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Mission and Proselytism: a Middle East Perspective

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Mission and Proselytism: a Middle East Perspective threaten vital interests and arouse opposition? Within theJewish Nevertheless, believers may be faced with the reality of communityin the NewTestamentera, the issuesrevolved around being cut off by their own communities as they identify with circumcision and the law (Romans 2-3). In the Gentile commu­ Christ. On the one hand, we must oppose the sectarian spirit that nities, issues of sexual ethics, worship of idols, eating meat calls people to leave their humancommunities in order to join us. offered to idols (1 Cor. 5-10), and relationship to civil authority On the other hand, to be converted to Christ is also to enter into (Rom. 12:14-13:8) became flash points. Apart from the tension the koinonia of the church and to encourage cultural, social, and that might arise over these issues, the followers of Jesus were political patterns of life at odds with one's native culture and constantly urged to seek peace with their neighbors, to live nation-sometimes even with the Christian denomination or obediently to the laws of the land, and to pray for the emperor. churchin whichonewas raised. This dilemma cannotbe avoided Their suffering should be for the sake of faithful witness to Jesus so longas theCityof Manremainsintermingledon earthwiththe Christ alone (1 Peter 4). City of God. In conclusion, the New Testament evidence can be said to (1) Notes-----------------­ encourage the followers of Jesus to bear faithful witness to Christ and his righteousness; (2) call people to repentance, conversion, 1. World Council of Churches, "Common Witness and Proselytism: A StudyDocument" (May 1970),in MissionTrends No.2:Evangelization, and baptism into the name of Jesus Christ; (3) encourage people ed. Gerald H. Anderson and Thomas F. Stransky, C.S.P. (Grand to participate in the koinonia around the Lord's Table and to Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 1975), p. 178. build up the life of the church; and (4) to live as obedient, 2. Webster's New Dictionary of Synonyms (Springfield, Mass.: Merriam­ peaceful, and fruitful members of the humancommunityand the Webster, 1984), p. 189. communities in which they have their family and social relation­ 3. F. F. Bruce, The Acts of the Apostles, 2d ed. (London: Tyndale Press, ships. 1952), p. 85. Mission and Proselytism: A Middle East Perspective David A. Kerr he approximately 10- 12 million Christians ofWest Asia / MECC's Fifth General Assembly in 1989.4 As the most ecumeni­ T North Africa (i.e., of the so-called Middle East) represent cal document on the issue in the West Asian/North African a kaleidoscope of Christian churches and cultural traditions.' perspective, it provides an appropriate starting point for this The great majority are Orthodox, members of the Oriental and essay. Eastern Orthodox churches, which account for more than 75 percent of the total Christian population of the region. Catholic Proselytism: The MECC Definition churches of both Eastern and Western (Latin) rites account for about another 20 percent. The evangelical or Protestant churches The MECC study document defines proselytism as "a practice form a minority of between3 and 4 percent.' These figures, based that involves attempts aimed at attracting Christians from a on David Barrett's calculations, relate to the churches that are particular Church or religious group, leading to their alienation today members of the Middle EastCouncil of Churches (MECC), from their Church of origin." It is treated as an issue of ecumeni­ probably the world's most inclusive regional ecumenical coun­ cal malpractice that contravenes biblical understandings of how cil. Successor to the predominantly Protestant Near East Council of Churches, it embraces four families of churches (Oriental Orthodox, Eastern Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant), with the Assyrian Church of the East (so-called Nestorian) possibly join­ The underlying assumption ing in the future as a fifth family.3 is that a missionary vacuum This ecumenical achievement is a positive sign of reconcili­ ationbetweenthe indigenous churches, whichfor centuries have exists throughout the lived in disunity and mutual mistrust. It expresses their growing Middle East. willingness to resolve historical problems of division by a con­ certed witness to the Gospel's power of renewal and reconcilia­ tion in a politically torn region. Among the ecclesial issues on the MECC agenda is the God relates to humankind, how Christians relate to one another, problem of proselytism. This was the subject of a special report, and respect for the human right to be free from coercion in Proselytism, Sects, and Pastoral Challenges: A Study Document, religious matters. The problemis analyzed as havingpsychologi­ which the Commission on Faith and Unity prepared for the cal roots in "individual and group egoism," political manifesta­ tions in "feelings of cultural, political and economicsuperiority," DavidA. Kerr, a contributing editor, is Professor of Christianity in the Non­and institutional dimensions in "an overtrust in one's present Western Worldat theUniversityof Edinburgh andDirector ofthecenter ofthe methods and programmes." It is perpetuated by ignorance of same name. He wasformerly a professor in Hartford Seminary, Connecticut, Christian traditions other than those of one's own cultural or where hedirected theMacdonald Center for theStudy of Islam and Christian­political background, and it may include the willful "dissimula­ Muslim Relations. tion of the truth about them." Proselytism is therefore seen as the 12 INTERNATIONAL BULLETIN OF MISSIONARY RESEARCH opposite of authentic evangelism, which emphasizes "confi­ kingdomof Armenia. Here the church traces its foundation to the dence in God and His economy" as the basis of mission." apostles Thaddeus and Bartholemew. The Armenian monarchy The MECC document addresses two dimensions of the recognized Christianity as the national religion from the begin­ issue. In historical terms it is related to the "western missionary ning of the fourth century, even before the conversion of the strategy" of the medieval Catholic missions and their Protestant ByzantineemperorConstantine.? ArmenianChristianshaveever successors." The contemporary dimension is identified mainly since looked to Etchmiadzin as the seat of what they call their with "sects"-by which the MECC means millenarian or messi­ "catholicosate," which, in terms of Armenian canon law, has anic groups, independent "nee-missionary" groups of funda­ higher authority than a patriarchate." mentalist persuasions, groups that represent syncretistic forms Despite the diversity of cultural, linguistic, and social char­ of religious universalism,charismaticrenewalmovementswithin acteristics that they represented, the five patriarchates and the established churches, and new religious movements that claim Armeniancatholicosatepreservedthe commonfaith ofthe Nicean to draw upon Asian forms of religious spirituality." While Creed (325) until the early fifth century. This is remembered as proselytism in West Asia/North Africa occurs unconsciously as the period of "the undivided church." Over the following centu- well as consciously, its underlying presupposition is that a missionary "vacuum" exists throughout the region, where in­ digenous churches are considered to be lacking missionary motivation and resources," The refusal of one church With this understanding of proselytism, the present essay to recognize the validity of will examine manifestations of the problem in the complex another is the soil in which history of the Easternchurches' experienceof the Westernchurch and its missions. It will then review contemporary initiatives in proselytism is seeded. intra-Christian dialogue, one of the benefits of which has been the emergence of a clearer understanding of how the Orthodox churches understand Christian witness. Attention will be given ries this ecumenical fellowship proved vulnerable to centrifugal to the MECC's suggested remedies, and in conclusion we shall forces. The ecumenical Council of Ephesus (431) excommuni­ examine some of the contextual issues that shape the identity of cated the eastern members of the patriarchate of Antioch. To Eastern churches. escape the persecution of those whom the Byzantine rulers declared heretics, these Assyrian Christians took refuge in Per­ Historical Dimensions sia." Twenty years later the Council of Chalcedon (451) wit­ nessed doctrinal cleavage between the Copts (Egyptians) of Eastern patriarchates. For the indigenous West Asian/North Afri­ Alexandria, the remaining Syrians of Antioch, and the Arme­ can Christian communities, it is a matter of historic pride and nians of Etchmiadzin on the one hand, and the churches of contemporaryself-understandingthatChristianityhasbeencon­ Constantinople and Rome on the other." tinuously present throughout the region since apostolic times. Oriental Orthodox. Since Chalcedon, the Copts, Syrians, and The cities of Jerusalem, Antioch, Alexandria, and Etchmiadzin Armenians, together with the church of Kerala (India) and the are quite as important for Christians as are Mecca, Medina, and church of Ethiopia, have formed the family of OrientalOrthodox Jerusalem for Muslims, and Jerusalem for Jews. They are the churches. They are"autocephalous," or self-governing,butunited places where the apostles proclaimed the Gospel and founded in creed and liturgy. Each is inseparably identified with the the first churches that carried forward the Christian mission. people and culture in which it exists and in this sense can be In ecclesiastical language, they
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