Vol. 20, No.1 International January 1996 Bulletin To Evangelize or Proselytize? re Western Protestantmissionaries whoworkin areasof widespread problem. But as Paul Loffler has cautioned, despite A the world where Christian churches date back many agreement in principle, "the distinctions [between proselytism centuries evangelizing or proselytizing? and evangelism] are not so easily drawn in practice" (Dictionary Proselytism has been characterized as "the corruption of of the Ecumenical Movement, 1991). We offer this issue of the witness." But as Cecil Robeck observes in our lead ar ticle, "One INTERNATIONAL BULLETINin hopes of moving the discussion for­ group's evangelization is another group's proselytism ." For ward. three decad es the problem of proselytism ha s been the special concern of ecumenically minded Protestant, Orthodox, and Ro­ manCatholic leaders.Robeck's survey of the process brings us to On Page a significant new development: an invitation to those most often charged with proselytism- evangelicals and Pentecostals-to 2 Mission and the Issue of Proselytism join the di scussion. Cecil M. Robeck, Jr. In an in-depth study of the situa tion in the Middle East, or 10 Proselytism, Mission, and the Bible "West Asia/North Africa," David Kerr, quoting a Lebanese Eugene P. Heideman theologian, asserts that in a truly ecumenical environment, the 12 Mission and Proselytism: A Middle East evangelizers would find opportunity to rev ive nominal Chris­ Perspective tians "in and for their own traditions." But in the absence of David A. Kerr healthy ecumenical relationships, "evangelism itself ... becomes the casualty of 'sheep-stealing' mission." 18 Noteworthy Miroslav Volf analyzes the situation in Eastern Europe, as 22 Response to David A. Kerr seen by the Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches: Protestant Gabriel Habib missionaries, "equipped with the latest fishing gear, are eagerly 24 Annual Statistical Table on Global Mission: fishing for poor souls in the Orthodox pond, left partly unat­ 1996 tended during decades of Communist rul e." Protestants, how­ David B. Barrett ever, see such objections as confirmation of the need for their gospel w itness. Responding to Volf, Leonid Kishkovsky adds 26 Fishing in the Neighbor's Pond: Mission and that abu sive criticism of Orthodox theology, worship, and wit­ Proselytism in Eastern Europe ness "is often the first point of Protestant witness made in an Miroslav Volf Orthodox context." 31 Response to Miroslav VoH Eugene Heideman's biblical study revolves around the dis­ Leonid Kishkovsky tinction between "conve rt" and "proselyte ." He concludes that 33 My Pilgrimage in Mission the situations we face today find little parallel in the New ArnulfCamps,O.F.M. Testamen t era. He also concludes that the Christian convert who succeeds in avoiding being labeled a proselyte may nevertheless 36 Book Reviews face the dil emma of cultural and religiou s alienation. A convert' s 37 Fifteen Outstanding Books of 1995 for Mission experience may mi rror that ofJesus himself, who "came to wh at Studies was his own, and his own people did not accept him." There is a grow ing consensus today that proselytism is a 46 Dissertation Notices kind of evangelistic malpractice, and that it continues to be a 48 Book Notes of Missionary Research Mission and the Issue of Proselytism Cecil M. Robeck, Jr. roselytism is a blight on the veracity of the Christian little about evangelicals. One need only note the action of Arch­ P message and on the effectiveness of Christian mission. bishop Iakovos, archbishop of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese Almost weekly one can pick up a local newspaper or Christian of North and South America, who issued an encyclical letter in periodical and find a story in which the members of one group September 1994 declaring Seventh-day Adventists, the Assem­ are charged with attempting to lure members of another group blies of God, and Pentecostals to be "religious groups which are into their ranks.' The heat and animosity generated by such notof theChristiantradition.t'-Portunately, the damagehasbeen allegations and activities hold explosive potential in many parts somewhat ameliorated through the issuance of a corrective that of the world.' declares that "most congregations of the Assemblies of God, Proselytism, as G. R. Evans observes, "is a sign that the sense Pentecostals and Seventh-day Adventists are of the Christian of sharing a common mind has broken down.":' This breakdown Tradition. Some are not."? may be observed at two levels. First, it can be seen in the Much more positive is the work undertaken in a joint evan­ multitude of Christian communities that do not respect or recog­ gelization project called Mission Volga." Beginning in the spring nize the genuineness or fullness of ecclesial claims madebyother of 1992 some leaders in the Russian Orthodox Church and a communities that call themselves Christian. Second, ·it can be number of evangelical parachurch leaders worked out an evan­ observed in our inability or unwillingness to work together on a gelistic program that resulted in 100,000 people responding to commondefinition of terms. To date, one group'sevangelization invitations; through a series of televised events, Mission Volga is still another group's proselytism. was seen by some 25 million people. Besides the disparity between definitions of the problem, The ignorance of some evangelicals often leads to what can even the assumptions that undergird certain definitions are not only be called proselytism. On other occasions, such as occurred shared by all. Evans argues, "If I think you are already in Christ with Mission Volga, there may be cooperative efforts that are in his Church where you are, I shall not want to win you for my both evangelistically effective and successful in avoiding the Church. Indeed, I shall regard you as already a member of it."" proselytism label. But in still other situations, the charge of But many of us can think of situations in which this basic proselytism would appear to be unwarranted. Rules that are assumption is not shared, and evangelistic or missional activity unilaterally declared regarding geographic or cultural bound­ continues unabated. As a result, sincere efforts of Christian aries are clearly debatable. Consider, for example, unchurched witness maybe seenas proselytism, creatingdivision rather than Hispanic Catholics who are contacted by evangelizing Protes­ reconciliation. tants. On one hand, any charge that such Protestants do not take What is proselytism? How is it being defined? And who is defining it? It is notmy concern to redefine or to do away withthe term "proselytism" but to explore its common usages in such a One group's evangelization way as to preserve the legitimate place for a noncoercive, sensi­ tive evangelism. is another group's In January 1994 Armenian Orthodox Catholicos Karekin II prose!ytism. visited the United States. While he was in SouthernCalifornia, he shared some of his concerns about the interface between the Orthodox and evangelicals. Since the collapse of Communismin Hispanic history and culture seriously or that they do not under­ Eastern Europe, he reported, many evangelicals have made trips stand the Roman Catholic theology of baptism must be an­ to that region of the world to engage in what they call evange­ swered.? On the other hand, some Roman Catholic leaders, such lism. Some of them met with Catholicos Karekin himself. When as Cardinal Augusto Vargas Alzamora, are prepared to recog­ they did, they found him dressed in clerical attire, wearing a nize that "thenumber of baptized Catholics who live a life totally cross. Althoughtheyknewwhohe was, theyneverthelesspressed indifferent to their faith is dramatically changing the face of the him on the question of whether or not he knew Jesus. culture.":" Whatever might have once been said about a strong "They ignore the fact that Eastern Orthodox Christians are Hispanic Catholic culture must now be modified. justthat-Christians," he protested. Hewenton to pointoutthat Although proselytism possesses a neutral or positive mean­ "Christianity is not something we have inherited from the West ing in the Bible," today most connotations are derogatory. But it but something that has been with us since the beginning of the is equally clear that despite widespread agreement about the Christian era.:" Such stories are common among Orthodox lead­ negative character of proselytism, definitions differ dramati­ ers in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, and they cally, depending upon who employs the term. A few examples serve notice to evangelicals on the whole that they could use will make the point. some lessons both in theology and church history-not to men­ tion the kindness and common courtesy of 1 Corinthians 13:4-5. The Orthodox and the Issue of Proselytism Evangelicals know remarkably little about Eastern Ortho­ doxy. But this is not the total story. The Orthodox know far too Although concern over proselytism against the Orthodox is not new, events in Eastern Europe over the past half dozen years Cecil M.Robeck,Jr., is Associate Professor ofChurch Historyand Ecumenics, have highlighted the problem. The uninvited entry of Protestant Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, California. missionaries into the Orthodox communities of the Middle East 2 INTERNATIONAL BULLETIN OF MISSIONARY RESEARCH spans more than a century and a half. As Norman A. Horner has International Bulletin noted, the charge of proselytism may have emerged when Prot­ estant missionaries were disappointed in their efforts to evange­ of Missionary Research lize Muslims, so that they turned their attention instead to Established 1950 by R. Pierce Beaver as Occasional Bulletin from the members of the various Orthodox communities already present Missionary Research Library. Named Occasional Bulletin of Missionary in the region." A number of studies on the subject have been Research 1977. Renamed INTERNATIONAL BULLETIN OF MISSIONARY RESEARCH undertaken by the Middle East Council of Churches and indi­ 1981.