions, secular liberal scholars might International Bulletin have something to learn from Third World responses, especially of Missionary Research where those responses include a stringent reworking of Western priorities to produce lessons for cross-cultural encounter. At the Established 1950 by R. Pierce Beaver as Occasional Bulletin from the Mis­ least it might indicate the course that secular liberalism is likely sionary Research Library. Named Occasional Bulletin of Missionary Research to run once it is taken out of its privileged Western context and 1977. Renamed INTERNATIONAL BULLETIN OF MISSIONARY RESEARCH 1981. allowed to have its terms fully contested. It might reveal huge tracts of unexplored assumptions in assertions that masquerade Published quarterly in January, April, July, and October by the as logical disputation, in habits of evasiveness contending as so­ phisticated irony, and in open-minded assurances of the relativ­ Overseas Ministries Study Center ism of everything that actually couch a new dogmatism. It is, of 490 Prospect Street, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, U.S.A. course, unsettling to have our basic ideas challenged by others, Telephone: (203) 624-6672 but secular liberalism might then acquire a deeper understanding Fax: (203) 865-2857 of Christian missions in their critical Third World transformation, Editor: Associate Editor: Assistant Editor: a transformation that spared neither the text of missionary preach­ Gerald H. Anderson James M. Phillips Robert T. Coote ing nor the motives of vocation. It is important to stress that even the exclusive zeal of mis­ Contributing Editors Catalino G. Arevalo, S.J. Lamin Sanneh sionaries brought them sooner to the stage of indigenous rec­ David B. Barrett Wilbert R. Shenk koning than was the case with those who temporized and sought Samuel Escobar Thomas F. Stransky, C.S.P. alternatives in social service, or else doubted and stayed home. Barbara Hendricks, M.M. Charles R. Taber Only an exceptional few emerged unscathed from field exposure, Norman A. Horner Ruth A. Tucker whatever the rhetoric to the contrary. Thus the most fruitful ques­ Mary Motte, F.M.M. Desmond Tutu tion is what happened to missions on the ground in Africa, and Lesslie Newbigin Anastasios Yannoulatos how to distinguish that from the slogans, rhetoric, and popular C. Rene Padilla Andrew F. Walls propaganda in the field and back home. Dana L. Robert Viewed in this way, missions constituted a formidable prob­ lem for colonial rule. On the most superficial level, missionary Books for review and correspondence regarding editorial matters should be addressed to the editors. Manuscripts unaccompanied by a self-addressed, motives and the colonial strategy coalesced naturally, encour­ stamped envelope (or international postal coupons) will not be returned. aging the optimistic view that the two forces were predestined also to be allies in practice. In fact, the identity of views between Subscriptions: $18 for one year, $33 for two years, and $49 for three years, the two concealed a profound disparity in their respective impact. postpaid worldwide. Airmail delivery is $16 per year extra. Foreign subscri­ Missionary motives, even where these were openly aired, failed bers should send payment by bank draft in U.S. funds on a U.S. bank or by to suppress the consequences of field research and application, international money order in U.S. funds. Individual copies are $6.00; bulk enabling Africans, in many cases for the first time, to employ rates upon request. Correspondence regarding subscriptions and address scriptural and other documentary sources to support claims for changes should be sent to: INTERNATIONAL BULLETIN OF MISSIONARY RESEARCH, indigenous autonomy. In time all this came to a head with schemes Circulation Department, P.O. Box 821, Farmingdale, New York 11737-0821, U.S.A. of self-reliance, and a corresponding delegitimization of foreign control, missionary or colonial. Advertising: The field setting thus had a decisive influence on local per­ Ruth E. Taylor ceptions of the West's religious and political impact, and is the 11 Graffam Road, South Portland, Maine 04106, U.S.A. crucible in which missionary motives and intentions (for long the Telephone: (207) 799-4387 preoccupation of students of the subject) were relativized or at any rate rendered secondary, more so in the light of field scrutiny Articles appearing in this journal are abstracted and indexed in: and missionary self-evaluation. We are only at the beginning of what missionary field labor and experience have done to reshape Bibliografia Missionaria Christian Periodical Index Western Christianity's image, but we can glimpse already the Guide to People in Periodical Literature outlines of the momentous changes afoot with the irruption of Guide to Social Science and Religion in Periodical Literature world Christianity. Missionalia In exploring this field dimension, we should examine two Religion and Theological Abstracts levels of missionary endeavor. In the first place, we should look Religion Index One: Periodicals at examples of interaction rather than just pronouncements by missionaries; second, we should explore how field categories Opinions expressed in the INTERNATIONAL BULLETIN are those of the complemented or displaced imported ones. authors and not necessarily of the Overseas Ministries Study Center. Such an approach does not deny the important connection between such themes as religion and politics, mission and colon­ Copyright © 1991 by Overseas Ministries Study Center. All rights reserved. ialism, salvation and economics, conversion and culture, foreign powers and indigenous agents, intentions and consequence, and Second-class postage paid at New Haven, Connecticut. solidarity and individualism. What it does is to recast most of POSTMASTER: Send address changes to INTERNATIONAL BULLETIN OF these in terms relevant to field criteria, expanding or varying the MISSIONARY RESEARCH, P.O. Box 821, Farmingdale, New York 11737-0821, use to which they are customarily put. One idea worth pursuing U.S.A. through all the questions is not so much how Christian missions changed Africa as how changes in Africa, long preceding the ISSN 0272-6122 onset of missions, took a more radical and longer-lasting turn

JANUARY 1991 3 from the encounter with Christianity. It is impossible today to and resources were too limited to allow them to have such a understand the history of much of the continent without a rec­ comprehensive impact in their operations. Nevertheless, it would ognition of the role of Christianity, especially if we pay due at­ be wrong to excuse missionaries entirely from some of the dra­ tention to voices from within. That can be done without ignoring matic changes entering African society from the nineteenth cen­ allegations of the disruptive effects of missions. It is time to ex­ tury, and in this Hutchinson makes several useful and valid points plore some of those allegations. that deserve careful consideration and response. On the question of missions as a colonial fifth column, Conversion and the Assault on the Old Order Hutchinson offers the example of Dr. Philip of the London Mis­ sionary Society, who in 1828 made the link between missionary Right at the beginning of the modem missionary movement, voices pioneering and the penetration of European colonial power into were raised about the deleterious consequences of unbridled Africa, saying that "Missionary stations are the most efficient Western intrusion of other societies. The close connection, for agents which can be employed to promote the internal strength example, between Portugal's maritime predominance and the early of our colonies, and the cheapest and best military posts a gov­ 'Roman Catholic missions meant that the issue of collaboration, ernment can employ.r" This signaled the basis for useful collab­ or, for that matter, conflict, would loom large in calculations on oration between missions and the British government in South both sides. Portugal assumed, and was also encouraged to as­ Africa, although on the ground local chiefs sought missionary aid sume, that Catholic missions would bring imperial pathfinders for precisely the opposite reason: as a bulwark against encroach­ and chaplains to the cause, in Africa and elsewhere. In their ments of the European settlers, a difference of perception highly strategy the great missionary societies (and they were for the most relevant to the case I shall presently advance about the reper­ part free associations) were happy, even eager, to work hand in cussions of missionary work in the vernacular. In the context of glove with the state, but in their operations on the ground the changes afoot in South" Africa, missionaries acted as brokers be­ two sides were often at loggerheads. Francis Xavier represents tween the Africans and Europeans, often transmitting more than the conflict by protesting loudly at what he said were the evil they realized, but also certainly screening Africans from the glare practices of Portuguese officials, practices that were in direct con­ of Western acquisitiveness in ways more subtle and more en­ flict with the aims and purpose of mission. during than they intended. The missionaries, Hutchinson admits, By absorbing missions into the larger designs of colonialism, "gave invaluable aid to the Bantu people in negotiations with critics built a prima facie case against both. Hence the well-re­ Europeans on land questions, on cattle-raiding, frontier incidents, hearsed charge that missions repressed indigenous creativity and and other matters which exacerbated relations between black and stunted cultural progress. It would suffice to follow that theme white. The missionary was therefore rarely molested. Even among by examining one representative essay that makes its case suc­ tribes which had never seen a missionary his reputation preceded cinctly, expressing with lucid clarity the sentiment that missions him and preserved him from attack.:" were a negative force in Africa. At that stage of things, Africans perceived missionaries more In a forceful and influential article published some thirty years as friends than as foes. As a consequence, missionaries were ago, Bertram Hutchinson examined the harmful legacy of Chris­ wooed and competed for by Bantu chiefs who sought to attract tian missions in South Africa, calling attention to the disruptive missions to their areas as a buffer and prestige symbol. There effects of Christian teaching on African social life and institutions. 1 was, of course, an enormous risk in that enterprise, both from He takes up the question of the premeditated assault missionaries the disruptive potential of missions within chiefdoms and the launched-or are alleged to have launched-upon the fabric of utilitarian uses to which strong-willed chiefs might put missions. African custom. The chief fault of the missionary, Hutchinson Nevertheless, missions had not yet acquired the stigma or op­ argues, was that the change he wished to introduce in Bantu probrium that might make Africans turn against them. If any­ society "was premeditated. Knowing the social changes he thing, missions had in fact aroused unrealistic hopes. wished for, the missionary worked deliberately to achieve them.i" A similar ambiguity pertains to the charge of missions as although, even if we agreed with the notion of Allmacht der "enclavement," the practice whereby converts are removed Gedanken," missionary wishes often lagged far behind field real­ from society and thrown into mission stations within range ol ity. Here is a description in Natal in 1894-95 of the extreme social white control and direction. Enclavement did occur, and was dislocation that conversion was said to have created for Africans: actively pursued by many missions as a basic element of con­ version policy. 7 In addition, enclavement introduced disruptive The Natives are averse to the mission stations, as enticing first their daughters, then their sons, and so severing their families.... Some changes by encouraging atomistic individualism and parasitic de­ become in that way so severed from their parents as to be homeless, pendence. The adoption by African converts of European names and wander to towns or elsewhere and come to grief; but if they and clothing; the consumption of European goods; the use of new remained at home under entire control of their parents, out of tools and implements; enrollment in European schools; the taking school hours ... whatever little schooling or industry they learnt up of European habits and tastes-all these and more ruptured would be made good use of. Much misery and trouble is brought tribal bonds of solidarity and reciprocity and induced dependence on parents by the interference and enticing away of their children, on foreign customs and manners. Furthermore, enclavement ale and this has become a general grievance, and to such an extent lowed missions to exercise considerable leverage with potentia] that in several instances owners of kraals have, as a body, objected converts, offering economic rewards for joining the mission sta­ most strongly to have a school or teacher located in their vicinity.':" tion, particularly at a time when missions were being given gen· erous land concessions by the government.8 The thrust of Hutchinson's argument is that missionaries were intolerant of African customs, instituted measures to dis­ However, enclavement can be said to have very serious lim courage or punish converts who observed traditional sanctions, itations, and those relatively few Africans who availed themselves and created Widespread confusion of values among the people. of it soon became disenchanted. In addition, African restiveness Yet, reading between the lines, this frontal attack on missions with the arrangement drained it of its intrinsic appeal for mis has to be qualified at least by the fact that missionary numbers sionaries who began to see the serious obstacles it was creating

4 INTERNATIONAL BULLETIN OF MISSIONARYREsEARCH for their work. One missionary in 1840 wrote ruefully about how or "natural native." Consequently, they got squeezed from the scheme had backfired. the two ends, becoming by their proximity to both, symbols of global intrusion and regional subversion. In South Africa, cer­ tainly, this fate befell them, and it continued to dog them in other "We discovered," the missionary testified, "that many of the Fingoes who had come to us, did so in the idea that we could places, too. procure for them rich pastures for the grazing of their cattle: being . From other parts of Africa we have instances of resistance to disappointed in this hope, their good will was exchanged for bitter the presence of missionaries. For example, when European mis­ enmity; they refused to attend our worship, and spoke loudly sionaries first arrived in Ashanti, Ghana, the Asantehene, the against the doctrine of our God's Word.,,9 king, responded to the call to send children to school by saying that no sensible person could countenance a project that required In time opposition to enclavement was raised to the highest children to be released from productive labor on farms and have levelsof traditional authority, with chiefs pointing out the harmful them sit all day idly learning "hoy, hoy, hoyI"12 An old Ewe effects of the system in contrast to other parts of missionary prac­ grandmother, the repository of her people's customs and tradi­ tice. As the chiefs saw it, enclavement was, perhaps not unwit­ tions, counseled a royal conclave of her area against sending their tingly, promoting missionaries into the role of rival chiefs, children to Western schools then appearing in the country. "I encouraging scofflaws to seek asylum there from constituted au­ myself," she remonstrated in one case, "do not approve of thority, which cast mission stations in a bad light as inferior dis­ Foli learning from books; for the son of a king does not wear pensers ofjustice. One representative chief summed up the situation in words that show a partial grasp of the distinction between mission and colonialism, and the danger of missionaries playing into the hands of colonial architects. SPECIAL STUDY

I like very much to live with the teachers [i.e., missionaries] if they OPPORTUNITY would not take my people, and give them fo the Government; for they are my people. Let these school people pray for me. How is "Christian Witness in the Holy Land" it that the Government takes them to spill blood? How is it that May 13-23, 1991 you teachers take them away? Whenever one believes, he goes away from me. Why is it that you call them all to live in one place? This ten-day study program in Israel is sponsored by the Is it God who tells you to do so? I do not like your method of Tantur Ecumenical Institute, Overseas Ministries Study breaking up the kraal. Let the believing Kaffir look to his own Center, and Hartford Seminary's Duncan Black Macdonald countrymen, and not go away, but teach others." Center for the study of Islam and Christian-Muslim Rela­ tions. The seminar, which includes visits in Jerusalem and Thus enclavement restricted rather than extended missionary surrounding areas, will give special attention to the rela­ range, and having embarked confidently on that course, mis­ tionships of Palestinian Christians with other churches of sionaries were forced to revise their ideas in light of field results. the Middle East and with the Jewish and Muslim com­ Instead of capitulating unquestioningly to missionary tutelage, munities. For further information on costs and registration, converts were raising awkward questions in defiance. If we take contact: missionary intentions literally and expect to see their enclaves Dr. David Kerr, Director producing commissars, then field evidence would point us firmly Duncan Black Macdonald Center in another direction with the outflow of refuseniks. The unenviable Hartford Seminary missionaries were now stranded square in the swirl of advancing 77 Sherman Street European forces and rising African aspirations, and if in the na­ Hartford, CT 06105 ture of the case they are not entitled to sympathy, then at the Tel: (203) 232-4451 very least they deserve understanding. In any event missionaries got little of that from senior colonial officials who, seeing how missions had skewed the pitch with Africans, despaired of continuing to rely on the implied warranty shoes nor carry an umbrella before he is a king. If he now goes of collaboration and began questioning the usefulness of missions to school and learns to read, he will adopt the white man's cus­ altogether. The governor of Cape Colony in 1847 and 1848, for tom, he will wear shoes and carry an umbrella, and in doing these example, spoke of having seen neither substantial conversions things he will break the sacred laws of the family." 13 While it is nor an increase in demand for European merchandise, and won­ true that European education, and in particular the dominant dered, therefore, what purpose was being served. The doubt and segment of it that Christian missions controlled, changed Africa despair quickly hardened into open name-calling, with admin­ in real and enduring ways, it is difficult to claim it as the source istrators taunting missions with charges of moral decline among of social and cultural breakdown in Africa. As one missionary their converts, a theme that has found its way into mainstream wife candidly admitted about missionary schools: "It may be literature, such as that of Mark Twain. ~ln 1853, for instance, the said that missionaries wanted to indoctrinate rather than to ed­ governor spoke derisively of mission's having only stimulated ucate, but in fact if you teach people to read, even if you only among Africans the appetite for ardent spirits, muskets, and gun­ intend them to read the Bible and the catechism, you have started powder. 11 The harshness of the criticism indicates a profound something which it is not in your power to stop.t'" Thus control antipathy toward missions, much deeper than mere frustration of educational institutions failed to guarantee missionaries the at a tactical bungling. power they sought, or are alleged to have sought. Missionaries were easy targets for criticism. They set very A major fault of missionaries, according to the prevalent view, high standards for themselves and for everyone else, and thereby was their fundamental antipathy to African social and religious raised the stakes. To compound it all, missionaries were transi­ values, and to the traditional family institution that embodies tional figures, defying the neat categories of "cold colonialist" them. The African family, therefore, was the logical place for

JANUARY 1991 5 missionaries to strike in order to bring the changes they saw as tions of the missionary. "The result," he concluded, "is a prerequisite for Christian conversion. It was for this reason that more widespread immorality and a generally lowering effect on the missionaries among the Bantu targeted lobola, the marriage the Native. Both men and women are constantly coming to me dowry, polygamy, and circumcision for concerted action. Lobola with complaints of matrimonial difficulties resulting from these was the custom whereby a young man preparing to marry offers 'church' marriages.r " A father of two married daughters who cattle as payment to the bride's family. That and the other customs had received no lobola voiced apprehensions about the possible were vehemently opposed by missionaries. Lobola, for example, outcome of the marriages, for if something went wrong and the was erroneously described as wife-purchase;" and therefore il­ women were returned to him, he should have nothing for their legaL As for polygamy, it was proof to the missionaries of the upkeep. 20 proverbial lust of the African, while circumcision provided a cover What is equally serious, the attack on lobola deterred con­ for barbaric indulgence. versions, or at any rate deterred converts from seeking the fel­ For the missionaries, lobola, like much else, proved a prickly lowship of the church. To take the slightly different matter of pear to grasp. As an integral part of the marriage system, it safe­ polygamous families, one missionary was told by an African elder, guarded against abuses in the marriage system, was a protection who stopped short of receiving baptism in spite of long exposure for the woman against an irresponsible husband, and, in cases to Christianity, that he "observed that many who had done where highly valued cattle constituted the lobola, it was tangible so had driven away their wives and children, like so many things evidence of the worth of the woman, a means of reciprocity be­ of no value; that although he might live with only one wife, yet tween the families-in-Iaw, and a warrant giving the woman access he liked the others, and he could not think for a moment of drivinp to divorce as a remedy. 16 Furthermore, as missionaries soon dis- away his children. Such is the feeling of most of the natives.:"

The reference to polygamy opens a notoriously intractable problem in the annals of mission. For nineteenth-century mis­ Conversion in the religious sionaries, their moral landscape primed by a short-fused Victorian sphere seemed to find its sensibility, polygamy triggered all the virulent stereotypes of the lustful African. Yet polygamy, an ancient and widespread insti­ counterpart in tution, was scarcely amenable to the simple solutions offered by collaboration in the missionaries, and the African response was to ignore the rule of monogamy required of them by Europeans, or else, as so often political. happens with hard laws, to show outward conformity hand in hand with inward denial. As missionaries gained a better un­ derstanding of the custom, they modified their opposition, as covered to their chagrin, lobola acted to encourage fidelity, and happened with the Anglican bishop John Colenso who wrote a by suppressing it they removed a venerable restraint even for short treatise defending the institution against his astounded mis­ Christian converts. So, whether it concerns the stability of mar­ sionary colleagues. ~2 Colenso's line of defence follows a consistent riage or, in divorce, the stability of the kin structure, lobola was religious rule: he asked how his missionary colleagues could jus­ at the center of the social organism. An attack there would be felt tify asking polygamists to commit the sin of divorce to remedy through the entire society, as appears to have happened. the offence of polygamy. Few were willing to grasp that nettle, Measures were adopted to replace the lobola with church though many continued to blame him for the confusion of values weddings in which no payments were made, although the re­ that was said to result from public disagreement among mission­ quired European dress involved the parties in relatively high ex­ aries before Africans on such a thorny issue. In fact it was claimed penditure. Such expenditure was in fact counterproductive, as that the decline in conversions at this time was due to Colenso's missionary observers saw. It became evident to them that ill-advised pronouncements on polygamy,23 though it is hard to understand how, if opposition to polygamy failed to bring con­ a greater evil has arisen in connection with these Christian mar­ verts, its advocacy should also fail to win souls. At any rate ill riages in which a young man spends on his marriage feast quite this matter, too, the missionaries' engagement with the issue as much as would be considered sufficient for an ikazi [i.e., rapidly exposed their inadequacy. lobola] .... No one is benefited by this waste, which if it had not The issue of male circumcision in like fashion brought mis­ taken place, the proceeds might have been handed over to the girl's relations, and which in case of need would give her or her sionaries into acute tension with Africans. Africans considered children a claim on those who received the ikazi. But upon the circumcision as a rite of passage to manhood. Those who were whole, in regard to these marriages in which no cattle have been uncircumcised, whatever their age, were regarded as not fully paid, there are quite as many if not more separations than in the mature, and therefore unfit for responsibility or leadership, in­ case of purely native marriages in which cattle have been paid. I? cluding marriage and all that it implied. Girls declined to marry uncircumcised men for fear of attracting the stigma that went As these and other comments make clear, the measures against with it. Boys who resided in missionary stations were secretly lobola failed, or else produced highly unsatisfactory results. Mar­ abducted and initiated into the rite. And when they possessed ital infidelity among Christian converts became a widely noted the vernacular Bible, Africans could justify the practice from the occurrence, forcing missionaries to resort to the unwieldly stra­ example of Jesus himself. It could not have helped missionaries tegem of two forms of marriage: a lower form performed in the to continue to press ahead when by so doing they would set back schoolroom or the missionary's study, and a higher form con­ their own goals. ducted in the church-a split-level distinction that undercut the There is a general thesis that can be discerned in all the supposedly single foundation of marriage. 18 One official reported negative criticisms of missions thus far considered, and that may that the Africans who had contracted a "church" marriage be simply stated thus: many people, including missionaries, are incurred a double jeopardy: they had removed themselves from said to have assumed that the greatest opportunities for planting the check of the old customs and were out of range of the sane­ Christianity would occur when society was being broken up and

6 INTERNATIONAL BULLEfIN OF MISSIONARY REsEARCH culture in a state of disarray, so that conversion in the religious igation of the Africans. Consequently much missionary criticism, sphere would find its counterpart in collaboration in the political. however hostile, has enlarged the scope of African history and In other words, political capitulation by Africans, critics assert, deepened understanding of customs and practices. was sought by missionaries for the assumed benefits it held for There is another factor of immense significance for African Christianity. Therefore, creating the requisite social disruption of history. It is clear in much of the evidence that missionaries were capitulation would be perceived by missionaries as auspicious for self-critical regarding the status of Western preconceptions in Af­ the Gospel, and although it would be unfair to say missionaries rica and the motives and ambition that led them into the field in in general perpetrated acts of sabotage to upset the equilibrium, the first place. Even if we were to assume the worst in the religious some at least sought comfort from the thought. For example, motives of missionaries and see them as colonialists in pious garb, Robert Moffat, a stern judge of Africans, gave vent to feelings there is no question but that they were often engaged in agonizing that encourage a rather pessimistic view of indigenous institu­ self-scrutiny, turning the searchlight on themselves in self-re­ tions. Writing in 1859, he says: vealing ways. It is that principle of scrutiny, of cutting into oneself and exposing the motive springs of action that is the dynamo of It is where the social organization is most perfect, and the social historical construction." As a result, the records of mission are system still in its aboriginal vigour, that the missionary has the least success in making an impression. Where things have under­ suffused with a rigorous, contemporary appeal. The documents gone a change and the old feudal usages have lost their power, they have bequeathed to us are not mere transcripts of clever where there is a measure of disorganization, then new ideas which manipulation but affidavits of the most scrupulous inquiry. These the gospel brings with it do not come into collision with any pow­ erful political prejudice. The habits and modes of thinking have been broken up, and there is a preparation for the seed of the word. 24 Missionaries were as conscious of the relevance However, all this heady theorizing shares with the other negative criticisms against missionaries little basis in fact, at any' of a revitalized Africa for rate notin terms of the sensational rhetoric in which they are the mission enterprise as couched. It is true that political upheavals might make Christi­ anity relatively more attractive, but, on the other hand, such were Africans themselves. upheavals might do the reverse and create opposition, as seems to have happened in many places in Africa and elsewhere. Such ambiguity is overlooked by confident assertions about indigenous stern athletes of Jacob's angel who tussled so gallantly with Af­ inertia. Moffat himself was less dogmatic than his words might rica's venerable serpent did not have sufficiently self-deceptive indicate. In practice, he said, the reality may be very different. blinkers to leave us records of what only they thought, said, and "I am not," he admitted, "sanguine on this point in regard did. Consequently from missionary records it is possible to con­ to the Matabele.":" struct as authentic a picture of Africa's heritage as we are likely to get from other sources. For those Africans who took an active Constructive Reappraisal part in this clash of wits, the threshold of self-understanding and self-appreciation was raised, and the ancient barriers of tribe and When all this evidence is taken together and separately, it points clan were significantly lowered. It is therefore crucial for our inexorably in one direction. Missionary encounter with African reappraisal to acknowledge the creative part missionary interest culture, however superficial or sustained, made the indigenous played in the religious and intellectual awakening of Africa, help­ factor indispensable for the religious enterprise to which mis­ ing to bring the continent into the family of nations through sionaries were committed. The capitulation of Africans to Western projects of indigenous self-affirmation. political control, many missionaries found, did in fact conflict with The evidence for such awakening is as impressive in scope the task of Christianizing the people, or at any rate complicated and volume as it is remarkable in quality and detail, although we it.26 The fact that missionaries failed, even where they did try, to can offer only a few examples here. The modern Zulu scholar, impose Western cultural norms on Africans demonstrates the Professor C. L. S. Nyembezi, in a public lecture at the University fundamental limitations of Western forms for the appropriation of Natal, commented that the missionary cultivation of Zulu lan­ of the Gospel, and to this fact numerous missionaries were alert. guage and literature was a significant force behind general Zulu Even those who persisted in spite.of the evidence helped to define awakening. After acknowledging that the great pioneers of the the issues: missionary criticism produced, if it did not provoke people's language and literature were missionaries and the Af­ others to produce, abundant field evidence.on times and issues ricans they trained, Professor Nyembezi went on to say that mis­ that might otherwise have dropped out. of the historical record. sionary interest extended beyond the narrow issue of religious When they condemned customs and practices as heathen, mis­ affiliation. It was not simply that "missionaries concerned sionaries set about collecting whatever information they could themselves primarily with grammars, dictionaries and the trans­ find to make the strongest possible case for themselves. The logic lation of the Scriptures, [but that] some of them recorded folk­ of the situation demanded they not underestimate the strength lore, proverbs and valuable historical material.T" of the opposition, or ignore powerful interlocutors in the com­ The missionaries followed a vigorous policy of vernacular munity. When we add to this consideration the fact that by their development, promoting African languages as complete and au­ ordination and subsequent commissioning for service, mission­ tonomous vehicles for bringing God's revelation to the people, aries were de facto under oath, then we have an environment with the obvious effect of making Western languages, including that can support the building up of excellent field data. This may Greek and Latin, of limited usefulness in religious appropriation. explain why there seems a litigious thoroughness to much of their Zulu received its share of attention in this regard. In 1850 Hans testimonies and deliberations. In any case what they offered in Schreuder published a grammar of the language, as did Bishop evidence was often not simply in their own defence but in mit­ Colenso in 1855. In 1859 Lewis Grout of the American Board of

JANUARY 1991 7 Commissioners for Foreign Missions also produced a grammar a paper devoted to the promotion of Akan life and culture. From of Zulu. Similar attention was devoted to the production of dic­ 1905 to 1917, when it was transferred from Basel to Ghana, it tionaries: in 1857 Perrin's dictionary of Zulu was published, and . published articles in Twi, Ga, and English, and covered local as in 1857 J. L. Dohne of the American Board came out with his well as international news. In that regard it reported the Russo­ Zulu dictionary. Bishop Colenso wrote his dictionary of the lan­ Japanese War of 1904, an event in which Ghanaians took great guage in 1861, and in 1880 Charles Roberts produced a similar political interest, Halley's Comet in 1910, and the sinking of the work. Titanic in 1911. The Christian Messenger belongs as much to the Colenso was instrumental in having published the first ac­ history of modern African journalism as it does to missionary count in Zulu by mother-tongue speakers. On a visit to the Zulu contribution to Africa. The use of the vernacular by The Christian king, Mpande, in 1859, Colenso was accompanied by two Zulu Messenger to report and reflect on world events was a remarkable boys and a schoolteacher. As a record of their visit, the three example of the range missionaries afforded to the indigenous Zulu companions produced an account in Zulu of their impres­ heritage in the emerging world order. sions, thus leaving a landmark in the history of the language." That was the testimony of Dr. J. B. Danquah, considered by These linguistic endeavors were accompanied by detailed the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences a giant, and immor­ investigations into Zulu religion, with Canon Callaway setting a talized with a distinguished annual lectureship, The Danquah model of meticulous research and comprehensiveness. His mon­ Memorial Lecture. Danquah was an intellectual founding father ograph on the subject is a stunning achievement in retrieval and of Ghanaian nationalism, a committed and articulate defender of rehabilitation.t" These and other efforts ensured that a revitalized his people's culture and destiny. He spoke in very thoughtful Zulu world would be the indispensable context for the new order and lavish terms of the achievement of Christaller. Christaller's under Christianity. work, he said, might be considered the first dispensation for the Missionaries were as conscious of the relevance of a revital­ Akan, the Old Testament.canon by which Danquah's own work ized Africa for the enterprise as were Africans themselves, and should be judged a continuation. Furthermore, Danquah insisted, often it was missionaries who set the pace. Such was the case Chris taller ensured that the Akan people would bring forward with Rev. Johannes Christaller in Ghana, the former Gold Coast. their contribution as part and parcel of the general heritage of Christaller arrived in the Gold Coast in the 1850s, serving the humanity.35 Basel Mission there from 1853 to 1868. He finished a translation Such evidence as this still leaves critics of mission retiring of the Four Gospels into Twi in 1859, the New Testament in 1864, from the field of controversy with a political flea in their ear, and the Psalms and the Book of Proverbs in 1866, and the whole Bible to that theme we must therefore turn once more. The missionary in 1871 after he returned to Europe. In 1875 he completed his who embodied the politico-religious ambiguity of missions was monumental work, the Dictionary of the Akan LAnguage, published Dr. David Livingstone (d. 1873), a towering figure over the entire in 1881, and acclaimed by experts, both Ghanaian and others, as course of the missionary movement. Livingstone arrived in Africa a masterpiece of scholarship. A modern Ghanaian writer de­ in the 1840s, and died there. He formulated what has come to be scribes Christaller's Dictionary as an "encyclopaedia of Akan known as the three "Cs" for the missionary motto: commerce, civilization, ,,31 while a Western linguist speaks of it in superlatives civilization, and Christianity must go together as partners. Not as "a dictionary in the first rank of dictionaries of African only that, but Livingstone had an explicit political agenda that he languages, or indeed of any Ianguages.t''" wished mission to carry out. In a confidential letter to Professor Rev. David Asante, a Ghanaian protege of Christaller, wrote Sedgwick of Cambridge University, Livingstone spoke of his to him in 1866 soon after the publication of the translation of the "secret ambitions" that he said he would not divulge in public. Psalms and Book of Proverbs, commending the translation. He In that letter he said he was setting out for Africa not for the mere said: sentimental reasons of serving the African but for the tangible reason of advancing the interests of his own country. He contin­ The Psalms are translated perfectly and brilliantly. Nobody can ued: read this translation without deep feelings of awe. They resemble in many ways the songs of mourning (Kwadwom) in our Twi lan­ I take a practical mining geologist to tell us of the mineral resources guage; the Twi people will be glad to read them. I want to con­ of the country, an economic botanist to give a full report of the gratulate you personally and in the name of Africa." vegetable productions, an artist to give the scenery, a naval officer to tell of the capacity of river communications, and a moral agent Christaller went on to crown his labors with an invaluable to lay the foundation for anything that may follow.... I hope it and methodical compilation of Twi proverbs and idioms, num­ may result in an English colony in the healthy high lands of Central bering in all 3,600. He came to acquire a deep and abiding love Africa. 36 for the Akan, a love that was reciprocated. In the preface to the collection he appended a sort of manifesto to the vernacular, The course of subsequent events on the ground in Africa encouraging educated Africans to cultivate the genre for itself. altered Livingstone's ideas in remarkably radical ways, and his He wrote: elevated Anglo-Saxon strategy gave way to the basic reality of African needs and aspirations. Livingstone is justly acclaimed for May this Collection give a new stimulus to the diligent gathering his scientific discoveries in Africa, and for the astute historical of folk-lore and to the increasing cultivation of native literature. enquiries by which he explored inter-ethnic relations and cus­ May those Africans who are enjoying the benefit of a Christian toms." Unfortunately, however, his intellectual contributions tend education, make the best of the privilege; but let them not despise to be overclouded by popular religious eulogizing. Victorian sen­ the sparks of truth entrusted to and preserved by their own people, timentality was in this regard a major source of the difficulty. The and let them not forget that by entering into their way of thinking and by acknowledging what is good and expounding what is wrong Victorians painted him in colors of extreme sanctification, dis­ they will gain the more access to the hearts and minds of their less playing him in stained glass to become a visible target for rock­ favoured countrymen.34 throwing critics. Livingstone's real significance lies not in the strategies of In 1883Christaller also helped found TheChristian Messenger, Whitehall, in spite of his influence there, nor in the colorful por­

8 INfERNATIONALBULLETIN OF MISSIONARY REsEARCH See It In Their Eyes

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The E. Stanley Jones School of World Mission and Evangelism traits of popular adulation, in spite of pockets of genuine appre­ in Nyasaland;" The forces that menaced the political dream of ciation in that sphere. His significance lies on the ground in Africa Cecil Rhodes were "the spiritual heirs of the other empire­ and in the hearts of Africans. This was the verdict of one modern builder, David Livingstone.Y" In a passage of prophetic signifi­ secular writer who toured the Africa that Livingstone knew and cance, Patrick Keatley, then the Commonwealth Correspondent met the dwindling ranks of people who knew Livingstone, or of the Guardian newspaper, said in 1963 that "it is not partic­ else knew the people who knew him. "The best way to make ularly difficult to predict which of the two empires will last the contact today with David Livingstone," the account states, "is longer, for Livingstone chose much the sounder foundation.':" simply to talk to Africans. You could do this anywhere, but per­ In the light of such experience, it cannot entirely be true, as haps best in Nyasaland [Malawi], his beloved land by the lake, Bertram Hutchinson argues, that missionaries sought as a priority where his influence remains most profound.":" to induce wide-ranging social and cultural changes, with the sub­ One example should suffice to show the depth of impact on sequent course of developments in that sphere completely over­ Livingstone of his African experience. He came to acquire a deep whelming their strategy of selective contact. To cite the relevant interest in the work of his father-in-law, Robert Moffat, who be­ text, Hutchinson says that "the history of the 19th-century gan work in Bechuanaland in the 1820s. Livingstone spoke of his missionary activity in South Africa is a history of men struggling admiration for the Sichuana language of which Moffat had been with only limited success for the religious and social changes they the brilliant pioneer. Livingstone spoke of its richness, its copi­ desired, and watching with consternation an aftermath of their ousness, and subtlety. Some European students of the subject, intervention which they did not foresee, and could not control.v'" he cautioned, may imagine there would be few obstacles in mas­ Rather, it would seem it was colonial masters who miscalculated tering the tongue of a so-called primitive people, but his expe­ the pacifying effects of missionary activity. rience was different. After Livingstone died, his African companions, Susi and Chuma, as an act of pious regard, removed his heart and buried In my own case, though I have had as much intercourse with the it deep in the earth before carrying the body across 1,500 miles purest idiom as most Englishmen, and have studied the language of difficult, treacherous terrain on foot to the coast, whence it carefully, yet I can never utter an important statement without was taken to England for burial at Westminster Abbey. Thus doing so very slowly, and repeating it too, lest the foreign accent Africa and England each retained a token of the missionary, each ... should render the sense unintelligible.... The capabilities of this language may be inferred from the fact that the Pentateuch is allowing the other a share in that heritage. It was cross-cultural fully expressed in Mr. Moffat's translation in fewer words than in encounter of the profoundest kind. the Greek Septuagint, and in a very considerably smaller number The point worth stressing in the missionary involvement with than in our English version. 39 political questions in Africa is the role they enabled Africans to play vis-a-vis the advance of European power, rather than the Livingstone argued that language was the most cogent proof of role they envisaged for themselves, although even that was in­ human intelligence and sensibility, and its development among creasingly seen as a complement to the African role.46 There were Africans is warrant of their humanity, too. "Language," he undoubtedly major and lasting changes introduced by mission­ reflected, "seems to be an attribute of the human mind and aries in the nature and composition of tribal Africa, but it would thought, and the inflections, various as they are in the most bar­ be a stern critic who would insist that all of it was to the detriment barous tongues, as that of the Bushmen, are probably only proof of the people. of the race being human, and endowed with the power of think­ For instance, in Nyasaland, missionaries were instrumental ing."?" in fomenting a sense of awakening among the people. They me­ diated successfully in the wake of the devastation that followed These theoretical reflections are designed to show that field the massive upheavals of the Zulu-Angoni wars. In 1887a peace experience in Africa affected deeply Livingstone's motives and treaty was negotiated between the invading Angoni and the na­ intentions, whatever these might have been. He had come to tive Atonga. The missionaries followed it up with the adoption Africa perhaps to build a new frontier in continuation with Brit­ of the language of the Manganja people, Chi-Nyanja, employing ain's imperial destiny. Now, however, he was spokesman for the it as the lingua franca of the country. Chi-Nyanja did a lot to heritage of the vanquished, or soon to be vanquished. In relation create a sense of cohesion and self-identity and was a productive to the political and economic schemes by which Africa was being channel for the emergence into modern history of the Nyasas. tied to Britain, Livingstone forged links of a different kind to As one testimony affirms, "the missionaries gave to the Nyasas mobilize African aspirations and encourage self-responsibility. a heritage of national unity and of deep regard for learning that His political counterpart in Africa was Cecil Rhodes, "the em­ was to serve them well in the political battles of the 1950s and pire-builder in the hard political sphere.,,41 1960~."47 Cecil Rhodes's motto was "philanthropy and five percent," A surprisingly large number of missionaries saw the extreme in contrast to Livingstone's "commerce and Christianity." Both ambiguity of European designs on Africa, and felt unconvinced men dominated Central Africa, but Rhodes left a legacy of white that the advancing worldwide system of colonial rule held any settler domination and the bitter strife with Africans this created, prospects for the future of the cause. Few described that ambi­ while Livingstone opened the path for rising African aspirations. guity as eloquently as the pioneer missionary in East Africa, Rev. The clash of values represented by the two pioneers came into Dr. J. Lewis Krapf. Writing in 1860, he remarked: the open in the 1950swith the abortive Central African Federation that grouped together Nyasaland with Northern and Southern Expect nothing, or very little, from political changes in Eastern Rhodesia, with power in white minority hands. It was a clash Africa. . .. Do not think that, because the East-Africans are "profitable in nothing to God and the world," they ought to be between "the Exploiter tradition of Cecil Rhodes, with the brought under the dominion of some European power, in the hope settler-politicians as its guardians, and the Tutor tradition of that they may then bestir themselves more actively and eagerly for Livingstone," with its guardians in the Kenneth Kaundas, Joshua what is worldly, and, in consequence, become eventually more Nkomos, the Kamuzu Bandas, and the missionaries of St. Faith's awake to what is spiritual and eternal. On the contrary, banish the Mission in Southern Rhodesia and the Church of Scotland Mission thought that Europe must spread her protecting wings over Eastern

10 INTERNATIONAL BULLETIN OF MISSIONARY REsEARCH Africa, if missionary work is to prosper. . . . Europe would, no Yet we can show by a different interpretation of some of the doubt, remove much that is mischievous and obstructive out of same evidence the profound impact mission had for the emer­ the way of missionary work, but she would probably set in its place gence of the new Africa. If, in the light of the colonial takeover, as many, and perhaps still greater checks. It is a vital error to make we can speak justifiably of African capitulation, and, in that set­ the result of missionary labor dependent on the powers that be.... ting, of missionary assault on the old order, we can, in the light Whether Europeans take possession of Eastern Africa or not, I care very little, if at all; yet I know full well that missionary labor has of vernacular agency of missions, speak equally plausibly of Af­ its human phase, and that it cannot, as if by magic, without any rican resistance to the forces of subjection, aided and abetted by outward preparation of the people for its reception, grasp the life missionary sponsorship of projects of cultural and social renewal. of a nation. But many persons vastly overrate this human phase Considering that the principle of deepened self-understanding of our work, and, like the Jew, wish to see the bottom of the water lies at the heart of such renewal, we can say that missionary before they cross the river .... It is not missionaries, but those development of vernacular resources, whatever the motives or who are not missionaries, who see impossibilities in the way of expectations that fueled it, instituted a central pillar of the modern the regeneration of Eastern Africa." dispensation in Africa. Thus Africa's participation in the world­ wide system would occur in the context of vernacular specificity Concluding Summary as this was developed by Christian missions. One implication is that the Western missionary tradition has facilitated the exposure It would be too much to expect that we can lay to rest the political of Africa to the rest of the world and that it is mistaken to conclude view of missionaries as the religious surrogates of colonialism, from that a hegemonic conspiracy. for it is built rock-solid into the self-image of the West. This self­ image encourages the idea of mission as the driving force of the European imperialist impulse.

Notes ------­ _

1. Bertram Hutchinson, "Some Social Consequences of Nineteenth tion became a model community where immigrant Africans from Century Missionary Activity among the South African Bantu," Africa, outside Nigeria helped to establish a prosperous trading center at Journal of the International African Institute 27, no. 2 (April 1957). The Abeokuta. See Jacob F. A. Ajayi, Christian Missions in Nigeria: 1841­ article was reproduced in amended form in a missionary journal, 1891: TheMakingofa New Elite(Evanston, Illinois: Northwestern Uni­ Practical Anthropology (March-April, 1959), and cited in numerous versity Press, 1969), pp. 126-166. "Mission House" became the sources, including Eugene A. Nida, Message and Mission (New York: "civilized" and "civilizing" community. Whatever the weak­ Harper & Brothers, 1960), p. 134. nesses or otherwise of enc1avement in Nigeria, local rulers were not 2. Hutchinson, "Social Consequences," p. 175. averse to exploiting it for their own purposes. The Alafin of Oyo in 3. The "omnipotence of thought," a phrase that occurs in Sigmund 1858-59 offered a boy to be educated at the mission school on con­ Freud's Totem and Taboo (1913 German edition) as a symptom of neu­ dition that he be taught to make "snuffs, guns, powder, etc." rotic patients. It has come to be employed as a shorthand for the idea Ajayi, Christian Missions, p. 134n. of mind over matter. 11. Hutchinson, "Social Consequences," p. 169. 4. Natal Departmental Reports, 1894-..5, cited in Hutchinson, "Social 12. Reproduced in Lamin Sanneh, "The Horizontal and Vertical in Consequences," p. 174. Mission: An African Perspective," International Bulletin of Missionary 5. J. Philip, Researches in South Africa, vol. 2 (London, 1828), p. 227. Research 7, no. 4 (1983):163. The reference is to the missionary practice 6. Hutchinson, "Social Consequences," p. 161. of chanting "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Sabaoth." 7. Monica Wilson describes what amounts to "enc1avement" for mis­ 13. Cited in Diedrich Westermann, The African To-day and To-morrow, 3d sions in South Africa. She says: "Acceptance of Christian teaching ed. (London: Oxford University Press for the International African implied a radical change in the manner of life of converts." Conse­ Institute, 1949), p. 45. quently, the missionaries "expected their converts to wear a West­ 14. Barbara Prickett, Island Base (Bo, Sierra Leone, 1971?), p. 229. ern style of clothing; to build square houses rather than round ones; 15. Commenting on this charge, Professor Diedrich Westermann of the to settle in a village round church and school rather ~han in scattered University of Berlin and a former missionary to Africa, said it is un­ homesteads; to change the division of labour between men and women, warranted. He continued: "The Africans rightly defend them­ and to abandon ancient festivals, such as traditional initiation dances, selves against the assertion of superficial European observers that which were judged by whites to be lewd, and became illegal west of women are bought and sold by them. If it were so, the woman would the Kei." Monica Wilson "Co-operation and Conflict: The Eastern be the slave of the man, which is true neither in law nor in fact." The Cape Province," in Monica Wilson and Leonard Thompson, eds., The African To-day and To-morrow, p. 53. Oxford History of South Africa, vol. 1, South Africa to 1870 (Oxford: 16. Westermann testifies that the "wife herself estimates her value Clarendon Press, 1969),266. Elsewhere Wilson gives details of changes and the consideration which she will enjoy from her husband and that resulted from the introduction of Christianity among the Nyak­ his family according to the amount of the bride-wealth paid for her. yusa, but in that case Nyakyusa converts had in many critical respects The position of the husband to his wife and her relatives is from the adapted the religion to indigenous ideas and categories. For example, very first ambiguous if his payments were small, or if any part of the missionary rebukes of African morality were perceived by the them is still owing.... The position of the wife is influenced by the Nyakyusa as a form of the traditional curse. Monica Wilson, Communal fact that in marriage economic considerations are placed in the fore­ Rituals of the Nyakyusa (London: Oxford University Press, 1959), pp. ground." The African, pp. 53, 55. 166-202. 17. Cited in Hutchinson, "Social Consequences," p. 172. 8. Hutchinson, "Social Consequences," p. 164. 18. Hutchinson, "Social Consequences," pp. 172-73. 9. Cited in Hutchinson, "Social' Consequences," p. 165. Pious incli­ 19. Cited in Hutchinson, "Social Consequences," p. 173. nation could have led a missionary witness to stress the religious side 20. Hutchinson, "Social Consequences," p. 172. of African opposition, but a scrupulous habit of recordkeeping would 21. Cited in Hutchinson, "Social Consequences," p. 171. lead many others to jot down other types of evidence, as is clear in 22. John Colenso, Remarks on the Proper Treatment of Polygamy (Pieter­ the discussion that follows. maritzburg, 1855). Colenso astonished his episcopal colleagues at the 10. Cited in Hutchinson, "Social Consequences," p. 169. In Nigeria, first Lambeth Conference in 1860 by his support of polygamy. however, enc1avement produced positive results as the mission sta­

JANUARY 1991 11 23. Hutchinson, "Social Consequences," p. 170. in Wyatt MacGaffey, Modern Congo Prophets: Religion in a Plural Society 24. Cited in J. P. R. Wallis, ed., The Matabele Mission (London: Chatto & (Bloomington, Ind.: Indiana University Press, 1983), p. 29. Windus, 1945), pp. 70-71. 28. C. L. S. Nyembezi, lecture in A Review of Zulu Literature (Pietermar­ 25. Wallis, 1945, p. 71. itzburg: University of Natal Press, 1961), p. 3. 26. Missionaries of the Sudan Interior Mission (SIM), an international 29. Nyembezi, Zulu Literature, pp. 3-4. conservative evangelical missionary organization with headquarters 30. Canon Callaway, The Religious System of the AmaZulu (London: Triib­ in Toronto, Canada, found that they were at cross-purposes with the ner, 1870). British authorities in the Sudan. The government restricted mission­ 31. Andrew O. Amegatcher, 1986, "Akropong: 150 years old." West ary work to specially designated areas in the non-Muslim southern Africa (London, July 14): 1472. Sudan, requiring schools and educational work as a precondition of 32. Dr. I. C. Ward quoted in C. P. Groves, The Planting of Christianity in mission. The SIM replied that educational work was a diversion from Africa (London: Lutterworth Press, 1954), vol. 2, p. 229. its main business of evangelism. There was also the fact that under­ 33. [ahresbericht der Basler Mission, 1867, p. 120. Cited in Hans W. taking educational work under government subsidy would, in the Debrunner, A History of Christianity in Ghana (Accra, 1967), p. 144. mind of the mission, allow the government control over the affairs 34. Cited in J. B. Danquah, TheAkan Doctrine ofGod (London: Lutterworth of the mission. When the missionaries could not evade government Press, 1944), p. 186. rulings on the establishment of schools, they sought to modify the 35. Ibid., pp. 184ff. terms. After the government made an educational grant of £ 200 (two 36. In John Kirk, ed., Zambezi Journals andLetters, vol. 1 (London: Reginald hundred pounds Sterling) in one instance, the SIM missionaries com­ Foskett, 1965), p. 309. plained that they "did not want the Government to coerce parents 37. See, in this connection, the succinct and perceptive article of Sir Harry into sending their sons to school. Missionary work'took place with H. Johnston, "Livingstone as an Explorer," The Geographical Journal persuasion and not coercion.'" Lilian Sanderson, "The Sudan 41 (January-June 19i3): 426-48. Interior Mission and the Condominium Sudan, 1937-1955," Journal 38. Patrick Keatley, ThePolitics of Partnership: TheFederation of Rhodesia and of Religion in Africa8, no. 1 (1982): 26. For their turn, the missionaries Nyasaland (Harmondsworth, England: Penguin Books, 1963), p. 124. succeeded in obtaining government support for significant language 39. David Livingstone, Missionary Researches and Travels in South Africa work on the vernaculars (Sanderson, 1982, p. 31). In a slightly (London: John Murray, 1857), p. 114. different vein, the language question became complicated when Ar­ 40. Ibid. abic was instituted as a required language in southern schools, for 41. Keatley, Politics of Partnership, p. 124. with Arabic the government had opened the way for Islamic influence 42. Ibid., p. 467. from the northern Sudan (Sanderson, 1982, pp. 34ff). 43. Ibid., p. 121. 27. The Reverend Richards, a missionary of the American Baptist Foreign 44. Ibid., p. 121. Missionary Society, and a pioneer in the Congo where he arrived in 45. Hutchinson, "Social Consequences," p. 175. An equally grim ver­ 1879, confessed to his personal inadequacies after a fruitless sojourn dict is given by T. o. Beidelman, Colonial Evangelism: A Socia-historical in the field. He proceeded to examine himself and the motives for Study of an East African Mission at the Grassroots (Bloomington, Ind.: his work. He admitted that: "At first I went to work in the wrong Indiana University Press, 1982). See also the critical review of that way. My first idea was to teach the heathen the folly of idolatry and book by Jocelyn Murray, Africa 53, no. 3 (1983): 89-90. superstition, the nature of God, about His will as expressed in the 46. Roland Oliver, TheMissionary Factor in East Africa (London: Longman, law, about duty and morality and such things, as well as about Christ, 1952, repro 1970), p. 247. His word, His miracles and parables, His death and resurrection. But 47. Keatley, Politics of Partnership, p. 129. I found it all no use. At the end of six years I had not a convert. Then 48. J. Lewis Krapf, Travels, Researches, andMissionary Labors (Boston: Tick­ in bitterness of spirit I prayed and searched the Scriptures...." Cited nor and Fields, 1860), pp. 416, 417.

The Christian Gospel and World Religions: How Much Have American Evangelicals Changed?

Ralph R. Covell Introduction

he relationship of the Christian Gospel to world religions Current Evangelical Thinking on Christianity T is a perplexing, perennial issue. My purpose in this ar­ and Other Faiths ticle is to assess briefly the current state of some evangelical think­ ing on Christianity and other faiths, relate this to the Evangelical­ American evangelicals are not a unified group; in fact, any rig­ Roman Catholic Dialogue on Mission (1977-84), and then show orous attempt to classify them accurately can lead to frustration. how a more sensitive understanding will influence the mandate In general, Paul Knitter is right when he puts them into three for evangelism. groups: fundamentalists, conservative evangelicals, and ecumen­ ical evangelicals. 1 The latter two groups can be identified, at least informally, with the Lausanne Committee for World Evangeli­ zation (LCWE) and its doctrinal and mission commitment. Amer­ Ralph R. Covell was a missionary in China from 1946 until 1951. On December 31, 1990,he retired as Academic Dean and Professor ofWorld Mission at Denver ican evangelicals associated with the LCWE come largely from Conservative Baptist Seminary in Denver, Colorado, where he served since 1966. particular evangelical denominations belonging to the National He is presently a Senior Mission Scholar in Residence at Overseas Ministries Association of Evangelicals or from interdenominational churches. Study Center, New Haven, Connecticut. Some, however, are affiliated with mainline ecumenical denom­

12 INTERNATIONAL BULLETIN OF MISSIONARYREsEARCH inations within the Protestant mainstream. not depend on the hearer knowing specifically about the historical The basic convictions of these evangelicals on Christianity Jesus. The process is compared to those who were saved in the and other faiths are found in the Lausanne Covenant in the sec­ Old Testament period under the law by casting themselves on tion on the uniqueness and universality of Christ: God's mercy, seen only dimly and partially through the sacrificial system. However, the only basis for this salvation, as for any of We affirm that there is only one Savior and only one Gospel, al­ God's people, is the atoning death and resurrection of God's Son. though there is a wide diversity of evangelistic approaches. We Works of merit, so prominent in all religious systems, including recognize that all men have some knowledge of God through his Christianity, are specifically excluded as ways of reconciling hu­ general revelation in nature. But we deny that this can save, for manity to God. Evangelicals find unacceptable, even as does an men suppress the truth by their unrighteousness. We also reject ecumenical theologian like Carl Braaten, the theocentric model as derogatory to Christ and the Gospel every kind of syncretism and dialogue which implies that Christ speaks equally through all proposed by Paul Knitter. religions and ideologies. Jesus Christ, being himself the only God­ Third, within the evangelical tradition, an option for a few man, who gave himself as the only ransom for sinners, is the only thinkers is "that human religious systems are both a response to mediator between God and man. There is no other name by which and a suppression of God's personal and direct revelation. J. H. we must be saved. All men are perishing because of sin, but God Bavinck comments: loves all men, not wishing that any should perish but that all should repent. Yet those who reject Christ repudiate the joy of salvation In the night of the bodhi, when Buddha received his great, new and condemn themselves to eternal separation from God. To pro­ insight concerning the world and life, God was touching him and claim Jesus as "the Savior of the world" is not to affirm that all struggling with him. God revealed Himself in that moment. Bud­ men are either automatically or ultimately saved, still less to affirm dha responded to this revelation, and his answer to this day reveals that all religions offer salvation in Christ. Rather it is to proclaim God's hand and the result of human repression. In the "night God's love for a world of sinners and to invite all men to respond of power" of which the ninety-seventh sura of the Koran speaks, to him as Savior and Lord in the wholehearted personal commit­ the night when "the angels descended" and the Koran de­ ment of repentance and faith. Jesus Christ has been exalted above scended from Allah's throne, God dealt with Mohammed and every other name; we long for the day when every knee shall bow touched him. God wrestled with him in that night, and God's hand to him and every tongue confess him Lord." is still noticeable in the answer of the prophet, but it is also the result of human repression. The great moments in the history of religion are the moments when God wrestled with man in a very This statement, claiming the authority of Scripture as its sole particular way. 6 basis, clearly declares: 1. God has revealed himself in a general way in nature; The Christian missionary then does not bring God or Christ 2. This revelation is not salvific and results in condemnation be­ to another culture. God, the Creator, and Christ, the Logos, who cause people reject the truth; gives light to every person coming into the world, has been work- 3. Jesus Christ, the God-man, is the only Savior, because only he is a ransom from sin and mediator between people and God; 4. Christ reveals himself through the Christian Gospel, but he Dialogue will help does not speak through other religions and ideologies; 5. Universal salvation in Christ is offered to all, but effective only sharpen our understanding to those who respond in faith to him; of Holy Scripture. 6. Those who reject Christ are eternally lost; 7. Syncretism must be avoided; 8. That kind of dialogue which assumes that "Christ speaks ing there long before the missionary arrived. Cross-cultural com­ equally in other religions" is to be repudiated. 3 municators will be sensitive to this fact, both to the positive and negative, even as they proclaim God's love as revealed in the Since this was not a church-originated confessional state­ incarnate Christ. ment, many of those who signed it may not have been affirming Fourth, dialogue, except as the first step in the evangelizing their agreement with every jot and tittle. In the subsequent fifteen process, is still a "dirty" word to most evangelicals. They point years (and with a few people even earlier), some evangelical thinkers out, probably correctly, that the broad evangelical community is have modified their conclusions, although not radically. gradually losing its conviction about the lostness of humanity and First, a small number of evangelical writers affirm that the that this was one reason for mainline denominations losing their divine self-revelation (whether some type of original revelation motivation for world mission. If, however, God's revelation of or the operation of the Divine Logos) is, at least potentially salvific. himself may be seen in the world's religions, then there is every This general revelation, recorded in many sections of Scripture, reason to engage in serious dialogue. This is no substitute, how­ is broad enough to include a sense of God's kindness and mercy ever, for mission, including evangelism. The primitive New Tes­ as well as God's claim on the human conscience. If the individual tament church apparently did not specifically raise the issue of responds to this sense of need and gives oneself in "self­ "How will those be saved who have never heard?" For them, abandonment to God's mercy," then salvation is possible. These to believe in Christ was to participate in his mission and to obey writers do not claim that this process is operating on a large scale. his call to "disciple the nations." It was assumed that the It would seem to be more what others have called "loophole" message would go everywhere. Dialogue, however, will help or "lifeboat salvation.:" The more predominant view among sharpen understanding of Holy Scripture, will give new under­ evangelicals continues to be that a positive response to God's standing of human need and alternative responses to meeting it, general revelation prepares hearers to receive the Gospel message and will establish personal relationships with others in their unique when they are later exposed to it. 5 human situations. We enter into dialogue confessionally and com­ Second, a corollary to this view is that such salvation does passionately. 7

JANUARY 1991 13 Even as some evangelicals have pushed their thinking to the much less confidence that many will be saved in this way. The parameters of their tradition, they are not ready to give up the Roman Catholic motive for mission is much less to evangelize, label of "exclusivists.r" They hold firmly to sola scriptura and as understood traditionally, than it is to inform men and women affirm that salvation may be found only in Christ, whether many that they already have a saving relationship with God. people explicitly or very few implicitly, put their faith in him." While stopping short of affirming that Roman Catholics and This is not the same as saying that Christ is working incognito evangelicals might have a common witness in evangelism (as they through other religious systems, and that a person only needs, .do have a common witness in many other areas), the document for example, to be a "better Hindu" in order to be saved. is of great value in sharpening the perspectives of those in both communities. Evangelicals, rightly or wrongly, have less ambi­ The Evangelical-Roman Catholic Dialogue on guity in their position: they claim, even with more recent nuances, Mission to have an exclusive Gospel that demands urgency in the task of world evangelization. Roman Catholics have an identity crisis. Informally, dialogue goes on between evangelicals and ecumen­ Robert Schreiter states it succintly: "How can the church retain ical Protestants. We see this documented in a book like Paul its absolute claim to exclusive possession of the truth and of Knitter's No OtherName? as well as in the pages of many mission salvation and at the same time affirm the goodness and even journals, such as Missiology, International Review of Mission, and validity of other religious traditions?" How can it affirm both the INTERNATIONAL BULLETIN OF MIS~IONARY RESEARCH. Too often, "the necessity of mission and the integrity of other religious unfortunately, the authors speak past each other, much in the traditions?"12 fashion that George Bush and Michael Dukakis did in the so­ called presidential debates. The line between the more progressive evangelicals (whether The Evangelistic Mandate we call them conservative or ecumenical evangelicals) and evan­ gelical ecumenists not affiliated with the LCWE is often very thin. Because Protestant churches held to the uniqueness and univer­ Where do we place Stephen Neill or even Karl Barth? Lesslie sality of Jesus Christ, they sent missionaries to evangelize in all Newbigin was certainly more evangelical in the celebration of the parts of the world. The message they all proclaimed, at least until fiftieth anniversary of Tambaram than any of his fellow ecumen­ 1900, was in the evangelical tradition and would be well repre­ ical Protestant participants. 10 David Bosch, while confessing that sented by the Lausanne Covenant. As they aggressively pre­ we "have a partial understanding and experience of God," sented this exclusive Gospel in Asia, they butted head-on with affirms that we enter into dialogue with "conviction and com­ the classical religious traditions of these countries-i-Buddhism in mitment."11 China and Japan and Hinduism in India. Valuable as informal dialogue may be, more is accomplished Early Protestant missionaries spoke disparagingly to the by formal structures that enable participants to interact with one Chinese, as well as to their church supporters at home, concern­ another on specific topics over a period of time. Such was the ing the pagan idols and "silly ceremonies" that made up Evangelical-Roman Catholic Dialogue on Mission (ERCDOM), Buddhism, whose traditions formed a large part of Chinese daily which took place at three separate sites from 1977 to 1984. While life. It was a "system of morality without a conscience, a sys­ the Roman Catholic participants were named bythe Vatican Sec­ tem of philosophy which wears the mask of transcendental mys­ retariat for Promoting Christian Unity and represented the official ticism or of nihilistic cynicism...." They passed out Christian teaching of their church, the evangelical participants represented tracts in Buddhist temple precincts and seldom sought to under­ only themselves and came from a variety of backgrounds and stand the function of Buddhism in society. Despite this negative traditions. attitude, it is paradoxical that many Buddhist terms-heaven, hell, The areas of agreement emerging from this extended inter­ devil, soul, life to come, new birth, advent, sin, repentance, and action were indeed remarkable and encouraging. Participants retribution-found their way into the Chinese Protestant Bible, reached a general consensus on the uniqueness and universality possibly through the use by Morrison of a partial, early Catholic of Jesus Christ and on the reality of God's activity outside the translation made in the mid-eighteenth century. Christian community. The basic point of disagreement was over In Japan a mutual enmity existed between the Christian faith the extent of salvation and the way it is mediated. Roman Cath­ and Buddhism. To the newly arrived missionaries Japan was the olics affirmed the view of Pope John Paul II's encyclical Redemptor land of "the Gods and the Buddha," and the Buddhists re­ Hominis that "every person, without exception, has been re­ ferred to Christian missionary work as "shinnyu," meaning deemed by Christ, and with each person, without any exception, "invasion," "intrusion," or "aggression." The mission­ Christ is in some way united, even when that person is not aware aries often referred to their work as the "occupation of Japan" of that." In one place the document indicated that people must and saw themselves as "religious invaders." Few indeed were respond to God and be born anew to gain this salvation; another the missionaries who tried to relate seriously to Buddhism." section indicated that most of humankind would receive God's In China the story was different with Confucian ideology. mercy, unless they "specfically reject his offer." Protestant missionaries recognized that this represented the warp Evangelicals, with a more radical sense of humanity's de­ and woof of Chinese society, and in their preaching, writing, and pravity, make a sharp distinction between those "in Christ" training they tried, with varying degrees of success, to relate and those who are not. The salvific work of Christ is sufficient themselves to the Confucian framework. In fact, their own mental for all, but a personal decision must be made to receive him and grid of Scottish realism or "common sense," popularized widely to be transferred from the "kingdom of darkness" to the in many American colleges through William Paley's Natural The­ "kingdom of his beloved Son" (Col. 1:13). ology, fitted nicely with Chinese "natural theology." Some While some evangelicals do not differ from the official Roman missionaries, most notably many from the London Missionary Catholic position that people may receive God's saving grace Society, such as James Legge, Walter Medhurst, and Alexander without explicitly "naming the Name" of Jesus, they have Williamson, followed the path pioneered by the early Jesuit mis­

14 INTERNATIONAL BULLETIN OF MISSIONARYREsEARCH sionaries, and affirmed that God's self-revelation was writ large monastery in Shatin.,,17 Eventually, Reichelt had to leave his Nor­ on the pages of the ancient Chinese classics. wegian mission agency and carry on his work independently. In general, most missionaries were fearful of converts who We must applaud with William Hutchison the creative efforts looked "too Confucian," but some argued for "Confucius of many missionary pioneers: "The sensitivity that some mis­ plus Christ," noting that a Chinese Christian who performed the sionary theorists brought to the dilemmas of cultural interaction Confucian rites, "renounces nothing, nor is he supposed to was more than just enlightened for its time---often it was enlight­ accept any anti-Christian doctrine." No issue in Asia, whether in ened for any time, our own included.Y'" Unfortunately, for most China or Japan, offended the sensitivities of the receptor cultures missionaries, host-country cultural assumptions, the colonialist­ more than the attitude of Protestant missionaries toward the an­ era mentality, the burden of power, lack of anthropoligical in­ cestral rites. With very few exceptions these were viewed as re­ sights, and superficial theological interpretations doomed them ligious idolatry, and little attempt was made to understand their to relate inadequately to receptor cultures. social dimensions. As a result, they were rejected out of hand, Today we are required to do far better. The world is changing and this proved to be an insurmountable obstacle to the reception dramatically. Pluralism, long present, is much more apparent; the of the Gospel message;" formal, colonial period has ended; in most areas of the world Christianity has lost or is losing its power base, and the world The manner in which the "exclusive message" was pro­ faces crucial problems, with many calling for less competition and claimed is related to the issue of power. In the pre-1842 period, more collaboration among religions. before the missionaries had any of the clout and privilege derived If evangelical theology has not changed radically in its thinking from the unequal treaties imposed on China following the Opium about relationship to other religions, what may we say about War, they, with some exceptions such as Karl Gutzlaff, acted in evangelical attitudes and practices? In fact, when there has been a sensitive way toward Chinese culture. Their attitudes, as ex­ formal dialogue between evangelicals and other groups on rela­ pressed in what they wrote, were often superior and judgmental, tionships with other faiths, evangelical attitudes have been crit­ but they had to be careful in what they did. Following 1842, icized more strongly than their theology. Critics have been willing attitudes and actions changed dramatically. Now they had power to concede evangelical assertions on the Lordship of Christ and and privilege, "rights" to throw their weight about. They could on his uniqueness and universality. They often agree that these do what they wanted, and they did! This atmosphere removed doctrines lead logically to the exclusive nature of the Christian them far from the poor, humble, and persecuted early Christian faith. What they object to is the way in which evangelicals load band who first proclaimed the message of Acts 4:12. Their mes­ these concepts with historical and cultural assumptions that de- sage and attitude threatened the officials and gentry who were the patrons of the Confucian tradition. In the latter half of the nineteenth century and in the early twentieth century, Darwin's evolutionary hypothesis, the em­ For Chinese Christians phasis on the social Gospel, the rise of the higher critical method today, worldly weakness is in biblical studies, and the modernist-fundamentalist controversy in America began to divide the solid evangelical stance of Prot­ bringing spiritual strength. estant missionaries in China. This eventually found organiza­ tional expression with the formation in 1920 of The Bible Union, rive from an American worldview. Thus, they accuse them, rightly joined by over two thousand missionaries who were disturbed in more instances than not, of triumphalism, a cocksure attitude, both by growing doctrinal deviation in other expressions of Chris­ aggressiveness, cold, analytic logic, no sensitivity to people, and tian unity in China and by "a more tolerant attitude toward a continued colonial mentality. Chinese religious practices."IS In this new climate of alleged tolerance some Protestant mis­ During the last two decades, we have turned the corner on sionaries began to feel better about Buddhism. W. A. P. Martin. some of these attitudes. Many evangelical missionaries are re­ believed that its emphasis on belief in a divine being (in its Ma­ ceiving in-depth training in cultural anthropology and have begun hayana form) and in the immortality of the soul made it a preparatio to give attention not merely to the message, but to the way in evangelica for Christianity. He effusively claimed that "praise which it is perceived by receptor cultures. What changes are oc­ to the Buddhist divinities was worthy to be laid as an offering at curring?" the feet of Jehovah." D. Z. Sheffield of the American Board of 1. Even as evangelicals continue to proclaim Christ as the Commissioners for Foreign Missions replied tartly: only Savior, they see that this must be done, to use Kosuke Koyama's apt phrase, by "crucified minds, not a crusading I have no sympathy with that sort of thing and think that Christian spirit." The cross is not merely the center of the message of men, and above all missionaries, are in the poorest kind of business salvation; it is crucial for Christian living and ministry. We see when they set out to coquet with heathen religions, magnifying the need to refuse power, privilege, and position and to walk in their virtues and belittling their vices. 16 weakness and vulnerability. Ironically, this only returns us to square one: the pre-Constantinian church that presented its rad­ Timothy Richard, an English Baptist, was enthralled by the Buddhist ical message in the marketplace of competing ideologies. book, The Awakening of Faith, and called it an "Asiatic form of The churches in China are a paradigm for this. Pre-1949 they the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ in Buddhist nomenclature." were privileged within Chinese society and had a power base Karl Reichelt, originally affiliated with the Norwegian Mis­ within and outside China. Yet they were spiritually weak, few in sionary Society, founded the Christian Mission to Buddhists and, number, divided, and viewed as foreign. From 1949 until now although adhering firmly to the uniqueness of the historical Christ, they have had no privilege or power base, and this has enabled found many creative ways to identify with the "friends of the them to throw off the foreign label and experience one of the Dao," seekers after the truth within the Buddhist tradition. Critics greatest revivals of church history. Worldly strength produced referred to his center on Dao Feng Shan as "that Buddhist weakness; worldly weakness is now bringing spiritual strength.

JANUARY 1991 15 2. Evangelicals are beginning to think more relationally. They may be the first priority." We may be called upon to join with see the need to "proclaim the truth in love," to present Christ, those of other religious groups to meet common needs related to not religious systems, to people. Particularly in Asian countries, poverty, injustice, and exploitation. This has often been required truth must be tied closely with personal relationships, and neatly in the past and will be an increasing need in days ahead. packaged and closely reasoned arguments must take second place. Even as evangelicals recognize the need for a theology of This demands that we come as learners and listen with empathy, presence, they find it impossible to neglect the evangelistic man­ that ability to put ourselves in the place of people within the date. The poor and the affluent, the refugees and those with homes, receptor culture and understand their needs as they see them. the oppressed and the oppressors, those in war and in peace, 3. Evangelicals recognize the difference between evangelism those who sin and are sinned against-theyare all men and women and proselytism. Adoniram Judson, unusual for his day, saw this who need to be reconciled to God through Jesus Christ, irre­ clearly 150 years ago. He refused to use his scientific expertise to spective of what their traditional religion may be. As the end of debunk indigenous ideas about eclipses, since he felt that this a millennium draws near, the number of evangelistic programs would enable him to manipulate his hearers into believing the and strategies to reach all peoples are multiplying. We must be . Gospel. The Evangelical-Roman Catholic dialogue reached con­ careful about the rhetoric and "hype" that accompany these sensus on "the ethics of Biblical persuasion." The authority efforts and that cause the world to think we are mounting another of money, cultural origin, political connection, knowledge, su­ crusade to return to the "Christendom" of old. But guilt from perior formal education, technology, and mission-agency clout past mistakes must not immobilize us. We need new, creative must yield to the authority of Jesus Christ. attitudes. We need to work as if all depended on us, and yet trust 4. Evangelicals are learning to present the message of Christ God's grace for those we cannot reach, confessing that God will within the context of local religious traditions. Don Richardson's deal justly and mercifully with them in ways beyond our ability use of the "peace child" as a "redemptive analogy" for to perceive. Jesus within the Sawi culture of Papua New Guinea, is a good In summary, what may we say? A growing consensus has example of this. developed over the past twenty-five years among the evangelical, 5. Evangelicals see the need in our chaotic world to live by Roman Catholic, and conciliar ecumenical communities, partic­ the theology of presence. They have already recognized the need ularly in how we feel and act toward other religious faiths. We for this in a hostile context where nothing else was possible. In still have a distance to go in our theologizing. We have not resolved some areas of the world where competing religious beliefs have our differences in authority and hermeneutics. These are not pe­ produced extremely fragile intercommunity relationships, it may ripheral, but reflect basic understandings integral to each of our be wise, as well as Christian, to refrain from overt evangelism communities. We have a need for continued dialogue and in­ that would exacerbate this. Renewed community relationships creased mutual trust.

Notes------~------

1. Paul Knitter, No Other Name? (Maryknoll, N.Y.: Orbis Books, 1985), texts." In his article "Exclusivism, Tolerance, and Truth," in Mis­ p.77. siology 15, no. 2 (Apri11987), Harold Netland, a missionary to Japan 2. The Lausanne Covenant was signed by Christian leaders from 150 with the Evangelical Free Church of America, who holds a doctorate nations at the International Congress on World Evangelization, held in philosophy from Claremont Graduate School, argues that if we are at Lausanne, Switzerland in 1974. to have a view of the relation among religions that is epistemologically ..J. John Stott, The Lausanne Covenant: An Exposition and Commentary sound and accurately portrays the values and beliefs of the respective (Wheaton, Ill.: Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization, 1975), religions, something like traditional Christian exclusivism is una­ p. 9 voidable; cf. pp. 77-95. Also see Harold Netland, "Toward Con­ 4. See chapter 5 "No Other Name" in J. N. D. Anderson, Christianity textualized Apologetics," Missiology 16, no. 3 (july 1988):289-304. It andComparative Religion (Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1971); does not encourage dialogue on this issue for Wilfred Cantwell Smith also Peter Cotterell, "The Unevangelized: An Olive Branch from to make the statement that "exclusivism strikes more and more the Opposition," International Review ofMission no. 305 (january 1988): Christians as immoral. If the head proves it true, while the heart sees 131-135; Millard J. Erickson, "Hope for Those Who Haven't Heard? it as wicked, un-Christian, then should Christians not follow the Yes, but-," Evangelical Missions Quarterly (April 1975). heart? Maybe this is the crux of our dilemma." See "An Attempt 5. In a book being prepared for publication, Don Richardson seems to at Summation" in Anderson and Stransky, eds. Christ's Lordship and open the door for many more people to be saved through general Religious Pluralism (Maryknoll, N.Y.: Orbis Books, 1981), P: 202. If revelation than has usually been the evangelical view. This is con­ what evangelicals perceive as valuable is defined as "un-Chris­ sistent with his view expressed in Eternityin Their Hearts that general tian," "immoral," and "wicked," dialogue has been rendered revelation was the means for salvation In the period before Abraham; impossible! in Don Richardson, Eternity in Their Hearts (Ventura, Calif.: Regal, 9. I personally am not impressed by the academic rigor of the sociological 1981), pp. 31-33. and/or historical arguments used by some Roman Catholic and Prot­ 6. J. H. Bavinck, The Church Between Temple and Mosque (Grand Rapids, estant scholars to void Acts 4:12 and other similar verses of any the­ Mich.: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1966),p. 125. Another ological meaning. I think of Gregory Baum's "survival language," of Bavinck's books, An Introduction to the Science of Missions, has long Krister Stendahl's "confessional language, rather than proposi­ been used as a standard text in missiology in many evangelical sem­ tional" (See Gerald H. Anderson and Thomas F. Stransky, eds., Christ's inaries and Bible colleges. Lordship and Religious Pluralism, pp. 88 and 15, and John Gager's 7. Phil Parshall related the story in a meeting of the American Society "cognitive dissonance" in Martin E. Marty and Frederick E. Green­ of Missiology at Wheaton College in June 1984, of his deep, personal spahn, eds., Pushing theFaith [New York: Crossroad, 1988], pp. 67­ relationship with a Muslim friend with whom he shared many periods 77). These authors are apparently not comfortable with the narrow of family prayer. focus of these texts; neither am I, but I have no liberty to evade them. 8. A few evangelical thinkers have developed more philosophical skills 10. See Lesslie Newbigin, International Review of Mission 78, no. 307 (july for presenting their case and no longer depend on biblical "proof 1988).

16 INTERNATIONAL BULLETIN OF MISSIONARY REsEARCH 11. David Bosch, "The Church in Dialogue: From Self-Delusion to versity Press, 1978) and Confucius, the Buddha, and Christ: A History or Vulnerability," Missiology 16, no. 2 (April 1988): p. 144. the Gospel in Chinese (Maryknoll, N.Y.: Orbis Books, 1986). 12. Robert Schreiter, "Changes in Roman Catholic Attitudes toward 15. Wallace Merwin, Adventure in Unity (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Wm. B. Proselytism and Mission," in Marty and Greenspahn eds., Pushing Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1974), p. 23. the Faith, p. 106. 16. Covell, W. A. P. Martin, p. 247. 13. Notto R. TheIle, Buddhism and Christianity in Japan: From Conflict to 17. Covell, Confucius, the Buddha, and Christ, Chapter 6. Dialogue, 1854-1899 (Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1987), pp. 18. William Hutchison, Errand to the World: American Protestant Thought 7,39. and Foreign Missions (Chicago, Ill.: Univ. of Chicago Press, 1987), 14. Material on the Confucian and Buddhist contexts in which the early p.205. China missionaries preached is taken from two of my books: W. A. P. 19. The attitudes expressed in these few pages are to be found expressly Martin: Pioneer of Progress in China (Washington, D.C.: Christian Uni­ in the writings of some evangelical missiologists.

A Boon or a "Drag"? How North American Evangelical Missionaries Experience Home Furloughs

Robert T. Coote

ccording to the ideal, a missionary shoul~ experience his through the pledged support of the individual candidate's net­ A or' her home furlough, or "home assignment," as a work of friends and sympathetic churches. It would be difficult time of personal renewal. Protestant mission agency handbooks to imagine today's vast evangelical missionary community based typically prescribe a combination of rest and family visitation, in North America-some 40,000 career missionaries-apart from medical checkups, deputation or "mission interpretation," and the extensive use of this decentralized approach to financing. This personal enrichment studies "so the ministry will beenhanced." means that a significant portion of the evangelical missionary's But .according to the findings of a recent survey conducted furlough time must be spent on the road, affirming and if need by the Overseas Ministries Study Center of New Haven, Con­ be, renewing the network of supporters. Some missionaries may necticut, furlough time may not always be a boon; sometimes it be so solidly underwritten, and their base of support so concen­ is experienced as a "drag." "My Furlough Experience," as trated in one area, that they may be able to keep their away-from­ the survey was titled, explored patterns among conservative home deputation work down to just a few weeks. The amount evangelical missionaries in North America regarding furlough of time on the road for North American evangelical missionaries­ housing and continuing education. Provision was also made for as reported in all three of the surveys conducted by the Overseas spontaneous comments, and since one out of three respondents Ministries Study Center-typically ranges from eight to fourteen volunteered additional information, the survey produced a rather weeks. Some, however, spend two to three months of their fur­ well-nuanced picture of how missionaries experience their fur­ lough away from home in the fall, plus additional time in the lough periods. The surzey was thethird in a series conducted by spring. A minority report being on the road as many as 40 to 50 the Overseas Ministries Study Center during the decade of the weeks out of their year of furlough. 1980s, and therefore we are enabled to identify trends as well as current issues. The fifteen agencies that participated in the 1989 survey are Conservative evangelicals make up the vast majority of the as follows: North American Protestant overseas career missionary force, and therefore fifteen of the .larger evangelical agencies were invited Members of the Interdenominational Foreign Mission Associa­ to participate in the survey. For the most part, these agencies tion come under the rubric of "faith missions," a term rooted in * Africa Evangelical Fellowship the final years of the nineteenth century, when North American AIM International (formerly Africa Inland Mission) mainline denominational societies could not muster the funds out * Overseas Missionary Fellowship (formerly China Inland of their central treasury to support all of the volunteers who Mission) presented themselves for overseas service. The denominational * SEND International (formerly Far East Gospel Crusade) societies also emphasized formal educational preparation, and SIM International (formerly Sudan Interior Mission) this deterred many of the newer evangelical candidates who at * UFM International (formerly Unevangelized Fields Mis­ that time often took exception to the mainline emphasis on higher sion) education. * World team Inc. (formerly West Indies Mission) In response, in the late nineteenth and early twentieth cen­ turies a number of "faith mission" voluntary societies were Members of the Evangelical Foreign Missions Association formed, financed on the basis of "personal support," that is, ** Baptist General Conference Christian and Missionary Alliance Conservative Baptist Foreign Mission Society * Evangelical Free Church Robert T. Coote is Assistant to the Director for Planning and Development, * Mission to the World (Presbyterian Church of America) Overseas Ministries Study Center, New Haven, Connecticut. * OMS International (formerly Oriental Mission Society)

JANUARY 1991 17 ,. WEC International (formerly Worldwide Evangelization agency's housing allowance of $300, they said, was "totally Crusade) inadequate." • One family (second furlough; three children) reported being so Unaffiliated "stressed out" that they are considering leaving missionary Wycliffe Bible Translators life.

These agencies supplied names and addresses of the mis­ • Still another couple reported the wife's commitment to getting her master's degree-"a good but very intense program." sionaries that were home on furlough in 1989; the survey was Meanwhile the husband traveled the deputation road and con­ conducted during the summer and fall of 1989. Out of 647 ques­ cluded, "I can't wait to get back to Kenya and have a normal tionnaires mailed, 472 were returned, or 73 percent. This unu­ 6O-hour week." sually high rate of return evidently reflects the eagerness of the respondents to tell their story. The two earlier surveys were conducted in 1981 and 1984. At the same time, an element of personal style, resourceful­ The three surveys provide insight as to how missionaries over ness, and general outlook on life must be taken into consideration. the last decade have dealt with deputation pressures, met their The 1989 survey also included some upbeat comments, such as housing needs, and enhanced their educational and professional this one from a Canadian missionary couple with the Overseas credentials while home on furlough. Missionary Fellowship (OMF), who after six furloughs and five For most North American evangelical missionaries, furlough children testify: "God has provided beautifully for us as a lasts nearly a year, following terms of service that average nearly family during furlough." four years. This pattern may come as a surprise to those more One of the most significant aspects of the 1989 survey is its representativeness. In addition to the fact that more than seven out of ten "units" answered the survey (a "unit" is a mis­ sionary couple or a single, unmarried missionary), the survey "Studying for degrees dealt with a larger universe of furloughing missionaries than in and further education?!" the previous surveys, and therefore it garnered a much larger number of responses: 472 as compared to about 200 in 1981 and replied one furloughing 1984. As already indicated, fourteen of the fifteen agencies in the missionary. "Surely survey are members of the Interdenominational Foreign Mission you jest!" Association (IFMA) or the Evangelical Foreign Missions Associ­ ation (EFMA). The personnel of these fourteen agencies account for about 35 percent of the total IFMA/EFMA overseas force; there­ familiar with mainline mission societies, where furloughs/home fore we can surmise that the survey reflects a reasonably accurate assignments may be limited to three to six months and come as picture of the IFMA/EFMAcommunity as a whole. And Wycliffe often as every three years. Bible Translators, the fifteenth agency, is known to be very rep­ resentative indeed of the North American evangelical community. Some of the 1989 survey respondents went out of their way to express appreciation for families and friends who arranged Continuing Education affordable housing and transportation and to mission headquar­ ters that increasingly encourage them to seek further education At the time of the first of the Overseas Ministries Study Center during furlough in order to enhance their ministry. However, the furlough surveys, in 1981, numerous respondents commented on words of appreciation are frequently accompanied by sober as­ the lack of support within the agency headquarters for continuing sessments of the pressures and problems that typically accom­ education. At that time, the number involved in continuing ed­ pany furlough. Sometimes it appears that problems loom large: ucation (everything from one- or two-day workshops to full ac­ ademic programs) was about 40 out of 100, and of these only 14 • "Furlough is a drag." This missionary couple visited twenty­ were engaged in graduate degree programs. In the 1984 survey, five churches to gamer support. the numbers jumped dramatically to 85 out of 100. The increase • Furlough was "a rude awakening. What we thought would came not in graduate degree programs but in individual courses be a time of 'regrouping,' studying, visiting family and churches taken for credit (but without any stated plan to earn a degree), and deputation has been a time of hard physical labor just to or noncredit seminars and workshops/conferences. pay rent, food and other living expenses. Studying for degrees The 1989 total remains about the same, but the spread is and further education?! Surely you jest!" strikingly different: Now the proportion pursuing graduate de­ • One family settled down in Washington state but then spent grees has jumped from 14 out of 100 to 23 out of 100 (109 out of much of furlough traveling and moteling through ten states 472). Table 1 summarizes the findings of the three surveys in this stretching all the way to North Carolina. regard. • A couple on their sixth furlough, with one child living at home, found it necessary to spend $725 a month for housing; their Clearly, the stereotype of conservative evangelical mission­ aries as minimally educated enthusiasts is totally inadequate. One particular statistic, not reported in Table 1, reinforces the profile ,. Indicates a "mid-range" agency, that is, an agency fielding 100­ of the contemporary evangelical missionary: Of the respondents 300 missionaries. Other agencies in the survey range from about 500 in the 1989 survey who were home on their first furlough, 55 (AIM Int'l) to more than 2,000 (Wycliffe Bible Translators). For the percent reported that they already hold one or more graduate purpose of the survey analysis, returns from the mid-range agencies are merged and reported under an IFMA set and an EFMA set. degrees. This means that most of them went out as brand new ,.,. Baptist General Conference is merged and reported with Conserv­ recruits already credentialed with master's or doctoral degrees. The ative Baptist Foreign Mission Society. majority of these were not ordination degrees but rather academic

18 INTERNATIONAL BULLETIN OF MIssIONARY REsEARCH just as much emphasis on advanced forinal education as EFMA­ Table 1. Missionary Continuing Education, 1981-1989 related missionaries. 1989: Universe In the 1989 survey we find no complaints about lack of sup­ Graduate Level Work 1981 1984 = 472 units port from headquarters. On the contrary, we read: 1. Individuals" holding graduate NA 39% 51% 240 level degrees "Our mission (UFM International) encourages studying, for which 2. Individuals w. graduate degrees 14% 14% 23% 109** I am thankful." in progress 3. Individuals w. undergrad. 7% 6% 21f2% 12 "[We] appreciate the commitment of OMF [Overseas Mission­ degrees in progress ary Fellowship] to further education."

4. Academic Coursework for Credit 8% 31% 19% 88 "I have greatly appreciated the time allowed and the financial (no degree program indicated) assistance given to me by the C&MA [Christian and Missionary Alliance] in order to further my education. This is very important 5. Not-for-credit C.E. Seminars, etc. 21% 41% 42% 196 to me and has done much to increase my loyalty to my mission agency." Numerous repondents extol the benefits of continuing ed­ "Occasionally both spouses report degrees-held or degrees-in-prog­ ucation for their missionary work: ress. In such instances they are counted as "2" even though representing only 1 unit. Note: Inasmuch as lines 1 through 5 represent disparate and/or over­ "My furlough was an extra year longer to allow time for studies lapping categories, the total of the figures in the righthand column which have led to a change from predominantly health care min­ (1989)exceeds the total number of missionary units reporting in the istry to one which will include Bible teaching in an SIM institution." survey. In particular, note that line 1 overlaps with lines 2-5. There is no overlap between lines 2, 3 and 4. "My graduate experience at Wheaton [College] was excellent. **Surprisingly, although more than 100 respondents reported working I recommend that all missionaries take continuing education. It on graduate degrees, less than half identified their furloughs as certainly has helped me approach ministry on the field much more "educational." That is, their agency executives had not formally positively and adequately." (SIM single missionary) granted an education furlough. Evidently, many missionaries are determined to earn further degrees by bits and pieces in the course "I've had two years graduate studies at CBC [Columbia Bible of normal one-year furloughs; they are not waiting for headquarters Seminary/Graduate School of Mission] and am not really working to granteducational furloughs. for the master's-yet I find it worthwhile." (OMF single missionary) Note: Out of 109 degrees in progress, 106 were professional or ac­ ademic degrees other than medical or ordination degrees; only 2 A first-termer, who due to unavoidable circumstances missed out medical degrees and 1 ordination degree were reported. on course work during his furlough ("a great disappointment"), asserts that "my felt need for more education sky rocketed as I began to understand better the challenges we face in ministry." and professional degrees: theology, missiology, education, busi­ ness administration, linguistics, anthropology, sociology, public health, engineering, counseling, communications, management, Still, missionary experiences regarding continuing education etc. are not uniform. Some 1989 respondents maintain that it is nec­ essary to take a leave of absence in order to do "serious" degree This list of subjects also represents the range found among work. A single missionary with an EFMA agency, home on a 13­ the reported graduate degree programs-in-progress. Missions/ month furlough and on the road for deputation almost every missiology heads the list with 34 reported; linguistics and edu­ weekend, managed to take four education courses at a community cation follow, with 11 and 10 reported, respectively. In all, 21 evangelical schools are represented and 30 secular and other in­ stitutions. The IFMA/EFMA missionaries are three times more likely to enroll in an evangelical college or seminary than in a U Furlough is a year of secular college or university, while members of Wycliffe Bible hard work mixed with Translators are almost three times more likely to enroll in a secular institution than in an evangelical one. Overall, approximately ample time to renew ties seven out of every ten missionaries in the 1989 study now hold with family and friends." or are earning one or more graduate degrees. Some missionaries, of course, are holders of ordination de­ grees rather than professional degrees; but what is surprising is college, but she hesitates to commit herself to a master's program, that those who hold only an ordination degree (that is, no addi­ "since furlough [deputation] itself takes up so much time. It tional degree in theology, missiology, or some other professional would be like two full-time jobs [and] I'd go back an exhausted field) comprise only 25 percent of the whole. Table 2 displays the wreck." Some IFMA missionaries, home on an "educational" schools and degree categories of programs in progress. furlough, make the comment that this means they do not receive their normal support allowance from the mission. Explains one Close analysis of the survey data indicates that EFMA-related spouse, "We must live from contributions to the extent that missionaries are half-again as likely to hold graduate degrees as our regular supporters are willing to contribute to our education." IFMA missionaries. Much of this difference can be traced to the A C&MA father with three children writes that he has com­ far greater incidence of ordination degrees among EFMA types. pleted one year of graduate studies and hopes to resume next However, when we shift our attention from degrees already held furlough, although he could not work on the degree this furlough. to degree programs-in-progress, it is discovered that about 20 Another C&MA father has concluded that it is "unrealistic" percent of both EFMA and IFMA types report being engaged in to pursue academic studies with four children in the family. graduate degree programs, suggesting that IFMA types now place A two-term missionary with the Conservative Baptist Foreign Mission Society (CBFMS) reflects the pressure many feel: "There

JANUARY1991 19 was literally no time for serious study this furlough. I am going Furlough Housing back to my field assignment spent. [Furlough] is a grueling ex­ perience although enjoyable as you seek to make contact with all In 1984, when the survey of that year was analyzed, we noted a supporters in 8 months. I believe serious study for me will only shift from 1981 patterns in housing toward renting on the open occur if ... I take a sabbatical. I hope to do so next furlough." market and away from staying with family members/friends. There

Table 2. Evangelical Furlough Patterns: Graduate Degree Programs in Progress ThD MDiv DMin AIM SIM IFMA" C&MA CBFM EFMA" WBT I PhD MA DMis EVANGELICAL INSTITUTIONS: Alliance Theol Sem 1 1 Asbury Theol Sem 2 2 Assem of God Theol Sem 1 1 Azusa Pacific Univ 1 1 3 5 Briercrest Grad Sch 1 1 Canadian Theol Sem 2 2 Columbia Grad Sch 2 3 5 Dallas Theo Sem 1 1 Denver Bapt Sem 1 1 Eastern ColI 1 1 Fuller Sch World Mis 1 1 3 1 4 2 7 1 Grace Bible Inst (CA) 1 1 Grace Theol Sem 1 1 1 3 Inst Holy Land Studies 1 1 Reformed Theol Sem 1 1 Talbot/Biola Sem 1 1 Trinity Evan Div Sch 1 3 2 3 1 4 3 1 10 Trinity Western Sem 2 2 Western Conserv Bapt 1 1 Western Evan Sem 1 1 Westminster Theol Sem 1 2 3 Wheaton Grad Sch 1 2 2 3 - 8 ­ 6 9 13 14 --4 10 10 - 5 47 14 SECULAR AND OTHER INSTITUTIONS: Brandeis Univ 1 1 Calif Polytech 1 1 Emory Univ 1 1 Georgetown Univ 3 3 Indianapolis Univ 1 1 Med ColI GA; Jeff Med 1 1 Middlebury ColI VT 1 1 Stanford Univ 1 1 Univ Amsterdam 1 1 Univ Brit Columbia 1 1 Univ Calif San Diego 1 1 Univ Houston 1 1 Univ Idaho 1 1 Univ Illinois Chicago 1 1 1 1 Univ Nebraska 1 1 Univ New Mexico 1 1 Univ New Orleans 1 1 Univ Oregon 1 1 Univ Pennsylvania 3 3 Univ Purdue 1 1 Univ Santa Cruz 1 1 Univ South Carolina 1 1 Univ So Florida 1 1 Univ Strasbourg 1 1 Univ Texas Arlington 8 8 Univ Wisconsin 1 1 Winthrop ColI SC 1 1 [unspecified] 1 1 1 1 1 3 - 0 - 5 2 5 - 2 5 24 18 25 [NA] GRAND TOTAL (109): 6 14 15 19 6 15 34 23 72 14

"These are groups fielding 100-300 missionaries, considered "mid-range" for the purposes of the survey analysis.

20 INTERNATIONAL BULLETIN OF MISSIONARY REsEARCH was also small but apparent movement toward staying in church­ "Our year home has been very stressful." (One child; first fur­ sponsored housing or investing in one's own home. Staying in lough. This family stayed with relatives because they couldn't af­ established furlough centers or in campus housing (house-par­ ford to rent.) ents, missionaries-in-residence, etc.) showed a slight decline. "It is extremely important that missionaries have a 'home base,' In broad strokes, the pattern for married missionaries in 1984 but definitely not doubling up with family or friends." (Two chil­ was as follows: 42V2 percent chose to rent on the open market; dren; fourth furlough; now own their own home.) the balance chose, in descending order: "The house the church provided was located in the flight pattern of the local airbase. The neighborhood was also dangerous for our -living with family/friends; teenage daughter." (Third furlough; these concerned parents moved -church-sponsored housing; out after three weeks and rented on the open market.) -furlough center, or campus housing (house-parents; missionary- in-residence; student; caretaker) "Having our own home would enable us to organize our time better." (This seven-member family lived with relatives; second -investing in their own home. furlough.)

When the current data is compared with this, we find that An older couple: "We had a very nice [rented] house the pre­ vious furlough, but it took all we had to pay the bills." (This time the picture has not changed a great deal. Renting on the open they moved in with their son.) market remains the preference of married missionaries but has dropped seven points, from 42+ percent in 1981 and 1984 to 35 A single missionary "moved four times this furlough" (in six percent in 1989. Church-sponsored housing is up slightly: 15 per­ months!). cent in 1981, 13 percent in 1984, and 16 percent in 1989. Owning "Locating adequate housing is a crucial issue for furloughs. It one's own home appears more than twice as often in the 1989 could precipitate our withdrawal from overseas service, because survey as in 1984: I1V2 percent in 1981, 7 percent in 1984, up to family life is too disjointed and transient. This is a critical area, 16 percent in 1989. gentlemen." (One child; third furlough. They paid almost $700 a Housing costs have increased on average about 71/2 percent month, in the Midwest.) per year since 1984. For families with two or more children the "Our rent is $925/month [but] the mission allowance is $650. increase since 1984 is 33 percent, while housing for couples with God has provided the difference through two local church groups one child or no children has increased more than 50 percent. The and an interested individual. Praise His name!" (Four children; range in housing costs from one kind of housing to another seems second furlough; in Southern .California.) to have narrowed in recent years. For instance, the cost in 1984 for church-sponsored housing for families with two or more chil­ We take such testimonials seriously. At the same time, we dren was less than half of the cost of renting on the market, but also must note that many of the respondents do not comment on in 1989church-sponsored housing was nearly 70 percent the cost this subject one way or the other. Furthermore, the index used of open market rentals. Similarly, in the 1984 survey, married in the survey to measure degree of satisfaction with housing couples with one child or no children paid 75 percent as much arrangements has remained fairly constant through the decade as families with two or more children; today their housing costs of the 1980s: it stands between "excellent" and "satisfac­ are almost 90 percent of what larger families are paying. Table 3 tory," closer to the "satisfactory" side. Relatively few of the displays how housing options are dispersed among the 1989 sur­ 1989 respondents call their housing "less than satisfactory." vey respondents, along with the monthly costs (including utili­ ties). Additional Observations As was clearly the case in earlier surveys, the 1989 survey demonstrates the pressure some families feel as they seek suitable As stated earlier, the traditional pattern of four years of service housing. The 1989 survey turned up assessments like these: followed by one year of furlough is still the rule among evangelical missionaries; opting for shorter terms is still the exception. The "I am weary of furlough and home-assignment because of in­ average term of overseas service, as calculated from the 1989 adequate finances and the housing arrangements." (Three chil­ survey, is 3.6 years. It was virtually the same in 1984 and 1981. dren; second furlough. This couple depleted their personal savings The average furlough is 10.6 months. Time away from home on in 1989 to pay the bills.) deputation varies widely, but averages about 10 weeks. ("Ed-

Table 3. Missionary Furlough Housing, 1989, with cost per month

Stayed with Rented on Church-spon Own & use Furl. Ctr. Total Fam.lFriend Open Mkt. Housing Own Home or other (averages) Units Cost Units Cost Units Cost Units Cost Units Cost Units Cost 2+ Children 32 $372 75Y2 $629 30 $434 25 $580 25Y2 $465 188 $529 Less than 2 Children 33Y2 302 41Y2 556 23Y2 329 29Y2 522 17 413 145 467 Single 91 222 28 331 4Y2 379 1 250 14Y2 273 139 262 156Y2 145 58 55Y2 57 472 Housing chosen by Marrieds-­ 1984/1989: 22% / 200/0 42Y20/0 / 350/0 13% / 160/0 7% / 160/0 15% / 13%

1984 and 1989 Total av. costs compared: 1984 1989 2+ Children . $397 $529 Less than 2 children . 299 467 Single . 188 262

JANUARY 1991 21 ucational" furlough periods are excluded from these averages.) ficult to rent, because most houses have no furnishings and fur­ When one finds deputation-away-from-home running 25-50 loughing missionaries don't have any either." weeks, the implication is that difficulty has been encountered in raising and maintaining support. An unusually large number of The View from the Executive's Desk missionaries in the "mid-range" EFMA group (for purposes of this study, "mid-range" indicates an agency with 100--300 The response of mission executives to an early draft of this report missionaries overseas) reported being away from home half or may be useful in forming a balanced assessment of the survey. more of the furlough year. (The contrast with other groups was For instance, one EFMA executive, reflecting on the grimmer com­ so marked that we excluded such EFMA-related respondents when ments of missionary respondents, states that some missionaries calculating the survey average.) The question arises, Why is such have the impression that "furlough is a year 'off.' No one extended deputation reported among the "mid-range" EFMA in the world gets one year out of every five off The norm group? The answer may be found in part in the fact that one-fifth would be pastors [within our denomination]. Churches that are of these missionaries report family size of four or more children; large enough to grant sabbaticals are very few.... We see [fur­ in other words, they have higher support levels to raise through lough] as a crucial time for maintaining funds but even more for deputation. maintaining missions interest [through missionary deputation]." Additional observtions can be gleaned from the Appendix: The agency no longer speaks of "furlough," preferring "home "1989 Survey Data Table." (The Appendix is available from assignment" to emphasize the furloughing missionary's ongoing the author upon request.) For example, missionaries with AIM responsibilities. International reported the least expensive arrangements for hous­ The foregoing executive would no doubt wish to read more ing in 1989, displacing SIM from earlier years in that respect. assessments like the foll~wing from a C&MA missionary: Furlough housing centers, we note with surprise, were almost as expensive in 1989 as the average housing arrangement. Church- The [deputation] tours gave me an opportunity to meet many peo­ ple and inform them of our work. I did miss my wife and children, as they missed me, but 14 out of 52 weeks is reasonable tour time .... I firmly believe in continuing education. I plan to take The pressures and graduate courses by mail during our second term and more courses controversies of the during our second furlough (my wife also). I learned (on this, my first furlough) that furlough is not a vacation. It is a year of hard personalized support work mixed with ample time to renew ties with family and friends.

system are still a boiling­ An IFMA agency head, noting the proposal to concentrate point issue with many financial support in a single church, warns that this may backfire. missionaries. He tells of a missionary couple whose support came from a single congregation. Suddently the congregation dropped its support and the couple had to use its first furlough raising support from sponsored housing was not nearly as likely to be deeply "dis­ "scratch." counted" as it was five years ago. Even those missionaries who Paul McKaughan, executive director of EFMA, sympathizes stayed with family members or friends (most missionaries in this with missionaries regarding the hardships they encounter during category are single) paid their hosts 65-85 percent as much as the furlough, particularly the long hours on the deputation road. But, average housing arrangement. Less than half of the familylfriend he says, "I know of no pattern that would enable [the North arrangements were "freebies," which contrasts with 60 per­ American church] to put the same number of missionaries on the cent being "freebies" in 1984. field as does the method of individualized support." Furloughing missionaries, he points out, playa vital and essential role via deputation in that they contribute to "the overall equity po­ Deputation Pressures sition of the mission." McKaughan also observes that the "trend toward profes­ Deputation/fund-raising pressures mentioned at the beginning of " sionalization [e.g., advanced degrees] within the missionary en­ this article find echoes throughout the 1989 survey responses. An terprise" is accompanied by rising expectations. "As I talk with EFMA-related missionary husband, with three children, on his missionaries I find that their economic and lifestyle expectations third furlough, and engaged in a master's program at Wheaton are those of the CPA, lawyer, doctor, professor, and large church Graduate School, writes, "Deputational tours are too long and pastor. . . . These expectations run in direct conflict with the trends getting longer. Furlough allowances are not enough for meeting that are taking place in North American society. An example is expenses in city areas. The spouse must work = stress on the the trend of the working wives due to economic necessities. Mis- family." One missionary, looking for a long-term solution to the I sionaries have unrealistic expectations when compared to middle­ housing problem, would buy a house if the mission agency would class America. As mission agencies we have to do a better job of consider "equity sharing with their workers" (presumably, communicating." this could take the form of providing the down payment). An IFMA related missionary (fifth furlough, four children) asserts, "Churches should be urged to give their 'own' [missionaries] Conclusion at least 80 percent of their support needs, so that during furlough it would be possible to settle in one place and not have to jockey The 1989 survey of evangelical missionary furlough patterns re­ all over the country." An EFMA-related missionary represents a minds us that the pressures and controversies attendant to the frustration common to many others when he writes, "We ex­ personalized support system still register as a boiling-point issue pend much time in finding house, car, etc., on arrival and then with a substantial proportion of the missionary community. Find­ selling again when departing." And another adds, "It is dif­ ing housing that is suitable to a family's independence and re­

22 INTERNATIONAL BULLETIN OF MISSIONARYREsEARCH newal remains a daunting challenge in many cases. Simultaneously, An unanticipated bonus of the 1989 survey is that the selec­ professional preparation for overseas, cross-cultural service has tion of agencies happens to represent the leading edge of current been dramatically on the rise, accompanied, no doubt, by rising growth within the evangelical community. Whereas IFMAlEFMA expectations in many quarters as to lifestyle. How mission ex­ agencies as a whole have increased in numbers of overseas per­ ecutives can communicate to men and women who have often sonnel by about 7 percent in the last five years, the agencies sacrificed dramatically to serve Christ's kingdom that their ex­ participating in this survey have increased 22 percent in the same pectations exceed middle-class North American standards con­ period! There is reason to expect, therefore, that the trends iden­ stitutes a conundrum of the first order-or so it would seem to tified in this study indicate a pattern that will impact IFMAlEFMA this observer. as a whole.

Reader's Response------·

To the Editor: refered to Swedenborg in his letter addressed to the Rev. John Goddard of the Church of New Jerusalem, May 3D, Please permit me to make a few remarks about "The 1928, as "our most venerable elder brother in the Lord" Legacy of Sadhu Sundar Singh" by Eric J. Sharpe which (quoted in Sundar Singh, A Biography, by A. J. Appasamy, appeared in the October 1990issue ofthe BULLETIN. In this Madras: CLS, 1966). scholarly presentation the author thinks that judged by "our usual standards" the Sadhu has not left any legacy T. Dayanandan Francis (p. 166). Although he writes that the Sadhu's witness is General Secretary, Christian Literature Society "compelling" (p. 166) he has not found it necessary to Madras, India make the Sadhu himself speak to the readers from his writ­ ings. The only passage quoted at the end of the article contains the Sadhu's assuring words to those who repent Author's Reply and pray. Sundar Singh continues to be a silent victim speaking through his writings, the bulk of which do not To the Editor: report versions of his ecstatic visions. The Sadhu's "heavens" always directed him back I thank Dr. Francis for his letter. It is only natural that he to the earthly level of human life. Evelyn Underhill, who and I should look upon the legacy of Sadhu Sundar Singh included him in her Mystics of the Church while he was still from different angles, and see it in different lights. That, I living, observed that his "homely sense of Divine in­ take it, is part of what "contextualization" means. I hope, dwelling balances these transcendental apprehensions. If though, that he does not interpret the way I have raised the Third Heaven is ineffable, the First Heaven is that in­ questions about the Sadhu as evidence of a fundamental ward peace and joy which he expects to find in every Chris­ lack of sympathy on my part. Far from it. It is sad all the tian's heart as in his own" (p. 255). He found peace and same to have the Sadhu cast in the role of "silent victim": joy in suffering and said that heaven would not interest this is more emotive than helpful. On Swedenborg, all I him if he could not find a cross there. wrote was that "one might almost say" that for a few The author states that Sundar Singh the ecstatic vi­ years he served Sundar in a guru-like capacity. Obviously sionary is more appealing to him than Sundar Singh the I meant it metaphorically. I assure Dr. Francis that I did not explorer. For me, and I believe for many, the strongest invent the Swedenborg connection, nor do I believe that I appeal comes from Sundar Singh the evangelist. While ac­ have overestimated it. As to my not quoting Sundar Singh knowledging the importance of the mission and ministry extensively enough, I apologize for what was clearly an of the Sadhu, the author says that "without a Sundar error of judgment on my part. But his books, thanks to Dr. Singh, the Christian church in India would have been im­ Francis, are available, and can be read. What are not being measurably the poorer" (p. 166). This is equally true of the read are the hundreds of thousands of words that were world church which is being enriched by the legacy of Sadhu once written about him and his role. Of course, to India he Sundar Singh. His legacy is to be found chiefly in the new was chiefly an evangelist. To the Christian world at large he and bold methods he adopted for sharing the gospel with was far more, and it is that "more" that I have tried to people of many nationalities. touch upon in my article. The author feels that towards the end of his life Swedenborg had become Sundar's guru (p. 165). The loose Eric J. Sharpe use of the word "guru" will not fit in with Sadhu Sundar University of Sydney Singh. His one and only guru was Jesus Christ. Sundar Sydney, Australia

JANUARY 1991 23 Annual Statistical Table on Global Mission: 1991

B David B. Barrett

Mission is Contact AD 1491 AD 1991 Globe: 418 million Globe: 5,384 million he table opposite is designed to help us monitor the pr{)gress T of world mission. Mission is all about Christians being in contact with non-Christians. If there is no such contact, there is no mission going The long-term trend is alarming. The globe's population out of touch on. (When Christians minister to other Christians, it is better to term it with Christians has risen from 329 million in A.D. 1491to 1.2 billion today. ministry or pastoralia, reserving "mission" for contact with non-Chris­ And each year an additional 146 million new souls come into existence--­ tians.) The status of the world Christian mission today as compared to 45 million of them beyond any contact with Christians. five centuries ago is depicted in the accompanying diagram, which divides our globe into three worlds based on how much mission contact exists. No Contact, No Mission World C consists of all those whoindividually call themselves Christian (line 9 opposite). Worlds B and A cover all who individually are identified A fundamental flaw in today's Christian world mission is that most mission as other than Christian (line 19 opposite). World B stands for non-Chris­ agencies are not targeting World A. They are targeting other Christians. tians who are in contact with Christians and who have at least some No contact, no mission. These are the facts of the matter: knowledge of Christ and the Gospel. World A stands for non-Christians - 23% of the globe (World A) is ignorant of Christianity, Christ, and who have never come in contact with Christians and have no knowledge the Gospel. of Christ and the Gospel (line 71 opposite). - 97% of all Christians is out of contact with non-Christians. Up until five hundred years ago there was almost no contact between - 90% of all evangelism is not directed at non-Christians but at the three major races: Caucasoid, Mongoloid, and Negroid. Some 93% of Christians. all Christians then were Whites in Europe. This means that at that time - 91% of all foreign missionaries is targeting populations in World C, World C was virtually a racial ghetto out of touch with the non-Christian the Christian world. world (almost all of which was in World A, with a mere 20/0 in World B). - 95% of all Christian activity benefits only World C. - 99% of all Christian discussion and writing addresses only Christian Contact in the 1990s interests. - 99% of the Christian world's income is spent on itself. Five hundred years later, that picture has radically changed. Mass com­ munication, mass transportation, mass migration, and the resultant re­ Global Warming Reduces Contact ligious pluralism have put all the races in daily contact almost everywhere on earth. Christians (World C) are now found in some 10,000 different Mission in the 1990s is being pushed, further out of contact with World ethnolinguistic peoples; in half of these they form the majority. Christians A by a whole range of secular crises. One is the gradual increase in the today are sufficiently in contact with World B-through presence, witness, earth's temperature of 0.3°C per decade predicted by the United Nations evangelism, local church outreach, social action, foreign missions, liber­ IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change). This will barely in­ ation, interreligious dialogue, etc.-for us to describe its 2.3 billion inhab­ convenience air-conditioned Christians in World C. But experts predict itants as aware of Christ and the Gospel. that global warming will hit hardest the 2.4 billion who live in poverty However, World A, consisting of 1.2 billion people (see lines 71-73 by forcing them downwards into absolute poverty. opposite), remains untouched by Christian missionaries, mission agen­ In 1980,the absolutely poornumbered 975million (22.3%of the world). cies, or the world's 2.6 million local churches. By 1991 this has risen to 23.4%. It is now calculated that global warming will speed up this process until by the year A.D. 2050 some 50% of the David B., Barrett, a contributing editor, has been an ordained missionary of the world will be living in absolute poverty. The unevangelized of World A Church Missionary Society since 1956. Anglican Research Officer since 1970, he will be at the bottom of that heap. is currently Research Consultant to the Southern Baptist Foreign Mission Board; If mission in the 1990s can massively redeploy its resources into direct research director, Charismatic Renewal in the Mainline Churches; and Vatican contact with World A, it could recover its traditional vitality. Otherwise, Consultant on world evangelization. it will remain virtually irrelevant in the unfolding global drama.

METHODOLOGICAL NOTES ON TABLE (refer­ above, plus in 1991 some 210 million adherents of 55. Total general-purpose computers and word pro­ ring to numbered lines on opposite page). Indented other minor religions). This is also the definition of cessors owned by churches, agencies, groups, and categories form part of, and are included in, unin­ World A (the unevangelized) plus \Vorld B (evange­ individual Christians. dented categories above them. Definitions of cate­ lized non-Christians). 56. On strict UNESCO definition of book (over 49 gories are as given and explained in World Christian 23. Church members involved in the Pentecostal/ pages). Encuclopedia (1982), with additional data and expla­ Charismatic Renewal. Totals on this line overlap with 63. Total of audiences in line Nos. 64 and 65, exclud­ nations as below. The analytical trichotomy of Worlds those on lines 26-32. ing overlap. A,B,C is expounded, through 33 global diagrams, in 25. World totals of current long-term trend for all 65. Total regular audience for Christian programs over a new handbook of global statistics: Our Globe andHow confessions. (See Our Globe andHOw toReach It, Global secular or commercial stations. to Reach It: Seeing theWorldEvangelized by AD 2000and Diagram 5.) 71-72. (also 70). Defined as in WCE, parts 3,5,6, and Beyond (D. B. Barrett & T. M. Johnson, Birmingham, 26-32. The total of these entries can be reconciled to 9. Ala.: New Hope, 1990). line No. 9 by referring to WCE, Global Table 4. 74. Grand total of all distinct plans and proposals for 9-. Widest definition: professing Christians plus secret 48-54. Defined as in article "Silver and Gold Have accomplishing world evangelization made by Chris­ believers, which equals affiliated (church members) I None," in International BulletinofMissionary Research, tians since A.D. 30. (See Barrett and Reapsome, Seven plus nominal Christians. World C is the world of all October 1983, page 150. Hundred Plans to Evangelize the World: The Rise of a who individually are Christians. 53. Amounts embezzled (U.S. dollar equivalents, per Global Evangelization Movement, New Hope, 1988). 19. Total of all non-Christians (sum of rows 10-18 year).

24 INfERNATIONAL BULLETIN OF MISSIONARY REsEARCH STATUS OF GLOBAL MISSION, 1991, IN CONTEXT OF 20TH CENTURY Year: 1900 1970 1980 1991 2000 WORLD POPULATION 1. Total population 1,619,886,800 3,610,034,400 4,373,917,500 5,384,575,000 6,251,055,000 2. Urban dwellers 232,694,900 1,354,237,000 1,797,479,000 2,320,752,000 2,916,501,000 3. Rural dwellers 1,387,191,900 2,255,797,400 2,576,438,500 3,063,823,000 3,334,554,000 4. Adult population 1,025,938,000 2,245,227,300 2,698,396,900 3,300,518,000 3,808,564,300 5. Literates 286,705,000 1,437,761,900 1,774,002,700 2,257,853,000 2,697,595,100 6. Nonliterates 739,233,000 B07,465,400 924,394,200 1,042,665,000 1,110,969,200 WORLDWIDE EXPANSION OF CITIES 7. Metropolises (over 100,000 population) 400 2,400 2,700 3,500 4,200 8. Megacities (over 1 million population) 20 161 227 340 433 WORLD POPULATION BY RELIGION 9. Christians (total all kinds) (= World C) 558,056,300 1,216,579,400 1,432,686,500 1,795,900,000 2,130,000,000 10. Muslims 200,102,200 550,919,000 722,956,500 961,423,280 1,200,653,000 11. Nonreligious 2,923,300 543,065,300 715,901,400 881,973,770 1,021,888,400 12. Hindus 203,033,300 465,784,BOO 582,749,900 720,736,540 859,252,300 13. Buddhists 127,159,000 231,672,200 273,715,600 326,923,760 359,092,100 14. Atheists 225,600 165,288,500 195,119,400 236,033,410 262,447,600 15. New-Religionists 5,910,000 76,443,100 96,021,800 119,656,570 138,263,800 16. Tribal religionists 106,339,600 88,077,400 89,963,500 99,535,190 100,535,900 17. Sikhs 2,960,600 10,612,200 14,244,400 18,720,690 23,831,700 18. Jews 12,269,800 15,185,900 16,938,200 17,865,180 19,173,600 19. Non-Christians (=Worlds A and B) 1,061,830,500 2,393,455,000 2,941,231,000 3,588,675,000 4,121,055,000 GLOBAL CHRISTIANITY 20. Total Christians as % of world (= World C) 34.4 33.7 32.8 33.3 34.1 21. Affiliated church members 521,563,200 1,131,809,600 1,323,389,700 1,658,149,700 1,967,000,000 22. Practicing Christians 469,259,BOO 884,021,BOO 1,018,355,300 1,226,514,600 1,377,000,000 23. Pentecostals/Charismatics 3,700,000 72,600,000 158,000,000 391,638,700 562,526,000 24. Crypto-Christians (secret believers) 3,572,400 55,699,700 70,395,000 138,927,000 176,208,000 25. Average Christian martyrs per year 35,600 230,000 270,000 284,000 500,000 MEMBERSHIP BY ECCLESIASTICAL BLOC 26. An~licans 30,573,700 47,557,000 49,804,000 54,541,900 61,037,000 27. Cat olics (non-Roman) 276,000 3,134,400 3,439,400 3,873,900 4,334,000 28. Marginal Protestants 927,600 10,830,200 14,077,500 18,858,300 24,106,000 29. Nonwhite indigenous Christians 7,743,100 58,702,000 82,181,100 149,851,200 204,100,000 30. Orthodox 115,897,700 143,402,500 160,737,900 181,547,200 199,819,000 31. Protestants 103,056,700 233,424,200 262,157,600 330,416,000 386,000,000 32. Roman Catholics 266,419,400 672,319,100 802,660,000 980,769,300 1,144,000,000 MEMBERSHIP BY CONTINENT 33. Africa 8,756,400 115,924,200 164,571,000 240,339,600 323,914,900 34. East Asia 1,763,000 10,050,200 16,149,600 88,810,300 128,000,000 35. Europe 273,788,400 397,108,700 403,177,600 408,698,300 411,448,700 36. Latin America 60,025,100 262,027,BOO 340,978,600 449,253,200 555,486,000 37. Northern America 59,569,700 169,246,900 178,892,500 190,640,900 201,265,200 38. Oceania 4,311,400 14,669,400 16,160,600 18,501,500 21,361,500 39. South Asia 16,347,200 76,770,200 106,733,200 147,406,000 185,476,700 40. USSR 97,002,000 86,012,300 96,726,500 108,663,400 118,101,000 CHRISTIAN ORGANIZATIONS 41. Service agencies 1,500 14,100 17,500 21,300 24,000 42. Foreign-mission sending agencies 600 2,200 3,100 4,050 4,800 43. Institutions 9,500 80,500 91,000 99,580 103,000 CHRISTIAN WORKERS 44. Nationals (all denominations) 1,050,000 2,350,000 2,950,000 3,980,700 4,500,000 45. PentecostaIlCharismatic national workers 2,000 237,300 420,000 954,300 1,133,000 46. Aliens (for~ missionaries) 62,000 240,000 249,000 296,700 400,000 47. Pentecos Charismatic foreign missionaries 100 3,790 34,600 93,600 167,000 CHRISTIAN FINANCE (in U.S. S"Cr year) 48. Personal income of church mem rs 270 billion 4,100 billion 5,878 billion 9,320 billion 12,700 billion 49. Personal income of Pentecostals/Charismatics 250,000,000 157 billion 395 billion 1,059 billion 1,550 billion SO. Givin to Christian causes 8 billion 70 billion 100.3 billion 163 billion 220 billion 51. Churc3t es'income 7 billion 50 billion 64.5 billion 85 billion 100 billion 52. Parachurch and institutional income 1 billion 20 billion 35.8 billion 78 billion 120 billion 53. Ecclesiastical crime 300,000 5,000,000 30,000,000 987 million 2 billion 54. Income of global foreign missions 200,000,000 3.0 billion 5.0 billion 8.9 billion 12 billion 55. Computers in Christian use (total numbers) 0 1,000 3,000,000 82,600,000 340,000,000 CHRISTIAN LITERATURE 56. New commercial book titles per year 2,200 17,100 18,800 22,600 25,000 57. New titles includ~ devotional 3,100 52,000 60,000 66,500 75,000 58. Christian periodic s 3,500 23,000 22,500 24,900 35,000 59. New books/articles on evangelization per year 500 3,100 7,500 11,500 16,000 SCRIPTURE DISTRIBUTION (all sources) 60. Bibles~r year 5,452,600 25,000,000 36,800,000 53,269,000 70,000,000 61. New estaments per year 7,300,000 45,000,000 57,500,000 80,178,000 110,000,000 CHRISTIAN BROADCASTING 62. Christian radiofI'V stations 0 1,230 1,450 2,340 4,000 63. Total monthly listeners/viewers 0 750,000,000 990,474,400 1,447,658,000 2,150,000,000 64. for Christian stations 0 150,000,000 291,810,500 466,673,000 600,000,000 65. for secular stations 0 650,000,000 834,068,900 ~,221,037,000 1,810,000,000 CHRISTIAN URBAN MISSION 66. Non-Christian megacities 5 65 95 155 202 67. New non-Christian urban dwellers per day 5,200 51,100 69,300 102,800 140,000 68. Urban Christians 159,600,000 660,800,000 844,600,000 1,124,611,700 1,393,700,000 69. Urban Christians as % of urban dwellers 68.6 48.8 47.0 48.5 47.8 70. Evangelized urban dwellers, % 72.0 BO.O 83.0 88.0 91.0 WORLD EVANGELIZATION 71. Unevangelized population (= World A) 788,159,000 1,391,956,000 1,380,576,000 1,231,183,000 1,038,819,000 72. Unevangelized as % of world 48.7 38.6 31.6 22.9 16.6 73. Unreached peoples (with no churches) 3,500 1,300 700 425 200 74. World evangelization plans since AD 30 250 510 620 959 1,400

JANUARY 1991 25 The Legacy of Robert P. Wilder

James A. Patterson

ver a century ago, the Student Volunteer Movement for tions of the world," a pledge very similar to one popularized later 4 O Foreign Missions dramatically jolted the lethargic Prot­ by the SVM. _ estant churches of America toward new levels of missionary en­ Wilder postponed his senior year at Princeton because of thusiasm and action. This energetic organization supplied physical problems and even worked for three months on a cattle denominational mission boards with a steady stream of fresh ranch in Nebraska to restore his health. Following his subsequent recruits well into the 1920s. In addition, the SVM spawned a new graduation in 1886, he headed to Mount Hermon, Massachusetts, generation of highly motivated and effective leaders, who infused where the famed revivalist Dwight L. Moody was conducting a the missionary enterprise with an optimistic, even triumphalistic summer Bible conference for collegians. Wilder, Presbyterian vision for world evangelization previously unmatched in Amer­ minister Arthur T. Pierson, and others managed to bring a con­ ican Protestantism. siderable missions emphasis to this student gathering, including Robert Parmelee Wilder (August 2, 1863-March 28, 1938) the climactic "Meeting of the Ten Nations," during which probably exemplified this early SVM spirit as well as any other Wilder spoke for India and reminded his audience of the great pioneer, but his contributions have been largely overshadowed needs overseas. Before the conference ended, exactly one hundred by the more visible exploits of mission giants like John R. Mott students had signed the Princeton pledge for missionary service, and Robert E. Speer. In fact, a recent volume by Harvard historian thus laying the groundwork- for what was soon to become the William R. Hutchison virtually relegates Wilder to a secondary ~ Student Volunteer Movement. 5 role in the shaping of foreign missions during the late nineteenth For the next five years, Wilder made significant contributions and early twentieth centuries. 1 Unfortunately, Wilder's career has of time and energy to the burgeoning SVM. During this period, been the victim of a scholarly bypass; an assessment of his sig­ he valiantly persevered through occasional bouts of illness, the nificance and impact is overdue. death of his father, and the return of his mother and sister Grace In 1863, Robert Wilder was born in Kolhapur, India, the fifth to the mission field in India. Wilder visited several college cam­ and last child of his missionary parents, Royal Gould and Eliza puses on recruiting tours, maintained SVM records, and some­ Jane Wilder. The elder Wilders had served in the subcontinent how kept up his theological studies at Union Seminary in New since 1846, originally under the American Board of Commission­ York. He especially succeeded in persuading college students to ers for Foreign Missions (ABCFM). But Royal Wilder, a New embrace the missionary cause and he was personally responsible School Presbyterian, battled with ABCFMadministrators like Ru­ for bringing future notables like Robert Speer and Samuel Zwemer fus Anderson over educational policies, which led to his dismissal into the Student Volunteer fold. 6 Wilder also emerged as one of in 1860. The Wilders then labored as independents in Kolhapur the foremost advocates of the SVM pledge, "We are willing for a decade, after which they affiliated with the Board of Foreign and desirous, God permitting, to become foreign missionaries." Missions of the Presbyterian Church in the USA. His nurture in In a special SVM pamphlet, he outlined the necessity, meaning, a missionary home had a profound impact on young Robert and and use of the pledge, concluding that it was "the Keystone he pledged himself to missionary service when he joined his of the arch" of the SVM. At the first SVM convention in 1891,he father's church at the age of ten." led a discussion of the pledge and steadfastly resisted any at­ Royal Wilder's poor health forced a family move to Princeton, tempts to change its wording. Perhaps his strongest argument New Jersey, in 1875. In 1878, he launched a new journal dedicated was the fact that, in the five years since Mount Hermon, 6,000 to the promotion of foreign missions, the Missionary Review of the volunteers had been enlisted," At that point in SVM history, Wil­ World, which he edited for almost ten years. Meanwhile, Robert der had done more than anyone else to boost the young move­ attended Princeton Preparatory School and Williston Seminary ment to that level. (Easthampton, Massachusetts) before starting his undergraduate In 1891, Wilder finished his studies at Union Seminary and career at Princeton in 1881.3 During these years, father and son was appointed by the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions for shared a common commitment to the validity and urgency of the student work in India. However, he delayed his passage to India missionary task. in order to spend more than a year visiting students in Great His collegiate experience at Princeton decidedly reaffirmed Britain and Scandinavia. Armed with letters of reference from Wilder's already well-established conviction of a missionary call­ such dignitaries as Moody, Union professor Philip Schaff, Boston ing. In 1883, he participated in an Inter-Seminary Missionary clergyman-educator A. J. Gordon, and former Princeton president Alliance meeting in Hartford, Connecticut, and he returned from James McCosh, among others, Wilder arrived in England with the conference with a renewed desire to stir missionary interest the goal of organizing an SVM counterpart in the British uni­ on the Princeton campus. To that end, he was instrumental in versities. After his tour of several campuses and a special con­ the formation of the Princeton Foreign Missionary Society in the ference at Edinburgh in 1892, the stage was set for what became fall of 1883. Royal Wilder opened his home to this new group the Student Volunteer Missionary Union of Great Britain and and frequently challenged the students to consider their roles in Ireland. In addition to his organizing endeavors, Wilder also con­ world evangelization. Several members of the Princeton ''band'' tinued his pattern of personally persuading students to become signed a statement of intent "to go to the unevangelized por- missionaries, such as Glasgow's Donald Fraser, a onetime ag­ nostic." In Norway, Wilder met Helene Olsson and, after several James A. Patterson is Associate Professor of Church History and Chair of the months of courtship, they were married in September of 1892. Department, Mid-America Baptist Seminary, Memphis, Tennessee. The newlyweds soon left Europe for India, where they initiated

26 INTERNATIONAL BULLETIN OF MIssiONARY REsEARCH At Fuller women are bringing a vital new significance to World Mission

World Mission, isassistant As any field missionaryknows, women playa vital professor ofmissions at the Presbyterian Theological role in front-line world evangelization. Historically, College andSeminary inSeoul, women, both married andsingle, have comprised over Korea, where she isalso 60 percent of North American missionary personnel. assistant director ofthe Center forthe Study of World Mission. Sadly, however, women are underrepresented among mission leaders. Although theirgifts andskills as cross-cultural teachers, translators, administrators, evangelists, ministersand church planters have long been affirmed, encouragement and training for more women to assume these roles has been lacking. This is why Fuller is committed to supporting theministry of women and theirdynamic participation in fulfilling theGreat Commission. Dr. Neuza ltioka, another Fuller graduate, isincbarge of the trainingprogram of AVANTE; the latest cross· culturalmission inBrazil. The Schoolof\1brld Mission FULLER TIlEOLOGICAL SEMINARY Pasadena, California 91182 Call J.8()()'235·2222

Dr. Elizabeth S. Brewster isassistantprofessor atFuller's SChool of World Mission, where shebas developedprogramsforlanguage andcultural learning asweU asanorganization for irn:arnaJional ministryamong the urban poor. She bas ministered inover 80countries andcontinues to travel extensively totrain men andwomen inthepractical skiUs of adapting toa new culture as they seek tospread the Good News ofJesus Cbrist throughout the world.

't!:!:J ~ S< ""' fII r"fOlo er P'Jr' ''OlOGr • WOItO " ' U IO N g~ their ministry to students, first in Calcutta and later in Poona. as a traveling secretary for the Indian YMCA. This job proved to Wilder employed several methods for reaching educated Indians, be physically and mentally draining for Wilder and caused him including lectures to large groups and literature distribution. to be away from his family for long stretches. The pressures of However, he usually preferred the personal and low-key ap­ climate, travel, and poor health forced Wilder to take a leave of proach of "private interviews," which were more appropriate absence in 1902, most of which was spent in Norway. In 1903, to the cultural context and more in line with his unique gifts." he decided to resign his YMCA post and end his work in India. The Wilders departed from India in 1897 in response to John Several more months of recuperation in Switzerland and Norway R. Mott's request that Wilder take a temporary assignment as an followed. 11 SVM traveling secretary for seminaries in the United States. Mott, In 1904, Wilder received an invitation from Tissington Tat­ by now a leader in the SVM and the YMCA, believed that Wilder low, general secretary of the Student Christian Movement (SCM), could help to strengthen both organizations but apparently did to tour British universities much as he had done-in 1891-1892. not anticipate the minor crisis his offer would. create with the Wilder's ministry to students, carried out in 1905, was impressive Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions. The board hesitantly enough to bring an offer from the SCM in 1906 for a position as granted Wilder a leave to pursue his SVM duties, but this evi­ traveling secretary based in London." Wilder remained in British dently placed strains on his relationships with some administra­ university work for the next ten years and placed a special em­ tors." phasis on evangelism. In addition, the SCM generously shared Before the Wilders returned to India in 1899, Robert quietly his services with the World's Student Christian Federation; this resigned from the Presbyterian Board to assume a new position arrangment allowed Wilder opportunities to visit campuses in

Noteworthy------

Personalia Lani J. Havens, a consultant to' the United Nations Development Program and former Church World Service We are pleased to announce the appointment of Wilbert development consultant in East Africa and the Indian Ocean R. Shenk and Andrew F. Walls as Contributing Editors of region, has been' elected Associate General Secretary for the the INTERNATIONAL BULLETIN OF MISSIONARY RESEARCH. Dr. Church World Service and Witness Unit of the National Shenk, former missionary in Indonesia from 1955 to 1959 Council of Churches in the U.S.A. Havens, 52, a member and executive director for Overseas Ministries of the Men­ of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), served during nonite Board of Missions from 1965 to 1990, is Director of 1983-87 as development/documentation officer for the Na­ the Mission Training Center, Associated Mennonite Biblical tional Council of Churches of Kenya. Seminaries, Elkhart, Indiana. Dr. Walls taught in Africa for The Maryknoll Sisters have elected Sister Claudette La many years, was the founding editor of the Journal ofReligion Verdiere as President, the seventh Sister to hold that po­ in Africa, and is Director of the Centre for the Study of sition since the congregation was founded in 1912. She is Christianity in the Non-Western World' at New College, also the first President whose mission experience has been University of Edinburgh, Scotland. primarily in Africa, having served in Tanzania and Kenya Michael Griffiths, former general director of Overseas since 1967. Sister Claudette succeeds Sister Luise Ahrens Missions Fellowship (0.M.F.), and pastprincipal of London who has completed a six-year term as President and will Bible College, was appointed to the newly-established po­ be reassigned to a new post in Asia. sition of Mission Studies at Regent College, Vancouver, as Roger Youmans, M.D., of Tulsa, Oklahoma, became of September 1, 1990. President of the Mission Society for United Methodists on John King Parratt became Assistant Director of the January I, 1991. He succeeds H. T. Maclin, the founding Center for the Study of Christianity in the Non-Christian president, who is retiring but will continue his association World at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, onIanuary with the Mission Society as missionary-at-large. Youmans I, 1991. Parratt had been Professor of Theology and Reli­ served for many years as a Methodist medical missionary gious Studies in the University of Botswana. He had also in Zaire, beginning in 1961. For the last ten years he was worked in Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, India and Malawi. on the faculty of Oral Roberts University School of Medi­ He is the author of Papuan Belief and Ritual and A Reader in cine. Christian Theology. The World Evangelical Fellowship has elected Agustin Colin Chapman, 51, has been appointed Principal of B. (jun) Veneer, Jr., a Filipino, as International Director Crowther Hall, the Church Missionary Society's training Designate. On July I, 1992, he will succeed David M. How­ College, which is part of Selly Oak Colleges in Birmingham, ard, who has held this position since 1982. Veneer, 43, trained England. For the past seven years he was a tutor at Trinity as an attorney, has been general secretary of the Philippine College, Bristol, and prior to that he served with CMS in Council of Evangelical Churches since 1978. Cairo as chaplain at All Saints' Cathedral, and in Beirut, Joseph J. Spae, well-known Belgian Catholic mission­ where he was regional secretary for the International Fel­ ary to Japan, died of kidney failure in Belgium on December lowship of Evangelical Students. He has published Chris­ 8, 1989. He was 76 years old. Spae first went to Japan in tians on Trial, Whose Promised Land? and Shadows of the 1939 and was interned there during the war. After the war Supernatural. he earned a doctorate from Columbia University and re­ turned to Japan in 1948, where he served as editor of The Japan Missionary Bulletin and.director of the Oriens Institute

28 INTERNATIONAL BULLETIN OF MIsSIONARY RFsEAROi many areas of continental Europe, at least until World War I broke SVM. He began an eight-year stint as general secretary in 1919, out in 1914. During the war, he served briefly as a foreign student never expecting that this would prove to be the most difficult 13 secretary for the British SCM. period of his career. Wilder fondly treasured the original SVM Another appeal from John R. Mott brought the Wilders back spirit, particularly as it was expressed in the slogan, "The to the United States in 1916. Robert accepted an appointment as Evangelization of the World in This Ceneration.t'" But he quickly secretary of the Religious Work Department of the International discovered that this goal failed to motivate many in the student Committee of the YMCA, which- involved administrative, evan­ generation of the 1920s. The first hints of trouble appeared at the gelistic, and conference responsibilities. The entrance of the United SVM quadrennial convention held at Des Moines, Iowa, in early States into World War I in 1917 generated new demands on the 1920. Students pushed aggressively for a greater role within the YMCA, and Wilder assisted with special programs designed for SVM and for a more explicit commitment to international peace servicemen. He enjoyed a relatively smooth transition from stu­ andsocial justice. Wilder, reflecting a concern sharedby otherSVM dent to military audiences, helped by an updated version of the pioneers, bravely attempted to maintain a strong focus on evan­ old SVM commitment card: "I pledge my allegiance to the gelism: "Whether a man goes out as an agricultural missionary Lord Jesus Christ as my Saviour and King and bXGod's help will or as a medical missionary, all the work in the strictest sense of fight His battles for victory of His Kingdom." 4 Apparently he the term should be evangelistic, and we have the opportunity to discerned continuities in recruiting efforts for missionary and na­ make it evangelistic.,,16 Wilder attempted to accommodate himself tional crusades. to some of the students' postwar agendas, but he consistently In the postwar years, Wilder returned to his first love, the refused to compromise on the SVM's founding vision.

for Religious Research in Tokyo. His many books include The Association of Evangelical Professors of Missions Shinto Man, Christian Corridors to Japan, Christianity Encoun­ in the United States has restructured and changed its name ters Japan, Japanese Religiosity, and Buddhist-Christian Empa­ to the Evangelical Missiological Society. The new orga­ thy.In 1971 he was appointed secretary general of SODEPAX, nization will include missionaries, administrators, and stu­ the Committee on Society, Development, and Peace, head­ dents of missions as well as professors. The executive director quartered in Geneva and operated jointly by the World of the new society is David Hesselgrave of Trinity Evan­ Council of Churches and the Vatican. In 1982 he returned gelical Divinity School, Deerfield, Illinois. to Belgium and was engaged in research and writing on The American Society of Missiology will hold its 1991 China until his death. annual meeting at Techny Towers in Techny, Illinois (near Raymond P. Morris, librarian emeritus of Yale Divinity Chicago), June 21-23. The theme of the meeting will be School, died of a heart attack on October 21, 1990. He was "Missionaries in Situations of Conflict and Violence." The 86 years old and had lived in Cleveland, Ohio, since 1987. Association of Professors of Mission will meet June 20-21 Dr. Morris joined Yale in 1931 and served as librarian of at the same place in conjunction with the ASM. The theme the Divinity School and the Day Missions Library for 40 of their meeting will be "Research for Better Teaching years, retiring in 1972. During his tenure he developed the of Mission." Robert Schreiter, C.PP.S., of the Catholic China Records collection, in which letters and papers of Theological Union in Chicago is president of the ASM, and former China missionaries were assembled. In 1956he helped Ralph Covell of Denver Seminary is president of the APM to organize the library for the World Council of Churches for 1990-1991. For further information and registration for headquarters in Geneva. either meeting, contact: George Hunsberger, Western Theological Seminary, Holland, Michigan 49423. The Task Force on Historical Research of the Contin­ Announcing uing Committee on Common Witness (representing the Na­ tional Council of Churches and the U.S. Catholic Mission "New Prospects for Mission" was the topic for the in­ Association) is seeking to assess what work is now in prog­ augural meeting of the British and Irish Association for ress regarding the history of joint efforts in mission between Mission Studies, held July 9-12, 1990, at New College, Uni­ U.S. Catholic and Protestant mission bodies working in versity of Edinburgh. New College is part of the complex Asia, Africa or Latin America. It is the hope of the Task that includes the General Assembly Hall where the World Force that persons and groups undertaking such historical Missionary Conference was held in 1910, and the meeting research may be cognizant of what others are doing in the opened with a lecture in the Assembly Hall itself (where field, and what ways may be found to share the knowledge the carpet has remained unchanged since 1910)by Professor of such efforts in Common Witness. If you or your church Andrew F. Walls of Edinburgh University, to celebrate the or agency has such work in progress, either for publication eightieth anniversary of the /1910 conference. The associa­ or as a dissertation, the Task Force will greatly appreciate tion links scholars, teachers, administrators and practition­ your sharing such information with the chairperson of the ers of mission in a fellowship of study, and is fully ecumenical Task Force: Dr. Charles Forman, Chairperson; Task Force in membership. Itsfirst chairperson is Haddon Willmer of on Historical Research, 329 Downs Road, Bethany, CT 06525. Leeds University. The secretary, fromwhom further infor­ Where possible, please include a precis or progress report mation may be obtained, is Jack Thompson, Department of regarding the work. Mission, Selly Oak Colleges, Birmingham B29 6LQ, U.K.

JANUARY 1991 29 Not long after the Des Moines gathering, Mott stepped down Speer and Mott. Over the years, Wilder performed a much dif­ from the SVM Executive Committee, leaving Wilder with added ferent function in the missionary movement and was not as well fundraising burdens. Publicly Wilder maintained an optimistic recognized or appreciated as some of his former colleagues in the posture as he interpreted and defended the direction of the move­ early SVM. Whereas Mott and Speer were primarily mission ex­ ment, often with obvious conviction. 17 But he was also well aware ecutives based in the United States, Wilder was essentially a field of the decline in missionary recruits and that many SVM members missionary with only one lengthy period (1916-1927) in North were questioning more traditional views on evangelism and the America apart from his schooling. Additionally, Mott and Speer relationship between Christianity and other religions. He must were widely known in American Protestant circles through their have sensed that he was fighting a losing battle against the liberal prolific writings and their frequent participation in missionary drift in the SVM, so he relinquished his job in 1927 to accept a conferences at home and abroad. In contrast, Wilder found writ­ much different assignment overseas." This decision, no doubt ing to be a laborious chore that sometimes interfered with his an agonizing one, effectively ended his association with a mis­ more urgent missionary tasks. Thus he delayed some major writ­ sionary agency that had been so close to his heart for over forty ing projects until retirement, and even then some of his efforts years. were simply compilations of addresses given during his more For his last full-time position, Wilder moved to Cairo, Egypt, active years. 22 Wilder's overseas appointments also prevented to become the executive secretary of the Christian Council for him from accepting some speaking engagements at missionary Western Asia and Northern Africa, which was shortly renamed meetings in the United States, such as those sponsored by the the Near East Christian Council. For six years (1927-1933), he Foreign Missions Conference of North America, at which he rarely engaged in ecumenical activities designed to create more unity appeared. Finally, Wilder's quiet, almost self-effacing style of and cooperation among Christian churches where Islam was a ministry was hardly designed to attract attention to himself. Un­ dominant force. He traveled extensively in the region, published like Mott in particular, Wilder seemed content to operate outside several pamphlets, and edited the NewsBulletin, the official organ the boardrooms and crowded assembly halls. of the Near East Council. But lingering health problems caused Wilder's lengthy involvement in the student world consti­ Wilder to halt his active missionary service at the age of 70.19 tutes his most significant contribution to the missionary impulse Wilder spent his retirement with his wife in her native Nor­ of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Sherwood way. However, he was still in demand as a speaker and he con­ Eddy, another product of the SVM glory years, aptly targeted tinued to promote the cause of missions in Norway, France, and Wilder's formative role in the collegiate agency:

Although the time was ripe and the occasion ideal, humanly speak­ ing, the Student Volunteer Movement would not have come into The Student Volunteer being without Robert Wilder. The movement was the result of Wilder's vision, Moody's spiritual drive, and Mott's organizing Movement would not have geruus.• 23 come into being without Indeed, it was Wilder who channeled the raw enthusiam of Robert Wilder's direction. Mount Hermon into something durable, not only because he was a visionary, but also because he threw himself into the recruitment efforts and personal work that sustained the SVM in its initial stages. Across the Atlantic, Wilder similarly combined his ide­ Great Britain. In the latter setting, his campus tours in 1935 came alism with practical skills to help build student movements in under the auspices of the British Inter-Varsity Fellowship of Evan­ Europe. Few exceeded Wilder's fervor in advancing the move­ gelical Unions, a conservative group that was known for its em­ ment, its pledge, or its ambitious motto. Few were more disap­ phasis on piety and marked zeal for missions. Wilder possibly pointed when the SVM derailed in the 1920s. Although the SVM identified the IVF as a more legitimate heir of the early SVM eventually died as an-organization, it could be argued that Wilder tradition than the increasingly liberal British SCM. His published himself, in the 1930s, passed the SVM torch to Inter-Varsity Fel­ reminiscences of the early generation SVM, which contained more lowship and thus indirectly to the Student Foreign Missions Fel­ than a hint of nostalgia, served to demonstrate the substantial lowship and the Urbana triennial missionary conventions.f" gap between Wilder's original dreams and the realities of ecu­ menical student movements in the 1930s. His minor part in the Of course, Wilder's involvement with students was not an SVM convention at Indianapolis in 1936 hardly disguised his dis­ end in itself but rather a means to help fulfill the controlling appointment with an organization that barely imitated what it passion of his life, "The Evangelization of the World in This had been in the headl years immediately after the Mount Hermon Generation." He not only guided the early SVM to accept this conference of 1886.2 lofty goal but also remained one of its most faithful exemplars. The speaking, writing, and family endeavors of Wilder's re­ Even after some mission thinkers had discarded the watchword tirement years gradually diminished as his health, which was as unrealistic or outmoded, Wilder continued to uphold its rel­ never strong, again wavered and finally claimed his life in 1938. evance, arguing in retirement that "everyone should have the He was buried in Oslo as many surviving stalwarts of his gen­ opportunity to hear the Gospel and to accept Christ in our gen­ eration, including Mott, Speer, and Zwemer, mourned his death eration.,,25 He perhaps defined the evangelistic task more care­ and hailed his influence on the world missionary enterprise. 21 Their fully in his later years but that did not weaken his loyalty to it. tributes were fitting reminders of a consecrated and courageous In fact, his disillusionment with SVM trends in the 1920s and missionary career, during which Wilder ministered on four con­ 1930s was largely due to the dimmed vision for evangelism on tinents and served over half a dozen religious organizations. the part of many students. Undergirding Wilder's abiding devotion to world evangeli­ In evaluating Wilder's unique impact on missions, it is im­ zation was an equally firm conviction about the need for student portant to rescue him from the shadows cast by statesmen like volunteers and missionary personnel to nurture vigorous spiritual

30 INTERNATIONAL BULLETIN OF MISSIONARY REsEARCH disciplines. Wilder grew up in a home where prayer permeated his Presbyterian roots too confining on this issue and instead familyactivities. Later he structured the meetings of the Princeton appropriated the doctrinal precepts of Mood): and Gordon, which Foreign Missionary Society to allow for considerable periods of had so molded the ethos of the early SVM.2 For Wilder, effective group prayer. As his career progressed, Wilder consistently spoke missionary outreach was absolutely dependent on the conse­ and wrote about the essential role of Bible study and prayer in crating work of the Holy Spirit. His unceasing efforts to improve the life of the Christian worker. His extensive experience in stu­ the overall spiritual tone of the missionary enterprise were un­ dent ministry produced several practical pamphlets designed to assailable, even if some questioned his teaching on Spirit baptism. outline the elements of a dynamic spiritual life. It is clear in these In the final analysis, Robert Wilder left his mark in ways that pieces that Wilder was sharing sincerely from his own pilgrimage are difficult to measure by the standards normally applied to the of faith." missionary leaders of his generation. He was neither a brilliant On a related matter, Wilder identified the modern age as a mission theorist nor an innovative strategist. He is not remem­ dispensation of the Holy Spirit; few of his contemporaries in bered as an orator who overwhelmed audiences with his eloqu­ mainline Protestantism were as eager to link the Holy Spirit to ence and his published writings are not voluminous or especially missions as he was. His starting point was the controversial view profound. Yet Wilder grasped better than most of his contem­ that the filling of the Spirit was both a crisis and a process sub­ poraries the real essence of servanthood and discipleship. Through sequent to conversion. This second work of grace endued the a life of humble and sacrificial service, he faithfully persevered, believer with the spiritual power required for a life of "Christ­ despite chronic physical problems, in his overarching commit­ controlled" service. Wilder was not a pentecostal, as his cautious ment to world evangelization. Thus he modeled qualities that are instruction on the gift of tongues reveals. But he obviously found vital and relevant in any missionary era.

Notes ------

1. William R. Hutchison, Errand to theWorld: American Protestant Thought jamin Labaree to Mott, May 5, 1897; Labaree to Wilder, June 29, 1897; and Foreign Missions (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1987). and F. F. Ellinwood to Wilder, September 13, 1897. Compare the listings in the index for Wilder with those for Mott and 11. Braisted, In This Generation, pp. 81-87 and Kelleher, "Robert Wilder Speer. and the American Foreign Missionary Movement," pp. ~. The 2. On Wilder's parents and his early years, see Ruth E. Braisted, In This Wilder family eventually grew to four daughters, including Robert's Generation: The Story of Robert Wilder (New York: Friendship Press, biographer, Ruth Braisted. See In This Generation, pp. 132-34. 1941), pp. 1-11; Matthew Hugh Kelleher, "Robert Wilder and the 12. Tatlow to Wilder, January 16 and March 15, 1906, Wilder Papers. American Foreign Missionary Movement," Ph.D. dissertation (St. Louis: 13. Braisted, In This Generation, pp. 87-129; Jan Willem Gunning, "Mr. St. Louis University, 1974), pp. 11-14; and Robert A. Schneider, Mott and Mr. Wilder in the Dutch Universities," StudentWorld 5 (April "Royal G. Wilder: New School Missionary in the ABCFM, 1846­ 1912): 50-58; and Wilder, "A Recent Tour in South-Eastern Eu­ 1871," American Presbyterians: Journal of Presbyterian History 64 (Sum­ rope" Student World 7 (july 1914): 92-101. mer 1986): 7:>-82. For the elder Wilder's views on educational mis­ 14. Quoted in Kelleher, "Robert Wilder and the American Foreign sions, see Royal Gould Wilder, Mission Schools in India of theAmerican Missionary Movement," p. 68. See also Braisted, In This Generation, Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (New York: A. D. F. Ran­ pp. 143--47. dolph; and Boston: Crocker and Brewster, 1861). 15. For an earlier defence of this motto, see Wilder, "The Evangeli­ 3. On-the family move to Princeton, see Braisted, In ThisGeneration, pp. zation of the World," Northfield Echoes 6 (1899): 162-70. 11-14. 16. Wilder, "The Need of Men With a Life Purpose," North American 4. On the Princeton Foreign Missionary Society, see Robert P. Wilder, Students and World Advance. Addresses delivered at the 8th Interna­ TheStudentVolunteer Movement forForeign Missions: Some Personal Rem­ tional Convention of the SVMFM, Des Moines, Iowa, December 31, iniscences of Its Origin and Early History (New York: Student Volunteer 1919-January4, 1920(ed. Burton St. John; New York: SVMFM, 1920), Movement, 1935), pp. 7-12. p. 311. On student resentment toward Wilder, see C. Howard Hop­ 5. Ibid., pp. 14-17. kins, John R. Mott, 1865-1955: A Biography (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. 6. Ibid., pp. 19-51; Robert Speer's Diary entries for March 26-28, 1887, Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1979), p. 568. The Papers of Robert E. Speer, Princeton Theological Seminary, 17. See Wilder, "Has the Missionary Motive Changed?," Missionary Princeton, N.J.; and J. Christy Wilson, "The Legacy of Samuel M. Review of the World, 48 (December 1925): 931-35; "The Ninth Quad­ Zwemer," International Bulletin of Missionary Research 10 (july 1986): rennial Convention of the Student Volunteer Movement," Foreign 117. Missions Conference of North America. Report of the 31st Conference, 7. Wilder, ThePledge oftheStudentVolunteer Movement forForeign Missions Atlantic City, N.J., January 8-11, 1924 (eds. Fennell P. Turner and (New York: Student Volunteer Movement for Foreign Missions, 1890) Frank Knight Sanders; New York: Foreign Missions Conference, 1924), and Report of the First International Convention of the Student Vol­ pp. 239-42; and The Spirit of God in the Colleges: Being An Account of unteer Movement for Foreign Missions, Cleveland, Ohio, February thePresent Position of theStudent Volunteer Movement (New York: SVM, 26-March 1, 1891 (Boston: T. O. Metcalf and Company, 1891), pp. 1924). 33-36. 18. On Wilder's frustrations with the SVM in the 1920s, see Joseph L. 8. Wilder, The Great Commission, the Missionary Response of the Student Cumming, "The Student Volunteer Movement for Foreign Mis­ Volunteer Movements in North America and Europe: Some Personal Rem­ sions: Its Seeds and Precedents, Its Origins and Early History, Its iniscences (London: Oliphants, 1936), pp. 64-83. For Fraser's com­ Growth and Decline," B.A. Thesis (Princeton: Princeton University, ments on Wilder's impact, see Tissington Tatlow, The Story of the 1982), pp. 176--87; and Kelleher, "Robert Wilder and the American StudentChristian Movement ofGreat Britain andIreland (London: Student Foreign Missionary Movement," pp. 84-111. Christian Movement Press, 1933), p. 24. For the reference letters, see 19. On the Near East Council years, see Braisted, In This Generation, pp. correspondence files for 1891 in The Robert Parmelee Wilder Papers, 169-93 and Wilder, "Some Achievements Toward Unity in the Yale Divinity School, New Haven, CT. Near East," Diocesan Review (january 15, 1932): 8-12. 9. Wilder, Christian Service Among Educated Bengalese (Lahore: Civil and 20. For his SVM reminiscences, see Wilder, The Student Volunteer Move­ Military Gazette Press, 1895), pp. 5-12 and "The Educated Classes ment for Foreign Missions and TheGreat Commission, both published in of India," Missionary Review of the World 21 (December 1898): 901-3. retirement. On his negative evaluation of student movements in the 10. See correspondence files for 1897-1898 in Wilder Papers, esp. Ben-

JANUARY 1991 31 1930s, see Kelleher, "Robert 'Wilder and the American Foreign 26. Wilder, Bible Study for Personal Spiritual Growth (London: Inter-Varsity Missionary Movement," pp. 115-19. Fellowship of Evangelical Unions, n.d.); Howto Use theMorning Quiet 21. "A Man Who Stirred the World: Testimonies to Robert P. Wilder," Time(New York: Association Press, 1917); Prayer (Cairo: Nile Mission Missionary Review of the World 61 (May 1938): 226-29. On Wilder's Press, 1933); and United Intercession (London: SCM, 1914). retirement, see Braisted, In This Generation, pp. 195-205. 27. See Wilder, Studies on the Holy Spirit, 2d ed. (London: SCM, 1913), 22. See for example, Wilder, Christ and the Student World (New York: esp. pp. 12, 18, and 31. On the influence of Moody and Gordon, see Fleming H. Revell, 1935). On his reluctance to write, see Braisted, In Wilder, "Power From on High," in A Spiritual Awakening Among This Generation, p. 201. India's Students: Addresses of Six Conferences (Madras: Addison and 23. Sherwood Eddy, Pathfinders oftheWorld Missionary Crusade (New York! Company, 1896), pp. 26-27. Kelleher further suggests the contribu­ Nashville: Abingdon-Cokesbury Press, 1945), p. 41. tions of John MacNeil and James Elder Cummings to Wilder's the­ 24. Mott apparently was disturbed over Wilder's association with IVF, ology of the Holy Spirit. See "Robert Wilder and the American viewing it as a conservative shift. See Hopkins, John R. Mott, p. 632. Foreign Missionary Movement," pp. 50-52. 25. Wilder, Christand the Student World, p. 79.

BIBLIOGRAPHY ThePledge oftheStudent Volunteer Movement forForeign Missions. New York: SVMFM, 1890. Prayer. Cairo: Nile Mission Press, 1933. Unpublished Materials Report of the Activities of the Religious Work Bureau of the War Work Council The Robert Parmelee Wilder Papers are: Manuscript Group Number 38, of the YMCA to the Cooperating Committee of the Churches, n.p., 1919. YaleDivinity School Library, Archives and Manuscripts, YaleDivinity Sin. Calcutta: Santal Mission Press, n.d. School, New Haven, CT. The Spirit of God in the Colleges: Being an Account of the Present Position of the Student Volunteer Movement. New York: SVM, 1924. Selected Works by Wilder The Student Volunteer Movement for Foreign Missions: Some Personal Remi­ Books: niscences of its Originand Early History. New York: SVM, 1935. Christ and the Student World, New York: Fleming H. Revell, 1935. United Intercession. London: SCM, 1914. Christian Service Among Educated Bengalese. Lahore: Civil and Military Ga­ zette Press, 1895. Addresses and Articles in: TheGreat Commission, theMissionary Response oftheStudent Volunteer Move­ Diocesan Review ments in North America and Europe: Some Personal Reminiscences. Lon­ The East and the West don: Oliphants, 1936. Iniercollegian Studies on the Holy Spirit. 2d ed. London: Student Christian Movement, Missionary Reviewof the World 1913. Northfield Echoes SVM Bulletin Pamphlets: SVM Quadrennial Convention Reports Among India's Students, New York: Fleming H. Revell, 1899" Student World An Appeal for India. Calcutta: Student Volunteer Movement of India and Young Men of India Ceylon, 1896. Association Movement Among Theological Students. New York: International Selected Works on Wilder Committee of the YMCA, n.d. Braisted, Ruth E. In This Generation: The Story of Robert P. Wilder. New The Bible and Foreign Missions. 8th ed. Coventry, England: Curtis and York: Friendship Press, 1941. Beamish, 1906. Eddy, G. Sherwood. "Robert Wilder and the Student Volunteer Move­ Bible Study for Personal Spiritual Growth. London: Inter-Varsity Fellowship ment," in Pathfinders oftheWorld Missionary Crusade (New YorklNash­ of Evangelical Unions, n.d. ville: Abingdon-Cokesbury Press, 1945), 40-48. The Cannots of Character and Destiny. Surat: Irish Presbyterian Mission Kelleher, Matthew Hugh. "Robert Wilder and the American Foreign Press, 1901. Missionary Movement." Ph.D. dissertation. St. Louis: St. Louis Uni­ Guidance. Cairo: Nile Mission Press, n.d. versity, 1974. How to Use the Morning Quiet Time. New York: Association Press, 1917. "A Man Who Stirred the Student World: Testimonies to Robert P. The Plan and Organization for a Young Men's Christian Association Among Wilder," Missionary Reviewof the World, 61 (May 1938), 226-29. Theological Students. New York: International Committee of Young Pierson, Delavan. "Robert Wilder and His Vision of White Harvest Men's Christian Associations, n.d. Fields," Sunday School Times 80 (April 23, 1938):299-300.

32 INTERNATIONAL BULLETIN OF MISSIONARY REsEARCH Personality Disorders and the Selection Process for Overseas Missionaries

Esther Schubert1M. D.

ore and more attention is being paid to psychological Later investigation into Herb's past reveals that prior to ap­ M health issues for missionaries, and many mission fields plication to the mission, he was in a series of brief jobs followed are becoming sophisticated at providing on-site psychiatric care by three pastorates that ended in termination-none lasting longer overseas. than a year. Having devoted the last seven years to overseas consultations His childhood was chaotic, with profound disruption occur­ for several mission boards, preventive care, counseling, and med­ ring in his first five years of life. Once in college he was seen by a psychologist who told him ication treatment of depressed missionaries, I am seeing some that lengthy counseling might help his problems with identity and patterns that deeply concern me. I strongly believe in treating emptiness, but Herb refused to return to the clinician, calling him "healthy" depressions overseas and have been successful in an unqualified professional who did not know what he was doing. doing so on most occasions. Persons with "healthy" depres­ sions respond well to counseling and medication and usually can As we recruit our missionary candidates from an enlarging return to productive work wiser and more insightful. In addition, pool of bruised individuals, the mission board personnel de­ these people are saved the "disgrace" of returning to their partments will need sophisticated selection tools to avoid placing home country in a depressed condition. well-meaning individuals in jobs beyond their emotional skills. In.contrast, I am beginning to see more characterological or It is wise to remember that fifteen percent of the U.S. population "unhealthy" depressions occurring in the missionary com­ has personality disorders (Nicholi). munity. These people may respond at first to treatment, but we We all reach adult life with personality traits that affect the then discover an underlying personality pathology that may pre­ way we perceive and relate to our environment and other people. clude their continued missionary service. Individuals with per­ Functional adults have more healthy than unhealthy traits, though sonality disorders may have slipped through the selection process we all have some bruised areas and some poorly adaptive char­ without adequate evaluation. Their presence on the field is usu­ acteristics. Unhealthy personality traits carried to the extreme (as ally surrounded by contention, dissention, disagreements, and in personality disorders) are so maladaptive and inflexible that they exhaustion on the part of other missionaries and field executives impair social and/or occupational functioning. They often mani­ who try to support them emotionally and spiritually. fest themselves in childhood or adolescence, and tend to be fixed A typical scenario might be the following fictionalized ac­ throughout much of adult life. Treatment involves long-term in­ count: tensive counseling over many years; often it is not successful. Herb N., a thirty-two-year old missionary recruit, is sent to a South Many psychiatrists eirenot willing to see people with personality American country with his wife and three children, aged II, 8 and disorders because of the time commitment involved and the pauc­ 4. His mission organization believes in pre-field psychological test­ ity of results. ing, but due to the pressing needs on the field, Herb and his wife I believe that the deterioration of the family in Western so­ do not participate in the entire battery of tests, interviews, and ciety, the erosion of stable traditions, and the frequency of child follow-up. Herb doesn't seem to mind the limited evaluation. abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, alcoholic and other dysfunctional Once on the field, in planning sessions and team meetings, Herb families contribute to the marked increase in personality disorders has periodic rages followed the next day by abject repentance, seen in missionary candidates and selected missionaries. tears, and the promise never to get angry again. He has difficulty submitting to authority or being a team player. The field leader is at a loss to know how to manage the situation, and complaints Types of Personality Disorders also begin to pour in from the national church. Herb's wife, Mary, makes efforts to keep things smooth at The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-III-R) classifies person­ home, trying to avoid conflict, but periodically the two school-age ality disorders in three clusters. We will briefly note clusters"A" children are seen with unexplained bruises on their faces and bod­ and "C" and then concentrate our attention on cluster "B" . ies. One child shows evidence of chronic depression associated Cluster A includes paranoid.' schizoid, and schizotypaf types. with acting out; the other has frequent medical complaints which These people may appear odd or eccentric and often are elimi­ cannot be documented on physical exam or laboratory testing. nated in selection for the mission field by interview alone, along The family is strongly advised to return to the U.S. for family with close scrutiny of letters of recommendation. therapy and treatment of the children. They refuse, withdraw fur­ Cluster C includes avoidant," dependent, obsessive-com­ ther into the family unit, eventually leave the mission, but remain 5 on the field without accountability to anyone. pulsive," and passive aggressive. Candidates with these char­ acteristics may seem anxious and fearful, or may be overly compliant, meticulous, and not expressive of strong feeling. They Esther Schubert (Chambers) M.D., F.A.C.E.P., is an adultM.K. ("missionary may be judged "too sensitive" to withstand missionary ser­ kid") actively involved in the practice of medicine limited to psychiatry, in An­ vice, and possibly eliminated by selection committees early in the derson, Indiana. She consults formission boards andtravels overseas several times process. a year providing on-site psychiatric care formissionaries who can betreated while remaining overseas. She isextensively involved inefforts toeducate themissionary Cluster B personality disorders tend to be more subtle and community in topics such as missionary kids, bruising, depression, andburnout. may slip through the selection process if sophisticated screening She was a speaker at theInternational Conference for Missionary Kids in Manila is not utilized. Persons with the antisocial, borderline, histrionic, (1984) andin Quito(1987). and narcissistic personality disorders often appear dramatic, suave,

JANUARY 1991 33 emotional, yet deceptively healthy. Their erratic and impulsive, the team will perceive the destructive impact of continued inter­ .disruptive, and splitting behaviors are not always apparent until action. they are stressed in the overseas setting. Each of these will be People with borderline personality disorder have lost out on discussed in more detail. They are often the most disruptive of important developmental milestones, some of which cannot be the personality disorders. reclaimed. Fear of abandonment is intense and may persist even A. Antisocial personality disorder was formerly called socio­ after therapy. The most serious losses may have occurred around path, psychopath, etc. The' new title is deceptive in that these the age of two so that these people often seem to be two-year­ people are often smooth, good talkers, and sociable on a super­ olds in adult bodies. ficial level. In the United States they are often in trouble with the Inselection and in orientation programs, these individuals law or involved in unscrupulous businesses. In the mission set­ may be observed in frequent anger-remorse-depression cycles. ting they make wonderful speakers for deputation, possibly rais­ Once they arrive overseas their disruption to the field ministry in~ their full support in six weeks when the rest of the mission team is almost as severe as that occurring with the antisocial candidates take six months to two years. personality. At times the borderline person appears so "nor­ Unfortunately they seem to have an inability to make moral mal" that team members are caught totally off-guard when out­ decisions, often are involved in shady business deals, do not bursts or decompensation recurs. honor financial obligations, do not function as responsible par- Identity establishment is.so incomplete in these people that they find it almost impossible to successfully integrate into a new culture-hence the basic incompatibility of this personality dis­ order with overseas missionary service. Antisocial personality C. Histrionic personality disorder manifests itself with ex­ disorder missionaries often cessive emotionality and attention-seeking. People with this dis­ make wonderful speakers order constantly seek and demand reassurance, praise, approval, and affirmation. They need to be the center of attention. Their for deputation. emotions seem shallow and rapidly shifting. Loss and rejection, perceived or real, create severe distress. They may be creative and imaginative, but they lack analytical decision-making skills. ents, avoid planning ahead, and are unable to sustain consistent Causes of the disorder seem to be early life separations and work behavior. Their sociopathic "swiss cheese" conscience disturbance in attachments. Self-esteem for the adult histrionic is may predispose to sexually immoral behavior even while they centered on physical attractiveness, often to the point of seduc­ loudly champion moral purity. tiveness. This person cannot tolerate delayed gratification and These people are manipulators, and they lack real empathy does not wear well on the mission field. The constant need for and compassion. There does seem to be a congenital or genetic reassurance and affirmation wears down other missionaries and component to this personality disorder. These people usually national workers, creating a level of exhaustion in the entire team. seem different from birth. A child of a sociopathic parent, adopted In candidate school or orientation programs histrionic types at birth into a good family will grow up with sociopathic, antisocial seem overly emotional, flighty, and seductive. They may be the tendencies in many cases. It is as if he was born with a social center of every party, but in a very superficial way. Letters of learning disability. recommendation often comment on these characteristics. The prevailing pattern of the antisocial personality disorder D. Narcissistic personality disorder is a pervasive pattern of is exploitation. People with this disorder may be seen as manip­ grandiosity, hypersensitivity to the evaluation of others, and lack ulators in mission candidate school and during the selection proc­ 6 of empathy, according to DSM-III-R. People with this disorder esse think of themselves as "special," but when faced with the B. Borderline personality disorder was not defined until the normal disappointments of life, they may fall apart emotionally. past decade. It is characterized by instability of mood, interper­ They often feel that their problems are unique and that they are sonal relationships, and self image. Identity disturbance is almost entitled to special treatment. always present. Identity issues ae pervasive and include diffi­ Their self-esteem is very fragile. They have the exaggerated culties with self-view, sexual identity, long-term goals and career, sense of self-importance that small children have. Their self-ideal­ choice of friends, and values. ization apparently causes an extremely immature perception of Persons with borderline personality disorder have unstable the realities of life. Becoming a missionary "star" may further and intense relationships, often alternating between the extremes feed this pathology, though the stardom is usually short-lived. of over-idealization and devaluation. They cannot tolerate being The developmental stages of learning and the ability to face grad­ alone and they have affective instability and lability (extreme mood ual, limited disappointments with parental support may not have shifts). Frequent angry outbursts occur for which they may later occurred. Consequently they don't develop the mature ability to be sorry, or they may ignore or deny that they were angry. They withstand disappointment and failure while retaining positive often are involved in self-mutilation or suicide gestures. self-regard. They then alternate between feelings of grandiosity Borderlines frequently are involved in "splitting." This and inferiority. occurs on two levels. The first is splitting between the extremes Narcissists (as well as borderlines) share the characteristic of of idealizing a person, then suddenly devaluing the same person. being unable to emphathize. In the selection process such an This leaves missionary colleagues with no consistent frame of individual may be detected by an inability to accept criticism, reference for interaction and relationship. The second level of disappointment, or suggestions. On the field these people talk splitting occurs in group settings and team functioning where well, but are unable to think of the needs of others. They make several team members will strongly favor the borderline and be poor team players. In the face of disappointment they may re­ manipulated easily by him or her, whereas others see the dys­ spond with a brief reactive psychosis that can be very disruptive functional patterns of behavior and feel that the individual is a to the work of the' mission. (Brief reactive psychosis implies re­ detriment to the team effort. With the passage of time most of moval from reality for a period of days or weeks; it includes

34 INfERNATIONALBULLETIN OF MISSIONARY REsEARCH inability to distinguish between internal and external reality for matters involved in these cases can bankrupt a self-insured mis­ that period of time.) sion board. It is possible for a person to display mixed features of per­ Though this article is geared to detection of adults with per­ sonality disorder, now titled "Personality Disorder, NOS" (not sonality disorders, families with a child or adolescent who has a otherwise specified). personality disorder may also not be able to serve overseas as One must distinguish between the "healthy" depression long as the child is at home. Care needs to be exercised in the mentioned at the beginning of the article, and the "unhealthy" selection of candidates, including the testing of problem children depression accompanying personality disorders. True depression prior to overseasassignment. Families who adopt troubled ("healthy" depression) is a biochemical response to chronic youngsters may find that those children are too damaged (or stress, either internal or external. It responds clinically to medi­ identity disordered) to adjust to overseas settings. cation and professional counseling. These patients can usually return to full careers. Prevention In contrast, characterological depressions or "unhealthy" depressions are only symptoms superimposed on an underlying It would seem that the obvious long-term solution for the mission personality disorder. This type of depression occurs when the resides in the selection process. My suggestions to avoid inad­ person with a pathological personality-disordered style is not suc­ vertent recruitment of personality-disordered individuals are as ceeding in day-to-day life. follows: All of the above personality disorders have some character­ 1. All candidates and spouses should receive the MMPI (Min­ istics that remind us of ourselves. The key to remember is that nesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory). This is culturally and to diagnose a personality disorder, the patterns must be lifelong, ethnically biased toward white, middle-class Americans; there­ pervasive, inflexible, and maladaptive enough to cause either im­ fore, another personality tool will be needed for candidates of pairment in interpersonal or occupational functioning or subjec­ other cultural, ethnic backgrounds. 7 The MMPI is the gold stand­ tive distress. ard of personality inventories, though some authorities believe that the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI) is as good, Compassion vs. Protection of the Overseas or can be used complementarily. Team These tests, which need to be scored by a skilled interpreter, One of the most difficult issues any mission has to face is can help identify characteristics associated with personality dis­ what to do when a person with one of these personality disorders orders. The primary objection is that the cost may range from slips through the selection process, arriving overseas with all of $50-150 per person. This seems a small price to pay compared to his or her emotional baggage. This quickly results in credibility the financial and human toll associated with personality disorders gaps with the nationals, exhaustion on the part of field executives, on the mission field. frustration, and sometimes resignations from other missionaries. 2. All recommendation letters regarding candidates should Compassion would suggest an extended effort at working be followed up by a personal phone call. Letter writers will often with the person in the field setting. Unfortunately the statistical probability of success anywhere, much less in the heat of the battle overseas, is negligible. Meanwhile the work, the other mis­ The statistical probability sionaries, the nationals, and the field leader suffer immense pain. Can a Christian have a personality disorder? Yes. Is that of being able to help a emotional damage solved by a committed Christian experience? person with a personality Not necessarily. We understand that a person with physical crip­ disorder while on the field pling such as polio is not necessarily made whole by salvation and growth. We must understand that psychological crippling is is negligible. not automatically healed with Christian commitment. With regard to overseas service the analogy I would draw is that we would not send a person who uses a wheelchair to the be candid regarding problems if their opinions do not appear in battlefront in war. I contend that we must not send our psycho­ writing. logical "wheelchair cases" to the spiritual battlefront either. 3. All candidates should submit a detailed occupational and When we do, we compromise the work and expose these people social history that has been verified by outside sources. My ex­ to unnecessary failure. We also expose coworkers to frustration, perience has been that many people with personality disorders anger, and decreased effectiveness and efficiency. have extremely frequent job changes. In .many cases, people with personality disorders are intel­ 4. In-depth personal interviews must be conducted on all ligent and educated. They may appear to be very spiritual, and candidates. This should include separate interviews with each their skills may seem to be just what a particular field needs. Too spouse. often, though, we have chosen people to fill the immediate needs 5. If any questions surface, the candidate should be inter­ overseas without selecting according to emotional qualifications. viewed in several sessions by a seasoned mental health profes­ The result has been disaster for the unwisely chosen individual, sional with experience in diagnosing personality disorders. the family, fellow missionaries, the nationals, the work, and the field leader. In selection we need to be wise as serpents and Summary harmless as doves. A mission that accepts a candidate with a personality disorder This article should not be considered a complete psychological who later requires psychiatric hospitalization, may be financially handbook for the missionary selection process. Rather, it is in­ responsible for medical care costing as much as $1,000 per day tended to help avoid the placement of individuals with person­ and lasting for months or years. The workman's compensation ality disorders on the mission field. There may be useful places

JANUARY 1991 35 of service for these people within the church at large, but not in ment procedures. Prevention is the best cure, with heavy em­ a third culture. phasis on the use of psychological testing and common sense Selection committees need to be especially careful in place- regarding some of the other methods already in use. Notes ------­

1. Rigid, dogmatic, suspicious Christians who focus their pathology on however, that conflict arises over criticism of others on the team. legalisms, divisive doctrines, and theological deficiencies of others, 5. Unfortunately, the individual with passive aggressive personality dis­ may have this problem. order may appear to be a fine Christian who never gets angry. His or 2. In the schizotypal, psychotic "religious" experiences may mimic her obstinacy and anger will be expressed indirectly with procrastin­ the real thing. ation, delay, and discreet refusal to follow orders. 3. Persons with avoidant personality disorders occasionally present them­ 6. The personality disorders listed here are applicable only to individuals selves in missionary settings as "loners" who function best in a aged eighteen or older. Comparable childhood conditions have dif­ solo setting. Sometimes they are labelled "pioneers." ferent titles. 4. The individual with obsessive-compulsive disorder may appear just 7. MMPI-II was formulated from a broader population base and may overly conscientious and scrupulous. He or she may be so exacting, correct for some racial and ethnic bias. Bibliography

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-III-R), 3d ed., rev. Washington, Nicholi, Armand M., ed. TheNew Harvard Guide to Psychiatry. Cambridge, D.C.: American Psychiatric Assn., 1987. Mass.: Harvard Univ. Press, 1988. Landorf, Joyce. Irregular People. Waco, Texas: Word, 1982. Oates, Wayne E. Behind theMasks. Philadelphia, Pa.: Westminster Press, Magid, Ken, and Carol A. McKelvey. High Risk-Children Without a Con­ 1987. science. Golden, Colorado: M and M Publishing, 1987. Review of General Psychiatry. International Edition, 2d ed. East Norwalk, Millon, Theodore, and George Everly. Personality and Its Disorders: A Bio­ Conn.: Appleton and Lange, 1988. social Learning Approach. New York: John Wiley and Sons, 1985. Book Reviews

Proclaiming Christ in Christ's Way: Studies in Integral Evangelism. Edited by Vinay Samuel and Albrecht Hauser. Oxford: RegnumBooks, 1989. Pp. 228. Paperback £9.95.

The fifteen stimulating essays in this Afghanistan prior to joining the mis­ tributions are of varying significance. compilation are an outgrowth of the sions department of his denomination. Especially interesting are essays on Stuttgart Consultation on Evangelism This collection was presented as a "Evangelicals and Wholistic Evan­ (March 1987), which brought together Festschrift in honor of the sixtieth birth­ gelism" by Christopher Sugden, forty-five evangelical and ecumenical day of Walter Arnold, the Executive "Evangelisation and Culture" by Christians (about equal in number, with Secretary for Missions and Ecumenical David Gitari, and "Christian-Marx­ considerable overlap) for a serious dis­ Relations of the Evangelical Lutheran ist Dialogue: An Evangelical Perspec­ cussion of biblical evangelism, at the Church of Wiirttemberg, which hosted tive" by Peter Kuzmic. invitation of the Commission on World the Stuttgart meeting. Albrecht Hau­ John Stott, the only contributor to Mission and Evangelism of the World ser, in an essay paying tribute to Wal­ this Festschrift who was not present at Council of Churches. These studies ter Arnold, roots the title of the book the Stuttgart meeting, effectively sum­ were contributed by thirteen partici­ in the life and ministry of Arnold as a marizes the focus of the book in these pants from five continents, including faithful disciple personally committed well-chosen words: chapters by the editors, Vinay Samuel to proclaiming the Gospel in Christ's I ... like the Stuttgart vocabulary (India), who is General Secretary of way-through both word and deed. of "integral evangelism," in which Partnership in Mission-Asia, and Al­ The subtitle of the book introduces "kerygma and diakonia are inte­ brecht Hauser (West Germany), who a new phrase coined at the Stuttgart grated." For surely there is always served as a missionary in Pakistan and Consultation. "Integral evangel­ something exceptional, even inauthen­ ism" brings together worship and pub­ tic, about a Christian witness which is lic life, evangelism and social either verbal without being visual, or responsibility, kerygma and diakonia as visual without being verbal. "Good integral parts of the Christian mission news" and "good works" belong Warren Webster was a missionary in Pakistan that belong together. The Stuttgart inextricably to one another, so that peo.;. (1954-1970) with the Conservative Baptist For­ Statement on Evangelism, which com­ pIe are permitted to see as well as hear, eignMission Society and since 1971 has served prises the concluding chapter, might and so to glorify God (Matt. 5:16). as General Director of CBFMS in Wheaton, Il­ well be read first as background for the -Warren Webster linois. He is a member of the Lausanne Com­ resulting essays. The individual con­ mitteefor World Evangelization.

36 INTERNATIONAL BULLETIN OF MISSIONARY REsEARCH John Hick's Theology of The Church and Cultures: New Religions: A Critical Evaluation. Perspectives in Missiological Anthropology. By Gavin D'Costa. Lanham, Md.: Uni­ versity Press ofAmerica, 1987. Pp. xi, 259. By Louis J. Luzbetak. Maryknoll, N. Y.: $28.00; paperback $15.00. Orbis Books, 1988. Pp. xix. 464. Paperback $19.95 . A revision of D'Costa's 1986 Cam­ bridge dissertation-which has not fun­ This is an important book. It is as com­ thropology and general missiology, damentally altered its methodical and prehensive an introduction to the place theology, contextualization, ecumen­ somewhatmechanicalformat-thisbook of anthropology in missiology as has ism, and a good bit of missiological his­ offers the most thorough analysis to yet appeared. It is encyclopedic in its tory. Behind the book lies a truly date of John Hick's work on religious coverage of the interfaces between an­ amazing breadth of reading and re- pluralism. No individual has figured more prominently than Hick as an ad­ vocate of a new pluralist approach in theology, one that would decisively re­ ject the notion of any exclusive or de­ REVISED EDITIONS cisive revelation in Christ (or indeed in any religious tradition). The focus of OF the book is strictl y limited to Hick, but it offers a compact and telling critique MISSION CLASSICS of a major movement in contemporary theology. D'Costa argues that Hick's devel­ opedapproach fails to overcome a fun­ damental dilemma: if his conviction of the equal validity of all religions is in fact based upon an argument from the loving nature of a God who would not arbitrarily privilege some, Hick vio­ lates his own pluralistic principles and in fact privileges a monotheistic and essentially Christocentric belief over others. If Hick insists, as he sometimes does , that all religious traditions and representations are equally condi­ tioned and fallible modes of relation to an unknown eternal reality, he escapes UNDERSTANDING PLANNING STRATEGIES the charge of theistic chauvinism, but CHURCH GROWTH FOR WORLD at the expense of giving up any basis Third Edition EVANGEUZATION for asserting the validity of religious Donald McGavran Revised Edition versus nonreligious views of reality or Revised and Edited by Edward R. Dayton and for characterizing the nature of that di­ C. Peter Wagner David A. Fraser vine transcendent reality. irst published in 1970 and he result of more than two A Roman Catholic who is deeply Frevised in 1980, McGavran's Tdecades of research, discus­ indebted to Karl Rahner, D'Costa has Understanding Church Growth has sion, and debate by the Missions developed his own version of an become a missionary classic. Its Advanced Research and Com­ "inclusivist" approach to religious penetrating analysis of the mecha­ munications Center, this book is nisms of the spread of the gospel the only mission-strategy book pluralism (see his Theology andReligious is skillfully combined with theo­ that covers the complete cycle of Pluralism: The Challenge of Other Reli­ logical convictions, empirical the mission task, from thinking gions). That constructive statement in research, social principles, and and planning to implementing tandem with this substantial critique spiritual insight to mo1d a para­ and evaluating. digm for effective evangelism establishes D'Costa's work as essential This revised edition greatly strategy both at home and abridges and updates the original reading for anyone interested in these abroad. work, published in 1980. The issues. In this third edition, C. Peter book is particularly pertinent to -5. Mark Heim Wagner, longtime collea~e of college and seminary students McGavran, has modernized the preparing for mission work, field language and streamlined the missionaries, and missions execu­ flow of ideas . Other features of tives and experts. S. MarkHeim is Associate ProfessorofChristian this new edition include an addi­ tional chapter by McGavran on Paper, $15.95 Theologyat Andover Newton Theological School, divine healing and an expanded, Newton, Massachusetts. He is an American updated, annotated reading list. Baptist andauthorof Is Christ the Only Way? Paper, $14.95 t your bookstore, or call 800-253-7521 FAX616-459-6540 0181 WM. B. EERDMANS PUBLISlllNG CO. _ I\\ ~ll JEFFERSON AVE. S.B. / GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN 49103

JANUARY1991 37 search. The book will be a sourcebook ically and historically, and describe that disappoint me about the book . It for all of us to refer to frequently for current trends in the church world­ should not carry the same title as Luz­ years to come. wide that affect missiological thought betak's earlier book. This is a new work Of particular value are the intro­ and practice. and cannot be used as we used the ductory and concluding chapters, en­ Anthropology as anthropology is earlier book. Dividing nearly four titled "The Theological Foundations treated in three very long chapters. hundred pages of text into only eight of Missiological Anthropology" and Among the outstanding features of chapters makes the book hard to read " Anthropology at the Service of those chapters are the author's treat­ and use , even for reference. Though Faith ." These provide the context within ment of the dynamics of culture change, his coverage is excellent, there is sim­ which anthropology applied to gospel his discussion of culture stress ply too much about too many topics communication must function. Chap­ ("shock"), and his ability to com­ for one volume. I fear that even most ters two through four effectively ex­ bine the insights of several schools of professionals will not have the breadth plain what missiological anthropology anthropology. of interest demanded of the reader. I is, discuss models of mission theoret­ There are , however, a few things would have liked to have seen more anthropology in the book. Though I found myself in agreement with nearly all of his anthropology, it disturbed me that he didn't connect worldview bet­ ter either to culture or to the "men­ tality " of a people. Nor did he clearly Meet Your New Neighbors distinguish it from religion. Most of my criticisms are , how­ ever, picky and should not be allowed at OMSC to detract from the great value and im­ portance of the book. -Charles H. Kraft

Charles H. Kraft is Professor of Anthropology and Intercultural Communication in the School of WorldMission, Fuller TheologicalSeminary. He served as a missionary in Northern Nigeria from 1957 to 1960 under the Brethren Church (Ashland, Ohio) and taught in African Studies fortenyears at Michigan Stateand UCLA before going to Fuller Seminary twenty years ago.

Eric J. Sharpe James A. Scherer Harvie M. Conn East Meets West: The Jesuits in September-December 1991 January-May 1992 China, 1582-1773.

Edited by Charles E. Ronan,S.]. and Bon­ nieB. C. Oh. Chicago: Loyola Univ. Press , Announcing 1991-1992 1988. Pp. xxxiii, 332. $19.95.

Senior Mission Scholars Based on a conference commemorat­ ing the 400th anniversary of the arrival in China of Matteo Ricci, S.J. (1552­ in Residence 1610), this excellent and erudite vol­ ume explores the varied Jesuit efforts The Overseas Ministries Study Center welcomes into to make the Christian faith take root in residence this year Drs. Eric J. Sharpe, James A. Scherer, and China, especially their pioneering per­ Harvie M. Conn as Senior Mission Scholars. In addition to sonal immersion in Chinese culture sharing in the leadership of OMSC's regular Study Program, and their sharing of European skills, these highly respected colleagues will offer to our missionary particularly in the sciences, with the and overseas residents personal consultation and tutorial Chinese. The essays helpfully situate Ricci among his pr ecursors and suc­ assistance. Write for Study Program Schedule and Application cessors, and develop comparisons that for Residence. illuminate the Jesuits' thinking. In Overseas Ministries Study Center Francis X. Clooney, 5./., Assistant Professor of 490 Prospect Street, New Haven, Connecticut 06511 Theology at Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Mas­ Tel: (203) 624-6672 Fax: (203) 865-2857 sachusetts, taught at 51. Xavier's School in Kathmandu , Nepal, during 1973- 75. His Ph.D. SeniorScholar, Fall 1992: Dr. Gary B. McGee from the University of Chicago is in SouthAsian languages andcivilizations, withaspecialization in Hindu theology.

38 INTERNATIO NAL BULLETIN OF MiSSIONARY R ESEARCH three essays Chinese reactions to the Jesuits are examined, the contextual Fifteen Outstanding Books of 1990 meaning of conversion is analyzed, and cases of Jesuit-Chinese dialogue for Mission Studies are explored in detail. Finally, three es­ says offer insights into less explored The editors of the INTERNATIONAL BULLETIN OF MISSIONARY RESEARCH have se­ materials: the (mainly technical) Jesuit lected the following books for special recognition of their contribution to mission influence on Chinese art, Jesuit map­ studies in 1990. We have limited our selection to books in English, since it would making, and the political-cultural con­ be impossible to consider fairly the books in many other languages that are not text of the Jesuit translation of the readily available to us. We commend the authors, editors, and publishers rep­ Confucian Four Books. Oh's very help­ resented here for their contribution to advance the cause of missionary research ful introduction succinctly previews with scholarly literature. the essays and summarizes key points from the discussions that followed the Bonk, Jonathan J. presentations. All involved with this The Theory and Practice of Missionary Identification, 1860-1920. volume are to be commended for their ; Lewiston, N.Y.: Edwin Mellen Press. $79.95. success in transforming conference pa­ Carpenter; Joel A., and Wilbert R. Shenk, eds. pers into a lasting scholarly contribu­ Earthen Vessels: American Evangelicals and Foreign Missions, 1880­ tion. 1980. The nonspecialist will do well to Grand Rapids, Mich.: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. Paperback $15.95. read this book in conjunction with ear­ Christensen, Thomas G. . lier volumes such as Dunne's Genera­An African Tree of Life. tion of Giants (1962) or Spence's The Maryknoll, N. Y.: Orbis Books. Paperback $17.95. Memory Palace of Matteo Ricci (1984), D'Costa, Gavin, ed. which more amply narrate the story of Christian Uniqueness Reconsidered: The Myth of a Pluralistic Theology Ricci and his fellow Jesuits. But East of Religions. Meets West poses for all readers timely Maryknoll, N.Y.: Orbis Books. $34.95; paperback $14.95. questions about the value and limits of Douglas, J. D., ed. inculturation. We cannot help but be Proclaim Christ Until He Comes: Calling the Whole Church to Take the impressed by the heroic labors of these Whole Gospel to the Whole World. Lausanne II in Manila: men, their saintly patience and admi­ International Congress on World Evangelization. rable learning, and must be grateful to Minneapolis, Minnesota: World Wide Publications. Paperback $16.95. them for initiating a missionary Draper, Edythe, edt method so respectful of local culture. The Almanac of the Christian World. Yetthese essays compel us to ask why, Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers. Paperback $14.95. then, the goal of a Christian China was Dyrness, William A. never reached. One gets the impres­ Learning About Theology from the Third World. sion that inculturation at its best was Grand Rapids, Mich.: Academie BookslZondervan Publishing House. Paperback ultimately no more the solution than $12.95. other missionary methods. Moreover, Martin, David. the Jesuit endeavors apparently mir­ Tongues of Fire: The Explosion of Protestantism in Latin America. rored and contributed to larger cultural Oxford, England and Cambridge, Mass.: Basil Blackwell. $39.95. and intellectual shifts (in China and Neils, Patricia, ed. Europe), which only partially inter­ United States Attitudes and Policies Toward China: The Impact of sected with their objectives. In any American Missionaries. case, these detailed studies enable the Armonk, N.Y.: M. E. Sharpe. $39.95. interested reader to ponder the poten­ Shuster, Robert D., James Stambaugh, and Ferne Weimer, comps. tial and limits of inculturation in to­ Researching Modern Evangelicalism: A Guide to the Holdings of the day's world. Billy Graham Center, With Information on Other Collections. -Francis X. Clooney, S.J. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press. $55. Stanley, Brian. ~ The Bible and the Flag: Protestant Missions and British Imperialism in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries. African Catholicism: Essays in Leicester, England: Apollos/InterVarsity Press. Paperback £10.95. Discovery. Stine, Philip C., ed. Bible Translation and the Spread of the Church in the Last 200 Years. ByAdrian Hastings. London: SCM Press; Leiden, Netherlands: E. J. Brill. $43. Philadelphia: Trinity Press International, Stoll, David. 1989. Pp. xiv, 208. Paperback $14.95. Is Latin America Turning Protestant? The Politics of Evangelical Growth. Hastings's undeniable stature as the Berkeley, Calif.: Univ. of California Press. $24.95. leader among contemporary historians Walls, Andrew F., and Wilbert R. Shenk, eds. ofAfricanChristianity--chieflybecause Exploring New Religious Movements: Essays in Honour of Harold W. of his books African Christianity (1976) Turner. Elkhart, Indiana: Mission Focus Publications. Paperback $12.75. Wilson, Frederick R., ed. Simon E. Smith is Executive Secretary of Jesuit The San Antonio Report: Your Will Be Done-Mission in Christ's Way. Missions for the United States andCanada. He Geneva: World Council of Churches. Paperback $14.95, Sfr.22.50, £8.95. was a missionary in Iraq andmore recently headed theJesuit Refugee Seroice in Africa.

JANUARY 1991 39 and A History ofAfrican Christianity 1950­ tion; post-Vatican II developments; phone Africais understandable enough, 1975 (1979)-assures a warm welcome Archbishop Milingo and healing; 150 given his own experiences as a mis­ to this valuable collection of a dozen years of church-state relations in sionary in Uganda, Tanzania, and of his essays. Most of them were pub­ southern Africa; why the church in Zambia during the sixties and then in lished in the 1980sin a variety of sources South Africa matters; and so forth . the eighties as a professor of religious not readily accessible . The essays are of immensely vary­ studies in Zimbabwe. Yet this narrow The essays cover various aspects ing focus, historical, theological, ana­ geographical concentration is also re­ of Catholic life in black Africa: from the lytical, descriptive, exhortative, and grettable, because Catholicism under interplay between traditional religions each of them is a tight little gem . Has­ French and Portuguese tutelage evolved in Uganda and the arrival of the White tings does not hesitate to challenge re­ in ways significantly different from that Fathers there to how this affected the ceived wisdom or even hierarchs. In in the English-speaking colonies. role of women; prophets, mediums, and this same spirit he may accept a few Second, francophone Africa, es­ martyrs; Ganda spirituality; African criticisms. pecially Zaire and Cameroon, has al­ theology; the vicissitudes of transla­ First, his concentration on anglo- ready produced far more in both theological research and practical experimentation than the countries Hastings writes about. It is a grave dis­ appointment that this wealth of output gets only scarce mention in one of his essays. Third, although he is correct to stick to his own experience and not extrap­ MISSION olate too often from any specific case (e.g., from Uganda to all of Africa), whoever titled this book did Hastings and us a disservice if African is meant IN THE 1990s to be taken as comprehensive. This book is needed, welcome, and informative, and it is a tribute to Has­ Edited by GERALD H. ANDERSON tings and to the church about which JAMES M. PHILLIPS he writes. No one should miss his chapter on the church in South Africa. and ROBERT T. COOTE -Simon E. Smith, S.].

"""""he contributors to this comprehensive resource bring into ..l. focus the priorities and central themes ofauthentic global mis­ Faith and Revolution in Nicaragua: Convergence and sion for the 1990s, addressing its task and purpose and the various Contradictions. challenges it will face in the remaining years ofthis decade, such as religious pluralism, secularization, the preferential option for the ByGuilio Girardi. Maryknoll, N.Y. : Orbis poor and liberation theology, the modern Pentecostal-Charismatic Books, 1989. Pp. xxix, 194. Paperback movement, and recent developments in Eastern Europe. The book $13.95. also features encyclopedist David B. Barrett's unique global statisti­ If, as many apparently assume, the col­ cal table - a striking perspective on the status of today's church lapse of the communist regimes in and the extent ofits outreach. Eastern Europe and the defeat of the Sandinista Front in the February 1990 Nicaraguan elections signal the demise Contributors: Anna Marie Aagaard, Michael Amaladoss, S.J., of Marxism and liberation theology, C. G. Arevalo, S.J., David B. Barrett, David J. Bosch, Emilio then this book will be little more than Castro, Arthur E Glasser, Barbara Hendricks, M.M., Neuza a bit of historical curiosity. Others, Itioka, L. Grant McClung, Jr., however, knowing that it was not Mary Motte, EM.M., Lesslie Marxism that produced liberation theology but oppression, poverty, and Newbigin, C. Rene Padilla, injustice coupled with a rereading of Desmond M. Tutu, Johannes the Bible from the perspective of the Verkuyl, Ralph D. Winter, and poor, will find Faith and Revolution cru­ Anastasios Yannoulatos. cial to understanding the past decade in Nicaragua. The book represents the second Paper, $10.95 half of a larger work entitled Sandi-

At your bookstore, or call 800-253-7521 FAX 616-459-6540 Alan Neely, Henry Winters Luce Professor of Ecumenics and Mission, Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, New Jersey, wasformerly 081 I~ WM.B.EERDMANS - I\~ PUBLISHING CO. professor of missiology at Southeastern Baptist 'jj )1!FFBRSON AVE. S.E./GRAND llAPIDS, MICH. 49j03 Theological Seminary, Wake Forest, North Car­ olina, and for thirteen years was a missionary in Latin America, principally in Colombia .

40 INTERNATIONAL BULLETIN OF MiSSIONARYREs EARCH nismo, Marxismo, Cristianismo: La Con­his conclusion-statedforcefully and el­ fluencia (1987) and is ably translated by oquently-is that what took place in THIRST Y FOR FRESH IDEAS? Philip Berryman, a recognized author­ Nicaragua represented an unprece­ .4ty on Central America. Berryman's in­ dented collaboration between commit­ troduction is a valuable addition, ted Marxists and Christians in the Try CaJholic summarizing the first half of the orig­ building ofa new society. Th~ologicaJ Union's inal edition and providing a helpful Though one may question Girar­ World Mission sketch of the author's life and work. di's confidence in the future of the San­ Program. Whether Guilio Girardi, son of an Italian dinista revolution, especially in light of diplomat, Salesian priest, and profes­ recent events, his explanation for the • you're coping with sor of philosophy, became involved in alliance between the Nicaraguan hi­ fresh water Christian-Marxist dialogues in the erarchy, elites, and the U.S. govern­ shortages in the 1960s. By the early 1970s he was prom­ ment is indisputable. The vacuity of Philippines, water inent in the Christians for Socialism many of the accusations leveled against conservation in rural movement, an involvement that even­ the Sandinista Front to justify the con­ America, or helping tually led to his dismissal from teach­ tra war is exposed, accentuating the parishes meet urban ing and expulsion from his religious tragedy of the thirty thousand lives lost challenges, order. His firsthand study of the Ni­ in the last eight years . caraguan revolution began in 1980,and -Alan Neely Catholic Theological Union offers coruemporary responses to missionaries at home and abroad . Unearthly Powers: A Christian Perspective on Primal and Folk Creative missiologists include: Claude-Marie Barbour, Stephen Bevan s, 'SVD, Eleanor Doidge, LoB, Religions. ArchimedesFornasari, MCCJ, Anthony Gittins, CSSp, John Kaserow, MM. Jamie Phelps, OP. Ana Maria By David Burnett. Eastbourne, U.K.: Pineda. SM, Raben Schreiter, CPPS. Contact: MARC Monarch Publications, 1988. Pp. 286 . Paperback £6.95. C~TII O LI C THEOLOGICAL U~IO~ ture judgments. We need to see the David Burnett makes an important Admissfons Olliec-U18K contribution to modern missiological world as the people see it, becau se we 5401 South Cornell • Chies!:lJ, IL 60615 t;SA thought in this analysis of folk reli­ must begin with them where the y are. (312) 324·8000 gions. In the past, missionaries in tribal societies often assumed that the tribal religions would die as Christianity came in. In peasant and urban societies, they consciously confronted other high re­ ligions such as Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism, and overlooked the wide­ spread animistic beliefs of the common folk. There were notable exceptions. Elmore and Whitehead did pioneer work on folk religions in India , Junod in Africa, and MacDonald and Zwemer in the Islamic world. It is now clear that folk religious beliefs often do not die when people become Christians. Rather, they con­ tinue and go underground, because the people fear the condemnation of church leaders. Today witchcraft, magic, ancestor veneration, spirit possession, healing, and divination are central is­ sues in many churches around the world, including those in the west. How should Christians respond? Burnett provides .us with a well­ organized discussion of various beliefs and practices found in primal and folk religions . He draws on anthropology to help us understand the phenomena as the people themselves see them. This is important, because a sound evalu­ ation of these practices must begin with understanding and not with prema- 1 Admissions Director WHEATON COLLEGE GRADUATE SCHOOL 1­ Wheaton, Illinois 60187-5593 Phone: 708-260-5195 Paul G. Hiebertteaches missionaryanthropology Wheaton College complieswith federal and state requirementson thebasisof handicap, sex, race, color, national or at FullerTheological Seminary, School of World ethnicorigin in admissions andaccess to its programsand activities. Mission, Pasadena , California .

JANUARY 1991 41 To simply condemn their old ways will around the world to show the rele­ worldviews . It is on these levels of not cause these ways to die . vance of his analysis to missions and analysis that a great deal of work still The author covers a wide range of the church. needs to be done. subjects. He examines beliefs in gods, Burnett is fully aware that we must This book is an important aid for demons, humans, ghosts, ancestors, go beyond a phenomenological ap­ missionaries and missiologists, help­ totemic animals, and other spirit beings. proach to folk religions, to questions ing them understand the religious be­ He looks at divination, taboo, witch­ of ontology-what is really going on, of liefs of the common folk, which they craft, sorcery magic, and related beliefs theology-whatis the biblical response, have often misunderstood. It will also in supernatural forces . He discusses and of missiology-how do we help the help church leaders in the west as well shamans, mediums, mystics, and other people move from where they are to a as in the Two-Thirds World deal with religious leaders and analyses the rapid biblical worldview . He provides initial practices they have long ignored. explosion of new religious move­ reflections in a number of areas and a -Paul G. Hiebert ments. Throughout he draws widely good introduction to a discussion of on the insights of anthropologists and the Christian worldview, in contrast to missionaries and uses illustrations from both primal and modern secular

Toyohiko Ka~awa: Apostle of Love and SOCial Justice. A Roman Catholic School for Ministry _11­ By Robert Schildgen . Berkeley, Calif.:Cen­ tenary Books, 1988. Pp. xoi, 341. $18.95; WASHING~ION paperback $12.95.

THEOLOG CAL American writer and activist Robert Schildgen was chosen by the American U ON Committee for the Kagawa Centennial Graduate Degrees Project, 1988, to fill the need for a crit­ ical biography of Toyohiko Kagawa in Theology and (1888-1960). The introduction assesses the Japanese and international views Opportunities of Kagawa and introduces many ideas for Continuing and activities. Twelve chapters deal thematically with roughly progressive Education periods in his life. The epilogue weighs some of the contradictory and differ­ ently viewed attitudes toward Ka­ gawa, seeking to recognize the deficient and to reaffirm the lasting parts of his work. Kagawa was a pacifist; brother to slum dwellers (1909 to 1923, with time out at Princeton Seminary and as or­ ganizer of Utah workers); organizer of trade and farmers' unions and of co­ operatives, fiercely rejecting violence; enabler of passage of a Universal Suf­ frage Bill(1925); explosive writer of some two hundred pamphlets, books , and poems whose profits supported wide­ spread projects; world traveler and ecumenist; preacher of the Kingdom of Inquire about: God movement and seeker of a million Spirituality Program new believers in Japan (1927 onward). Denouncer of United States World War Mission and II acts and suppliant to MacArthur for Cross-Cultural Studies retention of the emperor in 1945, Ka­ Bible Study Tour gawa was accused of and almost tried Sabbatical Semester/Year for collaboration. In post-World War II Ministries Development Program Japan, he helped defend the new con­ stitution and found the new Socialist Summer '91 Program

For further information contact: WASHINGTON THEOLOGICAL UNION Robert W. Northup, now retired, was a Pres­ Dept. of Institutional Advancement lryterian fraternal worker in Japan (1956-1965); then served as executive secretary to the Japan­ 9001 New Hampshire Avenue North American Commission on Cooperative Silver Spring, MD 20903-3699 Mission (1970-1989), and director of the Japan (301) 439-0551 and Hong Kong Office in the NationalCouncil of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. (1972-1989),

42 INfERNATIO NAL BULLETIN OF MISSIONARY REsEARCH Party, continuing his widespread inary, is living and active in Philadelphia village and by the roadside, through evangelistic efforts. at the age of ninety-seven. He is a the changes of forty-three years. Al­ The rich use of Kagawa's own scholar, author of significant books though a good deal of geography and writings and thoughts, the mature as­ about Islam and Bahaism, and theo­ history of Iran comes to notice inci­ sessment of his settlement, trade union, logical educator, but he is distin­ dentally, it is Miller's mission of the and cooperative roles, and the helpful guished by his single-minded devotion evangelization of Moslems that is the notes, pictures, and bibliography are and sense of call to bring the good news book's constant theme, the "high­ commendable. A fuller study of mass of salvation in Jesus Christ to those who way made straight." A reader can only evangelism and of Japanese Christian have not heard-principally Moslems. be grateful for the inspiration of a life theologians such as Tokutaro Takak­ His autobiography is a direct, un­ with such a central, undeviating, con­ ura would round out the assessment, assuming narrative filled with fasci­ tagious dedication. as would Kagawa's self-stated depend­ nating details of life in Iran, in city and -R. Park Johnson ence on Calvin for relating theology to social action. The omission of studies by M. Takenaka and J. Trout and of United States church theologian­ historians Iglehart, Drummond, Germany, and Phillips is puzzling. The ongoing turmoil over Kagawa's unfor­ tunate and unscientific categorizing of Buraku persons needs fuller state­ NEW MISSION ment. Recognition of Confucian and other socialinfluences would adjust the portrait of Kagawa, the indifferent READING father. This revealing record suitably celebrates the centennial of Kagawa's birth and his many contributions. CHEC.KLIST -Robert W. Northup

My Persian Pilgrimage. American Society Faith Meets Faith Series: of MissioJogy Series, By William McElwee Miller. Pasadena, CHRISTIAN Calif.: William Carey Library, 1989. Pp. TRANSFORMING UNIQUENESS ii, 333. Paperback $14.95. MISSION RECONSI DERED Paradigm Shifts in Theology The Myth of a Pluralistic William McElwee Miller is a Presby­ of Evangelization Theology of Religions terian evangelistic missionary who for DAVID j. BOSCH the better part of half a century (1919­ GAVIN D'COSTA Paper $24.95., Cloth $39.95 1962) took a leading part in the Chris­ Paper $14.95, Cloth $34.95 tian mission to bring the Gospel of Christ to the people of Iran. Miller has MISSIONS AND THE NEW written the story of his life, and it is MONEY UNIVERSALISM aptly titled My Persian Pilgrimage. Foundations for a Throughout his career he was the epit­ Affluence as a Western ome of the humble, friendly, doggedly Missionary Problem Global Theology persistent, immensely resourceful mis­ JONATHAN j. BONK DAVID j. KRIEGER sionary evangelist. He lived by choice Paper $16.95 Paper $16.95, Cloth $39.95 in modest quarters, never had a car, never even learned to drive. He usu­ ONE CHRIST­ ally did his evangelistic and pastoral UNITY AND MANY RELIGIONS work afoot. On his repeated tours of PLURALITY Toward a Revised Christology the churches, he may have traveled Mission in the Bible more miles in Iran than any foreigner STANLEY j. SAMARTHA LUCIEN LeGRAND Paper $16.95, Cloth $39.95 in history. In the early days the travel Paper $18.95 was by donkey-back or horse-drawn diligences, and later in buses and third­ JESUS CHRIST class train carriages (he never traveled AT THE ENCOUNTER first class if he could help it). Miller, from a Southern Presby­ OF WORLD terian minister's family in Virginia, RELIGIONS graduate of Washington and Lee Uni­ JACQUES DUPUIS, s.t versity and Princeton Theological Sem- Paper $18.95, Cloth $39.95

R. Park Johnson, retired mission executive ofthe Presbyterian Church (USA) in theMiddle East, ORRIS BOOKS spent many years in Iran, Lebanon, Pakistan, Maryknoll, NY 10545 1-800-258-5838 In NY Collect 914-941-7687 and Nepal. He is the author of a mission study book, Middle East Pilgrimage.

JANUARY 1991 43 The Theolo&y of the Churches and the jewish People: Christians and Jews in the Nether­ Statements by the World Council lands, chose 120 pages of statements of Churches and its Member for Part I and wrote the commentaries Churches. of Part II. Their central thesis is that churches Genel'a: WorldCouncilof Churches, 1988. are moving to recognize that God made Pp. ix, 186. Paperback $9.95. an irrevocable covenant with the an­ cient Hebrews that still constitutes them This valuable and provocative resource statements of the WCC and member as the "people of God." Christians is the product of a task force of the churches. Allan Brockway, former WCC are given a share in that chosen peo­ WCe's Consultation on the Church and secretary for Jewish-Christian Rela­ plehood through "Jesus Christ the the Jewish People that was charged with tions , Paul Van Buren and Rolf Rend­ Jew" (p. 165). The biblical foundations distilling fundamental convergences torff, of the University of Heidelberg, for this view are Romans 9-11 , plus regarding Jews and Judaism in official and Simon Schoon, of the Council of Old Testament passages that stress God's permanent choice of Israel. There is almost no reference to the prophetic and New Testament passages which stress the conditional nature of that election. In this view all evangelism of "A gold Jews, even if done out of love for them, is wrong. Their conversion is unnec­ mine of essary and would imperil the survival of the Jewish people descended from * Abraham, which is theologically im­ information." perative. Observing the debate on "The Hope of Israel" at the Evanston As­ The first major historical treat­ sembly of the WCC in 1954, Visser 't ment of the distinctively evan­ Hofft discerned that "the spectre of • gelical wing of twentieth­ Hitler" was present; that is, national century American missions, delegations were voting according to Earthen Vessels truly breaks the depth and intimacy of their expe­ new ground. Covering terri­ rience of Nazism (p. 134). That specter tory that missions histories is stillvisible as one observes the sources of the church statements and the con­ have scarcely explored yet, the cerns they register. Brief quotations distinguished historians con­ from a Palestinian and a Ghanaian the­ tributing to this volume portray ologian reflect the refusal of much of the the North American (including world Christian community to accept Canadian) evangelical mission­ or even make sense out of the propo­ ary enterprise from the Student sition that the word antisemitism has a Volunteer Movement to the different and deeper theological mean­ very recent past. ing than other forms of racism, or that God chooses Jews (or any other peo­ With its fresh subject matter ple). "God is the God of all people," and new historical interpre­ they say . "If God is seen as an elect­ tations, Earthen Vessels will ing God ... it narrows down God's interest church history scholars and image" (p. 182). students, missionaries and ministers, and any The other specter that haunts this • useful book is never frankly faced: Is­ Paper, $15.95 others who wish to know more about American missions. rael's struggle to secure land and peo­ plehood through dominance in Palestine and the effort of the Jewish diaspora to enlist international sup­ "A gold mine of informationabout Americanevangelical port. This is one form of political the­ missions over the last century - their motives,methods, ology in interesting counterpoint to the political "theology of liberation" that message, and mistakes." enjoys wide support in the ecumenical - Gerald H. Anderson* community. -David M. Stowe

David M. Stowehas beena missionary in China and Lebanon and associate general secretary for Overseas Ministries of the National Council of At yourbookstore, or call 800-633-9326 o141~ WM. B. EERDMANS In Michigan, call collect616459-4591 _ I\~ PUBLISHING CO. Churches. He is now executive vice president FAX 616459-6540 '!S JEFFERSON AVE. S.E. I GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. +9\03 emeritus of the United Church Board for World Ministries and adjunct proiessor at Andover Newton Theological School.

44 INTERNATIO NAL B ULLETIN OF MISSIO NARY REsEARCH The Missionary as a Cultural Interpreter.

ByJonnaLynn K. Mandelbaum . New York: Mission leaders, counselors, educators, Peter Lang, 1989. Pp. 222. $34. pastors, parents, """ This book is a study, based largely on If you interact with missionary kids (MKs) or missionary families, primary documents and interviews, of this valuable resource is for you. .the cultural understandings and irn­ ' pact of Methodist missionaries in the Tshwa area of Mozambique from the 1880s to 1975. It is part of Series VII INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON MISSIONARY KIDS (ICMK) (Theology and Religion) of American Universities Studies. Ms. Mandelbaum was involved in medical mission s in UNDERSTANDING AND NURTURING THE MISSIONARY FAMILY and PLANNING Mozambique, th ough apparen tly FOR MK NURTURE, a two-volume com­ without learn ing Xitshwa, from 1969to pendium of the ICMK conference held In 1974. She is now at The Johns Hopkins Quito, Ecuador, In 1987,ls now available University . and is comprised of workshop presenta­ The book addresses the followin g tions given by leaders in missions and MK question s: How did missionaries un ­ (missionary kid) education on the various communities which touch the life of an derstand the concep t of culture, and MK (Order one or both books.) the Tshwa cultur e in particular? Where did they get their information ? How did they analyze, learn, and use the Xitshwa language? What westernizing NEW DIRECTIONS IN MISSIONS: IMPUCATIONS influence did they have on Tshwa cul­ FOR MKs is a single-volume compendium of the ture? How did they present Tshwa cul­ ICMK conference held in Manila, Philippines, in 1984. it includes presentations on a wide range of ture to their home cons tituency? All. issues related to helping MKs reach their full are most important and fascinating potential as multicultural people. questions in an area where swe eping generalizations are more frequent than careful ana lysis. The book has a good dea l of value. I am personally indebted to the author Yes, I want these ICMK resource materials. (please print.) for some useful factual information . Unfortunately, she is only partially Name _ successful, partly becau se of her lay Address _ status in relation to the key sciences, partly because of her failure to pin­ City State Zip _ point a specific aud ience. For missiol­ Phone _ ogists and anthropologists, the book is distressingly imprecise in its handling of theoretical concepts. This is most ev­ __ Payment enclosed* Bill me* ident in the chapte rs on theories about culture and communication and mis­ U.S. ORDERS: Please indicate whether you would like your order sent sionaries. For a wider public, far too first class __ or third class __ (see approximate costs below). much background information about First class: 3 books = $5.33; 2 books = $4.32; 1 book = $2.40 Third class: 3 books = $2.30; 2 books = $1.60; 1 book = $1.25 Mozambique and about the relevant sciences is unexplained . Finally, the NON-U.S. ORDERS: Please Indicate whether you would like your order sent book is photographically reproduced small packet air __ or surface __ (see approximate costs below). from inadequately edited and proof­ Small packet air: 3 books = $29.76; 2 books = $22.66; 1 book =$12.63 read typescript, which makes its price Surface (and Canada) : 3 books = $6.50; 2 books = $4.10; 1 book = $3.20 Book Price: of $34 excessive . Libraries need this, ICMK Quito twO-volume set $20.00 but few indivi duals can afford it. -Charles R. Taber __ ICMK Quito single volume Please circle: Understanding or Planning 10.00 __ ICMK Manila single volume 9.00 Manila/Quito three-volume set 28.50 Charles R. Taber is Professo r of World Mission at Emmanuel School of Religion, John son City, Postage: _ Tennessee. He was a missionary in the Central *Total Amount Due: _ African Republic and a translations consultant PAYMENT MUST BE IN U.S. FUNDS. of the United Bible Societies in West Africa . MAKE CHECK PAYABLE AND SEND TO:

ICMK Compendiums P.O. Box 960 Phone: 205-349-4800 Northport, AL 35476 USA FAX #: 205-349-4844

] ANCARY 1991 45 [1I1~iros Community Dissertation Notices The Kairos Center Adrian, Marlin Wayne. Seddon, John Thomas, III. "Mennonites, Missionaries, and "The Spirituality of the Reverend for Native Americans: Religious Thomas Frederick Price, M.M." Chrlstlan Discipleship Paradigms and Cultural Ph.D. Bronx, N.Y.: Fordham Univ., Encounters." 1989. and Mission Ph.D. Charlottesville, Virginia: Univ. of (Buenos Aires) Virginia, 1989. Sunquist, Scott Williams. "Narsai and the Persians: A Batstone, David Bruce. Study in Cultural Contact and "From Conquest to Struggle: Conflict. " 1991 Seminar Jesus of Nazareth in the Liberation Ph.D. Princeton, N.].: Princeton July 15 • August 10 Christology of Latin America." Theological Seminary, 1989. Ph.D. Berkeley, Calif.: Graduate Theological Union and Univ. of Calif., Swanson, Tod Dillon.

1989. IIA Crown of Yage: Mission Christs and Indigenous Christs in Mission Insights Chancellor, James Darrell. South America."

IIA Comparative Approach to Ph.D..Chicago: Univ. of Chicago, 1988. from a Religious Fundamentalism: Egyptian Sunni Islam and American Yriarte, MarQuita Elisa.

Latin American Protestant Christianity." IIA Legacy of Grace: Educational Ph..D. Durham, N.C.: Duke Univ., Contributions of the Sisters of the Perspective 1988. Holy Names of Jesus and Mary in Oregon, 1859-1950." Garrison, V. David. Ph.D. Eugene, Oregon: Univ. of

IIA New Epoch in Christian Oregon, 1988. Samuel Escobar Missions: Global Changes Since Currents and Crosscurrents .World War II." in Contemporary Missiology Ph.D. Chicago: Univ. of Chicago, 1988.

C. Rene Padilla Greider, Brett Eugene. CIRCULATION STATEMENT "Crossing 'Deep Rivers': The Mission in a Context of Poverty Statement required by the act of August 12, 1970, section 3685. Liberation Theology of Gustavo Title 39, United States Code, showing ownership, management, Gutierrez in Light of the Narrative and circulation of INTERNATIONAL BULLETIN OF MISSIONARY RESEARCH. Critical Issues in Mission Poetics of Jose Maria Arguedas Published 4 times per year at 490 Prospect Street, New Haven, Interviews and Conversations (Peru)." Connecticut 06511 . with church leaders, professionals, Ph.D. Berkeley, Calif.: Graduate Publisher: Gerald H. Anderson, Overseas Ministries Study Cen­ ter, 490 Prospect Street, New Haven, Connecticut 06511. Editor: journalists, social activists, Theological Union, 1989. Gerald H. Anderson, Overseas Ministries StrJdy Center, 490 Prospect Street, New Haven, Connecticut 06511. Managing Ed­ common workers itor: James M. Phillips, Overseas Ministries Study Center, 490 Meyers, Ronald R. Prospect Street, New Haven, Connecticut 06511.

IIAn Analysis of the Confucian The owner is Overseas Ministries Study Center, 490 Prospect Street, New Haven, Connecticut 06511. For those interested, arrangements Marriage and Family System in Modern Korea and a Christian The known bondholders, mortgages, and other security holders can be made Cor exposure owning or holding one percent or more of total amount of bonds, Alternative." mortgages or other securities are: None. to mission experiences Ph.D. Pasadena, Calif.: Fuller in Latin America either before Average no. Actual no. of Theological Seminary, 1989. of copies copies of or after the Seminar each issue single issue during pre­ published ceding 12 nearest to Nickoloff, James B. months. filing date "The Church and Human Forfurther information Total no. copies printed 8,250 8,000 Liberation: The Ecclesiology of Paid circulation: sales write to Gustavo Gutierrez (Peru)." through dealers, carriers, street vendors, and The Kairos Center Ph.D. Berkeley, Calif.: Graduate counter sales 0 0 Mail subscriptions 7,362 6,820 Jose Marmol1734 Theological Union, 1989. Total paid circulation 7.362 6,820 Free distribution 550 550 Total distribution 7,712 7,170 (1602) Florida, Buenos Aires Copies not distributed: Prescott-Ezickson, Robert Davis. office use, left over, Argentina unaccounted, spoiled "The Sending Motif of the after printing 338 630 (54-1) 795-8468 Returns from news agents 0 0 tu. Gospel of John: Implications for Total 8,250 8,000 Theology of Missions." I certify that the statements made by me above are correct and Ph.D. Louisville, Kentucky: Southern complete. (signed) Gerald H. Anderson Baptist Theological Seminary, 1986.

46 INTERNATIONAL BULLETIN OF MISSIONARY RESEARCH OMSC for Missionary Renewal "The course stretched me and showed me where I need to grow." -Missionary in Hong Kong

"Lessons for Mission from the Church in China" is the topic for Ralph R. Covell's course Jan. 28-Feb. 1, 1991. David Bosch explores "anewparadigm for mis­ sion" April 15-19; Ted Ward deals with third world leadership training April 22-26; and Samuel Escobar teams up with Ray Bakkeforan urban mission seminar April 29-May 3. These and other seminars are waiting for your input and inspiration. Tuition $90 unless otherwise indicated; room and meals $116~$136.

Ralph R. Covell

Jan. 21-25: The Role of Social Justice in World April 15-19: Toward a New Paradigm for Mission: Evangelization. Dr. William E. Pannell, Fuller One Gospel, Multiple Models. Dr. David J. Bosch, Seminary. University of South Africa. Cosponsored by Christian Reformed World Missions and Mennonite Central Jan. 28-Feb. 1: See "Lessons from China," above. Committee. . Feb. 11-15: "Translating the Message: The Mis­ sionary Impact on Culture." Reading Week with Dr. April 22-26: Third World Innovations in Leadership LaminSanneh,author of the book. (No tuition charge.) Training. Dr. Ted Ward, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Cosponsored by Baptist General Con­ Mar. 12-14: Theology and Mission: The Connec­ ference, MAP International, Mission to the World, tion Between Blacks in Africa and the Americas. OMS International, SIM International, World Con­ Dr. Gayraud Wilmore gives three lectures cospon­ cern, World Relief Corporation, and Wycliffe Bible sored by the Richmond Theological Center, at the Translators. Presbyterian School of Christian Education, Rich­ mond, Va. $35 April 29-May 3: Grace and Grit: The Gospel and Dr. Samuel Mar. 18-22: Doing Theology in Missionary Con­ Mission in the Contemporary City. texts: Risk and Reward. Dr. Dean Gilliland, Fuller Escobar,EasternBaptist Seminary, and Dr. Raymond Bakke, International Urban Associates. Cospon­ Seminary. sored by EasternMennonite Board of Missions, Latin April 8-12: Spirituality for Cross-Cultural Mission. America Mission, Mennonite Board of Missions, Fr. Joseph Donders, Washington Theological Union. New York Bible Society, SIM International, Southern Cosponsored by Maryknoll Mission Institute, at Baptist FMB, World Relief Corporation, and World Maryknoll, N. Y. Vision.

Dear Friends at OMSC: Send more information about the following programs

NAME

I ADDRESS I

Mail to: Overseas Ministries Study Center, 490 Prospect St., New Haven, CT 06511 Tel: (203)624-6672 Fax: (203)865-2857 Publishers of the International Bulletin of Missionary Research Book Notes In Conting

Bediako, Kwame. Issues Jesus in African Culture: A Ghanaian Perspective. Social Concern and Evangelization: Accra: Asempa Publishers, Christian Council of Ghana, 1990. Pp. 49. The Journey of the Lausanne Paperback. No price given. Movement Valdir R. Steurnagel Braybrooke, Marcus. Time to Meet: Towards a Deeper Relationship between Jews and The Foreign MissionImpulse of The Christians. American Catholic Church, London: SCM Press; Philadelphia: Trinity Press, 1990. Pp. xii, 180. 1893-1925 Paperback $13.95. Angelyn Dries, O.S.F. Cobb, John B., [r., and Christopher Ives, eds. Interpreting Reality in the The Emptying God: A Buddhist-Jewish-Christian Conversation. Latin American Base Communities Maryknoll, N. Y.: Orbis Books, 1990. Pp. xix, 212. $29.95; paperback J. Stephen Rhodes $14.95. Victorian Images of Islam Fountain, Daniel E., ed. Clinton Bennett Let's Build Our Lives (Team for Evangelism and Development, Church of Christ of Zaire). Olyphant and Opium: A Canton Brunswick, Georgia: MAP International, 1990. Pp. v, 229. Paperback Merchant Who "just Said 'No' " $6.95. Robert Charles Kinne, Warren. The Changing Balance in The Splintered Staff: Structural Deadlock in the Mindanao Church. Quezon City, Philippines: Claretian Publications, 1990. Pp. ix, 287. Global Mission Larry D. Pate Paperback. No price given.

Kornder, Wolfgang. The New Missionary: John Hick and Religious Plurality Die Entwicklung der Kirchenmusik in den ehemals deutschen Gavin D'Costa Missionsgebieten Tanzanias. Erlangen: Verlag derEv.-Luth. Mission, 1990. Pp. 319. Paperback DM 35. My Pilgrimage in Mission-A Series, with articles by McGavran, Donald A. Simon Barrington-Ward Adrian Hastings The Satnami Story: A Thrilling Drama of Religious Change. Donald R. Jacobs Pasadena, Calif.: William Carey Library, 1990. Pp. xiii, 177. Paperback $8.95. Samuel H. Moffett William A. Smalley Parker, F. Calvin. John V. Taylor and others Jonathan Goble of Japan: Marine, Missionary, Maverick. Lanham, Maryland: Univ. Press ofAmerica, 1990. Pp.xiii, 337. $39.75. In our Series on the Legacy of Outstanding Missionary Figures of Schreurs, Peter. the Nineteenth and Twentieth Caraga Antigua 1521-1910: The Hispanization and Christiani­ Centuries, articles about zation of Agusan, Surigao and East Davao. Charles H. Brent Cebu City, Philippines: San Carlos Publications, 1989. (Distributed by Thomas Fowell Buxton Cellar Book Shop, Detroit, Michigan.) Pp. viii, 475. $27.50; paperback Amy Carmichael $18.75. Fredrik Franson Lewis Bevan Jones Vadakumpadan, Paul. John Alexander Mackay Evangelisation Today: Understanding the Integral Concept of Henry Martyn Evangelisation in the Light of Contemporary Trends in the The­ Helen Barrett Montgomery ology of Mission. John Livingston Nevius Shillong, India: Sacred Heart College, 1989. Pp. xoiii, 337. Rs. 65. Constance E. Padwick John Philip Wagner, Herwig, ed. Timothy Richard Papua-Neuguinea Gesellschaft und Kirche: Ein okumenisches Ruth Rouse Handbuch. A. B. Simpson Erlangen: Verlag der Ev.-Luth. Mission, 1989. Pp. 461. DM 38. W. A. Visser 't Hooft