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Vol. 8, No.3 nternattona• July 1984 ettn• The Gospel in a Politicized World he French Catholic writer Charles Peguy is said to have heavy responsibility in an exposed position on the cutting edge of T remarked that everything begins in mysticism and ends the issue of church and state." up in politics. What we are witnessing today in many parts of the As Peguy was to experience firsthand, there is no easy resting world is the phenomenon of politicized religion, whereby a basi place in the shifting sands between mysticism and politics. Chris cally admirable religious impulse winds up in the depraved service tians engaged in mission have a constant struggle to maintain the of some political ideology. This problem is by no means new, but integrity of the gospel in the midst of political ambiguities. it has acquired special urgency of late. Those involved in Christian mission have often been caught in the crossfire of such develop ments, and need all the help they can get from research and expe rience. This issue of the International Bulletin tries to contribute toward such a formidable task. On Page Guillermo Cook's article points out that many of today's mis sion institutions have become excessively institutionalized and 98 The Protestant Predicament: From Base Ecclesial politicized, and need to be drawn back to their "base community" Community to Established Church-A Brazilian Case origins in order to share the gospel more effectively with humble Study folk. Guillermo COOK In the midst of politicized religions such as one encounters in 104 Dialogue and the Politicization of Religions in India contemporary India, Stanley J. Samartha observes that Christians Stanley [. Samartha need to practice dialogue and genuine cooperation as never before. Cynthia McLean's article examines the research of M. Searle 108 The Protestant Endeavor in Chinese Society, Bates as to how and why the ideal of the Three-Self Church in 1890-1950: Gleanings from the Manuscripts of China never materialized before 1951. This was due to misappre M. Searle Bates hensions both by Chinese Christians and by missionaries, fueled Cynthia McLean on both sides by cultural, ideological, and politicized elements. 112 The Prophet Muhammad in Christian Theological David A. Kerr reminds us of the harm done by Christian po Perspective lemicists in their depictions of Muhammad as a pseudo-prophet DavidA. Kerr who allegedly manufactured a religious creed in pursuit of worldly power. 117 A Paradigm Shift in the Theology of Mission: Two In a careful analysis of the work of two contemporary Roman Roman Catholic Perspectives Catholic missiologists, James J. Ferguson contrasts the mission par James! Ferguson, C.S.C. adigm of an emphasis on planting the church with that of a focus 120 The Legacy of Arthur Tappan Pierson on dialogue and development. Dana L. Robert Our continuing Legacy series on great missiologists presents 125 The Legacy of Karl Hartenstein the work of two leading Protestant authors and church leaders. Gerold Schwarz Dana L. Robert deals with the legacy of Arthur Tappan Pierson, who stimulated mission concern among Protestants at the end of 132 Book Reviews the nineteenth century, through his voluminous writings and per 136 Noteworthy sonal contacts, even though he never served in overseas mission himself. On the other hand, Karl"Hartenstein served overseas and 142 Dissertation Notices also in the midst of turbulent political events of Hitler's Third 144 Book Notes Reich, and thus-as Gerold Schwarz suggests-was "burdened by of issionaryResearch The Protestant Predicament: From Base Ecclesial Community to Established Church-A Brazilian Case Study Guillermo Cook he debates in current Protestant mission circles tend to half that preceded the Reformation were often grassroots reactions T focus upon dichotomies: evangelism vs. social action, against the deadness of official Christianity.6 church planting vs. interchurch aid, qualitative vs. quantitative growth, missions vs. mission, institution vs. charisma-the list is Early Protestant Base Communities long. For the most part the debates are academic and miss a funda mental point, namely, that church leaders and institutions at both As Martin Luther testified, many of these movements flocked to ends of these debates are caught up in what church-growth re the banners of the Magisterial Reformation, then diverged into the searcher William Read has aptly termed "the Protestant predica Radical Reformation." The Radical, or Anabaptist, Reformation ment,"1 that is, the church's upward mobility, and consequent loss was a grassroots protest against Luther and Zwingli's turning back of vitality. from their earlier espousal of base community Christianity. The "institutionalization process" exerts an inexorable pull Though at first the Reformers had encouraged small collegia, they from"charismatic" community to fully structured institution. The later labeled them seditious, blasphemous, and heretical." In time fruits of institutionalism are usually self-sufficiency, authoritar the Anabaptist base communities coalesced into larger movements, ianism, narcissism, self-justification, and dogmatism. But institu most notably the Mennonites, or spun off into numerous Baptist tionalism, in time, will produce new "charismatic" reactions, and groups, most of which have become quite institutionalized. the process begins anew.2 These reactions usually take the form of By the time Anabaptism reached England, there was a long grassroots movements, in many cases involving marginalized and history of grassroots dissidence in England. And from another alienated sectors of society. quarter, Calvinism had instilled in small grassroots sects-the The thesis of this article is that most of today's mission insti forerunners of the Congregationalists-a strict code of ethics and, tutions-whether fundamentalist, evangelical, or "mainline" Prot later, a revolutionary fervor that would eventually overturn the estant-have become excessivily institutionalized. They have monarchy." Presbyterianism had a broad popular base during the forgotten their charismatic heritage and grassroots origins. The re Scottish wars of independence. But when the clergy and nobility sults can often be seen in a number of ways: unbalanced priorities, made their peace with the English crown, the grassroot Covenant community entropy, institutional defensiveness, and congenital ers worshiped in outlawed base communities or conventicles. To paternalism. This is true not only in the so-called sending day's militantly anti-Protestant United Irish began as a joint churches; lamentably, the maturing Latin American churches are Presbyterian-Catholic protest against Anglican supremacy, which following the same path. In the face of this, it is of the utmost ur was supported by a number of radical grassroots communities of gency that we look back to our ecclesial roots, seeking to under both faiths.?? stand the dynamics of the grassroots movements whence many of Jacob Spener's Lutheran collegia pietalis, and particularly the our churches came. And more immediately, the Catholic base ec variant that later proliferated in Swabia, were far more radical in clesial communities (BECs) in Latin America can both challenge their practice of Christian piety and understanding of the meaning and teach us some valuable lessons." of sanctification than the emasculated version of Pietism that is The key to the whole matter is our understanding of the word known today. Dutch Reformed ecclesiolae became a vital force in "base," a term that means much more than "basic" or "fundamen holistic evangelism and Christian nurture during one phase of the tal." It refers to the millions of people-approximately 80 percent American Great Awakening."! Responding to the spiritual needs of the population of Latin America-who are at the base of the so of a small group of seekers, and to the social needs around him-in cial pyramid.' They must be not only objects of our mission but the heat of a grassroots evangelistic movement-John Wesley ini subjects of their own history as well. tiated the first of a unique family of base communities.P The early Methodist classes were more than small Bible study, prayer, and Base Communities in Early Church History evangelism groups. They were action-cells, which demonstrated a vital and very practical concern for the poor in a revolutionary The New Testament church was, in many ways, a base communi time in history.13 ty.5 At the beginning, it was composed of a sizable group who, along with their leaders, would be derisively called "illiterate" by Historical Factors in Protestant Base their enemies. Over the centuries the simplicity of the early ekklesia Communities gave way to imperial pomp, elaborate ritual, and hermetic dogma. The myriad heresies that surfaced during the millennium and a There is a striking similarity between the socioeconomic condi tions existing in the time of the Protestant BECs mentioned above and the situation obtaining in present-day Latin America. These grassroots communities all appeared during times of profound Guillermo COOK, whoserves under the LatinAmerica Mission, is the General Director of social change and unrest. The common social factors were: (1) the autonomous Centro Evangelico Latinoamericano de Estudios Pastorales feudalism, the land problem; (2) the beginning of rudimentary forms (CELEP), with headquarters in San Jose, Costa Rica. COOK hasearned degrees from Bob of national and international capitalism; (3) urbanization