Vol. 7, No.4 nternattona• October 1983 ettn• Toward N ell' Priorities in Mission

hristians today are challenged to take a closer look at In the midst of both perplexity and opportunity, Christians Ctheir priorities. When it comes to mission, do our actions are continually challenged to pay closer attention to their priori­ genuinely reflect what we say our goals are? Have we paid suffi­ ties. cient attention to what our priorities are, and what they ought to be? There is ample biblical encouragement for us to rethink our priorities periodically, and this issue of the International Bulletin On Page challenges us to do just that. David B. Barrett, editor of the World Christian Encyclopedia, con­ tends that priorities for Christian goals have been greatly distorted by the ways in which Christians actually spend their money. He 146 Silver and Gold Have I None: Church of the Poor or provides here statistical data to examine the financial resources Church of the Rich? that are available to Christians in the pursuit of their mission, and DavidB. Barrett he suggests strategies for improvement. Vinay Samuel and Chris Sugden call attention to the ways in 152 Mission Agencies as Multinationals which the operations of mission agencies resemble multinational Vinay Samuel and Chris Sugden corporations, and distort the priorities of national churches. In re­ 156 Responses to the Article by Vinay Samuel and Chris sponse, William R. Burrows, S.V.D., and David M. Howard ac­ Sugden knowledge the problem, and assess its implications for mission William R. Burrows, S. ~D. and DavidM Howard planning. 157 Conversion in Cultural Context The significance of conversion within the culture of the new John A. Gration believer is a matter that has been hotly debated from biblical times to the present. John A. Gration calls for a new sensitivity to the 163 Are Churches Building Mission Consciousness? distinct value systems of a particular culture, so that those value Education for Mission Evaluated systems may be appropriately addressed by the gospel. Ward L. Kaiser "Education for mission currently receives such low priority in 165 The Horizontal and the Vertical in Mission: An many congregations, seminaries, and denominational programs African Perspective that certain questions must be raised," warns Ward L. Kaiser. He Lamin Sanneh describes how a particular group of mission boards and agencies 171 The Legacy of johan Herman Bavinck have tried to carry out mission education, and he suggests that f. van den Berg much remains to be done. Lamin Sanneh points out that analyses of Western missions in 175 More Cross-currents in Mission Africa that have focused on the role of missionaries within the Geeoarghese Mar Osthaihios context of Western colonialism have distorted a proper under­ 176 Noteworthy standing of what continuing impact the missions had. This has es­ 177 Book Reviews pecially been the case when African Christians came to preside over a process of adaptation to local culture after the departure of 180 Reader's Response the missionaries. 182 Seventeen Important Publications on the Churches in A missionary and missiologist who was very sensitive to the Central America priorities of the people among whom he worked was [ohan Her­ 187 Dissertation Notices from The Netherlands (1979­ man Bavinck, whose contributions are examined by J. van den 1982) Berg in our continuing "Legacy" series. Bavinck was a missionary "who thought it important to confront the world of Eastern reli­ 188 Index, 1983 gious thought with the message of Christ." 192 Book Notes of issionaryResearch Silver and Gold Have I None: Church of the Poor or Church of the Rich?

David B. Barrett

his essay discusses Christian financial resources at the But the best-documented mass squandering of resources, in T global level and asks how extensive they are today and the view of many thinking Christians, is the arms race linked with how effective they are for today's mission. the global military-industrial complex. Worldwide military expen­ Jesus did not carry money or own any. He had no silver or diture rose from $236 billion in 1969 to $480 billion in 1978 and gold, no cash income, no property, no stocks or shares, no current $650 billion in 1982. Of this, 22 percent was spent by the United account, no savings account, no hedge against inflation, no tax ha­ States, and 31 percent by the U.S.S.R. The U.S.S.R.'s expenditure vens, no financial reserves. He had nowhere to lay his head. He is expected to rise to $300 billion in 1985; while the United States is was less well off than the foxes or the birds. He lived in poverty. planning to spend $2 trillion over five years. It is known that some But his impact on the world was enormous. He founded what was 500,000 scientists (50 percent of the world's one million), including largely the original Church of the POOf, a fellowship of the op­ many Nobel Prize laureates, are involved today in military and de­ pressed, the exploited, the politically powerless, the deprived, the fense expenditure, together with 100 million employed citizens dispossessed. He commanded his first followers: "00 not carry any working under national ministries of defense. By 1983 this expen­ gold, silver, or copper money in your pockets" (Mt. 10:9,GNB). To­ diture on the arms race reached over $140 a year for every man, day he has 1.5 billion followers who receive annual incomes total­ woman, and child on earth. Over 60 million Christians-employ­ ing U.S. $6.5 trillion and who own two-thirds of the earth's entire ees, employers, scientists, government leaders-are deeply in­ resources. * On this basis, global Christianity has become over­ volved in this issue, since their whole livelihood stems from it. whelmingly the church of the Rich. To what extent are these peo­ ple having any impact today? The World of Billions in Poverty

The World of Billions Squandered By contrast, some 46 percent of the world, or 2.1 billion people, live in varying degrees of poverty. They eke out a living in twen­ Each year in today's world, billions of dollars are, from the Chris­ ty-six countries, each with a per-capita income of under $235 per tian standpoint, recklessly wasted. We are all familiar with the ap­ year. This sounds bad enough, but the full picture is much worse. palling global squandering of resources going on around us in the The world in 1983 has some 800 million persons living in absolute twentieth century, in most of which Christians individually and poverty, each with an income of less than $90 a year. This is one­ corporately are deeply involved. These involve the environment third of the entire developing world, the Third World; to it must and pollution, forests and desertification, oil, coal, minerals, and be added 150 million on the edge of poverty in China. As defined other energy sources. Major resources are the 10 million species on by the World Bank, absolute poverty is a clearly defined category earth (20 percent nearing extinction), and of course the human that represents "a condition of life so characterized by malnutri­ populations themselves. The total cost of wasteful actions and pol­ tion, illiteracy and disease as to be beneath any reasonable defini­ icies in these areas is enormous. tion of human decency."l With each month that passes, these Then there are the vast annual expenditures on causes to totals increase as the gap between affluence and poverty widens which Christians are either fundamentally opposed, or hostile, or almost everywhere. at any rate cool. International and national crime, especially of the Worldwide, absolute poverty is overwhelmingly concentrated organized varieties, is known to involve over U.S. $400 billion each in the rural areas of developing countries. It has many dire conse­ year. Of this, illicit drug traffic accounts for some $60 billion. In quences, centering on a chronic lack of the basic necessities for the United States the two most lucrative forms of crime cost the survival. Among these consequences: 1.1 billion human beings re­ following: $25 billion a year on the cocaine industry (1982 figure), main without adequate shelter; landlessness and mass unemploy­ and. $44 billion a year on white-collar thefts such as fraud and ment are rampant; 2.1 billion do not have access to adequate water computer crime (1977 figure). Criminal justice to combat these ac­ supply; some 50 million are temporarily displaced or permanently tivities cost United States taxpayers over $26 billion in 1979 alone. unsettled refugees; 800 million adults are illiterate with no access In addition, several times as much as these sums goes on the less to literature; 850 million have little or no access to schools; 1.5 bil­ criminal activities of graft, corruption, and embezzlement each lion have no access to medical care; 500 million exist on the edge of year. Further, there are scores of lesser examples of squandering starvation; 570 million people (20 percent of the Third World, and when considered in the total world context. The United States up to 33 percent in several countries) suffer from inadequate and documents its total expenditure in the most detail, hence provides uncertain diet and thus from severe protein-calorie malnutrition; most of the concrete examples and comes under the most scrutiny and some 1.5 billion human beings on earth are hungry or mal­ (and fire). There, dog owners spend $3.2 billion each year on their nourished. dogs; tobacco products sold rose from $16.7 billion in 1970 to $20.4 This catastrophic state of affairs is to some extent a direct billion in 1980; and alcoholic beverages consumed rose from $22.4 consequence of the blatant misuse of resources sketched in the billion to $42.8 billion over the same period. A high percentage of preceding section. The predicament of the 2 billion "have-nots" the persons involved are Christians of one persuasion or another. (the poor) is a damning indictment of the diversion or even theft of trillions of dollars over the years by the 2 billion "haves" (the David B. Barrett, a contributing editor, serves with the Church Missionary Society in rich), From another point of view, however, the blame rests on EastAfrica, where he is Research Officer, Church of the Province of Kenya, andfor the Anglican Consultative Council, and the Lambeth Conference. The World Christian Encyclopedia, which he edited, waspublished in 1982. *Figures are United States dollar equivalents throughout this article.

146 International Bulletin of Missionary Research mismanagement and corruption on the part of many Third-World governments. Symptomatic of this is the enormous mushrooming International Bulletin of worldwide national debt, from $100 billion in 1970 to $706 bil­ of Missionary Research lion by 1983, now owed to banks in the Western world by over twenty-five developing and Communist-bloc countries. The great Established 1950 as Occasional Bulletin from the Missionary Re­ majority of this is owed by solidly Christian countries: Brazil ($87 search Library. Named Occasional Bulletin of Missionary Research billion), Mexico ($80 billion), Argentina ($43 billion), Venezuela 1977. Joined in 1980 by Gospel in Context. Renamed International ($28 billion), Poland ($26 billion), Philippines ($17 billion). In fact, Bulletin of Missionary Research 1981. some 87 percent of this whole debt is owed, corporately or nation­ ally, by Third-World or Communist-world Christians to Western Published quarterly in January, April, July and October by the Christians. Servicing these massive debts alone obliges them to pay over $50 billion a year. In comparison with such sums, North­ Overseas Ministries Study Center South aid formally given by rich countries to the Third World re­ 6315 Ocean Avenue, Ventor, New Jersey 08406, U.S.A. mains little more than a drop in the bucket. The total of all such Telephone: (609) 823-6671 aid in 1985 is expected to be only $8.1 billion instead of the United Nations' $14 billion target for that year. Editor: Associate Editor: In this context, let us investigate where the Christian world Gerald H. Anderson James M. Phillips and its mission stand today. How large are their resources?

Contributing Editors: A Global Table of Resources Catalino G. Arevalo, S.J. Lesslie Newbigin David B. Barrett C. Rene Padilla There are various types of Christian resources. Clearly, the main R. Pierce Beaver Thomas F. Stransky, C.S.P. one is the basic one: people. Human beings won to the service of Norman A. Horner Charles R. Taber Christ and their fellow beings are undoubtedly the main Christian Mary Motte, F.M.M. Desmond Tutu resource. Subsidiary resources may be listed as follows: workers (full-time personnel), missionaries, Scriptures, books, literature, Anastasios Yannoulatos periodicals, libraries, institutions, service agencies, organizations, broadcasting, et alia. An attempt at tabulating these for each of the Books for review and correspondence regarding editorial matters continents of the world across the twentieth century was given in should be addressed to the editors. Global Table 12, in the World Christian Encyclopedia. 2 This table omit­ ted one ma.jor resource, namely, Christian finance, and we shall Subscriptions: $12.00 for one year, $22 for two years, and $30 for now attempt to deal with this below. three years, postpaid worldwide. Individual copies are $4.00; bulk In this article we investigate only one aspect of Christian rates upon request. Correspondence regarding subscriptions and finance, namely, money donated each year by the entire world address changes should be sent to: International Bulletin of community of all Christians. Starting with United Nations and Missionary Research, Circulation Department, P.O. Box 1308-E, World Bank data, it has been possible to build up a computerized Fort Lee, New Jersey 07024-9958. global table of Christian financial resources. Part of this table is re­ printed with this article. We shall now comment on some of the Advertising: figures there, at the same time showing how further figures can be Ruth E. Taylor derived by simple arithmetic, depending on what the reader is in­ 11 Graffam Road, South Portland, Maine 04106 terested in. Numbers in parentheses following the headings below Telephone: (207) 799-4387 refer to numbered items in the statistical table. Articles appearing in this journal are abstracted and indexed in: Personal Income and Lifestyle (nos. 3, 5) Bibliografia Missionaria The first three lines of the table show the world distribution of Christian Periodical Index population, total income and income per person. Average income Guide toSocial Science andReligion in Periodical Literature at the world level is around $2,400 per person each year. Because Missionalia Christians are concentrated in the Western world, their average in­ Religion Index One: Periodicals come (no. 5 divided by no. 4) is far higher at $4,500. Non-Chris­ Religious and Theological A bstracts tians average only $1,350 (subtract no. 5 from no. 2, then divide by the sum of no. 1 minus no. 4). Since lifestyle depends on income, Opinions expressed in the International Bulletin are those of the Christians across the world can be seen to live on average at a level authors and not necessarily of the Overseas Ministries Study over three times higher than non-Christians. Center.

Copyright © 1983 by Overseas Ministries Study Center. All rights 195 Million Christians in Absolute Poverty reserved. So much for the averages. There is a further factor, however: in­ come distribution is so unequal that, whereas 52 percent of all Second-class postage paid at Atlantic City, New Jersey. Christians live in affluence and a further 35 percent are compara­ POSTMASTER: send address changes to International Bulletin of tively well off, 13 percent live in absolute poverty. Missionary Research, P.O. Box 1308-E, Fort Lee, New Jersey The degradation and agony of absolute poverty are thus 07024. shared by millions of our fellow Christians. Some 109 million ISSN 0272-6122 Christians live in the world's twenty-six poorest countries. In all developing countries, Christians living in absolute poverty number

October 1983 147 some 195 million. This is 24 percent of the world's 800 million ab­ means give away 10 percent of their income. If all did this, the to­ solutely poor, as well as 13.4 percent of all Christians. Of these, tal would be $647 billion a year. In practice, they give a third of half live in Latin America, a third in Africa, the rest in South and this-something like $181 billion, if we include every kind of Southeast Asia. This is what we usually mean by the "Church of Christians. But it makes more sense here to restrict the definition the Poor." By the world's standards, they have nothing. Today a of "Christians" to all affiliated church members. In this case, their vast literature has been building up on their predicament from the annual donations total $160 billion. Forty-nine percent of this theological and biblical standpoints. comes from North America, 34 percent from Europe. Africa con­ How "poor" is the Church of the Poor? Here we meet a tributes a mere 2 percent, Asia less than 1 percent. strange paradox. On the one hand, the answer is: shockingly, ap­ pallingly, scandalously, outrageously poor. It is surely outrageous Where Does the Money Go? (nos. 16-18) that 750 million affluent Christians can continue to allow 195 mil­ lion brethren in Christ to exist in abject poverty year after year. Who are the immediate beneficiaries of all this wealth? A few per­ But from another point of view, the answer, surprisingly, is that centages can answer this question. Though Christians number this church is largely financially self-supporting, and that it has only 32 percent of the world population, they receive 62 percent of huge potential financial resources right there amid its membership. the entire world's annual income-and spend 97 percent of it on The personal income of the 195 million looks bad enough when themselves. Put this way, it is shocking. Put another way, each expressed as an average of $90 per person per year, but in aggre­ year North American and European church members spend $4.5 gate it amounts to the huge sum of $19 billion each year. Their trillion on themselves personally and on their families. The churches operate on income of well over $300 million a year, Church of the Rich (the "Middle-Class Church") is at heart a self­ enough to run major relief programs of all kinds. ish and a self-serving church. Again, the major problem is that income distribution is gross­ Of the remaining 3 percent of Christians' income, a meager 1 ly unfair. In the "churches of the poor," that is, in the actual de­ percent, or $60 billion a year, is given or donated to secular or non­ nominations to which the 195 million belong, they exist in close Christian causes and charities; and about 2 percent, or $100 billion proximity to some 20 million relatively affluent co-citizen, elite, a year, is given or donated directly to Christian causes. This latter fellow Christians above them. These include the hierarchies of sum forms the vast bulk of what the churches and parachurch church leaders who control the churches, few of whom are poor agencies across the world receive to run the worldwide Christian and a number of whom have become very rich since taking office. church and its annual operations. Regrettably, these 20 million show less concern for the poor than many of their co-religionists in the Western world. Giving to Secular Causes (no. 17) Yet another side of the paradox is that this Church of the Poor is poor only in material goods. They are far from being spiritual These figures in the preceding paragraph can be rearranged to con­ paupers. Spiritually, it is the Church of the Rich. Some of the rich­ vey a much more favorable perspective. Christians support their est and most dynamic forms of Christianity today, and the most own religion financially, as one would expect; but they also give rapid church growth, are to be found in these areas of material 60 percent as much again to secular charities (famine relief, hospi­ poverty and destitution. Within this Church of the Poor we count tals, handicapped programs, cancer research, etc.) or even to non­ the 5.5 million involved in the charismatic renewal throughout In­ Christian causes. Christians are heavily involved in financial dia and South Asia; the 200,000 base ecclesial communities (or, the support of social and development programs in the world beyond Iglesia Popular) in Latin America; and the entire 30-million-strong or outside the boundaries of the churches. This is surely greatly to African Indigenous Churches movement among Africa's lowest their credit. social classes. This Church of the Poor is the only part of global The actual breakdown by category is instructive. In the Christianity whose lifestyle is similar to that of Jesus on earth. United States, some 14 percent of all giving by Christians goes to They are the only Christians who are able with complete accuracy secular education, 13.4 percent to health and secular hospitals, 9.9 to proclaim, with the apostle Peter (Acts 3:6): "Silver and gold percent to social welfare, 6.2 percent to arts and the humanities, 2.8 have I none; but such as I have give I thee: in the name of Jesus percent to civic and public services, and 7.1 percent to other secular Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!" causes. The remaining 46.4 percent is spent directly on religion and religious causes, which in the United States context means largely Christian Financial Resources (nos. 8-11) Christian causes.

What about total resources? How much in aggregate are the Giving to Christian Causes (nos. 18-25) world's 1.3 billion church members worth each year on the world scene, considering here only the aspect of financial income? The Before the year 1900, over 90 percent of Christian giving was chan­ answer is easy to compute, but startling to comprehend: $5.9 tril­ neled through the churches and denominations. A modest 10 per­ lion. The largest slice of this (43 percent) goes to Europe, the next cent supported the Bible societies and missionary societies. But the (36 percent) to North America. The influential worldwide commu­ twentieth century has seen the emergence on a massive scale of nity of Evangelicals alone have personal income totaling just under over 15,800 distinct new parachurch agencies whose finances are $1 trillion a year. All this looks impressive. It looks less satisfactory independent of the churches. This ought to be regarded by older when its uses are expressed in percentage terms, as we shall short­ denominations and agencies, not with envy or jealousy but simply ly do. as the latest development in the long history of where Christian wealth is concentrated. Unfortunately their attitude often resem­ Global Christian Giving (nos. 6, 12-16) bles that of the older brother in the parable of the Prodigal Son (see Luke 15). Be that as it may, 36 percent of all Christian giving So much for the individual and aggregate income of Christians. to Christian causes was regularly bypassing the churches and de­ How much do they give away each year? In theory, many confes­ nominations by 1980. In consequence, giving to denominations in sions and communions assert that Christians should tithe, which many countries is declining at an alarming rate. One major exam­

148 International Bulletin of Missionary Research ple and cause of this that springs to mind is Christian broadcast­ Research is essential to the prosecution of all large enterprises in ing: Nonexistent in 1900, by 1977 religious broadcasting in the the modern secular world. Most countries recognize this by allo­ United States alone accounted for $500 million as the cost of cating massive financial resources to research, averaging some 2.1 broadcast time. On the world scale the total cost of Christian percent of their gross national product. Many commercial and in­ broadcasting is over three times larger, around $2 billion in 1982. dustrial enterprises allocate 5 percent of their total income some as high as 10 percent. In 1980, the total national research-a;d-devel­ Giving to Denominations (no. 20) opment expenditure on the sciences was 2.33 percent of GNP in the United States ($61 billion), 2.3 percent in Europe ($76 billion), All this is bad news for the world's 20,800 Christian denomina­ and 3.47 percent in the Soviet Union ($38 billion). The world total tions. Their once unchallenged hold on their members' giving, and spent on research and development in 1980 was $210 billion. Well their appeal as worthy causes are dwindling. While their members over 90 percent of this is spent in, and therefore primarily benefits, do not reach the widely taught stewardship target of tithing (giv­ the techno-economic colossi in the North of the planet (the West­ ing 10 percent of personal income), nevertheless they do average 3 ern. world and the European Communist world). The South (the percent of income. But a third of this is given to secular causes, Third World) benefits only indirectly, if at all. and another third to parachurch organizations, leaving only a third The result of this recognition of research is that vast sums are for the operation of the denominations themselves. And their third available to experiment in numerous new directions at once. This is rapidly declining. is an essential element in research, since in scientific or industrial Despite this, denominational spending on property increases applications any new line of research has only a 1:8000 chance of year by year. Thus the value of new construction of religious success. A typical case is the chemical multinational Hoechst U.K. buildings in the United States (again, the best-documented coun­ In 1982 it spent $240 million on pharmaceuticals research. In 1983 try) rose from $0.9 billion in 1970 to $1.6 billion in 1980. There, it is spending U.K. £1 million a day on agrochemical and related certainly, we see overwhelmingly the Church of the Rich. Yet, health and nutrition research, employing 13,000 people in fifteen again paradoxically, the Church of the Poor exists in parallel in the different countries on its research program. One concrete result of United States, mostly as a Black or a Hispanic urban phenomenon. this area of research is that average human male life expectancy in Even here, though, "Church of the Poor" is a relative term, since Britain has increased from forty-one years in the year 1870 to sev­ the poor as officially defined in the United States have per-capita enty years today. incomes over sixty times greater than the absolutely poor in the The Norwegian missiologist Olav Myklebust once said: Third World. "What theology is to the church, missionary research is to the task of world evangelization." In other words, it is fundamentally Individual Giving (nos. 26-31) essential. Without adequate research, the global work of Christ and in particular its mission and outreach have often floundered in These huge sums of money become more intelligible when re­ ignorance or error. duced to what the average individual contributes. On the world How extensive is Christian research today? Until the 1950s re­ level, the average church member gives $76 a year (which is $1.46 a search had always been almost completely decentralized, relying week). As one would expect, individual giving is highest in the on the voluntary and unorganized labors of thousands of scholars strongholds of the Church of the Rich (the affluent West)-$212 a in all disciplines. Between them nowadays they produce some year in North America; is much lower in the strongholds of the 3,000 new scholarly research books on the Christian faith every Church of the Poor in Africa ($20 a year) and in Latin America year. ($15 a year); and is lowest of all ($4.70 a year) in the Church of the Together with these individual scholars, there has grown up Absolutely Poor in the continent with the lowest per-capita in­ since 1950 a vast, loose network of 950 Christian or church-related come of all, South Asia. research centers across the world. These undertake research on the entire range of Christian issues, from biblical archeology and bibli­ Global Foreign Missions (nos. 32-34) cal exegesis to human rights and futurological topics. Yet, since 1970 these 950 centers have been seriously undermined by drasti­ It is in its global religious outreach that the Christian world seems cally curtailed funding. Quite a number of denominational centers, least certain of itself and of its mission. Only 5 percent of global and some 70 percent of all church researchers since 1970, have sub­ Christian giving ($5 billion a year) goes to support the Christian sequently collapsed or otherwise gone into oblivion. I estimate that world mission. Outreach, foreign service, evangelism among non­ their total budgets today have fallen to some $19 million a year. Christians, conversion, new and experimental types of mission and For global Christianity, a global organization with an annual bud­ ministry, translation of the Scriptures. into non-Christian lan­ get of $100 billion, this is an exceptionally small proportion: only guages-these attract the least money. The remaining 95 percent of 0.019 percent. Such a low outlay is shortsighted in the extreme by global Christian giving ($95 billion a year) goes on the home contemporary standards. And only a small fraction of this goes to church and its ministries at home. The average church member, research on global mission, the "Missionary Research" to which donating his $1.46 a week, gives out of this only $0.07 (seven this International Bulletin is dedicated. American cents) to support Christian foreign missions. This indi­ The only bright area of this picture today is the handful of cates a very low level of commitment to the Great Commission of North American parachurch agencies who have been able to retain the Lord Jesus Christ: "Make disciples of all nations." In this re­ large research budgets. But these employ their research funds spect, the entire Christian world is a Church of the Poor-poor in almost exclusively on in-house projects under their own control. spiritual dynamic and in missionary vision and obedience. Almost always today these revolve around purchase of sophisti­ cated computer hardware whose applications in most cases go no The Indispensable Role of Research further than word processing, phototypesetting, stockkeeping, and accounting. Regrettably these agencies do not freely share these One reason for this dismal state of affairs with regard to global scarce resources with outside church-based researchers in Western mission is the absence of sufficient serious research on the subject. denominations. Still less do they share their temporary good for­

October 1983 149 Global and Continental Totals, 1980 Latin Northern South CHRISTIAN FINANCIAL RESOURCES World Africa East Asia Europe America America Oceania Asia USSR WORLD 1. Total population (millions of persons) 4,373.9 460.9 1,086.9 486.4 371.6 248.8 23.5 1.427.7 268.1 2. Total income (Gross National Product, per year, billion US$ per annum [pal) 10,448.0 323.0 1,572.0 3,288.0 624.0 2,612.0 164.0 782.0 1,083.0 3. Average income per person (GNP per capita per year, US $ pa) 2,389.0 700.0 1,446.0 6,760.0 1,680.0 10,500.0 7,000.0 548.0 4,040.0 GLOBAL CHRISTIANITY 4. Christians of all kinds (millions of persons) 1,432.7 203.5 19.0 415.6 348.7 219.8 20.3 109.1 96.7 5. Personal income of all Christians (billion $ pa) 6,466.7 142.5 27.5 2,809.5 585.8 2,308.2 142.1 59.8 390.8 ACTUAL GIVING BY ALL KINDS OF CHRISTIANS 6. Estimated giving by all Christians to all causes (billion $ pa) 181.5 4.3 1.1 56.2 5.9 96.0 5.7 0.6 11.7 GLOBAL CHURCH MEMBERSHIP 7. Affiliated church members (millions of persons) 1,323.4 164.6 16.1 403.2 341.0 178.9 16.2 106.7 96.7 8. Personal income of all church members (billion $ pa) 5,877.6 115.2 23.3 2,725.5 572.8 1,878.4 113.1 58.5 390.8 9. Roman Catholics (billion $ pa) 3,131.0 46.3 5.0 1,799.1 553.4 631.3 40.1 36.6 19.2 10. Protestants (billion $ pa) 1,528.4 26.6 8.6 553.5 31.4 828.5 34.1 14.3 31.4 11. Evangelicals (billion $ pa) 976.2 25.7 5.5 206.9 26.4 642.1 30.3 8.5 30.8 POTENTIAL CHRISTIAN GIVING BY CHURCH MEMBERS (TITHING, 10%) 12. Potential giving by church members (billion $ pa) 587.8 11.5 2.3 272.6 57.3 187.8 11.3 5.9 39.1 13. Roman Catholics (billion $ pa) 313.1 4.6 0.5 179.9 55.3 63.1 4.0 3.7 1.9 14. Protestants (billion $ pa) 152.8 2.7 0.9 55.4 3.1 82.9 3.4 1.4 3.1 15. Evangelicals (billion $ pa) 97.7 2.6 0.6 20.7 2.6 64.2 3.0 0.9 3.1 ACTUAL CHRISTIAN GIVING BY CHURCH MEMBERS 16. Estimated giving by church members to all causes (billion $ pa) 160.2 3.5 0.9 54.5 5.7 78.9 4.5 0.5 11.7 17. Estimated giving to secular or non-Christian causes 59.9 0.2 0.1 15.0 0.5 40.9 1.5 0.0 1.7 18. Estimated giving to Christian causes 100.3 3.3 0.8 39.5 5.2 38.0 3.0 0.5 10.0 ACTUAL CHRISTIAN GIVING TO CHRISTIAN CAUSES 19. Estimated giving by church members to Christian causes: 100.3 3.3 0.8 39.5 5.2 38.0 3.0 0.5 10.0 20. (a) to churches and denominations (billion $ pa) 64.5 3.0 0.6 29.5 4.0 15.0 2.5 0.4 9.5 21. (b) to parachurch agencies tbillion $ pa) 35.8 0.3 0.2 10.0 1.2 23.0 0.5 0.1 0.5 ACTUAL CHRISTIAN GIVING 0 CHRISTIAN CAUSES BY CONFESSION 22. Estimated giving by church members to Christian causes: 100.3 3.3 0.8 39.5 5.2 38.0 3.0 0.5 10.0 23. Roman Catholics (billion $ pa) 44.1 1.3 0.2 23.0 4.9 13.0 1.0 0.3 0.4 24. Protestants (billion $ pa) 42.5 1.0 0.3 14.0 0.3 25.0 1.1 0.2 0.6 25,. Evangelicals (billion $ pa) 24.5 0.6 0.1 3.5 0.3 18.8 0.5 0.1 0.6 RATES OF GIVING BY CHURCH MEMBERS TO CHRISTIAN CAUSES 26. Giving per congregation per year ($) 58,368.1 9,169.7 8,050.0 111,303.3 31,414.1 91,661.9 67,732.3 2,628.9 197,628.5 27. Giving per congregation per week ($) 1,122.5 176.3 154.8 2,140.4 604.1 1,762.7 1,302.5 50.6 3,800.5 28. Giving per full-time Christian worker per year ($) 34,254.2 7,650.9 17,271.5 37,273.2 20,208.9 48,921.9 46,557.1 2,126.7 165,645.2 29. Giving per full-time Christian worker per week ($) 658.7 147.1 332.1 716.8 388.6 940.8 895.3 40.9 3,185.5 30. Giving per church member per year ($) 75.8 20.0 49.7 98.0 15.2 212.4 185.2 4.7 103.4 31. Giving per church member per week ($) 1.46 0.39 0.96 1.88 0.29 4.08 3.56 0.09 1.99 GIVING TO GLOBAL FOREIGN MISSIONS 32. Giving to Christian foreign missions (million $ pa) 5,021.5 19.8 9.9 2,400.0 307.5 2,100.0 119.6 54.4 10.3 33. Giving to missions per church member per year ($) 3.79 0.12 0.61 5.95 0.90 11.74 7.38 0.51 0.11 34. Giving to missions per church member per week ($) 0.073 0.002 0.012 0.114 0.017 0.226 0.142 0.010 0.002

Methodological Notes fessing, nominal, and affiliated). All remaining lines, where unindent­ ables for all countries are tabulated in "World Development Indica­ a. Limits of the above table. This table deals, not with static wealth but ed, refer to the totals of or for all affiliated Christians (church tors," WDR, 1982: 99-159. These have been combined to give the with the annual movement of Christian financial resources by indi­ members) of all confessions. Lines indented refer to subdivisions (e.g., continental totals shown. vidual Christians. It refers only to the first, or initial, level of Christian Roman Catholics, Protestants). Note that these 2 subdivisions are not j. Surveysofgiving.The most exact annual surveys of giving come from finance, i.e., to live Christian stewardship, which means ongoing fi­ of course the only possible ones (e.g., in the USSR, there are 84 million the USA. Total official or publicly recognized giving to charities nancial resources in the pockets of today's Christians and the amounts Orthodox who are neither Protestants nor Catholics), hence they do there-secular and religious-has risen steadily each year from $6 bil­ that they donate each year. The table excludes endowments, bequests, not necessarily add up to the total for all Christians. A further inden­ lion in 1955 to $39.6 billion in 1978, of which 46.5% ($18.4 billion) was state support, political support, business support, and other forms of tation is shown for Evangelicals (Protestant and Anglican) as a subdi­ then classified as giving to "Religion" (Giving USA: Annual Reports, Christian income, and it excludes the secondary and subsequent levels vision of Protestants. All these categories are used as defined in World American Association of Fundraising Counsel, New York). In 1982 the of Christian finance such as the activities of funding bodies that circu­ Christian Encyclopedia (1982), pp. 70-71. total rose to $60 billion. Of all giving to charities, 81 % is by individ­ late or otherwise spend the money donated by Christians. f. Giving. This term refers here to "live giving," i.e., money given or uals. These well-defined and thorough annual surveys do not, howev­ b. Variables shown. The 34 variables shown are suggestive and selec­ donated per year or per week by living Christians (hence it excludes er, cover the total extent of Christian giving, omitting as they do much tive rather than comprehensive. Three (nos. 18, 19, 22) are the same bequests). Christian giving to secular causes is included only in nos. 6, anonymous or private or secret or unheralded giving, or unofficial or variable but repeated in different contexts. The full listing of all fi­ 16, and 17. In all other lines, Christian giving refers exclusively to giv­ spontaneous or unplanned or one-time acts of charity to individuals nancial variables likely to be useful to mission strategists approaches ing to specifically Christian causes, which means to churches, denom­ in need, beggars, family members, or acquaintances, et alia. Polls. The 100 or more. The fuller computerized version of this table incorporates inations, parachurch agencies, or to individual Christian workers or Princeton Religion Research Center (Gallup) and Christianity Today the second and subsequent levels of giving. Definitionsof financial vari­ groups or causes. Note that line no. 6 refers to giving by all Christians, have recently published poll results covering percentage of income ables. These largely follow World Bank usage. both church members and nominal Christians, 'while line nos. 12-34 donated in the USA. Thus 16% of USA residents give 10% ormore to c. Continents. Our usage here follows that of United Nations agencies, refer to giving by church members alone. all causes, 13% give between 5-9%, 33% less than 5%, and 26% give which divide the world's 223 countries into 8 "major areas" (equiva­ g. Tithing. "Potential" Christian giving (nos. 12-15) refers to what nothing. Denominational giving. Total donations from their own church lent to continents) and 24 "regions." Our terms (" Africa," etc.) are would be given if all Christians tithed (gave 10% of all personal in­ members are published annually by many denominations. therefore defined as in UN publications. Note thatcontinental com­ come). k: Interpretation. When seeking to interpret particular figures, espe­ parisons are immensely complicated by conflicting definitions: e.g., h. Pastgiving to missions. The global total of giving to Protestant and cially ratios, care must be taken to understand the exact definitions in­ the World Bank defines Turkey as in Europe, and Indonesia with Anglican foreign missions in the year 1800 is estimated to have been volved and the exact contexts. Thus the ratios given in the table under Oceania, whereas UN agencies define both countries as in Asia. US $ 75,000, and in the year 1900 to have been US $19,100,000 (both at USSR for line nos. 26-29 are much higher than their counterparts on d. Amounts of money. All amounts are given either as billions of US 1900 values of the dollar). In terms of 1982 dollars (each worth only 9 other continents. This does not, however, imply or mean that Soviet dollars per year or as millions of US dollars per year, or as dollars per cents of the 1900 dollar) these sums are respectively $833,000 and $212 church members give far more generously than the rest of the world; year or per week. Numbers follow USA usage: a billion is 1,000 mil­ million. it arises simply because, due to government restrictions, the numbers lion (in German, French, and British English: 1 Milliarde, or milliard) i. Sources. Basic data are from: 1981 World Bank Atlas; annual World De­ of congregations and full time workers are forced down to very low and 1,000 billion is a trillion (in German, 1 Billion; in French and Brit­ velopment Report, 1978-1982; StatisticalAbstract of the US, 1981; World Chris­ levels for the large numbers of church members concerned. ish English, 1 billion). tian Encyclopedia, 1982. Individual figures or amounts may differ from I. Acknowledgments. The author is grateful to Donald McGilchrist of e. Constituencies involved. The first 3 lines refer to the total population other published sources because of slight differences of definition, The Navigators for providing additional data, critiques, and interpre­ of the whole world. Nos. 4-6 refer to all Christians of all kinds (pro- geographical area, or timing. Country data sources. Some 200 secular vari­ tation for successive drafts of this table. tune with denominational research centers in the Third World. sions. A voluntary 10 percent cut in income on the part of all So then, we are faced with yet another shocking paradox: church-member Christians in Europe and North America could church members payout of their own pockets more for secular and produce a 93 percent increase in income on the part of the entire military research ($130 billion a year) than they pay to support or­ 1.4 billion population of South Asia, or an 82 percent increase ganized Christianity in all its forms worldwide ($100 billion a throughout Latin America, or a 158 percent increase for every soul year). The world's 1.3 billion church members pay for secular re­ in Africa. search (including that to advance the arms race) to the tune of Third, responsibility to act is not confined to Western Chris­ some 2.2 percent of their incomes each year (involuntarily no tians in their Church of the Rich. We have noted above that in the doubt, via government taxes), yet at the same time they pay less Church of the Poor, there is a combination of 20 million relatively than 0.0003 percent of their incomes for Christian or church-relat­ affluent Christians on top of 195 million Christians in absolute ed research. In fact, Christians payout of their pockets 7,000 times poverty. This means that if these nouveaux-riches elites, including as much for secular research, including nuclear-weapons research, leadership hierarchies, redistributed their income and their wealth, as they pay for specifically Christian research to advance the king­ they would solve much of the imbalance without outside interfer­ dom of God. ence or charity from the West. This therefore represents an urgent call to all organizations Unfortunately mere theorizing or pious exhortations are un­ professing to support the world Christian mission to immediately likely to motivate affluent Christians anywhere in this direction. include in their annual budgets a fixed percentage of between 5 Instead it is a question of research (what actually is the true situa­ percent as a maximum and 1 percent as a minimum, specifically for tion?), then information (get your facts right), then communica­ research. While this would cover research on all subjects of prima­ tion (let me tell you the situation), then confrontation (do you ry concern to the particular mission of each, it should also contain know how bad things are?), then education (we are all responsi­ an element for genuinely international, interdenominational, inter­ ble), then persuasion (do something about it)-and then imple­ confessional, multidisciplinary research on global mission and mentation. world evangelization. If these organizations followed the example Despite the logic of this situation, it would be unrealistic to of well-run and efficient secular bodies who have discovered that expect the Christian community on any continent to be totally to spend 2.1 percent per year on research brings rich dividends, obedient to this particular heavenly vision. Eighty-five years ago then each year there would be $2.1 billion available for all varieties Samuel Zwemer, apostle to Islam, put it succinctly when contrib­ of Christian and church-related research, and $105 million for re­ uting to John R. Mott's classic TheEvangelization of the World in This search specifically on global mission. These are the sensible sums Generation. Difficult regions like Arabia, he said, and indeed the to spend on research for such a complex global operation. whole world, "could easily be evangelized within the next thirty years if it were not for the wicked selfishness of Christians."3 Conclusion To a large extent, the global sharing by Christians of money, wealth, property, and goods could solve most of these problems, From this examination of the money circulating in Christian circles including those of famine, poverty, disease, unemployment, dan­ for Christian work each year, we draw several conclusions. First, gerous water supply, and so on. Because this is so, there is a sense the terms "Church of the Poor" and "Church of the Rich" have in which Christians are to blame for the persistence of the present many complementary and overlapping meanings. The Church of disastrous state of affairs. Every Christian with an income of over the Rich usually refers to the affluent West. It has enormous mate­ $500 a year ought to be deeply concerned and actively involved in rial wealth, but contains within it sizable pockets of the Church of this problem. At the least, each should consider donating 10 per­ the Poor. Spiritually this middle-class Church of the Rich is, from cent of his or her income to Third-World missions or charities, or some aspects, a mere pauper itself and so has gradually become to studying, preaching, writing, teaching, or researching about the looked down on by Third-World Christians as itself spiritually a situation. Every Christian who ignores this obligation lies under Church of the Poor. Likewise, the initial meaning of the term the solemn judgment of God on this issue. "Church of the Poor" usually refers to the Third World. It lives Several centuries ago a Roman pope who was an avid patron largely in absolute material poverty yet has sizable enclaves of the of the arts is said to have surveyed the vast artistic riches he had Church of the Rich prospering within it oblivious of the plight of amassed, and to have gloated: "No longer can the Church of Jesus their neighbors. Paradoxically this Church of the Poor has an Christ now say 'Silver and gold have I none.' " "True, Sire," a sub­ abundance of charisma and charismata, and so has become spiri­ ordinate replied, "but then neither can she now say, 'Rise up and tually a Church of the Rich. walk! ' " Material wealth has always carried the risk of attendant Second, there is plenty of money available worldwide to meet spiritual bankruptcy. Today's Church of the Rich, on all its defini­ all reasonable Christian global goals and obligations. There is tions, has vast resources capable of reaching the entire world for entirely enough to undertake the effective prosecution of the Christ. But unless these resources are immediately deployed to Christian world mission. There is enough to undertake every type that end, this church will ultimately prove to have had minimal of research essential to the prosecution of the churches' life and spiritual impact upon the world. mission. There is even enough to enable the Church of the Poor to break out of its vicious environment and bring out the rest of hu­ manity with it. It is simply a question of vision, determination, challenge, mobilization, redistribution, management, internal con­ trol, and sharing. Notes This assessment is not affected by temporary setbacks-world 1. International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, World Develop­ recession, shortfalls in giving to particular relief bodies, escalating mentReport (Washington, D.C.: World Bank Headquarters, 1980), p. 32. inflation, fluctuating oil prices, bankruptcies among Christian in­ 2. David B. Barrett, ed., World Christian Encyclopedia (New York: Oxford stitutions, even graft and corruption where they exist in Christian University Press, 1982), p. 18; see also pp. 799-812. organizations. Even the most radical proposal of all-that Chris­ 3. Samuel Zwemer, in John R. Mott, The Evangelization of the World in This tians unilaterally implement a global redistribution of income-is a Generation (New York: Student Volunteer Movement for Foreign Mis­ practical proposition that could have immense global repercus- sions, 1900), p. 145.

October 1983 151 Mission AJ!encies as Multinationals

Vinay Samuel and Chris Sugden The National Church Bypass

any developments in mission since World War II, and The growth of multinationals represents the transition from the Msome future strategies for the remaining years of this cen­ political control of colonies by Western nations to substantial par­ tury, bypass the national church. By "national church" we mean ticipation in the economies of the former colonies. those visible expressions of the body of Christ, on the neighbor­ We detect much of the spirit and strategy of multinational hood, local, and national levels, that are independent in finance corporations in the history of Christian mission, especially since and policy within the context of their national setting; they are World War II. National churches have replaced the large Western neither dependent on outside groups nor accountable to them. We missions, and Western Christians now participate in mission in distinguish between these national expressions and those that in these countries through large multinational mission agencies. The fact are subsidiaries of multinational mission agencies. Since 1945 number of these agencies has dramatically increased and will con­ these latter institutions have proliferated. Earlier the entire mis­ tinue to do so. Serious concern for world mission marks the North sionary leadership and control of policies, activities, and finances American church, particularly the evangelical churches and para­ had been outside the country. True, leadership has now shifted to church organizations. In the first half of the 1970s, North America personnel of the "host" country, but the effective power and deci­ produced about thirty new mission agencies. Between 1975 and sion-making still lie in most cases with organizations outside that 1980 it produced a further ninety. There is a concerted effort and country. call to multiply the North American contribution to the mission Our thesis: in many areas these multinational mission agencies arepre­ force by a factor of five, and to send 150,000 more missionaries venting theeffective mission ofthegospel in the context where they areoperating. overseas as soon as possible. Bypassing the national church is a prime example. A 1979 MARC Our perception of parallels between some multinational busi­ Newsletter from World Vision proffered that ness corporations and mission agencies does not mean that all in either group act in this fashion or, if they do, that they intend to Today all over the world we encounter local expressions of Christ's do so. We now examine the parallels. Church who are saying in effect, "We are the church in this country. We appreciate your coming to us with the good news, but now we are mature in Christ and quite capable of handling our own affairs. Promotion and Distribution If you would like to work in this country under our direction, we will be happy to accept your assistance. Just remember that we are Multinational corporations aim to sell their products as widely and the church in this country."... Meanwhile, there may be millions of cheaply as possible through efficient packaging and distribution. people in this country whom the existing church has no ability to reach, and, indeed too often no desire to reach. By planting a church Often they create in the consumers artificial needs, unrelated or in this country we often effectively block further outreach to hun­ even contrary to their real needs. The "Two-Thirds World" is lit­ dreds of other people groups within the country, because we plant­ tered with such inappropriate products. For example, Nestle skill­ ed a "national" church.1 fully markets ready-mix baby milk to illiterate nursing mothers. These women replace nature's purest food supply with such milk The concept of "people-groups" has therefore been constructed, often mixed with the local polluted water. Diseases can occur, and is used to bypass the central place of the "national church." even death. Another example. A consultation of one missionary society in Many strategies for Christian mission are based on a multina­ South Asia on the evangelism of Pakistan decided that the Paki­ tional organization that promotes the same clear message, a uni­ stan church, with its origins before partition in 1947 in low-caste versal slogan that can apply to all men and women, everywhere. Hindu groups, was not in an effective position to evangelize the The goal is to make this message as widely and easily available as Muslim majority. Therefore they concluded that this task had to possible, preferably to people who have had no relationship with be committed to expatriate white leaders of a new church. national Christian groups. Careful studies are made of individual It is our contention that, in many ways, there are parallels be­ psychological needs. The gospel message is presented to meet tween multinational business corporations and multinational mis­ these personal needs. It does not address the wider social context sion agencies. A multinational corporation (MNC), as defined by of the individual. The message becomes in grave danger not only Freeman and Persen, is of failing to meet the real needs of the context (as Nestle fails to a company that produces and markets goods and services in more meet the need for clean water) but also of creating inappropriate than one country, looks at the entire world as its area of operation, needs (as Nestle wants to substitute its product for mother's milk). and acts accordingly. An MNC searches everywhere for new tech­ . Such a gospel reflects the spirit of a consumer society.3 Coca­ nology, talented people, new processes, raw materials, ideas and Cola, for example, is not interested in your cultural makeup, only capital. It thinks about the entire world as its market and strives to in the fact that you get thirsty. Coca-Cola does not care if you are serve customers everywhere. It produces goods wherever they can the oppressor or the oppressed, as long as you can afford to buy be economically produced or renders services to serve one or more the drink. Neither is Coca-Cola interested in the social conditions markets at a profit, regardless of national boundaries or ideologies." of the country. In India, until the company was asked to leave in 1977, thousands of villages had Coca-Cola available, but no drink­ VinaySamuel is Pastor of St. John's Church (Church ofSouth India) in Bangalore, In­ ing water. dia. He and his assistant pastor, Chris Sugden, an Oxford graduate, work as a team in This consumer approach can also characterize what happens the Theological Research and Communication Institute of South India. when the gospel is treated as a universal message solely for indi­

152 International Bulletin of Missionary Research vidual needs. The hearers are treated only in their psychological Leadership needs of guilt, fear, anxiety, loneliness. Ignored is their social exis­ tence-whether they are employed or not, receive justice or not, A multinational corporation acts as a parasite on the leadership re­ have liberty or not. That message will not meet India's needs, for sources of a country. A poor nation devotes a large percentage of in India's strong family society, the loneliness that characterizes its resources to the training of its small percentage of leaders. (or is a product of?) Western industrial society is not such a pro­ Along comes a multinational corporation that can offer more se­ nounced need as in the West. Such a gospel message does not inte­ cure and lucrative employment than indigenous industry or gov­ grate the whole human life, but creates its own needs and subverts ernment. It recruits students and people who have been educated the mission of the whole gospel. The method reflects the spirit of and trained in the country at the expense of the taxpayer, mostly the multinationals. the workers and farm laborers. So at no expense to itself the cor­ poration attracts some of the most capable leadership, and uses Churches as Distribution Centers these people to further its own ends-and that often means by­ passing leadership of local industries and local government. In the multinational business strategy, local centers are bases for A similar pattern occurs in church leadership. Mission agen­ distribution. Even if they are production centers, they reproduce cies can pay larger salaries than the national churches, so they at­ the master-copy for local distribution. And if they do not distrib­ tract capable, well-qualified young people from the church ute the product effectively, the franchise is transferred to a new training'colleges. Then in forming and executing policies they tend subsidiary. In multinational mission strategies, the church is defined as a distribution center. If the national churches are considered inade­ quate because "there are millions of people in the country whom "The ideological basis for the existing church has no ability to reach and indeed too often no desire to reach," then these churches are judged to be ineffective bypassing the national distribution centers for the mission agency's product. So the agen­ cy bypasses the national church and creates its own church or its church comes from the way own distribution system. Many evangelistic organizations sponsor in which the multinational rallies, retreats, conventions, conferences, and a whale system of Christian nurturing for leaders and supporters. Often they build a mission agency defines the structure of service activities that prevents people from taking any other part in a local church than its Sunday worship. challenge of world mission." The ideological basis for bypassing the national church comes from the way in which the multinational mission agency defines the challenge of world mission: to reach with the gospel India's 600 to bypass the local leadership of bishops,· synods, and councils. It million-or the world's 2.7 billion-non-Christians. This over­ is often convenient to stress that this local leadership is "nonevan­ whelming challenge dwarfs the efforts of the churches in the gelical." However, some of the most painful situations arise when "Two-Thirds World" countries wherein most non-Christians live. the local leadership is thoroughly evangelical. What tends to hap­ With few material resources and minimal personnel trained in pen is that the mission agency approaches pastors for support, and Western techniques, these churches cannot by themselves hope to access to their congregations. These pastors are responsible to a meet the challenge stated in such terms or by using such means. wider authority (the bishop or council), but mission agencies sel­ The multinational mission agency then presents itself a possible dom if ever consult these wider bodies and so effectively bypass servant to fulfill the challenge that it has already defined. These them. Many pastors are happy to go along with the bypass be­ many"challenges for world mission" sound suspiciously like sales cause of the resources and facilities that the agency offers. pitches for the Western agencies themselves. Finally, the mission agency begins to impose its own leader­ If the national church seeks to meet this need with the tech­ ship in the situation by establishing colleges to train its own lead­ niques the agency supplies, that church is caught in the same trap ers. One seminary finds that the majority of its graduates in which the "Two-Thirds World" countries are caught by multi­ immediately join parachurch agencies, and others who had joined national businesses. Once the corporation has defined a need that church-based ministry, after five years or so move into parachurch only it can meet, for example, computers, a subsidiary process be­ bodies. This well-educated, articulate leadership, with loyalty to gins so that through the multinational the country itself can grad­ the message and the method of the mission agencies, then forms ually produce its own computers. However, by the time the the "national evangelicalleadership" with no accountability to the country becomes self-sufficient in that technology, Western tech­ church in the country, and no base in local churches and denomi­ nology has leapfrogged ahead and procured superior equipment, nations. They represent no national church bodies and are ac­ which again is available only through the multinationals. countable to none. They are evangelical pirates. They control the Similarly, once the national church in India had become an seaways and commandeer resources, but are beyond the law. Yet adequate distribution center for Christian education, literature, they control and direct resources and policies that have important Sunday school materials, and seminary programs that originated in consequences for the mission of the gospel in that context. the West, Western agencies leapfrogged ahead and introduced ra­ dio and cassettes. India gradually adapted to produce at least some Total Control of the financing and personnel for radio ministry, but then the Western church became most interested in the funding of relief Among multinational corporations inevitable growth tends toward and development projects. We suspect that once the Indian church covering the entire market or toward dividing the market up on a is geared up to meet the challenge of the 600 million non-Chris­ global scale. Airline companies now are in the hotel and car-rental tians as defined by the multinational mission agencies, the West business. Mitsubishi and Philips divide the electronics business will have further redefined the need and the methods to meet between them. Multinational companies now turn out about one­ those needs. third of the world's gross product. In the last twenty years they

October 1983 153 have averaged an annual growth of 10 percent; this is double the its government's monetarist policies and unemployment was rock­ growth rate of the industrial countries. They control much of the eting, that their own income had increased by 70 percent over the technology, management talent, and private capital to solve the previous year. This giving was often at the expense of more tradi­ world's economic problems as they define them. tional agencies. One church had a week of featuring a wide variety Similar trends occur in Christian relief work, theological edu­ of mission groups. At the final offering over 90 percent of the giv­ cation, leadership training, mission research, and literature publi­ ing was designated for one multinational agency. cation. Agencies divide up the market between them and regard These agencies are successful in raising money because they particular territories as their own sphere of influence. The recent can show photographs and reports of wells dug, hospitals built, indignation of one Western agency that another agency moved in and projects completed in a short time. They need maximum in­ to set up a headquarters in its "patch" can only be matched by the come to support these programs, and require an increasing number of programs to use up the increasing income and to ensure further income. To ensure this maximum income these groups act like po­ litical parties. They take a middle-of-the-road position on social Peter G. Gowing issues in order to attract the widest possible support among those 1930-1983 likely to contribute to them. Many situations in poor nations re­ quire that the church take a clear stand on the side of the poor against exploitation and injustice. Multinational mission agencies Colleagues in many parts of the world share a sense of loss in the proclaim that they are taking the whole gospel to the whole per­ sudden death of Dr. Peter G. Gowing from a heart attack on July son, especially when they combine direct evangelism with relief 10, 1983 in Marawi City, Philippines, at age 53. A native of Massa­ chusetts, Dr. Gowing was a graduate of University of Maine, Ban­ and development. But they do not in fact do so. They do not clear­ gor Theological Seminary, Boston University (Th.D.), and ly stand on the side of the poor for fear of losing financial support from their constituency at home, and for fear of implicating their Syracuse University (Ph.D.). Since 1960 he had been a missionary supporters as among those responsible for the injustice they are in Southeast Asia of the United Church Board for World Minis­ confronting." tries, first on the faculty of Silliman University in Dumaguete City, Philippines (1960-71); then as Regional Professor in the Southeast Asia Graduate School of Theology, based in Singapore Evaluation (1971-74); and since 1974 as Director of the Dansalan Research Center in Marawi City, Philippines. Under his leadership the Cen­ In the business world there is one law-profits. Profit is the only ter became one of the leading institutions in Southeast Asia deal­ criterion by which shareholders hold their multinationals account­ ing with Muslim-Christian relations. He also served as a consultant able. Shareholders are not concerned with what a multinational to the World Council of Churches' program on "Dialogue with does to the structures of justice in a country. Few controls have yet People of Living Faiths and Ideologies." been worked out for multinationals, and their own vested interests Dr. Gowing was editor of the Dansalan Quarterly; author of and declared goals make them impervious to criticism. Mosque and Mora: Islands Under the Cross; Mandate in Moroland: The Multinational mission agencies find it very hard to listen to American Government of Muslim Filipinos; and Muslim Filipinos: Heritage critical questions raised by the Scripture about their activities. and Horizon; and co-editor of Acculturation in the Philippines; and The They have their own limited agenda, and plead that they must ful­ Muslim Filipinos. One of the last articles he wrote for publication fill their supporters' expectations. A recommendation at a recent was "The Legacy of Frank C. Laubach" for the International Bulletin international conference that relief and development agencies of Missionary Research (April 1983). might try to educate First-World supporters about the real situa­ His death came shortly after returning to the Islamic City of tion in the Third World, and its relation to the First World, was Marawi from a journey to Beirut, where he had been invited to greeted by a prediction that 90 percent of the agencies' income participate in a dialogue of two Christians and two Muslims, spon­ would disappear if such programs were introduced. sored by the Vatican Secretariat for Non-Christians. Dr. Gowing There are vested interests also in theological positions. had been asked to represent a Protestant perspective in what will Through reading Kids and the Kingdom by John Inchley, a Scripture be a book, Muslims and Christians Talk: That Each May Know. The title Union children's worker of vast experience, we are realizing that it is a testimony to the ministry among Muslims for which he gave may be more biblical to regard children as persons who belong to his life. Jesus until they reject him, rather than as lost souls who need to repent as soon as possible. Should this understanding be accepted, many large-budgeted, foreign-sponsored organizations for chil­ dren's evangelism in India would have to alter both their strategy unexpressed indignation of "recipient" countries that the original and their fund-raising appeals. None of these twenty-one agencies during the International Year of the Child in India publicly raised agency presumes to tell them wha t they can and cannot do in their own country. one query about the child-labor employment of over 40 million In­ Such a process is built into the multinational approach, and dian children. Christian agencies merely reflect the specific gravity of their home cultures in perpetuating the approach. Inherent pressures for A Way Ahead for the 19808-19908 growth within multinational mission agencies often prevent them History shows that the chief bearers of mission have always been from fulfilling their claims of taking the whole gospel to the whole groups within the church who have come together under the call person. This is true especially of those agencies that start from a concern for relief and development and then move into evangelism of God to make mission their chief activity. Charles Mellis con­ and church-planting. This phenomenal growth is often at the ex­ firms that these "sodalities" have always been the promoters and pense of other groups that cannot show quick results. For example, seedbeds of new initiatives in mission." The very success of the in Britain one multinational mission agency reported in 1980, last thirty years has exposed them to the dangers noted above. when Britain's economy was being systematically dismembered by The source of a relevant critique for the multinational agen­

154 International Bulletin of Missionary Research cies must be other sodalities from the "Two-Thirds World," which text. Jesus took thirty years! No one is advocating that length of would be comprised of the leaders of the national churches who time. But one executive of a multinational mission agency with are committed to these churches. By engaging in shared analysis, whom we shared these ideas admitted that its style of working and they could forge a fruitful partnership that would marry the skills expectation of results were not conducive to "taking time." This and resources of the multinational mission agencies with the sensi­ process also means that large numbers of missionaries should not tivity and cultural authenticity of the national church. arrive and expect quick results for themselves or for their constitu­ First, the partners should examine the agencies' and the encies. churches' understanding and practice of mission by the biblical The national church should be affirmed and not bypassed. criteria of incarnation and servanthood. Then together they should The national church is the g~oup of Christians in the situation who look at the parallels between the agencies' activities and those of can help the multinational mission agencies in the process of incar­ the multinational business corporations-what similar methods nation. They must be able to monitor how many agencies come, can be adopted, what must be avoided. This process could contrib­ the type of work they do, and how they do it. To affirm the na­ ute to the Christian critique of multinational businesses. The tional church is to allow it substantial decision-making power in Christian agencies could witness to an important alternative pat­ this area. tern of international partnership and cooperation. . This process will be costly for the multinational mission agen­ Second, the agencies, where necessary, will need to rectify cies. To embrace a holistic gospel will mean that at some points their present relationships with other groups. For example, one they will have to take stances that will not readily command ma­ multinational mission agency began work among children, and jority support among the constituency that finances them. They planned a whole literature program for them. A smaller indigenous can prepare for this by educating their supporting constituency in evangelical agency had seventy-five years' experience of children's the true struggles of the gospel in the context. But they cannot em­ work. It had a program of holistic evangelism and first-class litera­ brace a holistic gospel consistently unless they are prepared to sac­ ture available. But short of funds, it was unable fully to implement rifice some financial support. these programs. Initially, the multinational agency had planned to This partnership is between people who, in spite of their produce literature and develop holistic programs on its own, but unity in Christian commitment to mission, will come to issues the contribution and need of this smaller local agency was pointed with different perspectives. This difference could lead the partners out as the basis for a constructive partnership. Happily the multi­ to situations of potential conflict. The temptation for multination­ national agency saw that it could marry its resources and funds al mission agencies will be to use the power of their resources to with the skill and expertise of the local agency for their mutual unfair advantage when differences of opinion arise: "We raise the benefit, and above all for the benefit of the church's mission to funds." By the same token, the "Two-Thirds World" cannot use children. its cultural advantage unfairly: "You don't understand the situa­ Third, agencies will need to initiate and encourage new pat­ tion." When confrontation develops in such a situation, one could terns of relationships among Christian groups. The national assume that partnership is absent, but maturity in partnership re­ church in India is not the sole guardian of the welfare of the 70 quires that confrontation be used for correction, education, and re­ percent of India's population who have not encountered Jesus direction. This enhances rather than reduces participation.s Christ. Its small size and resources cannot determine whether or We end with hope and optimism. We have informally shared not the 70 percent will hear about Jesus Christ. The church is the these concerns with Christian leaders in the "Two-Thirds World" body of Christ worldwide called to bear one another's burdens. At and with executives of some multinational mission agencies. Both present vast numbers of Western Christians are willing and able to are grappling with the same issues, both are enthusiastic in an share the burden of evangelizing India. The key question is: How open dialogue on them. Furthermore, we ourselves are already can they do so? partnered with a large multinational mission agency in the promo­ The answer must be that such Christians and such agencies tion of holistic mission in Asia. But we are also aware, sadly, that must be committed to a holistic gospel and come in the way that other agencies, especially of more recent origin, find the whole Jesus came, as an incarnate servant in the context. This process debate a threat, even a hindrance to the fulfillment of their own takes time. It takes time to listen and hear the reality of the con­ visions."

Notes

1. MARC (Missions Advanced Research and Communication Center, a 4. For extensive documentation, cf. [orgen Lissner, The Politics of Altruism Division of World Vision International, Monrovia, California), Newslet­ (Geneva: Lutheran World Federation, 1978). ter, November 1979, p. 6. 5. Cf. Charles Mellis, Committed Communities: Fresh Streams of World Mission 2. Orville L. Freeman and William Persen, "Multinational Corporations: (South Pasadena, Calif.: William Carey Library, 1976). Some Facts and Figures," The Futurist, December 1980. On MNCs, cf. 6. Cf. Vinay Samuel and Charles Corwin, "Assistance Programs Require Christopher Tugendhat, The Multinationals (London: Penguin Books, Partnership," Evangelical Missions Quarterly 15, no. 2 (April 1979): 97-101. 1971); Richard J. Barnet and Ronald E. Muller, Global Reach: The Power of For these same issues in the Latin American context, cf. "The Bogota Multinational Corporations (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1974); Wal­ Declaration," First Andean Consultation on Church Missions Relations, dron Scott, "American Evangelicals and Global Corporations," in Church November 1980. Available from Puente, Casilla 6464-CCI, Quito, Ecua­ and Nationhood, ed. Lionel Holmes (New Delhi: World Evangelical Fel­ dor. lowship, 1978); Susan George, How the Other Half Dies (London: Penguin 7. For further expansion of the themes in this essay, cf. Vinay Samuel and Books, 1976); Donald Hay, "Who's Afraid of the Multinationals," Third Chris Sugden, Christian Mission in the Eighties: A Third World Perspective Way, September 1979. (Bangalore: Partnership in Mission Asia, 1981); and Vinay Samuel and 3. Cf. Rene Padilla, "Evangelism and the World," in Let the Earth Hear His Chris Sugden, Partnership for Mission: A View from the Two Thirds World Voice: Proceedings of the Lausanne Consultation on World Evangelization, 1974, ed. (Bangalore: Partnership in Mission Asia, 1983). J. D. Douglas (Minneapolis, Minn.: World Wide Publications, 1975), pp. 116--46.

October 1983 155 Responses to the Article by Vinal' Samuel and Chris SUliden

William R. Burrows, S. ~D.

he timely, perceptive, and insightful way in which the As is fairly well known, Roman Catholicism continues to re­ T authors raise these important issues deserves praise, all fuse to allow significant or substantial contextual modification of the more so because they ask Christians in the (once?) so-called its (supposedly dejure divino) structures. Since the sixteenth centu­ "sending churches" to examine their assumptive world. Such ex­ ry, it is hard to name a major mission brought by Catholicism from aminations are never easy. the stage of primary evangelization to full self-ministering and Were we in Rome, Goa, Macao, or Kyoto in the decades pre­ -sustaining church-status, and beyond that to itself become a ceding the establishment of the Roman Congregation for the Prop­ church-in-mission. Centralization, then, prevents the sort of evan­ agation of the Faith in 1622, the issues would have been similar. gelistic free-lancing decried in the article. But the Roman model And those who know that the ecumenical movement was born out makes the local church in effect a wholly owned and controlled of questions not terribly different from those raised in the article subsidiary of a Rome-based company. I say this sadly and as a will perhaps be smiling (gently, one may hope) as they see a new Roman Catholic. generation of evangelical churches faced with dialogue-demanding Samuel and Sugden raise the sort of practical questions that problems. uncover theological issues. Though their problems seem resolvable I see a three-faceted set of questions emerging: (1) Who de­ by practical cooperation and priority-setting, in fact a major criter­ cides when a social service or evangelistic outreach program is to iological dilemma arises: the meaning of the "whole gospel in context. II In­ be started? (2) How does one get Christians whose sole criterion for exorably the inner-Christian and interreligious dialogue issues making decisions is the Bible to look at other issues such as those raised by trying to sort out the authors' and the international raised in the article? (3) What criteria are to be applied in situations agencies' perceptions and priorities take churches into the ecu­ where a local church may be incapable of carrying on an effective menical arena. outreach program? Behind all of these questions, of course, lurks Should not each side learn from and accept the basic principle the substantive and perennial scandal that one of the things Amer­ of the other: namely, that a local church that does not properly till ican Christianity does best is to export its ecclesiastical divisions. its ground is not and should not be immune from criticism or free In the seventeenth century, Catholicism centralized its gover­ from competition; and, second, that contextual factors significant­ nance of missions, at least in part to keep its mission sodalities ly shape the meaning of the gospeli? from each other's throats. More recently, in its Vatican II Decree on My crystal ball is at best cloudy. But I see promise of an en­ the Missions (and in three postconciliar instructions and norms on riching discussion provoked by this excellent article. And the implementing the decrees1), Catholicism has attempted to keep its world church will benefit immensely from the dialogue's fruits if it Propagation of the Faith, or Evangelization, Congregation in step is carried on frankly and honestly. with current postcolonial-era realities. Taken together, the Catho­ lic attempt has been to establish an important principle: local churches (under the direction of single bishops) and episcopal conferences (made Notes upofall the bishops in a nation ora region) havethe responsibility forplanning 1. These documents may be surprisingly useful to non-Roman Catholics, and approving all evangelistic and official church social-service programs. since they aim to spell out the relationship between central authority and Groups within the church with special interests and programs local churches, and between both the central authorities and the sodalities ("sodalities," to use the authors' terms) must seek local church ap­ (usually religious orders of priests, brothers, and sisters, though also groups proval for their operations. Thus far so good. The principle works of lay persons) specializing in "missions." See the following, all available on paper and practically, but at great cost. from the United States Catholic Conference, 1312 Massachusetts Avenue, Washington, D.C. 20005: Regimini Ecclesiae Llnioersae (IIApostolic Constitu­ tion on the Roman Curia") chap. 9, "Sacred Congregation for the Evangeli­ William R. Burrows is a member of the Society of the Divine Word (SVD) and Lecturer zation of Peoples or Propagation of the Faith"; also, the instruction of in systematic theology and mission studies at Catholic Theological Union, Chicago, Illi­ Propagation on "Cooperation of Bishops with Pontifical Aid Societies," nois. He is authorof New Ministries: The Global Context and a Ph.D. candidate and on "Relations between Local Ordinaries and Missionary Institutes." at the Divinity School of the University ,of Chicago where he is researching questions concerning interreligious dialogue. Father Burrows spentfive years (1972-1977) teach­ 2. Hans Kasdorf's Christian Conversion in Context (Scottdale, Pa.: Herald Press, ing systematic theology in Papua New Guinea. 1980) is a good primer in such areas.

David M Howard

o raise questions about the thesis of this article is to run ing questions that must be asked before the thesis can be accepted T the risk of being labeled reactionary. The thesis is both as applicable to many mission agencies. attractive and valid-up to a point. But it does raise some disturb- Let us examine the statement that "the context of 'people­ groups' has therefore been constructed and is used to bypass the DavidM Howard is General Secretary ofthe WorldEvangelical Fellowship, with offices central place of the 'national church.' " Is it fair to imply that this in Wheaton, Illinois. is the real reason for the development of the "people-group" con­

156 International Bulletin of Missionary Research cept? Is it not possible, rather, that this concept developed from a unfair to claim that this is motivated solely by finances. genuine desire to reach groups of people who were totally outside When it is stated that "they do not clearly stand on the side of the range of the gospel? the poor for fear of losing financial support from their constituen­ It is true that multinationals often "create in consumers artifi­ cy at home," is this an accurate evaluation of many of the relief cial needs." Is it accurate to imply that missions do the same thing? and development agencies whose major thrust is based on the Do they actually create a need that does not exist? Who would needs of the poor? They have sometimes been criticized from the claim that the people they are trying to reach really do not need opposite perspective for having overplayed the plight of the poor the gospel, even though the methods used may not always be the (orphans, starving people, desolate refugees, etc.) in order to raise wisest? Coca-Cola can be criticized accurately as not being inter­ funds. Should they not be given credit for being honestly con­ ested in quenching people's thirst as much as in selling Coca-Cola. cerned for the poor? (If they were only interested in alleviating thirst, they would pro­ A major theological issue is raised in the statement that "it vide clean water.) But is it fair to suggest that missions create an may be more biblical to regard children as persons who belong to artificial need so that they can sell a product? What are they trying Jesus until they reject him, rather than as lost souls who need to to sell, if not the gospel of salvation? Certainly the validity of the repent as soon as possible." At what age do people reach the age of product cannot be compared with Coca-Cola. People can live accountability? If it is only when they reject Jesus, what does this without Coca-Cola. No one can live eternally without the gospel. imply about adults who have never consciously rejected him? The authors make a strong point when speaking of how mis­ There is not space here to discuss this in depth, but it bears much sions "can pay larger salaries than the national churches, so they closer scrutiny than the authors have given it in raising the ques­ attract capable, well-qualified young people from the church tion. training colleges." That the leadership thus trained by the mission The authors end "with hope and optimism." This is encourag­ ends up with "no accountability to the church in the country" is ing. They have rightly raised a very valid issue. Leaders of mission one of the most tragic aspects of bypassing the church. This criti­ agencies from the West need to listen carefully to such critiques. It cism is valid. is hoped that dialogue can continue with Western Christians eager In suggesting that missions "take a middle-of-the-road posi­ to learn in humility, and with leaders in the "Two-Thirds World" tion on social issues in order fo affracf the widest possible support" keeping the doors open, not by overstating their case, but by com­ (italics added), the authors apparently do not allow for the possi­ passionate understanding and equal humility. If this can happen, bility that the middle-of-the-road position may genuinely be then the body of Christ can develop together around the world in where the mission stands theologically and politically. It may be fulfilling the Great Commission.

Conversion in Cultural Context

John A. Grafion

Introduction

n a very true sense every conversion is in context, a con­ Missiological Perspective: The Two Contexts I text that is multifaceted, embracing the political, social, economic, and religious domain in which a person is living at the One way to begin a consideration of this topic from a missiological time of his or her conversion. Thus whatever the meaning of con­ perspective is to define contextualization as relating the gospel to a version, it never takes place outside a cultural context. Conver­ particular culture in all its dimensions, or more properly, permiffing sions therefore are of almost infinite variety. Though "God is no it to relate, for the gospel is relevant. The phrase "in all its dimen­ respecter of persons" (Acts 10:34) in the sense of esteeming or ac­ sions" is purposefully ambiguous with reference to its antecedent, cepting one person above another, he does deeply respect persons for it refers back to both the gospel and culture. The gospel in all as individuals and meets them in their own context. So although its dimensions must relate to culture, and likewise that same gos­ there is only one way to God, and that through Christ (see Acts pel must relate to a given culture in all the dimensions of that cul­ 4:12; In. 14:6), there are a thousand ways to Christ, and the variety ture. of religious experience as seen in conversion bears witness to this fact. Whether or not conversion involves both a point and a subse­ Biblical Context quent process is a subject of debate even among Reformed theolo­ gians.! Equally debatable is the question whether or not the A biblical view of conversion must at least recognize (if not ex­ plore) all the dimensions of that term in its biblical context.? Like­ process aspect falls into a strict definition of conversion. It cannot wise, as with contextualization, the subject must be viewed with be denied, however, that a process is inherent in the experience of all the dimensions of culture in perspective. If either of these com­ conversion, involving stages of development.f ponents is missing, then one is left with an inadequate and trun­ cated view of conversion. John A. Gration is Professor of Missions at Wheaton College Graduate School, Whea­ Evangelicals have not always benefited from this in-depth ton, Illinois. He served for fifteen years as a missionary educator in Africa under the study of conversion where both the Bible and the context have Africa InlandMission, and for eightyears wasassociate director of that mission. been given equal and adequate consideration. One is tempted to

October 1983 157 affirm that evangelicals have historically given more attention to when judged by biblical criteria within one culture could be totally the biblical data than to contextual considerations, but the voice of unacceptable in the context of another culture simply because of younger evangelicals (and those who resonate with their perspec­ the meaning that it carries, growing out of its relationship to the tive and emphases) suggests that evangelicals have by and large world-view of that particular culture, for example. A simple, often failed to understand and to come to terms with the radical harmless, and "neutral" cultural artifact could serve as a case in demands of the gospel itself, to say nothing of its implications for point. conversion. The "minority report" at the Lausanne Congress in 1974,4 as well as the book" that grew out of it, attests to the incom­ ,Culture and Conversion plete gospel (and consequent view of conversion and its demands) that has all too often characterized the "culture Christianity" of When a study of conversion in cultural context is understood from North American evangelicalism." the perspective of this latter view of culture, the value variables in Any discussion of conversion must therefore look at all the each context suggested above make for a complex situation, one scriptural data, The recognition of this imperative keeps the sub­ that precludes a simplistic master matrix that can be successively ject open-ended, subject to further modification, amplification, or placed over each culture to determine which elements fit the bibli­ application. It keeps us from a rigid and static view of conversion, cal mold and which do not. This view of culture does not permit even when viewed from the perspective of the revelational broad, generalized value judgments about culture specifics that are IIgivens" on the subject. transferable from culture to culture. Nor does it permit simplistic formulas that spell out uniform criteria for defining or measuring a Cultural Context conversion across cultural lines. The internal dynamics of an inte­ grated view of culture preclude the use of what the writer calls an The second dimension to conversion is that of culture. If we use "axiological canon" that is universal in its application. Rather, the definition of culture adopted at the Willowbank Consultation viewing conversion in context demands that the multitudinous el­ in 1978, we can fit each culture under consideration into four ements of each culture be viewed by Scripture in the light of their broad categories that form the framework for that definition. relationships and consequent meaning within that particular cul­ These four spheres include a system of beliefs, values, customs, ture. and institutions.7 From this perspective of culture, conversion in context will Certain movements within evangelicalism have not always therefore sometimes, perhaps often, touch the same element in facilitated the gospel's penetration of all the dimensions of culture, different cultures in a very different way, spanning from total re­ probably due in part to their basic "Christ against Culture" jection to total acceptance. But the situation is even more complex, stance." The Pietism that found expression in the Fundamentalist especially in a Western context where there is great emphasis on individuals. Though each culture molds its members with certain values and a distinguishable world-view, individuals vary greatly within a given culture. Thus conversion is going to touch different "Conversion is going to individuals even within the same culture at different points. Con­ touch different individuals version for the rich young ruler meant something far different from what it meant for the woman at the well in John 4.12 And so even within the same it is today, for example, within the context of our own American culture, if one can speak so broadly. culture at different points." This whole question closely parallels Charles Kraft's model related to the dynamic-equivalence translation of Scripture.P In both instances the context in its various dimensions is being taken movement, for example, which in turn produced many of the in­ seriously and is being permitted to affect the content of the pro­ terdenominational missionaries of the past sixty years, did not cess. As a result one can expect to see tremendous diversity in the take a high view of culture, nor was it especially concerned with outward manifestations of the conversion process. its transformation as such.? The concomitant individualistic em­ phasis likewise further contributed to the down-playing of "pos­ Diverse Manifestations of Conversion sessing" a total culture for Christ, as Calvin, for example, had viewed the church's mission vis-a-vis culture. Biblical conversion involves in its essence a new life,I4 growing out Now in seeking to understand the contextual dimension of of a vital, personal relationship with Christ (see 2 Cor. 5:17). To conversion and thereby permitting the gospel to become relevant Paul it is nothing less than putting on the "new self" (Col. 3:10), a in each situation by functioning as the ultimate and absolute judge transforming experience that is described as a continual renewal of of culture (see Heb. 4:12, kritikos), we are faced with innummerable one's mind (see Rom. 12:2). In this connection two points need to differing contexts. The situation is further compounded, almost be underlined. First, emphasis is properly placed on the personal geometrically, if we view cultures as integrated wholes and reject nature of conversion. By this is meant what Kraft terms"a dynam­ Donald McGavran's idea, in The Clash between Christianity and Cul­ ic interaction between God and human beings" that issues from a IS tures, that they are 1/ aggregates rather than ... organisms" person's conscious allegiance to God. This should be carefully whose components are seldom essential to the culture" and thus distinguished, however, from an individualistic approach to con­ are without any particular significance because of an inextricable version. The latter is an expression of Western (and particularly relationship with the total cultural system.l? American) culture where family and group relationships are expe­ However, when culture is viewed as an integrated whole, a riencing increasing disintegration. Examples abound of multi-indi­ total system, each form or part derives its specific meaning and vidual conversions.l" One of the best-known illustrations is the significance from internal and inherent relationships. In such a conversion of the Sawi people of Irian [aya, the exciting details of view the meaning of a particular form can differ greatly from cul­ which are chronicled in Peace Child. 17 A serious view of conversion ture to culture.11 Thus a given component that proves acceptable in context will therefore always take the larger context of tribe or

158 International Bulletin of Missionary Research FULLER THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY IN-SERVICE PROGRAM FOR MISSIOLOGY

If you are a missionary, a national church leader, a missionary educator or a mission executive unable to take a furlough or sabbatical at this time, you can take advantage of the graduate level training offered by the FullerSchool of World Missionwithout leaving your place of ministry. The In-Service Program is specially des igned to enable you to commence your graduate studies in Missiologytowards a Master's Degree or a Doctorate before coming to the Pasadena campus. To qualify for admission you must have at least a bac­ calaureate degree, and three years of significant cross­ cultural or professional experience. Upon acceptance you can begin your graduate studies immediately through graduate level reading and research for credit while still continuing your present responsibilities. As an example of the outstanding courses available we bring to your notice M630 Anthropology (Core). Under Dr. Charles Kraft, professor of anthropology and African studies , you will be intro­ duced to cultural anthropology with spe­ cial attention to the application of an an­ thropological perspective to Christian mission.

OTHER COURSES IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLEFOR CREDIT OR AUDIT Dr. C. Peter Wagner "Foundations of Church Growth " (4 units)

Dr. Arthur Glasser "Theology of M ission " (4 units) Dr. Paul G. Hiebert Phenomenology and Institution of Folk Religion (4 units)

Dr. Paul E. Pierson "Historical Development of the Chr istian Mo vement" (4 units)

EACH COURSE CONTAINS 16 OR MORE CASSETTE TAPES RECORDED LIVE IN THE CLASSROOM, TEXTBOOKS, SYLLABUS AND INTEGRATING MATERIAL

For further infonnation write Dr. Alvin Martin, director, In-Service Program FULLER THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY, SCHOOL OF WORLD MISSION 135 North Oakland Avenue, Pasadena, California 91101 Fuller T heological Seminary admits students of any race, sex, color and national or ethnic origin. clan into consideration, for example, when the gospel is addressed prompted Paul to rebuke their legalism with these words: "Are to a group that makes decisions by consensus. you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit are you now trying A second point to be made is that genuine conversion will in­ to attain perfection by human effort?" (Gal. 3:3). evitably bring significant change to individuals and in turn to A second possible result of an externally imposed conversion communities. Although secular anthropologists may decry any­ agenda can mean that at least certain aspects of the new believer's thing that would intrude upon the world of "primitive" people.liv­ conversion experience are nothing more than a "cultural conver­ ing in pristine purity and bliss.P the outworkings of conversion sion." The convert is in fact converting to the missionary's or the (both spiritual and otherwise), while deep and far-reaching, need church's subculture by assuming the proper pattern of behavior in not be ultimately destructive. In fact, they can be quite otherwise. order to "belong" and find total acceptance in his or her new con­ However, it must be recognized that the gospel can penetrate to text. Such a conversion, even when accompanied by a genuine in­ the heart of a culture and effect significant change. Bruce Olson, ner spiritual work of God, can be superficial and may have serious writing of his work among the Motilones in Colombia, speaks of consequences. It can deceive the convert, the missionary, and the the change: "But with Jesus, there can be real change. Not just church leaders into assuming that more of spiritual significance has been accomplished than in reality is the case. It can also lead to a contentment in remaining on this level of Christian experience Announcing when in reality new areas and dimensions of the believer's life and thought need to be possessed by Christ.P The next meeting of the International Association for Mission An even more serious problem of "cultural conversion" is Studies will be held at the University of Zimbabwe, in Harare, seen when this is the only conversion that has taken place. It can January 8-14, 1985, on the theme "Christian Mission and Hu­ occur even in a Christian context when conversion is simply to a man Transformation." Further details about the program will Christian cause, person, organization, or merely to Christianity as be sent to members in the near future. Inquiries about member­ a theological system and not to Christ himself. Such a "cultural ship and activities of the Association may be sent to the General conversion" may well be portrayed in the one who, hearing the Secretary of lAMS, Rapenburg 61, 2311 GJ Leiden, The Nether­ message about the kingdom, "receives it with joy, but since he has lands. not root, he lasts only a short time" (Mt. 13:20-21). Cultural con­ version may indeed be one of the chief causes for reversion or abandoning commitment to Christ and Christian faith, however spiritual change. Not just change by and by. Real change, now, else one might explain this phenomenon in the context of a partic­ with visible power. He is the source of all change. He is the God of ular theological system. everyday miracles."19 "To change or not to change" is not the real Thus certain behavioral consequences of conversion, cultural issue. No culture is static. Key to the question is who or what ef­ in nature and origin, must not be externally imposed, especially fects the change and how it is carried out. when one is working cross-culturally. Such a demand can produce It is at this point that missionaries must exercise extreme cau­ a deadening legalism, stifle normal spiritual growth, and hinder tion and, at times, great restraint. It is all too easy and natural for the dynamics of conversion from effecting internal and lasting them to come with their own conversion agenda, which is usually change on a deeper and more significant level, namely, that of a reflection of their personal religious experience or that of the world-view. To this crucial aspect of conversion we now turn our Christian subculture they represent. They often may not realize attention. how fully certain items on their agenda relative to their under­ standing of the "things that accompany salvation" (Heb. 6:9) are Conversion and World-view conditioned by their own cultural context. With the best of inten­ tions they may seek to effect certain changes in the lifestyle of Reference to world-view brings us to consider its crucial signifi­ their converts and, in the process, convey the impression that cer­ cance in any discussion of conversion. Understanding the world­ tain activities (or the absence of others) are of the essence of Chris­ view of the people whom one is addressing with the gospel is a tianity. While not minimizing the divine working of redemptive vital prerequisite to its effective communication. David Hessel­ grace as a reality in the lives of such new believers, it needs to be grave properly affirms that only when the missionary has by a understood that such externally imposed "signs" or marks of con­ "herculean effort" come to understand the world-view of his hear­ version can be extremely detrimental. ers and to speak in that framework does "true missionary commu­ First, they can easily blur the real nature of what it means to nication" begin.V World-view as it relates to conversion will be be a Christian. Christianity is far more than certain prescribed and considered from two perspectives. proscribed activities. Two further results may tragically flow from Conversion in the Context of Value Systems this first error, which is primarily theological in nature. First, legal­ ism can easily develop.j" It becomes assumed that growth in the At the heart of any culture is its world-view with its own system Christian life and consequent "acceptance" into the Christian of values. At the very beginning of the conversion process the gos­ church is to be achieved by conformity to certain external stan­ pel comes into direct contact with this value system, both con­ dards. Obtaining baptism and the status of a concomitant new fronting its sinfulness and fulfilling its unmet longings, for, as we name in certain parts of the world comes as a result of passing "in­ have seen, God graciously meets human beings in their particular spection" before a group of church elders who have a "checklist" , culture. of the required items that either must be present (ability to read, a A sensitivity to a culture's distinct value system will enable tithing record, etc.) or decidedly absent (use of tobacco, etc.) It is the evangelist or missionary to emphasize that particular aspect of very possible for the new convert to seek to attain mechanically the gospel that most appropriately speaks to the given felt need. through external conformity to an imposed standard what dynam­ While in every human situation one's ultimate predicament cen­ ically should be realized through the transforming power of the tering in one's broken relationship with God must be addressed, Spirit producing his fruit in the believer's new life. In a word, the the gospel does speak with relevance to human beings where they ancient error of the Galatians is being repeated, an error that are. 23

160 International Bulletin of Missionary Research The writer is painfully aware that his own presentation of the believer such a radically new perspective on life that Paul can gospel in an African context was influenced far too much by his write to the Corinthian church in their particular context: " ... own Western Protestant value system. Consequently he failed to from now on those who have wives should live as if they had emphasize adequately that aspect of the gospel that would lead to none; those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, what Alan Tippett terms a "power encounter" between the power as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not of Christ and the world of spirits, an encounter that offers deliver­ theirs to keep; those who use the things of the world, as if not en­ ance from the tyranny and captivity of fear. 24 Differing value sys­ grossed in them ..." (1 Cor. 7:29-31). In this demand Paul is oper­ tems, therefore, an integral part of the world-view of a people, ating on the level of world-view; he is addressing their perception must be held clearly in focus by the missionary for conversion to of ultimate reality and of ultimate value. take place in context. It is on this level that missionaries and church leaders in Afri­ ca must concentrate their attention during the coming years, given Conversion of the World View the great influx of new converts into the church. History should teach us the folly of merely concentrating on externals while the Although conformity to a "Christian" lifestyle may be relatively very heart of a Christian's culture, one's world-view, often re­ easy to obtain in the lives of new converts, nothing less than the mains largely unpossessed by Christ and only partially trans­ penetration and utter "possession" of a person's world-view must formed by the gospel. Working on the conceptual, or world-view, be the evangelizer's ultimate goal. Only in this way can a culture level is the key to the ultimate institution of new behavioral pat­ be transforrned.P terns. Customs will change when there is a basic change within the There are in this regard two extremes to be avoided. The first world-view of a people.30 is to demand too much in the conversion process, especially as it When the advocates of change begin on the peripheral level, may relate to the "signs" of conversion in the missionary's own however, incorrect messages are received that blur both the mes­ culture. In this connection reference should be made to the matter sage and the impact of the gospel. The female-circumcision issue of timing. Even practices that probably should be eliminated from in Kenya is again an apt illustration. Like an invading army that the new converts' behavior must not be prematurely excised, espe­ fails to "secure" adequately its beachhead before pushing on to cially under severe duress such as the threat of excommunication. capture new territory, several of the missions failed to secure the A prime example of this is the female-circumcision issue in the internal beachhead of the converts' world-view. Consequently, early years of the Protestant church in Kenya.P The stand of the when the custom of female circumcision was attacked head-on in Africa Inland Mission on this controversial matter resulted in the the name of Christianity, there developed not only a misunder­ loss of 80 percent of the adherents in one church district. The Ki­ standing of the gospel message but also much unnecessary and kuyu churches were reduced to about 10 percent of their member­ traumatic cultural disequilibrium. ship in the late 1920s.27 Granting the wrongness of the practice, The radical changes being demanded were not growing out of and certainly there was not a consensus concerning it even among a transformed world-view. Rather, operating at least partially out church leaders, the question may be raised whether the missions involved demanded too much too soon. This view was reflected in a statement of one of the missionaries standing in the center of the storm that the issue generated: "Although conformity to a 'Christian' lifestyle may be ... I can't help but feel sometimes that somewhere we have made a tremendous mistake, when it becomes necessary for us to force out relatively easy to obtain in Christians (and I believe most of them are Christians) who have only recently come out of the rankest heathenism. I don't see now the lives of new converts, how we can do differently, but I doubt if we should have done much harm if we had agreed that since female circumcision must go, nothing less than the we would be patient and work and pray against it until the natives themselves had cast an overwhelming vote against it, rather than penetration and utter that we should make a rule that severs them from church member­ 'possession' of a person's ship.P worldview must be the Although there is always the danger of demanding too much too soon, and doubtless the real problem lay in the demands being evangelizer's ultimate goal." made by outside change agents (in this case the missionaries), yet the other extreme of not expecting enough must also be avoided. As already suggested, the "conversion" or transformation of the of their preconversion world-view, the ma.jority of the converts world-view of a people must be the ultimate goal. This will in saw things very differently from the missionaries. To the mission­ many cases involve a crisis point of significant decision where the ary, female circumcision was a relatively minor, external, physical question of basic allegiance and loyalty to a new Lord is settled. As operation, albeit often painfully and even harmfully performed. for all of us, however, it will involve an ongoing process in which To many of the Africans involved, however, the missionaries' ac­ that initial commitment is fleshed out in all its ramifications and tions were a major cultural operation, a surgery that cut away a areas of life. Kraft describes this lifelong process with the terms very crucial element of their culture; namely, an institution that "reinterpretation," "reevaluation," and "rehabilitation."29 marked the boundary between childhood and adulthood. There­ Integral to the process is the renewing of one's mind by which fore it was profoundly significant in the social and educational de­ the believer increasingly views his or her world of reality from velopment of their young people. Unfortunately the issue was not God's perspective. This ongoing process will at times run counter approached on the world-view level, where the question could to the approach of accommodation to culture, an approach nor­ have been reevaluated when biblical, supracultural truth was mally associated with contextualization. It will at times give the brought to bear on the African world-view.

October 1983 161 Summary tion use the natural vehicles of that context in its worship of God, Conversion in context takes seriously both individuals and groups in its developing organizational structures, and in its own outreach within their cultural context. Thus the approach to a given people of witness. Thus without dislocation and extraction, except from with the gospel ought to be characterized by sensitivity to their that which God himself demands separation, the new converts will cultural milieu. Furthermore, the expression of Christianity within grow and mature naturally within their own original cultural con­ that culture will, one hopes, by the process of internal transforma- text.

Notes

1. See Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Wm. B. 16. This is the term used by Donald McGavran. See his Understanding Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1949), p. 485; and B. B. Warfield, "On the Church Growth (rev. ed., Grand Rapids, Mich.: Wm. B. Eerdmans Pub­ Biblical Notion of 'Renewal,'" Biblical and Theological Studies (Philadel­ lishing Co., 1980), pp. 340ff. phia: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company, 1952), pp. 17. Don Richardson, Peace Child (Glendale, Calif.: Regal Books, 1974). 369ff. 18. See James O. Buswell III, " 'Survival International' and the Missionary 2. For an anthropologist's affirmation of successive stages in conversion, Image: A Critique and an Exhortation." Mimeographed paper, n.d. see Jacob Loewen, "Socialization and Conversion in the Ongoing 19. Bruce Olson, For This Cross I'll Kill YOu (Carol Stream, Ill.: Creation Church," Practical Anthropology 16 (1969): 1-17. House, 1973), p. 178. (Now published under title of Bruchko, Creation 3. To do so is beyond the scope of this paper. Such a biblical and theolog­ House, 1980.) ical study should begin with the key terms used to describe conversion 20. The place of legalism in the"conversion" experience as seen in context in the Old and New Testaments. A good biblical overview of this kind of certain modern cults such as the Unification Church would make an is found in Hans Kasdorf, Christian Conversion in Context (Scottdale, Pa: interesting and informative study, though outside the scope of this pa­ Herald Press, 1980), pp. 38-62. per. It is common knowledge that most of these tight religious commu­ 4. "Theological Implications of Radical Discipleship," LettheEarth HearHis nities are characterized by stringent legalism and moral codes that Voice (Minneapolis, Minn.: World Wide Publications, 1975), pp. 1294­ demand absolute compliance by the converts in every area of their 96. lives. These are often reinforced by a peer pressure that subtly de­ 5. Rene Padilla, ed., TheNew Face of Evangelicalism (Downers Grove, Ill.: In­ mands conformity as the condition for continued acceptance by the ter Varsity Press, 1976). group. See Frances Adeney, "The Quiet Revolution," SCP Newsletter 8, 6. Rene Padilla, "Evangelism and the World," Let the Earth Hear His Voice, no. 3 (April-May 1982): 1-4. pp. 125-27. For a good treatment of "cultural Protestantism," see H. 21. Shank in defining genuine conversion as an "out of into" experience de­ Richard Niebuhr, Christ and Culture (New York: Harper & Row, 1951), lineates the various areas and aspects of life where its effect is felt. See pp.101-15. David Shank, "Toward an Understanding of Christian Conversion," 7. The Willowbanlc Report: Gospel and Culture (Wheaton: Lausanne Committee Mission Focus 5, no. 2 (November 1976): 1-7. for World Evangelization, 1978). 22. David Hesselgrave, Communicating Christ Cross-Culturally (Grand Rapids, 8. See Niebuhr, Christand Culture, pp. 45-82. Mich.: Zondervan Publishing House, 1978), pp. 124-25. 9. For an appeal to evangelicals to take a high view of culture, see Donald 23. Kraft, Christianity in Culture, p. 344. Conn distinguishes between a McGavran, The Clash between Christianity and Cultures (Washington, D.C.: Christian witness having a "common ground" with a non-Christian Canon Press, 1974), pp. 67-74. and finding a point of contact with that person in order to communi­ 10. Ibid., p. 38. cate the gospel. Harvie Conn, "Conversion in Culture," Gospel and Cul­ 11. See Paul Hiebert, "The Gospel and Culture," The Gospel and Islam, ed. ture, p. 228. Don McCurry, (Monrovia, Calif.: MARC, 1979), pp. 60-61. 24. Alan Tippett, People Movements in Southern Polynesia (Chicago, Ill.: Moody 12. See Orlando Costas, "Conversion as a Complex Experience: A Personal Press, 1971), pp. 159-67, 169. Case Study, Gospel and Culture," ed. John Stott and Robert Coote (Pasa­ 25. Kraft, Christianity in Culture, p. 351. dena, Calif.: William Carey Library, 1979), p. 257. 26. For a full discussion of this issue and its implications in the life of the 13. See Harvie Conn, "Theological Reflections on Contextualizing Chris­ church at this time, see John Gration, "The Relationship of the Africa tianity: How Far Do We Go?" Mimeographed paper distributed Inland Mission and Its National Churches in Kenya Between 1895 and through Westminister Theological Seminary, Philadelphia; pp. 20-21. 1971," Ph.D. dissertation, New York University, 1974, pp. 130-55. 14. For a view of conversion that embraces the total life-way of the con­ 27. Letter of Lee Downing, Inland Africa 15, no. 3 (1931): 15. vert, see Louis Luzbetak, The Church and Cultures (Techny, Ill.: Divine 28. Gration, "Africa Inland Mission," p. 151. Word, 1975), p. 6. 29. Kraft, Christianity in Culture, pp. 349ff. 15. Charles Kraft, Christianity in Culture (Maryknoll, N.Y.: Orbis Books, 30. Ibid., p. 366. 1979), p. 335.

162 International Bulletin of Missionary Research Are Churches Building Mission Consciousness? Education for Mission Evaluated

Ward L. Kaiser

"Education for mission exists to help persons understand simpler hypothesis might be set forth: the world today is so and undertake their role in the Christian world mission," fraught with crises that any committee, working blindfolded, says D. Campbell Wyckoff of Princeton Seminary. Is anything could stick pins into a world map and be sure that three, four, or more central to the life and purpose of the church? Yet education five years later that area would be on the front pages of our news­ for mission currently receives such low priority in many congrega­ papers. So far, however, no one has tested that hypothesis. tions, seminaries, and denominational programs that certain ques­ Once consensus is reached on themes, the responsible pro­ tions must -be raised: Are churches short-changing their members? gram committee seeks expert input. In the case of a geographical If Christians have a right to know what the mission is all about, theme, this will likely include several nationals from the area. and to be helped toward meaningful participation in it, to what Then task teams, comprised of denominational appointees, start to extent are churches failing to meet their obligation? Are churches, work through questions of content as well as educational goals, in short, guilty of malpractice? and to prepare a recommended curriculum. Simultaneously, names of possible authors are being considered for staff follow-up. After A Word about Structure another year authors' manuscripts are submitted to careful scruti­ ny by the task team, denominational and council staffs, and invit­ If a goal of the church is to help Christians capture the vision of ed experts. Thus every Friendship Press resource carries with it an mission and significantly join in it, the means chosen by many de­ amazingly broad-based approval-as befits the output of the only nominations in the United States and Canada is the Missionary church-owned ecumenical publishing enterprise in North America. Education Movement. This movement, born in 1902, is now part of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. Within the council structure it is known as the Commission on Changes and Events of Moment Education for Mission (CEM). Its publishing imprint is Friendship Press, through whose materials many thousands each year deepen Across the eighty-year history of the mission-education move­ their awareness of global mission. The press's annual output of ment some events stand out as signaling, supporting, or bringing books, maps, leaders' guides, simulations, plays, and audio-visuals about changes in the ways we Christians understand the mission for all ages becomes the practical enfleshment of the ongoing goal. and seek to be faithful to it. The following are examples: About 1900: "The evangelization of the world in this genera­ Behind the Scenes tion" called students to a new awareness of Christian missions. This awareness, under the leadership of such persons as John R. Obviously, Friendship Press resources do not come into existence Mott, led to the founding in 1902 of the Young People's Mission­ by fiat. What may be less obvious is the intricacy of the process by ary Movement of the United States and Canada. Its first confer­ which they are created. ence was held at Silver Bay, New York, with fifteen Just the selecting of two annual themes stretches over a year. denominational boards represented. The stated purpose of the It begins when more than fifty participating boards and agencies in movement was "to deepen the spiritual life and missionary pur­ twenty-five denominations-Protestant and Catholic, in Canada pose of the church of the future." It took as its constituency the 14 and the United States-try to discern, some four years ahead, million in Sunday schools and 5 million in young people's organi­ those functional issues in world mission and those geographical zations. areas of the world that should be lifted up. These suggestions are About the same time large numbers of North American wom­ collected, evaluated by a "themes committee," perhaps reworked en caught the vision of world missions in the service of Christ. In and set in new combinations, then narrowed down to four possi­ 1901 they organized the Central Committee on the United Study bilities. These four are resubmitted to denominations, which must of Foreign Missions. This, historians tell us, was "the first truly in­ vote by denomination, not by member board. (Thus an overseas terdenominational undertaking by women." In 1903 women set up board, an agency for Christian nurture, and a unit on social action a similar committee for home missions; within a few years the two must come to a common understanding-no small achievement!) were merged. Votes are counted and interpreted in the themes committee, which 1900-1910: The work expanded numerically and geographi­ makes its two recommendations to the CEM Executive Committee cally. At Silver Bay, attendance at the annual missionary education for final decision. conference rose steadily from 168 (1902) to over 600 (1905). Similar The comment is often made that the process has a remarkable conferences developed elsewhere; one of these, at Asilomar, Cali­ success rate. The annual themes seem, again and again, to leap into fornia, is still thriving, having enrolled 520 persons in the summer public consciousness just as the study is making its impact on the of 1982. church. Some see this as a sign of perspicacity on the part of par­ 1911: The Missionary Education Movement was organized; it ticipants. Others credit the guidance of the Holy Spirit. A third, brought together the existing organizations of young people and women. To this day the vigor of youth and the informed loyalty of Christian women remain prime supports of the movement. Ward L. Kaiser is Senior Editor and Executive Director, Friendship Press, New York, 1950: The Missionary Education Movement (of the United and Staff Associate, Education for Mission, the National Council of the Churches of States and Canada) was one of eight organizations that came to­ Christin the U.S.A. gether-on a stormy December day in Cleveland, Ohio-to form

October 1983 163 the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. clear recognition of a growing partnership with mature, responsi­ While this relationship has contributed much to mission educa­ ble churches on the scene. tion, it also entailed two less happy results: the withdrawal of the Southern Baptist Convention from full participation and a gnaw­ An Evaluation ing feeling on the part of some Canadians that they are second­ string participants in a basically United States-oriented enterprise. What has the mission education movement accomplished these 1965: A deliberate shift in emphasis was made, reflecting and eighty years, and where is it moving today? No other organization encouraging new interpretations of mission. Tradition, which in­ has contributed so much, over so broad a spectrum, to a deep ap­ cluded a strong emphasis on what missionaries were doing, was set preciation of the meaning and importance of the worldwide role of aside. In a theme entitled "Mission: The Christian's Calling," the the Christian faith. Missionary personnel, prayer, interest, in­ formed support, openness to new expressions of mission-all these have come in ways beyond measure as a result of mission educa­ tion. Great names are numbered among our authors, such as John "Missionary personnel, R. Mott, Pearl Buck, Margaret Mead, Stephen Neill, Lesslie New­ prayer, interest, informed bigin, Kenneth Scott Latourette, Frank Laubach, Philip Potter, Toyohiko Kagawa, Chandran Devanesen, Rosemary Ruether, K. support, openness to new H. Ting, Charles Forman, James Scherer, Keith Bridston, Gerald Anderson, Cynthia Wedel, Donald McGavran, E. H. Johnson, C. I. expressions of mission-all Itty, Richey Hogg, Masao Takenaka, Benjamin Mays, and Emilio these have come in ways Castro. Annual sales now represent about a million retail dollars. The beyond measure as a result trend is strongly upward even in a downward economy. More than of mission education." 85 percent of the budget comes from sales; about 10 percent repre­ sents denominational contributions. Such contributions serve to support the nonpublishing activities of the organization in educa­ tion for mission, and to keep the price of Friendship Press's offer­ case was persuasively presented that every Christian, by reason of ings as low as possible. his or her incorporation into the body of Christ, participates in the But rejoicing in the record is not enough. Some probing ques­ missionary calling. So education about missions became education for tions need to be faced, including whether we North American mission. Closely related to this change of perspective was the aban­ Christians are really serious about this undertaking. If so, how is it donment of a pattern that had prevailed from the earliest days, that a major book, such as The Cry of My People by Mortimer and that there should always be a "home missions" theme and a "for­ eign missions" theme. Esther Arias (1979) has sold only 55,000 copies spread across more The years following 1965 saw several alternative ways of or­ than a score of participating denominations? In fairness I point out ganizing the studies: the one that gained favor and continues well that I have many peers in the publishing world, including some in into the 1980s focuses on one mission issue of worldwide impor­ the "big name" houses, who would gladly take on such a problem! tance, and one geographical area. Thus the geographical theme for Sales of Friendship resources surge well ahead of typical titles in 1982-83 was "People of the Pacific Islands," and the issue, "Pil­ many publishing houses. Comparing the figures with sales of grimage of Faith-Oneness in Christ," dealing with the relation of books from other companies may, however, be beside the point. Christian unity to world mission. The 1983-84 themes are "Cen­ The real question is: How is it that so few Christians seize the op­ tral Africa" and "The World's Uprooted." Those presently in portunity to widen their horizons, deepen their sympathies, and preparation include "Korea" and "Swords into Plowshares: Visions strengthen their participation in Christ's mission-out of the mil­ of Peace" (1984-85) and "Native Peoples of North America" and lions who count themselves part of our constituent denomina­ "The Earth Is the Lord's" (1985-86). tions? Twenty years ago a book like The Cry of My People would have registered double the sale. In the years ahead a major book 1970s: Certain roles were shifted to indigenous leadership. Case in point: in preparing for the geographical study on the Ca­ ought to achieve a sales figure four times as great; surely that is ribbean (1977-78), no major decisions were taken by the North not too much to expect. If we believe that an informed people are American task team without careful consultation with and ap­ better able to serve the great cause of Christian mission, we'd bet­ proval by the Caribbean consultants. Thus the Caribbean Confer­ ter let them in on our own well-kept secret. "Education for Chris­ tian mission" need not be on everybody's lips. Neither need the ence of Churches identified the salient issues that Christians there name of Friendship Press bring instant recognition. But the pur­ confront. They recommended writers. They provided critiques of poses for which they stand must continue to challenge the church. work in progress. To be sure, there had been fruitful contact with people on the field for many, many years; this step represented a

164 International Bulletin of Missionary Research The Horizontal and the Vertical in Mission: An African Perspective

Lamin Sanneh

he story is told that when Western missionaries arrived in ous generations of scholars. Freed of this dubious heritage we T Ashanti, Ghana, the Asantehene responded to their invi­ ought to reassess Western missions by their own lights, and from tation to send local children to schools being opened under mis­ that apply a critique that can uncover both achievements and sionary auspices by saying that no reasonable person could shortcomings. To do this effectively we would have to account for countenance a project requiring children to be released from pro­ the significance of local factors and agents. Our aim should be to ductive labor on farms only to have them sit all day long idly repossess the subject in its religious seriousness and submit it to learning, "hoy, hoy, hoy!" It introduces the theme of missionary standards of verification every bit as exacting as those to which schools as a prominent aspect of the horizontal character of his­ other scholars had aspired. What we gain by this approach in torical Christianity. It also suggests that in its horizontal dimen­ terms of understanding the religious theme would also be a gain sion Western mission quickly arrived at the point of local for a fresh appreciation of missionary initiative and African agen­ resistance. cy. This complementary approach had been sacrificed by the older The other aspect of the vertical impact of Western mission has methodology, which engendered a certain neglect of the popular been described in terms of the elite tendencies created in society. voice in history. The numerical spread of the church had been facilitated by politi­ It is clear that if we assess the effectiveness of Western mis­ cal subjugation, while the restrictive nature of imperial control sions by statistical standards of horizontal spread, they would fail fostered a class of collaborators in the new elites of Africa. Mission abysmally. The most spectacular gains by Christianity occurred by schools provided the ideal climate in which a trustworthy class of other hands or after the formal withdrawal of missionaries. Simi­ educated Africans could emerge to begin the process of modern­ larly, if we measure the social, vertical impact of Christian schools ization by imitating the colonial model. In either case Western and other institutions by quantitative evaluations, we should find mission had its colors firmly nailed to the mast of colonial over­ an equally less encouraging picture. Yet it seems hardly reasonable lordship. to banish out of our reckoning a whole class of missionaries be­ We possess today an impressive output of works dedicated to cause they failed the statistical test. The realization of this dilem­ the exploration of the political-and horizontal-character of ma has occasionally driven missionary apologists to complain that Western mission as well as to the social-and vertical-impact of everything could not be as bad as the critics make out, although Christian institutions. I shall suggest shortly that both these com­ we are not told by what methodological insight such an acquittal is plementary views of Western mission are inadequate, and shall being urged. This conceptual woolliness has provoked the critics therefore urge that we work out an alternative methodology for into making strident denunciations that are no less woolly for their the subject. Some of the significant pioneering work in the field vehemence. We are, as the pessimist would say, back to square was done by political historians whose perspective of seeing mis­ one. The growing awareness that we cannot continue to occupy sions as an extension of the political penetration and takeover of this methodological limbo has created a new climate for a dispas­ Africa began to determine the direction of subsequent research sionate scrutiny of the materials. I am convinced that we have en­ and writing. Political history as a discipline thus became the prom­ tered a new threshold. My task here will be to suggest what fresh inent platform from which the cause to view mission as an ideo­ vistas lie ahead of us, and how, by proceeding with the necessary logical form of contemporary political culture was launched. It was methodological equipment, we may achieve maximum results at highly successful, for ever since we have struggled, with meager no greater cost. Travelers, by reorganizing their knapsacks, may results, to articulate an alternative formula. Furthermore, political range over a wider territory, and thus enhance the ratio of reward history called into being a species of social science that focused on to labor. elites and social alienation as the most lasting form of missionary endeavor. African scholars, mesmerized by the lucid force of a me­ The subject of Western missions needs to be unhinged from dium they aspired to emulate, sought to outdo their Western men­ the narrow colonial context and placed in the much wider setting tors, and the arguments became repetitive. Western missions were of African culture, including the religious background of African guilty: because they were allies of colonialism; because they did societies. This would not deny that missions played an active po­ litical role, but it would analyze that role as one strand of mission­ not do more thoroughly what they set out to accomplish, that is, ary history, not its warp and woof. It would not still concede that educate enough Africans; because they were not sufficiently polit­ missionaries occupied the most prominent stage in the dissemina­ ical. This schizoid approach to Western missions was the result of tion of Christianity, for in most instances they did not. In this way a methodological defect. As long as missions were seen as a reli­ gious rationalization of a wider political scheme, so long would missionary initiative is not exaggerated to become, on the one their work be seen in terms of the shifting attitudes of those who hand, a propaganda value for home committees and, on the other, an easy target for patriotic denunciation. (It is curious that as a car­ studied them. We need therefore to move rapidly to a general overhaul of icature the missionary served the alternate roles of hero and vic­ the intellectual scaffolding that had sustained the labors of previ­ tim, in each case holding the center of the stage.) Western missions have to be assessed against the background of the African societies with which they were involved. By shifting our attention in this Lamin Sanneh, a Gambian, is AssistantProfessor in theHistory ofReligion at Harvard way we also renounce statistical measures for judging missionary University. He has previously taught at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, the Uni­ effectiveness, applying instead the much more relevant criteria of versity of Ghana, Legon, and at Fourah Bay College, Freetown, Sierra Leone. local significance.

October 1983 165 This may sound simple enough, but it has far-reaching impli­ and however distant from the culture, the matter of having the Bi­ cations, as I shall demonstrate in a moment. It takes us beyond the ble available in local languages was accorded priority. Often, it is destructive rivalry of head-counting inherent in the horizontal true, the work of translation acquired steam from the promise of view of mission or the class-conflict notions underlying the verti­ statistical reward, but that was to crown the labor, not to be its cal impact of Christian institutions. When reflecting on the mate­ substitute. This enterprise of translation proceeded on two revolu­ rial the student may be struck by the ease with which home tionary notions concerning the significance of local cultures. One committees and mission boards exaggerated the horizontal and was that local languages, whatever their social status, could serve vertical image of the missionary field, and the student who pro­ as adequate bearers of the divine revelation: to put the matter ceeds solely by the propaganda material distributed among the coarsely, God was not so disdainful of Africans as to be incommu­ faithful would also conclude that the old "enemies" of Judaism nicable in their language. The import of this was to imbue local and Islam have been effectively surrounded by Christian witness. cultures with an eternal significance and to endow African lan­ The reality, of course, is far different. Yet home committees and guages with a transcendent range. The spirits of the ancestors, fit­ their literary subalterns perpetuated this erroneous picture, which ted with the engine of biblical revelation, transformed local undermined their credibility and gave the game away to their de­ neighborhoods into commuter belts of heaven. You may object tractors. My aim, however, is not to defend Western missions, that that was not the intention of Bible translators, but you can though the new methodology being proposed, because it goes to hardly deny that it was a universal consequence of their efforts. the heart of the matter, should have the spin-off effect of reevalu­ The second was the assumption that the God whom the mission­ ating their role. ary came to serve had actually preceded him or her in the field and Let us shift now from Western missions to the local setting. that to discover His true identity the missionary would have to The work of missionaries seen in isolation from the African factor delve deep into the local culture. It is the hidden reality of this di­ has served as a double foil for provoking secular attack and na­ vine presence that both validates external mission and requires tionalist approbation. In contrast, to connect missionaries with the translation as a sine qua non of witness. Thus the central catego­ societies in which they worked, and thus focus on their religious ries of Christian theology-God, creation, Jesus Christ, and history and cultural role, is to disarm the agents of the conventional lam­ ("the world")-are transposed into their local equivalents, sug­ poon. Let the chips fall where they will and let us give the subject gesting that Christianity had been adequately anticipated. To di­ its due. gress for a moment, perhaps this realization caused some To sum up adequately the work of Western missions we have missionaries to try to put the brakes on local religious vocation to to think of them in terms of their historical significance as trans­ which Christianity was being effectively yoked. But no matter. mitters, and in this role view their arrival in Africa under the gen­ Scriptural translation had invoked the beast of the tribe and there eral theme of Western political penetration of the continent. was no stopping it. Although in the past this has tended to stereotype them, we To relate this to the two-part model proposed above, the pro­ should in fact analyze this connection as a variable, sometimes to cess of historical transmission in the form it took under scriptural translation stimulated that of indigenous assimilation. Before long the forces of adaptation predominated over those of transmission. The missionary acquired a transformed significance, becoming im­ "The work of missionaries portant, not as an ally of the colonial regime, but as the unwitting seen in isolation from the agent of local adaptation over which the African presided with ef­ fective authority. If they said they came to serve, missionaries African factor has served as were now finding that in reality they could do nothing more. The notion that they held in their hands powers of life and death over a double foil for provoking African cultures was a flattery. Their eager adoption of that flat­ secular attack and tering view of their work proves, not its reality.ibut the awareness of their increasing marginalization once the stage of assimilation nationalist approbation." was reached. The articulate attack by Western missionaries, espe­ cially the conservative among them, on local religions should not be seen as a measure of the strength or weakness of the religions the short-term advantages of missions but much more often to concerned, but as evidence that missionaries were being threat­ their immediate and long-range disadvantages. Rather, our real in­ ened with a marginal status in the historical reconceptualization of terest should be directed to the ways in which missions provided Christianity. Protesting vehemently that they would not relin­ the initiative for a process of religious change in which Africans quish power, most missionaries in fact held in their hands only to­ unquestionably became the more dominant agents. Missionaries kens of influence, thanks to persisting myths about missionary may be one step ahead in the historical transmission of Christian­ collaboration with colonialism. ity with Africans serving as secondary agents, but in the process of One consequence of our methodology, as suggested above, is local assimilation Africans were to the fore, with missionaries now indeed to scatter these myths and to rescue missionaries from be­ in a reverse position, overwhelmingly inferior in the local adapta­ ing caricatures to becoming real figures of history. Thus if they tion of a religion they helped to introduce. stumble on the statistical ladder of glory, as they deserve, at least The question with which we are faced fundamentally is this: their significance is not entirely denied, and we could secure their Of the two processes at work in Christianity, historical transmis­ service for the much more profound process of internal assimila­ sion and indigenous assimilation, which one is the more signifi­ tion. We would discount their ideological hostility, for that is only cant? Without hesitation we should say .the process of a mask, and instead investigate those actions that advanced the assimilation, for it is within that that the historical process itself cause of religious adaptation. Over a range of cultural materials we becomes meaningful. Let me clarify that point. Missionaries were should be able to find evidence of the stimulus of Christian reli­ often exercised about the question of scriptural translation, and gious influence, with the missionary lurking within accessible dis­ made that their primary object. Whatever missionary theology was tance. By this procedure we have established the greater

166 International Bulletin of Missionary Research significance of indigenous assimilation vis-a-vis historical trans­ lot different today, with the African jungle nurturing its own ap­ mission. But we have done more. We have also retained the mis­ propriate version of the story. sionary theme by placing it in the appropriate rank of secondary One prominent area where missionary tutelage was over­ importance. We must now turn to the stage of local assimilation to thrown with dramatic effect was in the role of women in Chris­ which all the evidence increasingly points. tianity. Western missions perpetuated a strongly masculine form Even the most optimistic view of the work of Western mis­ of Christianity. In African communities where women played a sions concedes that missionary numbers were comparatively small. critical role in the economic and religious life of the people, this When they were concentrated on a mission station, missionaries placed an intolerable strain on social relations. The result was a found themselves isolated from the events they would have liked spectacular rise in the number of Independent Churches, many of to control. With the advent of motorized transport, village whose pioneer leaders were women. Increasingly women flocked churches receded further behind a veil of obscurity, for, while out­ into these Independent Churches, repudiating the subservient role station visits might now be more frequent, they were too short to allow anything more than a superficial acquaintance. Professor John Carman's work on Village Christians and Hindu Culture makes this point vividly, especially since he was dealing with churches III have no doubt that this regarded by official missionary administrators as "success stories." timely intervention of That pattern is repeated through most of Africa. Thus for a variety of reasons missionaries failed to assert the kind of close supervi­ women saved Christianity sion over local Christian life that official reports would like to be­ lieve was possible. This leaves a vast field under local suzerainty. from a moribund fate in We must now add to this fact the matter of expertise in indigenous much of Africa." culture. Whatever their degree of competence, missionaries re­ mained outside the local culture. The language into which they translated the Scriptures remained the mother tongue of Africans. fashioned for them by Western missions. In this way, too, tradi­ In the Christian setting of Scripture and liturgy this language reso­ tional religions helped to avoid some of the contradictions threat­ na ted with familiar religious notions to which the missionary ened by early Christian evangelism by encouraging women to would be oblivious. Thus lack of numbers in missionary ranks cre­ insist on an appropriate role for themselves. Numerous stories ated problems that the transport revolution did little to resolve, about the founding of these Independent Churches focus on the and this exacerbated the state of isolation, which was highlighted lives of women as recipients of charismatic gifts and as possessors by the indispensable need for scriptural translation. of spiritual and prayer power. I have no doubt that this timely in­ This brief sketch completes the stage on which Africans were tervention of women saved Christianity from a moribund fate in to arrive in their full powers. African agency in the dissemination much of Africa. Is the West still too ethnocentric to allow this ex­ of Christianity is a major category in the transmission of the reli­ perience from Africa to shed light on its present dilemma? It is by gion. This suggests that even the historical process of transmission that kind of cross-cultural influence that I would wish to promote was properly got under way only after that of local adaptation had the idea of a universal Christianity. been fully initiated. Historical chronology thus moves down the The Western missionary factor in African Christianity is rec­ priority order behind the theme of local appropriation, which is as ognized by our methodology, although it comes into its own only it should be. It is now indispensable to the whole enterprise to in­ in the context of local influences. This needs to be emphasized, for vestigate the role of local agents in the establishment of Christian­ the trend in missionary circles today is to claim that mission is ity. The history of Western missions is a small facet of the larger faced with a fundamental crisis on the unstated grounds that the picture of the course of Christian penetration in Africa, a course days of missionary heroism are over. As to why that should create that has since extended well beyond the formal limits of mission­ a crisis instead of relief, I do not care to speculate. One regrettable ary withdrawal. To view Western missions in comparative terms is consequence has been to relegate the story of postcolonial African in fact to unshackle the larger theme of universal Christian history Christianity to the back room where it is kept smoldering by the from its ethnocentric Euro-American shibboleth. time-fuse of Western guilt. Meanwhile in Africa itself the subject We have said nothing so far about the popular conception of has entered the period of its Golden Age, a new spring of religious Christianity as the religion of the white person, euphemistically vitality that has covered the face of the continent. It seems a little referred to as Western. But the implication of what we have set self-deluding to abandon the enterprise at the point of its greatest out is to question this designation of the great complex called expansion. Christianity. African Christianity, even by the most conservative A mere descriptive approach to the situation will reveal that measure, is not less Christian for being mediated through local the most significant areas of Christian renewal coincide with areas languages. Therefore its vision of the church reflects values inher­ of traditional religious vitality. The converse of this appears to ent in primary attitudes on the ground. It is as much subject to hold too, namely, that where traditional religions are weakest, as change as its Euro-American counterpart, and has as much right to in north Nigeria, Senegal, Guinea, and Mali for example, there provide a critique of the practice of Christianity in the West as it local Christian activity seems weakest. Some of these areas, has been submitted to. The appeal to universal standards will not though not all, are highly Islamized, and whether that is a relevant provide sufficient cover behind which the claims of an ethnocen­ factor remains to be determined. But if Islam was a factor, we tric West can be smuggled. The ecumenical movement in the West would still have to discover how its relationship with traditional shows that there is a plurality of universal models at work, though religions affected the notion of a pluralist religious environment. a less charitable view might say that there is in fact a jungle of rel­ The fact remains, however, that in a profoundly challenging way ative yardsticks threatening to choke the whole enterprise. Such the fate of a robust Christianity was intimately bound up with the ethnocentric views of Christianity proliferated thickly under the strength of local religions. Let me pull together some threads left congenial climate of Christian statistical superiority over which over from the discussion on scriptural translation. The observation the missionary as historical transmitter presided. The situation is a has often been made that unless Africans possessed the Scriptures

October 1983 167 Third World Theology ..

Minjung Theology The Power of the Poor People as the Subjects of in History History GUSTAVO GUTIERREZ Edited by the Commission on Preface by Robert McAfee Brown Theolog ical Concerns of the .'This is a people 's theology, not a Christian Conference of Asia textbook theology ... created by " Minjung theology of South the victims, the poor, the op­ Korea is one of the most creative pressed . .. springing up out of theologies emerging from the po­ the poverty , the oppression, the litical struggles of Third World heartrending cond itions under peoples. A people whose identity which the great majority of Latin is defined by Jesus ' cross in the Americans live." struggle for freedom will be en­ - ROBERT McAFEE BROWN couraged by reading thisvolume." 240 pages Paper $10.95 -JAMES H. CONE 224pp. Paper $9.95 God So Loved the Third World The Sons of the Gods and The Bible, the Reformation, the Daughters of Men and Liberation Theologies An Afro-Asiatic Interpretation THOMAS D. HANKS of Genesis 1-11 "Thomas Hanks' excellent little MODUPE ODUYOYE book is biblically solid, theolog i­ Oduyoye knows the rules of bibli­ cally sound and politico-socially cal criticism set down by the perceptive." -JACQUES ELLUL scholars of Europe and North 176pp. Paper $8.95 America, and he draws upon them to good effect. Yet when he chooses to read the Hebrew Bible The Idols of Death and the through the eyes of African crea­ God of Life: A Theology tion myth and with the tongue of PABLO RICHARD, et al. the Hamitic language group, the "There is a seismic shift taking effect is extraordinary. "Oduyoye place in the foundations of theol­ persuasively shows that the ex­ ogy , and its epicenter is Latin quisite sensitivity of African reli­ America . Liberation theology is gion to the realm of the spirit is a no fad, but a revolution in the very living witness to a biblical con­ terms of theological work. Even The sciousness much richer and more where their way is not our way, we pluralistic than we had realized." Sons of God need to listen to what they have and the -w. SIBLEYTOWNER learned . These essays make an 160pp. Paper $12.95 excellent listening-post." Daughtersof Men -DR. WALTER WINK An Afro-A sia tic Contributions by Richard, Croatto, lnte rpretcttoo of Genesis 1·11 Pixley, Sobrino , Araya, Casanas, Limon , Betto, Hinkelammert, and ;'~od IJ Pfi OduyC?ye Assmann. 256pp. Paper $12.95

At bookstores, or from the publisher ORBIS BOOKS • Maryknoll , NY 10545 Spirituality and Social Justice

Of War and Love Option for the Poor DOROTHEE sou.s A Hundred Years of Vatican " Of Warand Love is a book like a Social Teaching banner, a book like a broadsheet. DONAL DORR Dorothee Solieis that rare human: Donal Dorr carefully examines a theologian who is not afraid to the social teaching of the Catholic be loud and faithful and lucid Church over the past hundred about unmentionable topics. Her years in order to find out what theology is an outcry against Church leaders have to say about Death the Unmentionable, i.e., poverty and social injustice. He against nuclear war and the ills makes a thorough and balanced that make the final illness inevit­ study of the teaching of popes, able. So crying out, she helps us councils and synods-and render death vincible-a rare shows that the notion of an 'op­ and holy deed, a liturgy on behalf tion for the poor' has a solid tradi­ of all."-DANIEL BERRIGAN , S.J . tional basis. 192pp. Paper $7.95 Option for the Poor is an original , balanced and timely study which gets behind the prejudices of cur­ rent controversy about liberation Social Analysis theology. Linking Faith and Justice 304pp. Paper $11.95 Revised and Enlarged Edition JOE HOllAND and PETER HENRIOT, S.J. Ownership: Early Christian In its first edition, Social Analysis Teaching sold nearly 50,000 cop ies and CHARLES AVilA was used in workshops, class­ "Charles Avila's important retrie­ rooms, study groups, and semi­ val of patristic texts reminds us nars around the world. that the 'option for the poor ' is not "What is the practical meaning of a new theological fad, but an an­ the shift to the left in Catholic cient Christian legacy." social teaching over the last ten -JOE HOLLAND years? Social Analysis: Linking "This book is a rich anthology of a Faith and Justice answers this stream of Christianity which offers OPfION question . It introduces the reader a striking vision of what the Re­ to a critical perspective on Ameri­ demption ought to imply norma­ FOR THE can society and to a clearer un­ tively for a Christian-inspired or­ derstanding of the concrete de­ ganization of economic and POOR mands of social justice." social life. Prophetic reminders of -GREGORY BAUM basic truths about wealth and 144pp. Paper $5.95 poverty are never out of date ." -DENIS GOULET "It should be read in every sociol­ ogy as well as every economics c1ass. "-MSGR. JOHN J. EGAN [X)NALDORR 240pp. Paper $9.95

At bookstores, or from the publisher ORBIS BOOKS o Maryknoll, NY 10545 in their own languages, the future of Christianity was correspond­ was that African religious agency established a prominent plat­ ingly bleak. We might extend that to saying that unless the indige­ form for the popular voice. ,The charismatic revival may be viewed nous religious vocation was a deep and sincere one, the church in one way as a mass movement. Social ranks, ethnic identity, and would be sinking very shallow roots indeed. The other side of the economic status all ceased to determine who might belong. Spiri­ proposition is that religious traditions may actually turn out to be tual power, available to anyone so predisposed, created a living indispensable to the vocation to which the church might be calling fellowship out of disparate social and ethnic groups, thus concen­ us, a remark that would set a bogey cat among Barthian pigeons. trating the stream of community life and experience into explicitly The historical experience of Africa, however, is a demonstration of religious channels. The binding though flexible character of this the salvific value of religion. People might come to know the God new religious grouping, its vision of a caring and disciplined com­ of Jesus Christ only because they had been vouchsafed intimations munity, its sense of hope and expectation that God was about to of it in their religious traditions. It is across that tender bridge that accomplish great things, and its willingness to be channels of di­ the craft of translation arrived at its rendezvous. Otherwise the vine favor, all suggest that we are dealing with a concrete manifes­ effort would not be worth the shot and powder. Thus translation tation of the incarnate Word in the missio Dei. Christianity assumed that the abstract "word of God" would find its true desti­ penetrated the soul of Africa in this way, vindicating claims that ny when embodied in concrete local idiom, lending credence to the local adaptation held incomparably greater prospects for the future theological insight that the "word of God" had always carried the of the religion in Africa than external agency did. burden of the incarnation, and that its historical manifestation in Jesus Christ concentrated and made visible a process that is occur­ In Conclusion ring throughout history. We may call this phenomenon the trans­ In this brief methodological inquiry I have tried to show that we formation process, or process theology, or Universal Providence, cannot continue to appropriate Christianity as an ideological but it brings the matter closer to our concerns if we describe it as theme and annex it as a subplot to the history of Western imperi­ the missio Dei. As such it illuminates and judges the many kinds of alism. That approach, I suggested, sacrifices the religious theme in Western mission that arrived on the scene. Similarly the reality of the story and overlooks Christianity's shifting fortunes under im­ the missio Dei sustained traditional religious enterprise by bringing perial patronage. I have also suggested that the process of the his­ about a convergence with Christianity. Historical missions, for ex­ torical transmission of Christianity under Western missionary ample, might fail, either because they provoked antagonism agency should be subordinated to that of local assimilation and through statistical rivalry or because they sowed seeds of alien­ adaptation under African agency. This would require us to analyze ation and conflict, but the Christian vocation might prosper in the subject in terms of its local history and not simply from mis­ spite of that. Where that is the case, it often means that the missio sionary records in metropolitan archives. I have said that the sta­ Dei, activated by the stimulus of historical contact with the West, tistical scales on which missionaries were weighed and found has fused with local religious enterprise and acquired a concrete wanting conceal the true worth of their labors. Only by looking at reality. them in terms of their contributions to the process of indigenous When we raise questions about the tradition of reform and religious enterprise can we adequately account for their signifi­ renewal in local Christianity we are driven to the very heart of Af­ cance. It is by this complementarity, I suggested, that we can re­ rican religious agency, although the transition to this from the possess the subject in its religious seriousness. Then I suggested theme of missio Dei is a natural one. We are all aware of the critical that historical missions were side-effects of the missio Dei, and that without that correlation Western missions propagated an ethno­ centric view of Christianity. However, the enterprise of scriptural translation, with its far-reaching assumptions about traditional re­ "We cannot continue to ligious categories and ideas as a valid carriage for the revelation appropriate Christianity as and the divine initiative that precedes and anticipates historical mission, concedes the salvific value of local religions. As a final an ideological theme and consideration I turned our attention to some of the deeper aspects annex it as a subplot to the of African religious agency in questions of renewal and reform. I suggested that often some strong trends of continuity bind the history of Western new charismatic Christians to the old dispensation, in spite of the seemingly radical nature of the call to repentance. However, this imperialism." confident appropriation of old religious techniques was able to mobilize people across existing frontiers of social status, economic rank, and ethnicity, thus creating new, popular horizons for the re­ role Scripture has played in Christian renewal movements in Afri­ ligious life. The essay as I originally conceived it is concluded with ca. African charismatics, burning with the Spirit's fiery prompt­ this resume. What I now add may be, I hope, worthy of further ings, announce that the old dispensation is abolished and a fresh attention. order has come into being on the authority of Scripture. But this is I began with a reference to the history of early missionary not a new phenomenon. The tradition of religious and social inno­ penetration of Kumasi, Ghana. I end with another story from vation existed in the old dispensation through oracles and the there. The story is best described in the words of the missionary dream faculty. There has been little categorical shift in this sense. concerned. It brings three themes together, and because it is a most The written text of Scripture now warrants and fixes change in a unexpected medium for the juxtaposition of the horizontal in mis­ way that oracles once did. On the other hand, Scripture might per­ sion proceeding by some rather archaic means of transport to ar­ form the very opposite role by inhibiting change and reinforcing rive at African agency, it may form the appropriate basis on which boundaries, a role that traditional religions filled very well. Never­ we can leave the subject. The great missionary pioneer of Ghana, theless a new element was introduced in local religious calcula­ Rev. Thomas Birch Freeman, son of an African by an English tions, namely, the fact that Scripture, and the Supreme Being to mother, describes his experience of a journey in a basket in Ghana whom it testifies, now came within range of popular piety. Thus it in 1839. I quote his words:

170 International Bulletin of Missionary Research It was sometimes the case that little progress could be made in a geant Hyena come near, they must suffer and not you as they are all basket during a night's journey unless the traveller took care to keep grouped round you!" The traveller is much annoyed at the delay awake. Instances have occurred in which a person has started in the and should he have a little stick with him in the basket, lays it on all evening, on a night's journey and fallen asleep. At length he has around him Up they jump in perfect good humor; they have had awoke and found all round him still and quiet. His first thought has their sleep Arrived at the end of the journey... they reproach been, "Where am I?" Experience answered, "0, Sir, but your men the traveller and coolly ask for the usual allowance of rum, as were tired, and finding that you were asleep felt disposed to imitate though they had been, during the night, the most reliable carriers in your example, and have a sleep themselves, and as they could not the world." carry you and sleep at the same time, they have put you down­ softly, softly, catch monkey-with the greatest care not to disturb your slumbers in the act, and are all asleep around you. They do not "Cited in F. L. Bartels, The Roots of Ghana Methodism (Accra, Ghana, and intend to neglect you ... they only wanted a little sleep and if Ser­ Cambridge, England: Cambridge Univ. Press, 1965), p. 43.

The Legacy of Johan Herman Bavinck

! van den Berg

I. The Life of J. H. Bavinck Background

Ohan Herman Bavinck, the son of Grietje Bouwes and Student Days JCoenraad Bernard Bavinck, a minister of the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands (Gereformeerde Kerken in Neder­ [ohan Herman Bavinck grew up in an atmosphere of warm and land), was born at Rotterdam, the Netherlands, in 1895. The spiri­ mild piety, blended with a lively interest in theology and an open­ tual background of the Bavincks was in a church that had seceded minded attitude toward the world of culture. In 1912 he enrolled as from the Netherlands Reformed Church (Nederlandse Hervormde a student of theology at the Free University in Amsterdam. The Kerk) in 1834. Jan Bavinck, [ohan Herman's grandfather and a na­ study of religious psychology became one of his major interests; in tive of the German county of Bentheim near the Dutch frontier, this he was possibly stimulated by his uncle, who was one of his had been a leading minister of the secession church, and it was professors. He was deeply influenced in this period of his life by perhaps only modesty that had prevented him from accepting a his contacts with people in the Netherlands Student Christian call in 1854 to a teaching function in the newly established theo­ Movement-a circle in which a wider world of spiritual and theo­ logical college at Kampen. Jan's eldest son Herman, did become a logical interests was opened to a number of students who had professor of dogmatics, first at the Kampen Theological College grown up in the rather confined atmosphere of the Reformed and later at the Free University in Amsterdam. Coenraad Bernard Churches in the Netherlands. was also a theologian at heart (he was especially at home in the After completion of his work at the Free University, Bavinck works of Augustine), although he left the writing of theological went for further studies to Germany (Giessen and Erlangen). In works to his elder brother. 1919 he was awarded the doctor of philosophy degree from the The secession of 1834 originated in the protest of some Cal­ University of Erlangen, having written a dissertation on the medi­ vinistic ministers against the more liberal tendencies then preva­ eval mystic Henry Suso, whose thought he approached from the lent in the Netherlands Reformed Church. With some of the viewpoint of the psychology of religion. 2 seceders, however, the harsh contours of a strict and conservative Calvinism were softened by a milder evangelical spirit. The Ba­ Bavinck as Pastor vincks were representatives of this more open-minded tendency In the same year, 1919, Bavinck was called by a Dutch church at within the church of the secession. In 1892 this church united with a church which, under the influence of Abraham Kuyper, had se­ Medan in Sumatra, Indonesia, where he served for two years as as­ sistant pastor. In 1921 he became the pastor of a Dutch church in ceded from the Netherlands Reformed Church in 1886, to form the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands (Gereformeerde Kerken in Bandung, Java. This period in his life may be seen as a prelude to Nederland). In the tradition of the Reformed Churches the name. his later work as a missionary in Indonesia, although he did not "Bavinck" is associated with the catholic and irenic form of Re­ yet have any intention of undertaking missionary service. In Ban­ dung he found the time to pursue studies in psychology, and it formed thought that found its most succinct expression in a lecture was his psychological insight, combined with a natural ability to by Herman Bavinck, published in 1888 under the title The Catholic­ listen without intruding, that made him a good and sympathetic ity of Christianity and Church. 1 pastor. He was also a distinguished preacher whose sermons were marked by a combination of spiritual depth and lucid simplicity. Bavinck could not have been comfortable in the armor of dogmatic ! van den Berg, a minister of theReformed Church (Gerejormeerde Kerk} in the Nether­ certainties, but he was deeply steeped in the biblical message lands, is Professor of Church History at the State University in Leiden. He previously through daily Bible study and reflection, and he had a special gift taught thehistory of missions at theFree University, Amsterdam. for relating that message to the great problems of his own times.

October 1983 171 While in Bandung he was married to Trientje (Tine) Robers. pamphlets on a popular level, preparing the church for the re­ More practical and matter-of-fact than her sometimes absent­ sumption of its missionary task in the postwar period. minded husband, she brought much sunshine into a very happy The outbreak of a long-smoldering conflict within the church marriage that lasted until her death in 1953. A daughter and two on matters of doctrine and church order, in which he attempted sons were born to this marriage. vainly to mediate," strengthened his aversion to doctrinal fanati­ The Bavincks returned to the Netherlands in 1926, where he cism and ecclesiastical self-centeredness. Neither aspiring nor at­ became pastor in the village of Heemstede (near Haarlem), but for tempting to become an ecclesiastical leader, he helped in his own a briefer period than they had anticipated. quiet way to open a door to the future for a church that had been too concerned with the past to become sufficiently aware of the Bavinck as Missionary new-day challenges. In so doing, he remained true to the catholic ideal his uncle had already formulated in 1888. In 1929 Bavinck was asked to become a missionary of his church in When Bavinck was able to resume his professorial duties after Solo (Surakarta), a town in central Java. There the old Javanese the war, new problems demanded attention. The political and mil­ culture, influenced by Hinduism and Buddhism, was still very itary conflict between the Netherlands and the new Republic of much alive under the surface of Muslim religious life. The call to Indonesia created a cleavage between missionaries and missionary missionary service conflicted with his plans for further activities in leaders, on the one hand, and church members who sympathized the field of religious psychology, but he responded to it in full with the Dutch government's policies, on the other. Although not confidence that it was God's will. He was particularly well quali­ a radical by nature, Bavinck unhesitatingly sided with those who fied in both personality and education to penetrate the subtle and pleaded for more understanding of the motives and aspirations of inscrutable world of Javanese mysticism. Bavinck had a rare gift the Indonesian nationalists. His wisdom and tact contributed to for sharing other people's spiritual experiences, so much so that he bridging the gap between those whose knowledge of Indonesian was sometimes nicknamed "the white Javanese." He made con­ life led them to a more progressive stance, and those who still tacts in the kraton (palace of the prince), one of the centers of old thought in categories that were to be invalidated by the winds of Javanese culture. Long talks with Javanese mystics on moonlit change. nights, and an intimate knowledge of the toajang (play of light and shadows with puppets, representing heroes and demons of the old A problem partly related to the former one was that of the epic poems) gave him an even deeper understanding of the Java­ changing relationship between the Dutch churches with their mis­ nese spirit. This writer has a lively memory of Bavinck's lectures sion agencies and the Indonesian churches. The latter, during the on Javanese religious life: it was as though the bare lecture room in period of Japanese occupation when Western assistance was total­ Kampen had become the courtyard of the kraton in Solo; as though ly absent, had shown that their institutional independence was a Javanese mystic, rather than a Dutch professor, were initiating more than a formal matter. After the war they were prepared to his pupils into the mysteries of Javanese religion. cooperate with the Dutch missions only if all vestiges of paternal­ Bavinck's almost intuitive understanding of Eastern thought ism on the part of the missionary partners disappeared. Here again, did not lead him, however, to any form of syncretism. His affinity Bavinck saw and accepted the challenge of a new phase in mis­ with the Javanese mind in no way diminished his deep conviction sionary history. In 1947 he shared in the discussions held in Djar­ that the God who has revealed himself in Jesus Christ is different karta between Indonesians and Dutch and, upon his return to the from the "cosmological" God of Oriental mystical thought. He Netherlands, was 'able to convince his own church of the need for was a respectful missionary-but still a missionary-one who a new mission policy. thought it important to confront the world of Eastern religious The new situation demanded new forms of mission organiza­ thought with the message of Christ. tion. Under Bavinck's stimulating influence, a Missionary Center In 1931 he became a lecturer at the theological college in [ogja­ of the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands was established at karta, also in central Java. There he was able to pursue his studies, Baarn. A Missionary Seminary was also established, to be united especially in the field of Oriental mysticism, and at the same time in the course of time with the Missionary College of the Nether­ help his pupils to relate the Christian message they were going to lands Reformed Church to form the present Hendrik Kraemer In­ preach and teach with their Javanese heritage. His friend and col­ stitute at Oegstgeest. Bavinck maintained his international league Abraham Pos once heard him say that the years spent at contacts, lecturing in the United States (once at the invitation of [ogjakarta were the most beautiful years of his life. Mircea Eliade) and in South Africa. He tried, in South Africa, to persuade his white fellow-Christians of the evil of racial discrimi­ Bavinck as Professor nation inherent in apartheid policies." Among the many obligations he assumed, the professorial When the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands decided to es­ task always dominated other interests. He was an inspiring teach­ tablish a chair of missiology at their theological college, the choice er, one whose lectures left an unforgettable impression on his stu­ of Bavinck as its first occupant was logical. He accepted the call, dents. A number of those students, from the Netherlands and and returned to the Netherlands in 1939, on the eve of World War other countries as well, took their doctor's degree under his super­ II, to assume his post at Kampen Theological College. At the same vision. Ultimately, however, the work at Kampen and Amsterdam time he was appointed professor extraordinary of missiology at the together became too heavy a burden; and, when the chair of prac­ Free University, Amsterdam. Soon the Netherlands was caught up tical theology at the Free University became vacant in 1955, Ba­ in the whirlpool of war. Academic teaching was still possible for vinck left Kampen to become full professor at the Free University. only a few years; ultimately all universities and colleges were He was succeeded at Kampen by Dr. Hendrik Bergema, who also closed. For a man like Bavinck who, despite his apparent other­ assumed a number of Bavinck's duties in the field of missionary worldliness, reacted with deep intensity to the events of those organization. Bavinck's personality, his homiletical gifts, and his years, the cessation of classroom activities could not be merely an studies in psychology especially qualified him for his new posi­ opportunity for quiet and uninterrupted study. He gave spiritual tion. At the Free University he retained his responsibilities in the guidance in various ways, among them the writing of books and field of missiology, although after some years he delegated the

172 International Bulletin of Missionary Research teaching of the history of missions to a former pupil who had be­ Christian message to the categories of Javanese mysticism.' Bavinck come one of his younger colleagues. dealt more fully with some of the underlying problems in what is Despite the realignment of his work, Bavinck's life remained undoubtedly one of his most important studies, Christ and Eastern busy, too busy for one whose physical strength was no longer Mysticism. 8 equal to his great strength of mind and his multifarious tasks. His During his missionary period as well as afterward, Bavinck health began to fail and plans had to be left unfulfilled. He died in wrote a number of works on biblical subjects. His earlier publica­ 1964, a quarter of a century after first undertaking his professorial tions in this field-I refer especially to People around Jesus (1936),9 duties. During the last, difficult years he was lovingly supported and History of God's Revelation: Vol. II, TheNew Testament (1938)10-are by his second wife, Fennechien (Chien) Bavinck-van der Vegt. indicative of his psychological approach. In his later biblical stud­ Bavinck was a man of deep spirituality, with a warm personal ies the historical dimension assumes a larger place; this is the case, interest in pupils and friends, a disarming sense of humor, and a for example, in his work on the spread of the gospel in the days of subtle and respectful approach to life's great problems. His schol­ Paul (1941), and even more so in that on the book of Revelation arly work reflects many traits of his personality. (1952). His interest in the symbolic language of the Bible appears in his Man andHis World (1946).11 These and others he wrote in this II. The Scholarship of J. H. Bavinck field are not the contributions of a specialist in biblical studies, but they reflect in an original way his broad familiarity with the bibli­ Variety and Continuity cal message in its various aspects. As a professor of missiology he wrote a number of studies in Bavinck was a prolific and fluent writer. From 1923 onward there that particular field: a survey of the history of missions; studies on was scarcely a year in which he did not publish one or more books adaptation, communication, the "point of contact," and so forth. or articles. Within the confines of this essay it is impossible to do He wrote on the place of Christianity among the world religions, justice to the variety of those publications. I shall try, however, to religious consciousness and Christian faith, the race problem, and summarize his broad range of interests, on the one hand, and to point out the element of continuity in his work, on the other. Some of his most important publications in the field of missiology will then be singled out for special mention. A preliminary remark "Bavinck's writings cover a is indicated: it is' not always easy to make a clear-cut distinction wide, almost overwhelming between Bavinck's more popular works and his scholarly publica­ tions. Some, which to all intents and purposes belong in the first and confusing, variety of category, still reveal the scholar's mind and the fundamental pat­ tern of his thought in an interesting way. And some of his typical­ subjects. Yet an element of ly scholarly publications were written with a lucidity and an continuity is clearly evident: almost deceptive simplicity that made them accessible to a much wider circle than that of the specialists. Bavinck himself was, in his fascination with the fact, not a specialist in the technical sense of the word. He was more a generalist, interested in all the great questions of his disci­ problem of God and the pline. With fine intuition for discovering what is relevant, he ap­ human soul." proached those issues from the inside, as it were. Bavinck's first publications were in the fields of psychology and philosophy~ His doctoral dissertation on Suso (1919), men­ several topics of more incidental interest. In the last years of his tioned above, dealt with the question of how far thinking in gen­ life, he wrote a number of articles in the field of practical theology, eral, and religious thinking in particular, is influenced by feeling. but failing health made it impossible to realize his plans for a more This first work witnesses already to his understanding of and am­ comprehensive work in that field. bivalence toward the world of mystical thought. In 1926 he pub­ Bavinck's writings cover a wide, almost overwhelming and lished An Introduction toPsychology, in the foreword of which he cited confusing, variety of subjects. Yet an element of continuity is the words of Augustine that are so typical of his own approach: clearly evident: his fascination with the problem of God and the Deum et animam scire cupio, "I desire to know God and the soul."5 To human soul. Hence his interest was in both biblical theology and those words he added, "For one who has faith in God in his heart, psychology, in the message of the Bible concerning people and in this world few things are more beautiful than to be allowed to their inner problems in the context of a changing world. It is the penetrateinto the depths of the soul." After returning to the Neth­ interrelationship of those two elements that flavors all his writ­ erlands he published a series of lectures on a number of great phi­ ings, a fact that will be evident from a closer look at his studies in losophers, concentrating on the relationship between personality the field of comparative religion and missiology. and world-view. 6 He would no doubt have pursued this line of psychological and philosophical studies had he not been called back to Indone­ Religion and the Christian Faith sia. As indicated above, it was the mystical aspect of the Javanese world that became the center of his interests. This fascination is The central problem, in Bavinck's thinking, was that of the re­ evident in a curious little book, written in Javanese, concerning the lationship between religious experience and God's revelation in way Christ enters into the soul.? In this work, the kraton with its Jesus Christ. The tenor of his thought is reminiscent of Schleier­ mysterious gateways and alleys stands as a model for the human macher, who took the notion of religious experience as his starting soul. It appears that some of the more conservative missionaries point. The present writer has in his possession Bavinck's own rather frowned on that approach, the more so because much of the marked copy of Schleiermacher's Reden, in which the underlinings vocabulary of the book was derived from the mystic AI-Gazali. In show how much he was preoccupied with Schleiermacher's any case it was an interesting and original attempt to relate the thought on this subject. However, at a later period he was also

October 1983 173 deeply impressed by Barth's emphasis on the critical character for religious experience of the East may have a new relevance now revelation. One does not do justice to Bavinck by suggesting that that the emphasis on religious experience is more highly regarded his mind balanced between those two poles without reaching a de­ than it was four or five decades ago. cision. Rather, through a subtle and original approach, he tried to The theme was taken up again in Bavinck's inaugural lecture reach his own conclusion. In this there is a noticeable difference of 1939, published as The Proclamation of Christ in the World of Na­ between Bavinck and his friend Hendrik Kraemer, though not of a tions.t? In this he pointed to people such as Kanaharyan Paul and fundamental nature. It is interesting to note that Kraemer, the op­ Vengal Chakkarai from India, Toyohiko Kagawa and Taisei Mi­ ponent of a syncretistic approach, sympathetically advised and as­ chihata from Japan, as examples of the way Christians in the East sisted Bavinck when he wrote his Javanese booklet on Christ's approach the mystery of the cross. In 1940 he published a summa­ entrance into the human soul, mentioned above.P ry in Dutch of Kraemer's The Christian Message in a Non-Christian That Javanese booklet was a Prelude to Bavinck's larger work, World (1938), in the course of which he remarked that Kraemer had Christand Eastern Mysticism. At the very beginning of this book he made too sharp a distinction between Christianity and revela­ states that the missionary task is one of striving to win people for tion.l? But his most penetrating study on the subject Religious Con­ Christ, but that it is also one of wrestling with a culture that has sciousness and Christian Faith,15 appeared in 1949. In a masterly grown out of a different religion, and Bavinck indeed came to grips analysis of Romans I, he showed that God in his general revelation with Javanese culture. In many ways it attracted him, but at the is at work in this world, but that at the same time people replace same time in its fundamental presuppositions it was alien to the God's revelation by images of their own making in a continuous heart and core of his own beliefs. The result of this encounter was process of substitution; as in a dream, sensations from outside are a book of great depth and beauty. In it Bavinck confronted Java­ replaced by related yet different images. The originality of this nese thinking, influenced as it is by Hindu and Muslim mysticism, study lies in the way Bavinck approached a central theological with the thought world of Augustine who, in his own day, had question within the context of his knowledge of religious psychol­ coped with the problems posed by Neoplatonic mysticism. On the ogy and the religious life of the East. one hand, Bavinck perceived many parallels between Javanese and A summary of Bavinck's legacy is his great work An Introduc­ Christian thought on deliverance from the power of darkness­ tion to the Science of Missions. 16 In it we meet with the various ele­ parallels that led him to expect that once a living church had found ments characteristic of his approach: his psychological interest its place in the Eastern world the message of Christ would be bet­ traceable in many places (though not as explicitly present as in ter understood there than in the secularized context of the Western earlier publications), his biblical orientation (here very prominent), world. On the other hand, one fundamental contrast remained: in and the respectful way he dealt with other religions. From the van­ the East, deliverance is primarily a psychological process; in the tage point of almost three decades since the publication of that Christian message, it is a radical change in the relationship be­ book, we are aware of a certain one-sidedness as a result of an al­ tween God and human beings along the way of atonement and most exclusive attention to the confrontation between Christianity justification. and the non-Christian religions. In that respect it reflects the major Bavinck stood as it were on the boundary between two emphasis of a period in the history of missions when the non­ worlds. Christ and Eastern Mysticism was written before the Tam­ Western world was not as deeply influenced by the modern secu­ baram Missionary Conference of 1938, and before Barth's theology lar climate as is the case today. Perhaps it is precisely that (largely through Kraemer's mediation) had made its influence felt one-sidedness, inevitable in its time, that gives this book special in missiological thinking. Yet this book pointed somehow toward flavor and lasting quality. It brings us into contact with a man who the post-Tambaram stand missiology was to take with regard to was not only a gifted missiologist but also a humble missionary­ the relationship between religion and the Christian faith. On some one who, just because of his belief in the unique meaning of God's issues it is, of course, dated-especially in its evaluation of secu­ revelation in Christ, could trace with an open mind and a respect­ larism. Yet perhaps its careful and understanding approach to the ful heart the vestiges of God's presence in the world of religions.

Notes

1. H. Bavinck, De Catholiciteit van Christendom en Kerk (Kampen: Zalsman, 8. Christus en demystiekvan het Oosten (Kampen: J. H. Kok, 1934). 1888). 9. Menschen rondom [ezus (Kampen: J. H. Kok, 1936). 2. Der Einfluss des Gefunls auf das Assoziationsleben bei Heinrich von Suso (Er­ 10. Geschiedenis der Godsopenbaring, deelIl Het Nieuioe Testament (Kampen: J. H. langen: n. p., 1919). Kok,1938). 3. For this, see his lecture on "The Future of Our Churches," De toekomst 11. Alzoo wies het Woord (Baarn: Bosch en Keuning, 1941); En ooort toentelen de van onze kerken (Bruinisse: n.p., 1943). eeutoen (Wageningen: Zomer en Keuning, 1952); De mensch en zijn wereld 4. A selection of his writings on South Africa is in J. van den Berg, "Fen (Baarn: Bosch en Keuning, 1946). gehee! andere Waardemeter." Beschouunngen van Prof dr. ! H Baoinck over het 12. Thus J. H. Bavinck in his memorial article, "Kraemer als denker en rassenoraagsiuk en over Zuid-Afrika (Amsterdam: Bekking, 1971). medewerker," De Heerbaan 11 (1958): 87. 5. Inleiding in dezielkunde (Kampen: J. H. Kok, 1926), p. iii. 13. Chrisiusprediking in de oolkerentoereld (Kampen: J. H. Kok, 1939). 6. Persoonlijkheid en toereldbeschoutoing (Kampen: J. H. Kok, 1928). 14. De boodschap van Christus en de niet-chrisielijke religies (Kampen: J. H. Kok, 7. For this work (Soeksma soepana, 1932, written under the pseudonym Kjai 1940). Martawahana), see J. Verkuyl, Inleiding in de nieuuiere zendingsuietenschap 15. Religieus besef en christelijk geloof (Kampen: J. H. Kok, 1949). (Kampen: J. H. Kok, 1975), p. 63. 16. Inleiding in dezendingstoetenschap (Kampen: J. H. Kok, 1954).

Selected Bibliography Major Publications of J. H. Bavinck NOTE: In J. van den Berg, ed., Christusprediking in de wereld (Kampen: of J. H. Bavinck's writings. The following list is restricted to those J. H. Kok, 1965), a memorial volume published shortly after that have appeared in English: Bavinck's death, A. Wessels has provided a complete bibliography The Impact of Christianity on the Non-Christian World (Grand Rapids,

174 International Bulletin of Missionary Research Mich: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1948). Writings about J. H. Bavinck "Four Stages in the Expansion of the Church," Calvin Forum 14 (1949): 112-15. See "De wetenschappelijke arbeid van Prof. Dr. J. H. Bavinck," "General Revelation and the Non-Christian Religions," Free Univer­ this writer's survey of Bavinck's work as a scholar, in J. van den sity Quarterly 4 (1955): 43-55. Berg, ed., Christusprediking in de wereld. In the same volume is "Leven "The Problem of Adaptation and Communication," International en werk van Dr. [ohan Herman Bavinck," a short biography by "Review of Missions 45 (1956): 307-13. Bavinck's friend and former colleague in Djokja, A. Pos, to whom "The Race Problem in South Africa," Free University Quarterly 4 this writer is indebted for some of the biographical details given in (1956): 85- 98. the present article. "India in Transition," Free University Quarterly 7 (1960): 26-37. An Introduction to the Science of Missions, trans. David H. Freeman (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Book House, 1960). The Church between Temple and Mosque (2nd ed.; Grand Rapids, Mich.: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1981); first pub. 1966. "Theology and Mission," Free University Quarterly 8 (1961): 59-66.

More Cross-currents in Mission

Geeoarghese Mar Osthaihios

n the discussion on "Cross-currents in Mission" in the Trinity. As mission is divine love, mission may also be seen as the I International Bulletin (October 1982), Lesslie Newbigin­ ontological nature of God. with characteristic humility-concludes his reply to critics with the statement, "We need more input from Third World theologians" 2. The Incarnation Is the How of Mission (p. 155). As an Orthodox bishop from the Third World, I venture to make a few brief comments in this important discussion. As the incarnation was both kenotic (Phil. 2:5-11) and cosmic (Col. 1:15-20), the Christian mission has to be self-emptying and uni­ 1. Holy Trinity Is the Key versal. He was in the world (as logos) and "the world knew him not" On. 1:10) indicates that he has not left himself without wit­ Unfortunately, in most of the discussion, no reference is made to nesses in any time even before the incarnation. The preincarnate the Holy Trinity, whereas the Great Commission made it central logos and the incarnate logos are identical. Hence wherever divine with the directive, " ... baptizing them in the name of the Father love was present the logos was present. The criterion of that love is and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Mt. 28:19). The basis of manifested finally, absolutely, only in the incarnation of God as membership in the World Council of Churches was amended at Jesus of Nazareth. Priority is for the incarnation of love, holiness, the Third Assembly at New Delhi in the trinitarian pattern, but its and truth in Christ, crucified and risen, for the mission of the Holy centrality has not yet penetrated into mission studies, though it Spirit that still continues and not just of what we human beings do has become central in the discussions of Faith and Order. The and proclaim. Proclamation or evangelization, diakonia, koinonia, Trinity is not just a baptismal formula, but the mark of the new eucharistia were all daily things in the early church, filled with the humanity created by conversion and baptism. It indicates the ulti­ Holy Spirit. A Spirit-filled life is mission, including all these mate model of Christian koinonia, the sharing fellowship of agape things. wherein distinctions are maintained with equality. Mission is eter­ nal in the Godhead because of the dynamic nature of love. Mission 3. On Discipling the Nations is not that which started with the incarnation, though the incarna­ The Great Commission says, " ... make disciples of all nations" tion is the only absolute model of mission. Creation was mission; (Mt. 28:19), or " ... preach the gospel to the whole creation" (Mk. incarnation was mission; the descent of the Holy Spirit was mis­ 16:15). What a tremendous responsibility! It does not say that we sion; and consummation awaited is mission. "God is love" means can be satisfied after baptizing a few individuals in each nation. that God is eternally self-giving, self-sharing, trinitarian love. San­ The most neglected part of our present mission is "teaching them karacharya would say that love is the opposite of hatred, and that to observe all that I have commanded" (Mt. 28:20). The discussion Brahma is beyond love and hatred, and so attributeless Absolute about"cross-currents in mission" has to include mission and disci­ (Nirguna Brahma). Christianity distinguishes such limited love (eros pleship; evangelization and marturia, or martyrdom; Christian life or phielo) from agape or eternal, limitless, infinite love of God. In as mission; worship and eucharistia as mission (as in the Romanian Christianity, love is not just an attribute of God, but the ontologi­ church today). At the Bangkok meeting in 1972, I had the privilege cal essence of God, and so God could love in action even before to pilot a resolution on revising the aim of the Commission on creation, as he himself is eternal love in eternal action in the Holy World Mission and Evangelism of the World Council of Churches, to include the phrase, in "word and deed." Mission and evange­ lism in countries such as India will depend on the Christ-like life of missionaries and the converted, and not just on oral proclama­ Metropolitan Geeoarghese Mar Osthathios is Vice Principal ofthe Orthodox Theological tion alone, which we have been doing for many centuries in Kera­ Seminary, and Director of St. Paul's Mission Training Centre in Kerala, South India. la, where the church was founded by St. Thomas the Apostle, OrbisBooks published his Theology of a Classless Society in 1980. probably in A.D. 52. Our fault is that we are not living like Christ.

October 1983 175 4. On Holistic Mission by burning. A more holistic view would say that the church exists I must agree with Bishop Newbigin, who in reply to Paul G. by worship and mission, as fire exists by burning. Having studied Schrotenboer says, "I am willing to 'buy' 'holistic mission,' but not in the United States for three years, and having visited the U.S.S.R. 'holistic evangelism.' " As I have indicated above, holistic theology several times, I can say that the church in the Soviet Union is is trinitarian theology, and holistic mission is trinitarian mission growing more by worship than by mission. I could see only elderly comprising both personal ministry and social ministry, conversion people in the churches of Russia in 1967, but in 1982 I was pleas­ and Christian nurture, the whole person and the whole world, antly surprised to see about 60 percent of the congregation in Kiev meeting the material needs, physical requirements, cultural en­ consisting of children, youth, and the middle-aged. The success of lightenment, political liberation, historical and eschatological di­ both mission and evangelism depends on prayer, worship, devo­ mensions of life, secular and spiritual hunger, personal freedom tion, meditation, and the Spirit-filled life of the missionaries and and social justice, and the quest for equality, fraternity, and liber­ the converts. ty. The Pentecostal sharing community, which "day by day, at­ tending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, ... In conclusion, may I say that Bishop Newbigin's concern for a praising God and having favor with all the people" (Acts 2:43-47), convergence of the viewpoints of so-called ecumenicals and evan­ was the result of holistic mission directed under the guidance of gelicals is of paramount importance. Similarly, Eric J. Sharpe, in the Holy Spirit. We must realize that it is a sin to be rich in a poor the same October issue, has done a signal service in urging a fresh world, and we need to share both our material and our spiritual study of the Bhagavad Gita, if interreligious dialogue with Hindus riches in the kingdom of God. is to be a serious aspect of Christian witness. I also hope my friend Peter Beyerhaus will respond to the sharp and penetrating criti­ 5. Prayer Is Primary cism of his book in the review you published by Johannes Ver­ kuyl. Emil Brunner said that the church exists by mission, as fire exists Long live the International Bulletin of Missionary Research.'

Noteworthy------­

The World Council of Churches has announced the appointment George D. Hunter III, Dean of the new E. Stanley Jones of Eugene L. Stockwell as Director of its Commission on World School of Evangelism and World Mission at Asbury Theological Mission and Evangelism, effective January I, 1984. A former Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky, has announced the appointment Methodist missionary in Uruguay, Stockwell has been Associate of Malcolm McVeigh, Darrell Whiteman, and Mathias Zahniser General Secretary for Overseas Ministries of the National Council to the facul ty . of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. since 1972. The new Editorial Director of Westminster Press, Philadelphia, George W. Peck, Dean and Judson Professor of Christian is Keith Crim, a former Presbyterian missionary in Korea. Theology and International Mission at Andover Newton Theologi­ Joan Delaney, a Maryknoll Sister, has been appointed by the cal School in Newton Centre, Massachusetts, became President of Vatican to be a consultant to the Commission on World Mission the seminary on September 1, 1983. Earlier Peck served as a mis­ and Evangelism of the World Council of Churches in Geneva, sionary professor at Eastern Theological College in Assam, India. Switzerland, effective January 1, 1984. Currently on the staff of Norman E. Thomas, formerly on the faculty of Boston Uni­ the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) in versity School of Theology is now Vera B. Blinn Associate Profes­ Washington, D.C., she was formerly on the staff of SEDOS in sor of World Christianity at United Theological Seminary in Rome. Dayton, Ohio.

176 International Bulletin of Missionary Research Book Reviews

The Theology of Mission and Evangelism in the International Missionary Council from Edin­ burgh to New Delhi

By Tomas Shivute. Helsinki: The Finnish So­ ciety for Missiology and Ecumenics and the Finnish Missionary Society, 1980. Pp. x, 303. No price indicated.

Had this book been available in suffi­ era ted theology, and makes the Willingen's members received but cient number in the United States in majority of his citations and quotations did not adopt the painfully prepared 1980 or 1981, it could well have been from European authors. He includes theological statement. Instead it chose chosen by this journal as one of its considerable important detail and com­ a group of four to draft the brief "Mis­ "Fifteen Outstanding Books for Mis­ mentary, much of it packed into exten­ sionary Calling to the Church" and sion Studies" for the year. A 1980 Uni­ sive footnotes. His bibliography spans adopted it. Shivute does not mention versity of Helsinki D.Th. dissertation eighty-six pages, but his index covers the key role of Lesslie Newbigin in supervised by Professor Seppo A. Tein­ only persons-not subjects. this, nor his subsequent part in elabo­ onen, it is photo-printed from type­ Edinburgh 1910 concentrated on rating the Trinitarian basis for mission. script. It provides no word concerning effective strategy for mission. Yet With quiet effectiveness, Newbigin the author. within it lies a lode of theology, the encouraged the integration of the Shivute develops his theme chro­ mining of which Shivute has begun. IMC into the World Council of nologically by conferences, 1910-61. He covers Jerusalem 1928, and Tam­ Churches (WCC) before and after he He generally follows the path laid out baram, Madras 1938 well. Yet in rela­ became general secretary of the IMC in by Wilhelm Andersen in his brief but tion to them he views Willingen as the 1959. He was the first secretary of the notable Towards a Theology of Mission "high water mark in the history of the Commission on World Mission and (1955) and cites that work more fre­ missionary movement" (p. 141) and Evangelism/Division on World Mis­ quently than any other. He presents a makes it his longest chapter. In it he sion and Evangelism in the WCC. vast array of studies related to Interna­ presents Continental/Anglican ten­ Shivute has produced a splendid tional Missionary Council (IMC)-gen- sions, Barth's 1932 lecture on mission, study, and he should be heard from in Hoekendijk's attack on church-centric the future. One hopes that sufficient mission, and the Continental emphasis copies remain to provide the book to li­ W Richey Hogg, Professor of World Christianity in on eschatology as among the forces braries throughout the world that Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist transforming the theological emphasis should have it. University, Dallas, Texas, since his return in 1955 from "The missionary obligation of the -W. Richey Hogg from India, is the author of Ecumenical Founda­ church" to that of the Trinitarian root­ tions. age of the missio Dei.

All Their Splendour. World enables him to speak still of the things Faiths: The Way to Community. that most concerned him. Therefore the book is primarily about God and By David Brown. London: Collins Fount, his ways with humankind, discussed 1982. Pp. 223. Paperback £1.95. under the headings: "Word," "Way," "Communion," and "Healing." These The name of Bishop David Brown is and died. People say already that he four chapters are an affirmation that destined to become part of the legend­ died of a broken heart, a martyr of the religious experience of people who ry of the ecumenical movement in Brit­ Christian disunity. are adherents of other faiths is authen­ ain. He was the leading Anglican In one sense this is false. David tic. But how these different experiences advocate of the English Covenant that Brown, who had been a missionary and traditions are to be woven together failed as a result of the vote of the among Muslim peoples and who is both an urgent practical problem and Church of England in July 1982. A few thought in terms of the long vistas of a theological issue of the gravest signif­ days later, at the very meeting in which God, was well able to cope with this icance. What David Brown was in the the Churches' Council on Covenanting temporary setback. In another sense, habit of calling our "interim theolo­ was to be wound up, he was taken ill though, it is right to point to the pain gies" no longer suffice, and this brief, of disunity that this servant of Jesus beautiful, profound, lucid book is a Christ felt on behalf of his Lord. contribution to our discerning of the Kenneth Cracknell is Secretary of the Committee for Brown's life was about the mending of way in which "Christ will provide the Relations with People of OtherFaiths, andAssociate the broken creation, the rebuilding of link by which the different religions Secretary, Conference for WorldMission of the Brit­ divided human community, the sum­ will be brought into a deep and mutu­ ish Council of Churches. He has taughttheology in ming-up of all things in Christ. ally enriching rela tionship with one Nigeria, and waschaplain and lecturer in the Llni­ All Their Splendour was published another" (p. 221). versify of Lough borough, England, 1969-78. just a few weeks before his death, and -Kenneth Cracknell

October 1983 177 History of Christianity in India. word, it is a history of Indian Chris­ Vol. II: From the Middle of the Six­ tians among their non-Christian neigh­ teenth Century to the End of the bors. Seventeenth Century (1542-1700). Volume II deals with a most trou­ bled period in the history of Christian­ By Joseph Thekkedath, S.D.B. Bangalore: St. ity in India, from the middle of the Peter's Seminary, 1982. Pp. xviii, 529. sixteenth century to the end of the sev­ $12.00. enteenth century. The bibliography shows that the author, who is professor The present work is the second volume Church History Association of India. It of church history at Kristu Jyoti Col­ (though the first to appear) in a pro­ has a new perspective insofar as it lege, Bangalore, has consulted and used jected six-volume comprehensive his­ seeks to understand Christianity as a all available sources, both published tory of Christianity in India from its movement, and how far it has influ­ and unpublished, in the various librar­ earliest times to the present, an ecu­ enced the life of the people, both ies and archives of Europe and India. menical project undertaken by the Christians and non-Christians. In a His treatment of the period reveals a meticulous and balanced approach to the tangled Syrian-latin-Christian en­ counter, conflicts, rivalries, and power play, and the Padroado-Propaganda conflict. It deals also with the begin­ ning and growth of Christian commu­ nities in western India, North India, eastern India, and South India. The ex­ tensive bibliography, index, and maps add to the usefulness of this extremely valuable work of reference. The lan­ guage is uniformly clear and simple, but the proofreading could have been more accurate. It is impossible to give a brief summary of the book in a short review, but one may safely say that it is an in­ valuable reference book for all future students and scholars on the period covered. What strikes the careful read­ One DlessalCe er is the balanced views of the author 'ION' S.• ManyeonteIts on difficult and complex problems. He MISS has not been afraid to state his posi­ tion, yet has done so with circum­ Whether your mission field is a remote rural village spection and intellectual honesty. or the inner city, Wheaton College offers a graduate Treatment of the social, cultural, and program in missions tailored to your needs. The political context into which Christian­ diverse resources of the Billy Graham Center enrich ity was introduced is another distinc­ tive feature of the book. Again, access both prefield and furlough study. to all the relevant sources and knowl­ edge of the original languages of the Our primary focus is evangelism and church sources show that the research has development. been thorough and extensive. No sig­ nificant material has been overlooked. We can also help you prepare for a career in There is no doubt that this volume is a major contribution to the study of missions through our emphases in: the history of Christianity in India. • Bible/Theology • Interpersonal Communications Both scholars and students of church • Ethnomusicology • Telecommunications/Journalism history and mission history in India • Chinese Studies • Eastern European Studies and abroad are indebted to Father • Community Development Thekkedath for his invaluable contri­ bution. It deserves national and inter­ national welcome by students of If you have a special mission history, secular and ecclesiastical his­ that needs a special program, torians, missionaries, and church lead­ write: ers. Graduate Admissions -Sebastian Karotemprel, S.O.B. Wheaton College Since 1860 For Christ and Wheaton, IL 60187 His Kingdom Or call: 312/260-5195 WHEATON, ILLINOIS 60187 Sebastian Karotemprel is President of the Sacred Heart Theological College, Shillong, India, andEdi­ Wheaton College complies with Federal and State requirements for non-discrimination on the basis of handicap. sex, race, color and national or ethnic origin in admission and access to its programs and activities, torof the Indian Missiological Review.

178 International Bulletin of Missionary Research "Benevolent Assimilation": The American Conquest of the Philip­ pines, 1899-1903. ple xit ies. But " Benevolent A ssimilation" is By Stuart Creighton Miller. New Haven, clearl y superior to earlier accounts of Conn.: Yale Univ. Press, 1982. Pp. vii, 340. the conflict. For th ose interested in th is $25.00. important if often overlooked war, th is well -balanced and engagingly wr itte n When th e Unit ed States acquired the chives, and his ana lysis of th e Filipino book is surely th e place to begin . Phili ppine Islands from Spai n in 1899, side of the war overlooks certain com- -Kenton J. Clymer President McKinley asserted th at " the mission of th e United States is one of benevolent assimilation, substitu ting the mild sway of justice and righ t for Missionary Messengers of libera­ arbitra ry rule." But as Stuart Mill er, tion in a Colonial Context: A Case professor of history at San Francisco Study of the Sudan United Mis­ State Univ ersity, convi ncingly de mon­ sion. strates, th e establishmen t of American rul e required military conq uest th at By john H. Boer. Amsterdam: Rodopi, 1979. was any thing but benevolen t. Through Pp. 530. Paperback. No price indicated. the dili gent investigation of newspaper accounts, diaries and correspondence of Nigeria, the most populous country of sionaries, on th e one hand, and at th e ordina ry soldiers, and un official re­ the African contine nt, is a difficult same time hindering the Christi an mis­ ports, Mille r sho ws that all too often country to understand fully . The colo­ sionary endeav or by giving Hausa American soldiers perp etuat ed atroc­ nial history took a completely different Muslims a chance to penetrate into for ­ ities, including the torturing and killing line in its southern and northern re­ merly pagan areas of th e middle belt , of Filipino prison ers. gions. One of th e mo st fascina ting en­ which it had been un abl e to conquer For the conduct of th e war, Mill er counters of th e mission ary enterprise by military for ce during th e whole of is critical in varying degree of all th ree with Briti sh colonialism du ring th e the nineteenth century. military commanders in th e Phili p­ twentieth century took place in north­ The bo ok by Boer was submitted pines, part icularly Adna Chaffee, who ern Nigeria. Here we find both ele­ in 1979 to th e Free Uni versity, Amster­ seemed to th ink he was back in th e ments side by side: colonia l power dam , Netherlands, as a doctoral dis­ Wild West hunti ng down Apac hes. But helping and supporting Ch rist ian mis­ sertation under the title "The ult imate responsibility, Miller suggests, rested with President Theodore Roose­ velt, who full y approved of th e harsh tactics. In othe r wor ds, Mill er comes f!lJ~--:.:) close to accepting as valid th e asser­ What"s really gOing- tion s of some contempo rary critics th at wartime excesses resulted from high ­ level policy decision s. The evidence on in the Church seems to bear him out. " Benevolent A ssimilation" is consider­ in China? ably mo re th an a narrow acco unt of military activ ities . It places th e war in Dr . Jonat han Chao, direct or of th e context of th e age and exam ines the Chinese Church Research Center currents of thought that help to explain in Hong Kong, is one of the best inf ormed r------­ American actions. Perha ps Mill er's and knowle dgeable stud ents of the OSend me my free trial issue of: mo st original contribution to scholar­ Chur ch in China today. His highly CHINA AND THE ship is his ana lysis of soldie r opinion qualified staff of researchers gather CHURCH TODAY informat ion fr om both inside and abo ut th e war. Unlike many American In addit ion. I am enclosing outside of Chin a. The resul ts of their o soldiers in Vietnam (and contrary to my check for: the asser tion s of naive anti- imperalists studies have been quoted in T IM E, at the tim e), virtually all soldiers in th e CHRISTIAN IT Y TODAY, and by many o $18.00 for two years (12 issues) islands we re "g ung ho,' stro ngly sup­ ot her news services and pub lications. o $10.00 for one year (6 issues) portive of th e national purpose, impa ­ CCRe' s bim onthly magazine, tient with anti-imper ialist criticisms . In CHINA AND THE CHURCH TODAY, Mr./Mrs./Miss _ will answer your quest ions about the th is respect they reflected dominant at­ Address _ titudes at home , including th ose of Church in China. both th e Prot estant and th e Cath olic communities. Send for yo ur free issue. Mill er seems not to have ut ilized ______Zip _ If after reading it you decide to kee p certain important collec tions of unpub­ CCT coming, you can sub sc ribe by filling in MIB·30 lished materials in th e Nation al Ar ­ the coupon p rovided w ith t he mag azine. Or Please allow four t o si x we eks f o r de livery of your firs t issue. you can subs cribe now by f illing in t he Ma ke ch ec ks payable to coupon provid ed . L Chinese Church Resea rch Center, Lt d. _ Kenton j. Clymer is Professorof History at the Uni­ Chinese Church Research Center. Ltd. versity of Texas at £I Paso. He was a Fulbright pro­ 7 K en t Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong [essor at Silliman University in the Philippines in 19 77- 78.

O ct ober 1983 179 Relationship of the Sudan United Mis­ structures of the home constituency of trine of the two kingdoms. He states sion to British Colonial Endeavour in the SUM and its dualistic way of that the missionary dualism of the past Northern Nigeria." The author, who thinking, the author demonstrates has found many Nigerian friends to­ has worked as a missionary with the how, in the SUM, evangelical religios­ day-a fact that tragically hinders Ni­ SUM in northern Nigeria for many ity goes together with quite liberal ten­ gerian churches from contributing years, attempts a critical assessment of dencies when it comes to concrete meaningfully to the development of a the work and the policy of the SUM. political or economic questions. Con­ fruitful relationship between church His intention is to shed more light on trary to their publicly stated aim to be and state in Nigeria. the rather naive collaboration between totally nonpolitical, SUM protagonists -Gunther J. Hermann British missionaries and their compa­ theologically justified Western colo­ triots in the colonial service. As an in­ nialism as being beneficent for the Af­ sider, Boer had full access to all the ricans (and therefore in full agreement SUM archives in Sidcup (U.K.) and Ni­ with the will of God). Gunther f. Hermann, a member of the international geria, which are normally not open to In his theological conclusions, team for mission and ecumenics in the metropolitan the public. By careful analysis of the Boer warns his readers against a mis­ area of Stuttgart, West Germany, taught at the socioeconomic, political, and religious conceived form of the Lutheran doc­ Theological College of Northern Nigeria, 1977-81.

Reader's Response To the Editors:

The January 1983 issue of the International Bulletin car­ as in other Eastern countries, is related to the freedom ried a very informative piece on Christian liberty and of an individual within one's religious community or restrictions in Israel by Ray G. Register, Jr. "millet." Nationality and religious identity are insepa­ I have discussed some of this material with Rabbi rable. Therefore freedom to proclaim one's faith to Joshua Haberman, who is head of the Board of Rab­ those outside his religious community and especially bis for the Washington area. He and I marched togeth­ the right to change his religious conviction and identi­ er some months ago in a protest against the Soviet ty is severely restricted, if not by law, by the dominant Embassy for restrictions on religious liberty in Russia. Orthodox Jewish leadership in Israeli society. This is Rabbi Haberman tells me: (1) that Israel is the evidenced by the continual struggle of "progressive" only state in the Middle East which from its very be­ Judaism to gain legal status, the attempts by Orthodox ginnings affirmed religious liberty for all its inhabit­ to pass the "Who is a Jew?" law in Kenneset, and the ants; (2) that to this day there is no governmental or passing of the so-called "anti-missionary" law. These institutional restriction on religious liberty, although efforts to restrict the religious liberty of nonconform­ doubtless the occasional action of fanatics has that ef­ ist Jews and evangelical Christians are not the work of fect; (3) that there is indeed a restriction against civil "fanatics" but the organized program of a powerful re­ marriage (which creates a problem for interfaith mar­ ligious faction in Israel. (4) Rosh Pina was a case of ) riages), but this is viewed as a civil-rights rather than Jewish believers in Jesus as Messiah being persecuted as a religious-rights restriction; (4) that the Rosh Pina by Orthodox yeshiva students. The most flourishing developments can hardly be interpreted as an Israeli Christian settlement (not "kibbutz") in Israel is Nes desire to eliminate a Christian presence in Israel, since Amin in Upper Galilee. Recently a member who mar­ there are flourishing Christian kibbutz settlements; (5) ried a local Jewish girl was required to move off the that after the arson destruction of the Baptist Church grounds because of a clause in the settlement charter in Jerusalem, Jewish leaders privately raised funds that that prevents Jews from living there. Both cases high­ were made available to the congregation for the re­ light my observations above. (5) The treasurer of the building of an even better building. There is no denial West Jerusalem Baptist Congregation reports that to here that occasional outbursts may occur on the part date $6,277 plus small anonymous gifts have been of fanatical individuals. But if the facts are as Rabbi contributed by Jewish friends out of a total $100,000 Haberman insists, they should be published as a con­ received for the rebuilding of the burned-out church. tribution to understanding. Total cost will be in the neighborhood of $1,000,000. The Israeli Government is reported to have con­ Carl F. H. Henry tributed IS 1.3 million ($32,500) as a goodwill gesture Arlington, Virginia to compensate for damages in Kefr Yasif village (Jeru­ salem Post, March 18, 1983, p. 3; see my article, p. 18). Speaking personally, I can say that I feel complete Author replies: freedom in my work as a Christian representative to the Arab minority community in Israel and have many With all due respect to Dr. Henry and Rabbi Haber­ fine Jewish friends in all levels of society who encour­ man for their efforts toward religious liberty, I would age my work. This despite the above realities. like to make the following clarifications and update on my article of January 1983. In respect to Rabbi Haber­ Ray G. Register, Jr. man's comments: (1,2,3) "Religious liberty" in Israel, Baptist Convention in Israel

180 International Bulletin of Missionary Research Evangelicals and Development: Toward a Theology of Social cern for salvation forc es a conce rn for Change. physical we ll-being and for the whole context of society. Editedby Ronaldf. Sider. Philadelph ia: West­ Historic evangelical values and minster Press, 1982. Pp. 123. Paperback mot ives are thus reaffirmed. Now $6.95. comes th e issue of willingness to shape person al lifestyles by these val ues in Lifestyle in the Eighties: An Evan­ tions as, "The church should clearly th e midst of hi story's mo st widely gelical Commitment to Simple take the side of th e poor in society . . . available affl uence , and to shepherd Lifestyle. becaus e they are most likely to be tak­ churches to be faithful to such commi t­ en advantage of an d be unprotected ment s. The hard part is just ahead . Edited by Ronald j. Sider. Philadelphia: West­ against those-who wo uld -exploit .the rn" A lack of acquain tanc e with the minster Press, 1982 . Pp. 256. Paperback (Evangelicals and Development, p. 42) . tech nical literature and research in the $10.95. Fromthese materials it is clear that development field shows through in some evangelicals, at lea st, have taken several wa ys, most annoyingly in the These two vo lumes edited by Ronald J. ser iously the search for answers to failure to differentiat e relief activities Sider provid e further evidence that problems of social injustice and op­ from development processes. To fulfill evangelicals are recovering the com ­ pression. Further, it is clear tha t the their de stiny as leaders, evangelicals mitment to social acti on that distin­ defin ition and burden fo r evangelism is will have to do mo re homework. guis he d their witness in th e ninet een th becoming de ep er and w ider. T he con- - Ale mu Beeftu and Ted Ward century. If Sider's eighteen autho rs are a sign of thi ngs to come, evangelical in­ Has God Rejected His People? fluence toward service, based on a life­ style marked by com passion, humility, Anti-Judaism in the Christian and sacrifice might eve n become an ac­ Church. cepted norm. By Clark M Williamson. Nashville: Abing­ Growing out of two internationa l don, 1982. Pp. 190. Paperback $ 7.95. consultations, these vol umes have sim­ ilar material and style. They serve as Williamson is professor of theology at bet we ~n Judaism and Christ ian it y, fo­ two volumes in a set, the first dealin g Christian Theological Seminary, Indi­ cus ing " on the ideology of Christian with a significant transition in Chris­ anapolis, Indiana. He provides an over­ an ti-Judaism" (p. 7). tian mission , the seco nd conc erned view of the historical relationship The story is no t a comforting one . with pra ctical problems of affl uence . Neither book is intended to leave the saints at ease in Zion. M aterial and spiritua l problems are discussed, espe­ cially comparing rich an d poor, and the Important Contributions to the way churches fro m rich nations can hel p people in poor nations. The pur­ Lutheran-Catholic Dialogue pose of a simple lifesty le is not to rein ­ force poverty but to share with th ose in need. The biblical founda tio n is pri­ marily in the incarn ation of Christ . LUTHER: A Reformer General guide lines are suggested for a for the Churches, tran sition to simple lifesty le in re­ spo nse to biblical truth and to the Mark Edwards and George Tavard. A need s of the wo rld . Included are mat­ dialogue book for Lutherans and Catho­ ters of diet, ho using, travel, salary, lics centered on the life and thought of clothing, offices, and church facilities. Among the au thors are seve ral non cler ­ Martin Luther, the 16th reformer. ics including Graham Kerr, Colle en paper $4.95 Samuel, Roberta Winter, an d Tom Sine. Though theologically responsible JUSTIFICATION: and of sound, scholarly styl e, these articles do not belabor abstract An Ecumenical Study, arguments. They provide practical ap­ plicat ions, enough to satisfy even the George Tavard. How does one pass from casua l reader. But many a casual rea der sin to grace, from alienationfrom God to will be stopped short by such asser- friendship with God? With solid histori­ cal reasons, the author finds the answer in Luther's doctrine of justification. Alemu Beeftu is a doctoral student in the College of paper $7.95 Education, Michigan State University. He is also involved in nationwideservice among fellow Ethiopi­ an students in the UnitedStates, Ted Ward is Pro­ ~ PAULIST PRESS fessor of Curriculum Research and Coordinator of Graduate Programs in Nonjormal Education in the 545 Island Road, Ramsey, N.J. 07446 (201) 825-7300 College of Education, Michigan StateUniversity.

O ctober 1983 181 Christians will find many age-old as­ Barth." The level of anti-[ewishness lennia, "Jews have given the most tre­ sumptions effectively challenged in the embedded in Christian teaching, from mendous witness of faith in human crucible of Christian misdeeds and po­ the church fathers (Augustine, Chry­ history," a large claim but not unsup­ lemically inspired theology. But it is a sostom) through the Reformation (Lu­ portable on the evidence. story all Christians need to confront ther) to the present (Bonhoeffer, Part Three, "The Holocaust and with integrity and humility. Barth), is depressing. Only Calvin, After," raises the question of Christian Williamson's survey of the first­ with his "higher view of the Hebrew responsibility (not guilt) and offers century material (pp. 11-85) offers "re­ Bible and the place of Law in Christian several positive actions that can be tak­ visionist" views of "Rabbi Jesus" and life" (p. 103) provides a more hopeful en by Christian congregations today. the crucifixion, a study of the Pauline note. Equally disconcerting are facts -Eugene J. Fisher texts and of how the four Gospels re­ such as that Gerhard Kittel, the first flect "the growing split" between the editor of the Theological Dictionary of the Jewish and Christian communities. New Testament, was a rabid anti-semite Eugene ! Fisher is Executive Secretary of the Secre­ Williamson's ability to condense dispa­ in the Nazi period. One has to question tariatfor Catholic-Jewish Relations, National Con­ rate sources into a coherent summary the adequacy of the portrait of first­ ference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, D.C. He is will commend itself to preachers and century Jews gathered by a blatant author of several bOOKS, including Seminary Edu­ students. twentieth-century Jew-hater. William­ cation and Christian-Jewish Relations: A 89-122) Part Two (pp. recounts son concludes his study of the dismal Resource and Curriculum Handbook (Na­ the "downward path" of theological Christian record with the pregnant tional Catholic Education Association, 1983). anti-Judaism "from Barnabas to comment that, over the past two mil­

...... ----seventeen Important Publications on ----... the Churches in Central America In these critical times in Central America, the situation of the churches is both difficult and strategic as Christians there witness to the gospel of peace and justice in the midst of much suffering and violence. As a contribution to education for mission, the editors of the International Bulletin of Missionary Research, in consultation with other mission scholars, have compiled this list of publications in English about the history and present situation of the churches in Central America. This includes the seven countries of Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, and EI Salvador.

Arias, Esther and Mortimer. Holland, Clifton, L., ed. The Cry of My People: Out of Captivity in World Christianity: Central America and the Caribbean. Latin America. Monrovia, Calif: MARC/World Vision International, 1981. New York: Friendship Press, 1980. Lang, Martin and Reinhold Iblacker, eds. Berryman, Phillip. Witnesses of Hope. The Persecution of Christians Christians in Central American Revolutions: in Latin America. Ethical, Pastoral, and Theological Issues. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1981. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1984. Lernoux, Penny. Brockman, James R. Cry of the People. United States Involvement The Word Remains: A Life of Oscar Romero. in the Rise of Facism, Torture, and Murder Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1982. and the Persecution of the Catholic Church in Latin Cabisfrero, Tecfilo, ed. America. Ministers of God, Ministers of the People: Garden City, N Y: Doubleday & Co., 1980. Testimonies of Faith from Nicaragua. Melville, Thomas and Marjorie. Maryknoll, N. Y': OrbisBooks, 1983. Whose Heaven, Whose Earth. CardenaI, Ernesio. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1972. The Gospel in Solentiname. Montgomery, Tommie Sue. Maryknoll, NY': OrbisBooks, 4 ools., 1976-82. Revolution in EI Salvador: Origins and Evolution. Christianity and Crisis, special issue. Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press, 1982. EI Salvador's Struggle. Pro Mundi Vita Dossiers. New York: Christianity and Crisis, June 13, 1983. The Church in EI Salvador. Dussel, Enrique. Brussels, Belgium: Pro Mundi Vita, January 1982. " A History of the Church in Latin America: Richard, Pablo et al. Colonialism to Liberation (1492-1979). The Idols of Death and the God of Life. GrandRapids, Mich.: Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1981. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1984. Erdozain, Placido. Sojourners, special issue. Archbishop Romero: Martyr of Salvador. Nicaragua: A Fragile Future. Maryknoll, N. Y': Orbis Books, 1981. Washington, D.C.: Sojourners Magazine, March 1983. Esquivel, Julia. Threatened with Resurrection: Prayers and Poems from an Exiled Guatemalan. Elgin, Ill.: Brethren Press, 1982.

182 International Bulletin of Missionary Research Perspectives on the World Partners in Mission. Christian Movement: A Reader. By Ingmar Lindqoist. Abo, Finland: Research Edited by Ralph D. Winter and Steven C. Institute of the A bo Akademi Foundation, Hawthorne. Pasadena, Calif : William Carey 1982. Pp. 268. Paperback. No price indicated. Library, 1981. Pp. .rv, 846. $24.95; paper­ back $14.95. Ingmar Lindq vist of the Lutheran on the foreign mission agencies and Church of Finland defines th e limita­ their involvement rather th an on the This book doe s not purport to be a tions of his book, Partners in M ission, in Tanzania church units and th eir devel­ comprehensive introduction to the the subtitle: "A case-study of th e mis­ opment." growing field of missiology. The inten­ sionary practice of the Lutheran for ­ The book is massively document­ tion of the editors was to produce a key eign mission agency involvement in ed from forei gn-mission sources. These textbook for the Institute of Interna­ Tanza nia since the early 1960's, seen in sources plu s occasi onal documentation tional Studies, with a view to high­ a historical and theological perspec­ from Tanzan ia de scrib e some of th e lighting th e need for mission tive." He also indicates th at his focus is problems of th e fore ign- miss ion agen- engagement in reaching "all the world's unreached peoples." As such it is a compilation of leading art icles by no fewer than seventy authors, togeth­ er with mission reviews and case stud­ His Mission was the ies focusing on the Christian world mission. The editors were assisted in their task by contributing editors J. Herbert Kane, Lloyd Kwast, David Middle East Hesselgrave and Donald McGavran. The concerns expressed in th e John Badeau's memoirs, a fascinating book are interdisciplinary in nature, treating biblical, theological, anthropo­ account of a half-century of service in logical, and sociological issues within the Muslim world. As missionary, the missiological framework. These are educator, scholar and diplomat, John subsumed under four headings , viz. the Badeau brings a unique seri es of dif­ biblical, the historical, the cultural, and ferent perspectives to his intimate the strategic. The theme of the book develops from the biblical presentation involvement in the eve nts that of the coming kingdom as the setting shaped the modern Middle East. for th e reigning, redeeming God of mission . This becomes the basis on "Joh n Badeau played a personal role as which the Christian response to the call a serving Christi an, em ploying his of mission is to be critiqued. Issues re­ lating to cultural diversity, cross-cul­ talents as an engineer and ed ucato r tu ral communication , and the gospel for the lowly and the mighty. H e and culture are th en dealt with. This records it all vividly and personally," leads to pre scriptions for strategy in­ says Thomas A. Bartlett, Ch ancellor, volving world evangelization, church University of Alabama System. plant ing, community development, teamwork, and Christian discipleship. Within the area of this specific For anyone who has lived and mission interest, the editors have pro­ worked in the Middle East as well as vided a prolific range of substantive those who wish to understand it, this material. The prescribed aim of the book is a must! book has been to inform and activate support in the interest of reaching such societies in the wo rld in which there is Another important book from still "no culturally, relevant evangeliz­ THE MIDDLE EAST INSTITUTE. ing chu rch." In terms of this objective, a clearer perspective of th is facet of .------­ mission engagem ent on a global scale I Please send check or money order for $25 to The Middle East Institute I has been given. With this in mind, th is I 176 1NStreet , NW; Washington, D.C. 200 36 . I work should find a legit imate pla ce with in th e bro ader spectrum of mission : Enclosed is for copies of T he Middle East Remembered : training and missiologic al study. s -John Norman Jonsson I @ $25 ea. I I D I want to learn more about the work of The Middle East Institute. I

John Norman Jonsson, Professor of Christian M is­ Name sions and WorldReligions at the Southern Baptist I I Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky since I I 1982, has been engaged in pastoral work, seminary I Address I training, andresearch in world religionsin South ern I City State Zip I A frica, over the past thirty years. .------1

October 1983 183 cies in their relations with th e Evan­ Issues in Missiology: gelical Lutheran Church in Tanzani a. An Introduction. Pro gress has been made, however, even in the touchy area of money grants By Edward C. Pentecost. Grand Rapids, from "rich" West ern Lutheran s to M ich.: Baker Book House, ] 982. Pp. 205. " poor" Lutherans in Tanz ani a. $]]. 95. The book de votes only two-and­ a-half pages to the crucial World War Edw ard Pentecost of Dallas Seminary Israel to borrow wor ship forms (e.g., II and postwar years, 1940-52, under introduces several current concepts in sacrifice) from surrounding peoples the title , " New Cu stodians ." The war this work wr itten for neophytes in prevent adequate treatment of the is­ "orpha ned" the five Leip zig, Bethel, missiology. His purpose is " to show sue. and Berlin mission fields. The British the multiplicity of disciplines which The book suffers most from an in­ government made the Am erican Au ­ contribute" (p. 10) to the field and lead adequa te view of the kingdom of God gustana Lutheran Mi ssion th e official one to study them in depth. The author as a reality both within and beyond trustee. When most of th e foreign-mis­ writes from the perspective of premil­ history. Thus there is no discernible re­ sion agencies and their missionaries re­ lennialist dispensat ionalism and will be lationship between the cultural and turned to Tan zania after the wa r, th e helpful primarily to those within that spiritual mandates in his discussion. initiative for Christ's work had alrea dy tradition . A nondispensationalist read ­ We find no significant treatment of the passed from prewar foreign -mission er will raise serious questions precisely issues raised by liberation theologies or governa nce to the budding indigenous because of that theological framework. by evangelicals who seek to integrate churches . Failure to recognize th is The author rightly encourage s us proclamation and pra xis. The treatment cha nge created problem s. Deep er re­ to disco ver aspects of each culture th at of the homogeneous unit principle fails search is needed on what happen ed in can become bridges of communication. to recognize the tension that must exist thi s area to Lutherans in Tan zani a dur­ He urges missionaries to distinguish in an approach that seeks to reach all ing th ose ye ars. Th is is a task th at a between form and function in the early persons within their own cultural con­ Tanzanian should undert ake. church as they attempt to plant text and also recognizes that the church - Elme r R. Danielson churches that are both biblical and in­ is called to model the kingdom in digenous. However, his apparent na­ which there is neither Jew nor Greek, rvete about "western Christian ized slave no r free. Elmer R. Danielson, now retired, served as an culture" (p. 120), his concern for a style In the final analysis, relegating the American Lutheran missionary -pastorin Tanzan ia. of "separation" that focuses more on kingdom completely to the future leads He is the author of Forty Years with Christ in form th an on meaning (p. 29), and his to an unbiblical separation of the spiri­ Tanzania, 1928-1968 (I 973). failure to recognize that God permitted tual and the physical and to a missiolo­ gy th at fails to speak to the most crucial issues of our day. MARC PubUcadons Presents ••• -Paul E. Pierson

PaulE. Pierson wasa church planterand theological That Everyone May Hear Third Edition educatorin Brazil (I956 - 70j and is now Dean and The concept of people groups as an effective model for A ssociate Professorof History of M ission and Latin wo rld evangelization is developed in this revised and A merican Studies, School of World Mission, Fuller expanded tool. This book. wh ich has been well- rece ived and widely Theological Seminary, Pasadena, California. used in previous editions . is now linked with two additional resources which augm ent the process of planning for world evange lism through people groups. $3.50 prepa id' Christian Social Thought in India: 1962-1977. That Everyone May Hear Workbook !HAT By Godwin Shiri. Madras: The Christian Accompanies the text of That Everyon e May Hear and ~ provides stimulation for th ose enga ged in th inking thr ough Literature Socie/y, ] 982. Pp. xi, ]96. Paper­ strategies for reach ing th e unreach ed. -.- back Rs. 20.00. Available Septe mbe r 1983 - . ~~-=:::::... ~. Shirl's sta ted pu rpose in this revised Hamburg doctoral dissertation is "to critically ana lyse th e work of the That Everyone May Hear: CISRS [Ch ristian Institute for the Reaching the Unreached Study of Religion and Society, Banga­ That Everyone May Hear: lore] in the light of its own history and Planning to Reach the Unreached th e polit ical environment of India Two separa te slide /t ape aud iovisuals design ed to coi nci de with th e tex tbook. Parts I and II. which has influenced it" (p. viii). He Gr aph ic present ation of the concept and concentra ted up on th e political and im plementation of unreac hed peo ples economic rather th an the social and strategies. $40.00 eac h. Prepaid.' cultural aspec ts of Indi an Chri stian social th ough t fro m the Sino-Ind ian Missions Advanced Research and Communication Center border wa r in 1962 to the end of emer­ 919 W. Hun tington Dr. I Mo nrov ia. CA 91016 gency rul e in 1977, or almos t exactly ' Californ ia residents please add 6.5% state sales lax . th e yea rs wh en M . M . Thomas was di­ rector of CISRS (1963-76).

184 International Bulletin of Missionary Research The six chapters deal with as­ church throughout the world. This is Third World Context." Like other sumptions underlying the study; politi­ clearly a church in the process of speakers and preparatory writers, cal and intellectual context; responses change, of renewal. Manila 1979's im­ D'Souza drew heavily upon the docu­ to the Sino-Indian conflict of 1962, the portance also lies in its representing a ments of Vatican II, the Apostolic Ex­ economic crisis of 1967, and emergency continuity of development and com­ hortation Euangelii Nunfiandi of Pope rule in 1975-77; the church's political monality of mind emerging from more Paul VI, as well as the conclusions of witness and the reasons for its ineffec­ than a decade of Asian conferences fol­ preceding Asian conferences. As C. G. tiveness (perhaps Shiri's favorite lowing Vatican II. Arevalo of Manila's Loyola School of theme); theological foundations of In­ At Manila 1979 perhaps the out­ Theology has written, D 'Souza's ad­ dian Christian social thought; and the standing speaker was Patrick D 'Souza, dress and papers touched practically all history of CISRS during 1962-77. bishop of Varanasi, India. D'Souza the important bases of the theology of Shiri's assessement is that CISRS has gave the keynote address on the theme mission in Asia today. been strong in analyzing Indian social of "Church and Mission in Relation to Cornelio Lagerwey, a Filipino spe­ problems but weak in offering alterna­ the Kingdom of God Especially in a cialist in media technology, noted that tive strategies for action, fragmentary in its theological reflection on the Indi­ an reality of powerlessness, and of lit­ tle influence upon the life of the church, especially at the congregational level. This generally useful, but often opinionated, introductory survey is guided by two unstated assumptions that limit its value. The first is an as ­ sumed consensus among "Indian Christian social thinkers" [ICSTs], an oft-recurring label, reflected in such phrases as ICSTs believed, realized, ap­ proved, opposed (etc.) this or that. The Pilgrimage in Mission Slavery, Sabbath. opposite assumption, that of a diversi­ Donald J. Jacobs updates War, and Women: ty requiring explanation, would have Anabaptist/Mennonite missiology in Case Issues in given the study greater depth. Second, lightof a half century of Biblical if the ICSTs were influenced by the involvement in cross-cultural Interpretation empirical studies of Indian social scien­ missions. It recognizes the Willard Swartley effectively tists, Shiri pays little attention to this importance of preserving deeply demonstrates how the Bible can be held beliefswhile proposing new, used for auth oritative gUidance on fact. more realistic, and positive social issues today. "One of the Dr. Shiri, a former CISRS research advances in mission. "This book most crucial areas of thought toda y student, currently teaches Ethics at exudes a biblically based optimism for those who are committed to Karnataka Theological College, Man­ and enthusiasm about the future biblicalauthority is the fieldof galore. mission."-Wilbert R.Shenk biblicalinterpretation or -John C. B. Webster Paper $6 .50 hermeneutics. WillardSwartley's fine book promises to make an Pilgrimar;1n important and useful contribution to Mission der's Guide responsible thinking and discussion by Richard A. Kauffman John C. B. Webster, formerly professorof historyof of these issues."-David M.Scholer, Paper $4.95 Dean , Northern Baptist Theological Christianity at United Theological College, Banga ­ Faith in a Nuclear Age Seminary Paper $15 .95 lore, is Visiting Professor of Church History and Duane Beachey deals not only Believers Baptism World Missionat Pillsburgh Theological Seminary. with the major arguments for war, for Children of the Church but also with the questions and fears Marlin Jeschke takes a new look that arise when discussing nuclear at the role of chidlren in a believers war. church and works at a theology for "Beachey's incisive material baptism of children in that church . provides strong assistance for "Let no one assert that the writer exploring key social/ethical issues does not believe in conversion . He from within the framework of our does. But he urges the church to Toward a New Age in Mission: shared evangelical and biblicalfaith. give more attention to happy His style is readable and enjoyable Christian homes, to being more The Good News of God's King­ as well as provocative .. . . Each of dom to the Peoples of Asia. creative in the nurture of youth, and us willbe a better peacemaker as we to making baptism services wrestle with the suggested Christian occasions for joyfulcelebration. The Edited by C. G. Arevalo, S. j. Manila, Phil­ response towar."-Ted W. whole process is the more excellent ippines: fMC Publications, P. 0. Box 4082, Engstrom, President, World Vision, way!This book deserves wide 1981. 2 vols. Pp. 232, 369. Paperback. No Inc. Paper, $6.95 reading and earnest acceptance."­ price indicated. The Hol~ Spirit in J. C.Wenger Paper $7.95 the New Testament These volumes contain the consensus David Ewert surveys the whole range of New Testament authors to papers, addresses, and preconference ·discover what they have to say on position papers of the Roman Catholic the Holy Spiritand what this means International Congress on Mission held for the lifeof the believer and for the Herald Press in Manila, December 2-7, 1979. They church .This unique systematic Dept.IBMR reveal how deeply the conclusions of approach allows new Scottdale, PA 15683 Vatican Council II have permeated all understanding. Paper, $11.95 Kitchener, ON N2G 4M5 levels of leadership of the Catholic

October 1983 185 in the past the Catholic church often lism. It is a modesty that is open to the all peoples, persons, and cultures; a rec­ thought of its task as having much to wider work of God in the world, to ognition that through the incarnation do with "bringing civilization" and perceptions of the cosmic dimensions of the Christ as Jesus of Nazareth, as a hence used the structures of govern­ of the presence and work of the Christ. complete human being , all humanity ment, in Europe and elsewhere, to Hence we have "the realization that has been in some measure consecrated. bring the good news. But, "actually, there is truth outside the realms of the This also meant that " the various cul­ often enough the Church was being Church and that the whole of mankind tures of the world have their own in­ used and the Good News did not seem is somehow under the redemptive in­ herent validity because they contain to be all that good to the recipients." In fluence of Christ." This means that the elements of true humanness." The re­ the twentieth century, as seen with church is a community of people who sult is that there is now a due modesty special clarity in the theology erv,u. themselves are still "in search of truth within the Catholic church, an open­ can II and later conferences, a modesty with all people of good will." endedness, a readiness to learn as well that is both new and old has replaced This understanding clearly meant as to teach, but the difference is such this medieval/early modern triumpha­ for Manila 1979 a new/old respect for that "we can speak of a new age in hu­ man history." This new age means, as Maria Lu­ cina Sarmiento puts it, "a church in continuous, humble and loving dia­ • logue with the living traditions, the ~ cultures, the religions" of all human­ t:l10":: LIve kind. Because Christians have redis­ covered "a God -filled world, a God -directed history and God-per­ ~andLearn meated human life," they now see missionary witness as mutually trans­ forming, as giving new understanding at the and new life to Christians as well as to those to whom they witness and with Overseas Ministries whom they would work and live. Study Center D'Souza gave perhaps the most powerful and eloquent expression to Ventnor, New Jersey these convictions. He affirmed that the For sixty years missionaries on most acute problem of the mission in furlough have been drawn to OMSC Asia is "the new relationship of our for spiritual and vocational renewal. Christian message with the existing Students of mission and overseas living faiths of the Third World." And church leaders find OMSC ideal for in this context he insisted that " what is sabbaticals and study leaves. Each required today is nothing more and year a score of specialists bring their nothing less than a new theological un­ expertise and counsel to OMSC derstanding of that role that 'the living residents in an outstanding program faiths of mankind' today play in the of nonformal continuing education in work of salvation. They and we must the Christian world mission. understand the saving activity of God Continuing Education Units (CEUs) in them." This means that "these liv­ and Certificate in Mission Studies are ing Faiths are not so much fortresses to available. be conquered and perhaps razed to the ground, but rather tabernacles to be lovingly opened with the love of the -<"as ~illi5tril'5' ~Ub)J r~ Ideal Facilities Lord, to be beautified and perfected by i\)t"\"l>'"' " .....('Ilt. His saving presence." Speaker after @ errtifiratr in.ffiission ~ubirs ~l" for Families speaker at Manila 1979 pleaded that Fully furnished apartments. the Catholic church be a church for and _ . Pk !'A- 2 l ~ n. ~ . __ ..._ Supervised program of recreation of the poor, that it work for the trans­ t1~":.--~-_.....,.-", for children and teens. One block formation of the whole of the human from sandy beaches of the person, of the whole of human life, and ~ ·..,·... Atlantic Ocean. Come. Be of the whole of society. ;~:I ; renewed in the warm and -Richard H. Drummond iJ~:,::i! jt.'''y..!S.£t.1'J affirming Christian atmosphere of OMSC's interdenominational, ~ { . ~~ international community. Richard H. Drummond. a United Presbyterian fra­ ternal worker in Japan (1949-62). is Professor of ._------,. Ecumenical Mi ssion and History of Religions at Overseas Ministries Please send me complete infonnation aboutthe residential facilities University of Dubuque Theological Seminary in Du­ Study Center and study program. buque, Iowa. Ventnor, NJ 08406 Name _ ~~~'" ~~d~~S~ , Address _ T , ~ DIrector ...... Oty State Zip _ Publishersof the Country _ Intmu>lionn[Bulletin of Missionn'Y Research

186 International Bulletin of Missionary Research Dissertation Notices from The Netherlands (1979-1982)

1979 1981

Boer, fan Harm (Free University, Dijk, C. van (State University, Leiden) Plaiooei, f. G. (State University, Utrecht) Amsterdam) "Rebellion under the Banner of "Comparing Religions: A Limitative "Missionary Messengers of Islam: The Darul Islam in Approach. An Analysis of Akan, Liberation in a Colonial Context: A Indonesia." Para-Creole, and Ifo-Sananda Rites Case Study of the Sudan United Published as volume 94 of the and Prayers." Mission." Verhandelingen, by the Koninklijk Instituut The Hague: Mouton Publ. Pp. 350. Amsterdam: Rodopi. Pp. 330. voor Taal-Land- en Volkenkunde, Leiden, Schoon, S. (Joh. Calvijn Stichting, Kampen) and distributed by Martinus Nijhoff, The "Christeliike presentie in de joodse . Theunis, f. M (Catholic University, Hague. Pp. 468. Nijmegen} staat. Theologische overwegingen "Buitenlandse arbeiders in Engen, Charles van (Free University, betreffende de verhouding van Kerk Nederland. Een niet-participerende Amsterdam) en Israel, naar aanleiding van enkele bevolking. Een sociaal-ethische "The Growth of the True Church. vormen van christelijke presentie in verkenning naar met name de An Analysis of the Ecclesiology of de staat Israel." moslim-migranten van onze Church Growth Theory." Kampen: Kok. Pp. 279. samenleving." Amsterdam: Rodopi. Pp. 545. Tullemans, H G. M (Catholic University, Baarn: Wereldvenster. Pp. 645. [ones, f. F. (University Protestant Faculty in Nijmegen} Brussels, Belgium)" "Pere Etienne Baur en de Arabische 1980 "Kwakoe en Christus: Een Opstand van 1888-1889," plus beschouwing over de ontmoeting "Transcripted Letter and Documents Coomans, Michel C. C. (Catholic University, van de Afro-Amerikaanse cultuur en of the Bagamoyo Mission during the Nijmegen) religie met de Hemhutter zending in Arab Revolt 1888-1889" (appendix). "Evangelisatie en Suriname." Nijmegen: WS.P. Printers. Pp. 212 + 95. Kultuurverandering, onderzoek naar Distributed by Zeister Zendings-genootschap de verhouding tussen de Verstraelen-Gilhuis, Gerdien (Free der Etangelische Broedergemeente, evangelisatie en de socio-kulturele University, Amsterdam) Karperoijoer 17, Zeist, The Netherlands. Pp. veranderingen in de adat van de IIFrom Dutch Mission Church to 157. Dajaks van Oost-Kalimantan Reformed Church in Zambia: The. (bisdom Samarinda), Indonesie." Scope for African Leadership and 1982 St. Augustin (West Germany): Steyltr Initiative in the History of a Verlag. Pp. 343. Zambian Mission Church." Adonis, f. C. (Free University, Amsterdam) Franker: T. Wever b.o. Pp. 366. Hulley, Leonard Dugmore (State University, IIDie afgebreekte skeidsmuur weer Utrecht) opgebou, Die verstrengeling van die lIOn Being Human: A Consideration zendingsbeleid van die Nederduitse of Human Criteria for Judging Gereformeerde Kerk in Suid-Afrika This list has been compiled for the International Bulletin of Missionary Research by Leny Development and Development met die praktyk en ideologie van die Lagerwerf, staffmember of theDepartment ofMissi­ Aid." Apartheid in historiese perspektief." ology oftheInteruniversity Institute forMissiological Utrecht: Stichting Pressa Trajectina. Pp. Amsterdam: Rodopi. Pp. 238. and Ecumenical Research (11M 0.), Rapenburg 219. Padron Castillo, Mario Eduardo (State 61, 2311 GJ Leiden, The Netherlands. Quarlers van Ufford, Ph. (Free University, University, Leiden] Amsterdam) "Cooperacion al desarrollo y "Grenzen van intemationale movimiento popular: las "Since this dissertation is written in the hulpverlening. Een onderzoek naar associaciones privadas de Dutch language and Dutch professors were involved, it is included here. de aard en effecten van de desarrollo." hulprelatie tussen de Javaanse Kerk Published as Leiden Development Studies No. van Midden-Java en de zending van 3, by the Institute of Cultural andSocial de Gereformeerde Kerken in Studies, Sfafionsplein 10, Leiden. Pp. 368. Nederland." Assen: Van Gorcum. Pp. 344.

October 1983 187 INTERNATIONAL BULLETIN OF MISSIONARY RESEARCH INDEX-VOLUME 7

January through October 1983

(pages 1-48 arein theJanuary issue; pp. 49-96 in April; pp. 97-144 in July: and pp. 145-192 in Oaober.)

ARTICLES

Are Churches Building Mission Consciousness? Education for Mission More 'Cross-Currents in Mission, by Geevarghese Mar Osthathios, Evaluated, by Ward L. Kaiser, 163-164. 175-176. Christian Witness in the State of Israel Today, by Ray G. Register, [r., North American Doctoral Dissertations on Mission: 1945-1981, by E. 16-18. Theodore Bachmann, 98-99. Conversion in Cultural Context, by John A. Gration, 157-162. Reader's Response [to Ray G. Register, Jr.'s article on "Christian Witness Ecumenical Considerations on Jewish-Christian Dialogue, by Executive in the State of Israel Today"], by Carl F. H. Henry, 180. Committee, World Council of Churches, 20-23. Reply to Carl F. H. Henry [who responded to his article on "Christian Evangelism: A Disciplinary Approach, by David Lowes Watson, 6-9. Witness in the State of Israel Today"], by Ray G. Register, [r., 180. Fifteen Outstanding Books of 1982 for Mission Studies, 35. Responses to the Article by Vinay Samuel and Chris Sugden, by William The Horizontal and the Vertical in Mission: An African Perspective, by R. Burrows and David M. Howard, 156-157. Lamin Sanneh, 165-171. The Role of North Americans in the Future of the Missionary Enterprise, The Legacy of Frank Charles Laubach, by Peter G. Gowing, 58-62. by Jorge Lara-Braud, 2-5. The Legacy of [ohan Herman Bavinck, by J. van den Berg, 171-175. The Seoul Declaration: Toward an Evangelical Theology for the Third The Legacy of William Paton, by Eleanor M. Jackson, 11-15. World, 64-65. Ministry to Missionaries on Furlough: The Overseas Ministries Study Seventeen Important Publications on the Churches in Central America, Center, 1922-1983, by Robert T. Coote, 53-58. 182. Mission Agencies as Multinationals, by Vinay Samuel and Chris Sugden, Silver and Gold Have I None: Church of the Poor or Church of the Rich? 152-155. by David B. Barrett, 146-151. Mission and Evangelism-An Ecumenical Affirmation, by World Council What Word from Vancouver on Mission? by Eugene L. Stockwell, 50-53. of Churches, 65-71.

CONTRIBUTORS OF ARTICLES

Bachmann, E. Theodore-s-North American Doctoral Dissertations on Kaiser, Ward L.-Are Churches Building Mission Consciousness? Educa­ Mission: 1945-1981, 98-99. tion for Mission Evaluated, 163-164. Barrett, David B.-Silver and Gold Have I None: Church of the Poor or Lara-Braud, Jorge-The Role of North Americans in the Future of the Church of the Rich? 146-151. Missionary Enterprise, 2-5. Burrows, William R.-Response to the Article by Vinay Samuel and Osthathios, Geevarghese Mar-More Cross-Currents in Mission, Chris Sugden, 156. 175-176. Coote, Robert T.-Ministry to Missionaries on Furlough: The Overseas Register, Ray G., Jr.-Christian Witness in the State of Israel Today, Ministries Study Center, 1922-1983, 53-58. 16-18. Gowing, Peter G.-The Legacy of Frank Charles Laubach, 58-62. ---Reply to Carl F.H. Henry [who responded to his article on "Chris­ Gration, John A.-Conversion in Cultural Context, 157-162. tian Witness in the State of Israel Today"], 180. Henry, Carl F. H.-Reader's Response [to Ray G. Register, Jr.'s article on Samuel, Vinay and Chris Sugden-Mission Agencies as Multinationals, "Christian Witness in the State of Israel Today"], 180. 152-155. Howard, David M.-Response to the Article by Vinay Samuel and Chris Sanneh, Lamin-The Horizontal and the Vertical in Mission: An African Sugden, 156-157. Perspective, 165-171. Jackson, Eleanor M.-The Legacy of William Paton, 11-15. Stockwell, Eugene L.-What Word from Vancouver on Mission? 50-53.

188 International Bulletin of Missionary Research van den Berg, J.-The Legacy of [ohan Herman Bavinck, 171-175. World Council of Churches-Ecumenical Considerations on Jewish­ Watson, David Lowes-Evangelism: A Disciplinary Approach, 6-9. Christian Dialogue, 20-23. ---Mission and Evangelism: An Ecumenical Affirmation, 65-71.

BOOKS REVIEWED

Amalorpavadass, D.S., ed.-The Indian Church in the Struggle for a New Hering, Wolfgang-Das Missionsverstandnis in der okumenisch-evange­ Society, 85-86. likalen Auseinandersetzung--ein inner-protestantisches Problem, 28. Anderson, Gerald H., ed.-Witnessing to the Kingdom: Melbourne and Herzog, Frederick-Justice Church: The New Function of the Church in Beyond, 72. North American Christianity, 27. Arce, Sergio and Oden Marichal, eds.-Evangelization and Politics, 137. Hilliard, David-God's Gentlemen: A History of the Melanesian Mission Arevalo, C. G.-Toward a New Age in Mission: The Good News of 1849-1942, 32. God's Kingdom to the Peoples of Asia, 185-186. Hoefer, Herbert E.-Debate on Mission: Issues from the Indian Context, Armstrong, James-From the Underside: Evangelism from a Third World 30. Vantage Point, 39-40. Hutcheson, Richard G., Jr.-Mainline Churches and the Evangelicals: A Barreiro, Alvaro-Basic Ecclesial Communities: The Evangelization of the Challenging Crisis? 73. Poor, 45-46. Iversen, Hans-Tanzania Tur/Retur. Syv Tekster om Socialisme og Mis­ Beckmann, David M.-Where Faith and Economics Meet: A Christian sion, 79. Critique, 36. Kang, Wi Jo and Masaru Mori, eds.-Christian Presence in Japan: Essays Boer, John H.-Missionary Messengers of Liberation in a Colonial Con­ in Honor of William J. Danker, 138-139. text: A Case Study of the Sudan United Mission, 179-180. Kateregga, Badru D. and David W. Shenk-Islam and Christianity: A Bordin, Ruth-Women and Temperance: The Quest for Power and Lib­ Muslim and a Christian in Dialogue, 88. erty, 1873-1900, 81. Lange, Martin and Reinhold Iblacker-Witnesses of Hope: The Persecu­ Bosch, David J.-Witness to the World: The Christian Mission in Theo­ tion of Christians in Latin America, 75. logical Perspective, 26. Lenning, Larry G.-Blessing in Mosque and Mission, 42-43. Brown, David-All Their Splendour. World Faiths: The Way to Commu­ Lienemann-Perrin, Christine-Training for a Relevant Ministry: A Study nity, 177. of the Work of the Theological Education Fund, 82-83. Brown, Robert McAfee-Gustavo Gutierrez, 37-38. Linden, Ian-Church and State in Rhodesia, 1959-1979, 28. Brumberg, Joan Jacobs-Mission for Life: The Story of the Family of Lindqvist, Ingmar-Partners in Mission, 183-184. Adoniram Judson, 35. Matthews, Warren-Abraham Was Their Father, 86. Biihlmann, Walbert-God's Chosen Peoples, 136. McCann, Dennis P.-Christian Realism and Liberation Theology: Practi­ --The Search for God, 136. cal Theologies in Creative Conflict, 72-73. Cohen, Jeremy-The Friars and the Jews: The Evolution of Medieval McGovern, Arthur F.-Marxism: An American Christian Perspective, Anti-Judaism, 24. 142. Conn, Harvie M.-Evangelism: Doing Justice and Preaching Grace, Miller, Stuart Creighton-"Benevolent Assimilation": The American 139-140. Conquest of the Philippines, 1899-1903, 179. Costas, Orlando E.-Christ Outside the Gate: Mission Beyond Christen­ Miranda, Jose P.-Communism in the Bible, 83. dom, 137-138. Nemer, Lawrence-Anglican and Roman Catholic Attitudes on Missions: Dobrin, Arthur, Lyn Dobrin and Thomas F. Liotti-Convictions: Political An Historical Study of Two English Missionary Societies in the Late Prisoners-Their Stories, 75. Nineteenth Century (1865-1885), 80. Eckhardt, Roy A. and Alice L. Eckhardt-Long Night's Journey into Day: Norman, Edward-Christianity in the Southern Hemisphere: The Life and Faith after the Holocaust, 24-25. Churches in Latin America and South Africa, 84. Eerdmans' Handbook to the World's Religions, 73-74. Panikkar, Raimundo-The Unknown Christ of Hinduism, 80. England, John C., ed.-Living Theology in Asia, 140-141. Parshall, Phil-New Paths in Muslim Evangelism: Evangelical Approach­ Ensminger, Douglas and Paul Bomani-Conquest of World Hunger and es to Contextualization, 42-43. Poverty, 30-31. Pentecost, Edward C.-Issues in Missiology: An Introduction, 184. Epstein, Barbara Leslie-The Politics of Domesticity: Women, Evan­ Peters, F. E.-Children of Abraham: Judaism, Christianity, Islam, 86. gelism, and Temperance in Nineteenth-Century America, 81. Randall, Peter, ed.-Not Without Honour: Tribute to Beyers Naude, Fashole-Luke, Edward, ed.-Christianity in Independent Africa, 74. 141-142. Flanagan, Padraig, ed.-A New Missionary Era, 90. Richard, Lucien-What Are They Saying about Christ and World Reli­ Fleming, Bruce C. E.-Contextualization of Theology: An Evangelical As­ gions? 78-79. sessment, 29-30. Robbins, Thomas and Dick Anthony, eds.-In Gods We Trust: New Pat­ Forman, Charles W.-The Island Churches of the South Pacific: Emer­ terns of Religious Pluralism in America, 86-87. gence in the Twentieth Century, 77-78. Samartha, Stanley J.-Courage for Dialogue: Ecumenical Issues in Inter­ Fry, C. George and James R. King-Islam: A Survey of the Muslim Faith, religious Relationships, 25-26. 31-32. Schurhammer, Georg-Francis Xavier: His Life, His Times, 4 volumes, Garrett, John-To Live among the Stars: Christian Origins in Oceania, 43-44. 76-77. Scott, Waldron-Bring Forth Justice: A Contemporary Perspective on Geffre, Claude and Jean-Pierre Jossua-True and False Universality of Mission, 25. Christianity, 36. ---, ed.-Serving Our Generation: Evangelical Strategies for the Gibellini, Rosino, ed.-Frontiers of Theology in Latin America, 34. Eighties, 32-33. Gow, Bonar A.-Madagascar and the Protestant Impact: The Work of the Shenk, Lois-Out of Mighty Waters, 89. British Missions, 1818-1895, 84-85. Shiri, Godwin-Christian Social Thought in India: 1962-1977, 184-185. Healey, Joseph G.-A Fifth Gospel: The Experience of Black Christian Shivute, Tomas-The Theology of Mission and Evangelism in the Inter­ Values, 34. national Missionary Council from Edinburgh to New Delhi, 177.

October 1983 189 Sider, Ronald J., ed.-Evangelicals and Development: Toward a Theology van Bergen, Jan P.-Development and Religion in Tanzania: Sociological of Social Change, 181. Soundings on Christian Participation in Rural Transformation, 41. ---, ed.-Lifestyle in the Eighties: An Evangelical Commitment to van Buren, Paul-Discerning the Way: A Theology of the Jewish Chris­ Simple Lifestyle, 181. tian Reality, 23. Sinaga, Anicetus B.-The Toba-Batak High God: Transcendence and Im­ Van Vactor, Lloyd and Lindy Washburn-20 Longest Days: The Kidnap­ manence, 44-45. ping of Lloyd Van Vactor in Southern Philippines, 33. Smith, Wilfred Cantwell-Towards a World Theology: Faith and the Wagner, C. Peter-Church Growth and the Whole Gospel: A Biblical Comparative History of Religion, 41-42. Mandate, 135. Spae, Joseph H.-Buddhist-Christian Empathy, 38-39. W~ldenfels, Hans-Absolute Nothingness: Foundations for a Buddhist­ Sparks, John A.-Are Multinationals a Menace to the Third World? 76. Christian Dialogue, 37. Sundkler, Bengt-Bara Bukoba. Church and Community in Tanzania, 29. Walker, Arthur L., [r., ed.-Educating for Christian Missions: Supporting Tano, Rodrigo D.-Theology in the Philippine Setting: A Case Study in Christian Missions through Education, 38. the Contextualization of Theology, 81-82. West, Cornel, Caridad Guidote and Margaret Coakley, eds.-Theology in Thekkedath, Joseph-History of Christianity in India. Vol. II: From the the Americas: Detroit II Conference Papers, 87-88. Middle of the Sixteenth Century to the End of the Seventeenth Cen­ Williamson, Clark M.-Has God Rejected His People? Anti-Judaism in tury (1542-1700), 178. the Christian Church, 181-182. Thoma, Clemens-A Christian Theology of Judaism, 24. Winter, Ralph D. and Steven C. Hawthorne, eds.-Perspectives on the Torres, Sergio and John Eagleson, eds.-The Challenge of Basic Christian World Christian Movement: A Reader, 183. Communities, 40.

REVIEWERS

Bassham, Rodger C., 78-79. Goff, James E., 34. Mackie, Steven G., 82-83. Beckmann, David M., 76. Goldsmith, Martin, 83. Marins, Jose, 45-46. Beeby, H.D., 140-141. Gormly, Ann, 39-40. McMaster, Belle Miller, 87-88. Beeftu, Alemu and Ted Ward, 181. Hardesty, Nancy A., 35, 81, 89. Neuhaus, Richard John, 73. Bijlefeld, Willem A., 73-74. Harley, C. David, 24-25. Nielson, JpjrgenS., 88-89. Chatfield, Joan, 137-138. Hassing, Per, 79. Phillips, James M., 138-139. Clark, Francis X., 90. Healey, Joseph G., 29. Pierson, Paul E., 184. Clymer, Kenton J., 179. Hendricks, Barbara, 75. Pinnock, Clark H., 25. Conn, Harvie M., 135. Hermann, Gunther J., 179-180. Rooy, Sidney H., 84. Coote, Robert T., 32-33. Hillman, Eugene, 36. Schreiner, Lothar, 44-45. Copeland, E. Luther, 38-39. Hogg, W. Richey, 177. Shenk, Wilbert R., 26. Cracknell, Kenneth, 25-26, 177. Hooker, Roger H., 80. Shinn, Roger L., 36. Culpepper, Hugo H., 41-42. Ipema, Peter, 31-32. Spindler, Marc R., 84-85. Cunningham, Sarah, 33. Jackson, Herbert C., 36. Synan, Edward A., 24. Danielson, Elmer R., 183-184. Jacobs, Donald R., 41. Taber, Charles R., 29-30, 74. de Gruchy, John W., 141-142. Jonsson, John Norman, 183. Thomas, Norman E., 28. Diehl, Katharine Smith, 43-44. Jones, Tracey K., Jr., 72. Trompf, Garry W., 32. Dolan, Luis M., 40. Kaiser, Ward L., 38. Udarbe, Proceso U., 81-82. Drummond, Richard H., 185-186. Kamaleson, Samuel T., 30. Underwood, Joel, 30-31. Eagleson, John, 37-38. Karotemprel, Sebastian, 178. Ustorf, Werner, 28. Ferguson, James J., 136. Kennedy, William B., 27. Vaughan, Peter St. G., 80. Fisher, Eugene J., 181-182. Lamb, Christopher, 86. Walsh, Joseph L., 142. Flatt, Donald D., 33. Lara-Braud, Jorge, 72-73. Webster, John C. B., 184-185. Forman, Charles W., 76-77, 137. Lewis, Ronald H., 24. Weiler, William L., 23. Garrett, John, 77-78. Lotz, Denton, 139-140. Woodberry, J. Dudley, 42-43.

DOCTORAL DISSERTATIONS

Dissertation Notices [from U.S. Universities], 46. Dissertations [from North American Institutions 1945-1981] Listed Al­ Dissertation Notices from British Universities, 1960-1980, 91. phabetically by Authors, 106-126. Dissertation Notices from The Netherlands (1979-1982), 187. Index of Subjects [for North American Doctoral Dissertations on Mis­ sion, 1945-1981], 128-134.

BOOK NOTES

On back page of each issue-48, 96, 144, 192.

190 International Bulletin of Missionary Research The Overseas Ministries Study Center­ our 61st year of service in the Christian world mission

February 28-March 2,1984 Medicine (Wheaton, illinois, 1981). Co­ Missions, Assistance, and the Problem of sponsored by American Leprosy Missions Oppression: Correcting Dependency and BMMF/International (U.s.A.) . Patterns. Dr. Ted Ward, Michigan State April 10-13, 1984 University. Contextualization Then and Now: March 6-9, 1984 Perspectives from the Early Church and Barriers and Bridges in Cross-Cultural Contemporary Africa. weeks on the Gospel and Urbanization Communication. Dr. Donald R. Jacobs, Mennonite are co-sponsored by Inter-Varsity Dr. Eugene A. Nida Leadership Foundation, former Mennonite Evangelism, Latin America Mission, United Bible Societies. Bishop in East Africa. At Maryknoll, Theological Students Fellowship, and March 12-16, 1984 New York. World Vision. Evangelism and the Poor.* Vinay April 23-27, 1984 Samuel, Evangelical Fellowship of India . The Gospel and Urbanization: ------Contemporary Issues in Urban ~t:;~Ij~ March 20-23, 1984 ...... , Publishers of the Evangelism-A Global Perspective (1).* Lessons from Northeast Asia for Global e...( I International Bulletin Dr. Raymond Bakke, consultant to of Missionary Research Witness. Dr. James M. Phillips, former ~ ...... Lausanne Committee for World missionary to Korea and Japan. Evangelization; Raymond Fung, specialist Overseas Ministries Study Center March 27-30, 1984 in labor evangelism in Hong Kong, Now 'kntnot NJ 08406 U.S.A. How My Mind Has Changed about editor of the WCC Monthly Letter on Gerald H Anderson. Director Mission. Bishop Stephen Neill, Evangelism. James M. Phillips. Associate Director Oxford, England. In an inspiring setting by the sea, we offer highly relevan t April 3O-May 4, 1984 courses of study for cross-cultural and international ministries, and accommodatims with a family atmosphere . April 2-6, 1984 The Gospel and Urbanization: Your Registration: $30/545 per course, I?l us room and meals. The Church's Role in Healing: Ministry as Pastor, Evangelist, and Re¢stration waived for OMSC residents. (Courses with • are 545.) Challenges and Opportunities in Catalyst for Change (2).* o Send application and more information Community-Based Primary Health Dr. Roger Greenway, Westminster N"""' _

Care." Theological Seminary; Professor Samuel Addre;s _ Drs. James and Jean Morehead. Escobar International Fellowship of Gty _

Incorporating the findings of the Ninth Evangelical Students; Dr. Michael Haynes, s..te Zip _ International Convention on Missionary Gordon Conwell Seminary. The above two Book Notes In Coming

Beyer, Ulrich. Issues Und viele wurden hinzugetan: Mission und Gemeindewachstum in der Karo-Batak Kirche, Faith and Pluralism in Global Erlangen: Verlag der Ev.-Luth. Mission, 1982. Pp. 144. Paperback DM 14.80. Mission Experience Melinda Roper, MM BoaI, Barbara M The Konds: Human Sacrifice and Religious Change. The First Protestant Missionary Warminster, Wilts., England: Aris & Phillips; and Atlantic Highlands, N]: Humanities Effort: Why Did It Fail? Press, 1982. Pp. xio, Paperback £15,· $42. Amy Glassner Gordon

Commission on Theological Concerns. Eastern Orthodox Mission Tradition and Innovation: A Search for a Relevant Theology Ecclesiology in Asia. James Stamoolis Singapore: Christian Conference of Asia, 1983. Pp. 136. Paperback $3.00. Missionary Repatriation: An Kameeia, Zephanja. Introduction to the Literature Gott in schwarzen Gettos: Psalmen und Texte aus Namibia. Clyde N Austin Erlangen: Verlag der Eti-Luth. Mission, 1983. Pp. 99. Paperback DM 9.80. Christianity and Judaism: Continuity and Discontinuity Kennedy, Roger C. American Churches. William S. Campbell New York: Crossroad Publishing Co., 1982. Pp. 296. $50.00. Roman Catholic Approaches to Lausanne Commiffee for World Evangelization. Other Religions: Developments How Shall They Hear? Consultation on World Evangelization: Official and Tensions Reference Volume, Thailand Reports. PaulF. Knitter London and Wheaton, Ill.: Lausanne Committee, 1983. Paperback $8.00. Pioneers in Mission: Zinzendorf Mzimela, Sipo E. and the Moravians Apartheid: South African Naziism. David A. Schattschneider New York: Vantage Press, 1983. Pp. xiii, 245. $8.95. In our series on the Legacy of Nash, Margaret. Outstanding Missionary Figures Black Uprooting from "White" South Africa: The Fourth and Final Stage of the Nineteenth and Twentieth of Apartheid. Centuries, articles about Braamfontein, Transvaal: South Africa Council of Churches, 1980. Pp. 120. Roland Allen Paperback. No price indicated. Florence Allshorn C. F. Andrews Philip, T. ~ S. V. Azariah Krishna Mohan Banerjea: Christian Apologist. Karl Hartenstein Madras: Christian Literature Society, 1982. Pp. 201. Paperback Rs. 20. D. T. Niles Joseph H. Oldham Race, Alan. Arthur Tappan Pierson Christians and Religious Pluralism: Patterns in the Christian Theology of H. P. S. Schreuder Religions. J. Hudson Taylor London: SCM Press, 1983. Pp. xi, 176. Paperback £5.95. Samuel M. Zwemer Book reviews by Smith, Richard. A Concise Coptic-English Lexicon. Dale Bishop, Harvey Cox, M L. Daneel, Grand Rapids, Mich.: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1983. Pp. xii, 81. $10.95. Gabriel Fackre, Guy Garrett, Stanley Harakas, IrvingHexham, Alice Lapp, Lois Torjesen, Eduard P. Fredrik Franson: A Model For Worldwide Evangelism. McKinney, Pearl McNeil, Malcolm Pasadena, Calif.: William Carey Library, 1983. Pp. 122. Paperback $4.95. Mc Veigh, f Robert Nelson, Eugene A. Nida, Phil Parshall, Harold Rickard, David Van der Walt, I t. A. Schattschneider, Wilbert Shenk, Marc Defining Ethnology and Religious Science. Spindler, Norman Thomas, Gayraud Potchefstroom. South Africa: Llnioersum, 1982. Pp. io, 176. Paperback R7.50. Wilmore, William Wipf/er