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IJFM 33 4-Entireissu The Journal of the International Society for Frontier Missiology Int’l Journal of Frontier Missiology Frontier Theologizing 147 From the Editor’s Desk Brad Gill Athens Redux 149 Articles 149 Prospects for Indigenous People Movements in the Buddhist World: A Call for Collaborative Local and Global Theologizing Todd Pokrifka Facing contradictions at the grassroots of theological encounter 157 From Mozambique to Millennials: Shame, Frontier Peoples, and the Search for Open Atonement Paths Alan B. Howell and Logan T. Th ompson The globalization of cultures calls for greater competence in multiple atonement metaphors 167 A Refl ection on Insider Movements in Korean Church History John Kim Once upon a time, before the missionaries came . 175 The Early Church in China: A Case Study of an Insider Movement David G. Cashin One small step in archeology, one giant step for missiology 184 Book Reviews 184 Insider Jesus: Theological Refl ections on New Christian Movements 186 Engaging Islamic Traditions: Using the Hadith in Christian Ministry to Muslims 187 Challenging Islamic Traditions: Searching Questions about the Hadith from a Christian Perspective 190 In Others’ Words 190 Warrick Farah on Insider Jesus Victoria Emily Jones on Martin Palmer’s The Jesus Sutras 69% of Yemenis Don’t Know Where Their Next Meal is Coming From Advice From a Chinese Christian 33:4October–December 2016 “J. Christy Wilson will go down in history as one of the great and courageous missionaries for the gospel in the twentieth century.” —Billy Graham WHERE NO ONE HAS HEARD The Life of J. Christy Wilson Ken Wilson :KRZDV-&KULVW\:LOVRQ-U"0DQ\KDYHQHYHUKHDUG KLVQDPHEXW&KULVW\:LOVRQ·VOLIHKDGDULSSOHHIIHFW LQPRGHUQPLVVLRQV5HDGWKHÀUVWIXOOELRJUDSK\RI WKHKXPEOHDGYHQWXURXVPDQRISUD\HUZKRKHOSHG ODXQFKWKH8UEDQDPLVVLRQVFRQIHUHQFHSLRQHHUHG PLQLVWU\LQ$IJKDQLVWDQZKHQRWKHUVWKRXJKWLW LPSRVVLEOHPRELOL]HGKXQGUHGVRIVWXGHQWVWRZDUG ZRUOGHYDQJHOL]DWLRQDQGUHLQWURGXFHGWKHELEOLFDOLGHD RIOHYHUDJLQJRQH·VSURIHVVLRQIRUWKHNLQJGRPZLWKWKH WHUP´WHQWPDNLQJµ5LYHWLQJXSOLIWLQJDQGIUHTXHQWO\ DPXVLQJWKLVERRNZLOOFKDOOHQJH\RXWRUHFRQVLGHU ZKDWLVSRVVLEOHZKHQZHGDUHWR\LHOGWR&KULVWDQGKLV SXUSRVHVLQWKHZRUOG ,6%1 :&/_3DJHV 3DSHUEDFN List Price: $14.99 Our Price: $11.99 Go to missionbooks.org for 20% off. Call 1-866-730-5068 for bulk discounts. William Carey Library is a ministry of Frontier Ventures Athens Redux October–December 2016 Volume 33:4 ome of you may have caught the subtitle of Ian Johnson’s new book on Editor China: Th e Return of Religion after Mao. Th e kairos moment we’re witness- Brad Gill ing in the growth of the church in China is part of a broader phenomenon: Editor-at-Large S Rory Clark old religions are renewing in the vacuum of Mao’s massive secularization. Johnson Consulting Editors describes in vignette after vignette a fresh dynamic across this old frontier. Rick Brown, Darrell Dorr, Gavriel Gefen, Herbert Hoefer, Rebecca Lewis, Frontier Missiology. It’s a crucial modifi er. A dynamic modifi er. H. L. Richard, Steve Saint We publish on the assumption that mission frontiers present boundaries or bar- Copy Editing and Layout Elizabeth Gill, Marjorie Clark riers beyond which we must go—yet beyond which we may not be able to see clearly. Secretary Th ose boundaries may even be disputed or denied, and require study, evaluation Lois Carey and reevaluation. But, most crucial for today, those barriers are not just evaporat- Publisher ing in an age of globalization. Th ey are intensifying and renewing as global condi- Frontier Mission Fellowship 2016 ISFM Executive Committee tions shift. Barriers make a diff erence—not necessarily the same diff erence over Len Barlotti, Larry Caldwell, Dave Datema, time—but overcoming them has everything to do with the advance of the gospel. Darrell Dorr, Brad Gill, Steve Hawthorne, David Lewis, Rebecca Lewis, Greg Parsons Th e theme of this issue is “frontier theologizing,” which refl ects the theological chal- lenge of these barriers. Th e articles range from Africa to Asia, across Buddhist and Web Site www.ijfm.org Islamic contexts, and from the 7th to the 21st centuries. However, such a small col- lection can only begin to portray the theological exercise required in frontier mission. Editorial Correspondence 1605 E. Elizabeth Street Consider the biblical precedent. When the Apostle Paul was hauled up the hill Pasadena, CA 91104 called the Areopagus there in Athens (Acts 17), he faced no small challenge. His (734) 765-0368, [email protected] own theology may have been clear, but its transmission demanded translation Subscriptions into the mental maps of the Greek philosophers—and idols were everywhere in One year (four issues) $18.00 the wake of a new religious pluralism. Luke’s summary of this strange sermon is Two years (eight issues) $34.00 Three years (twelve issues) $48.00 a wonderful example of “frontier theologizing.” Andrew Walls has reminded us Single copies $5.00, multiple copies $4.00 that, again and again throughout history, we’ve witnessed this same challenge— Payment must be enclosed with orders. an “Athens Redux”—where the gospel encounters the accumulated wisdom and Please supply us with current address and coherent thought of an unreached civilization. change of address when necessary. Send all subscription correspondence to: Th at same exercise is refl ected in David Cashin’s missiological interpretation of IJFM Martin Palmer’s work on the Jesus Sutras (p. 175). Th ese 7th century documents PO Box 433303 Palm Coast, FL 32143 were initially translated by Nestorian missionaries to reach into a Taoist Chinese Tel: (888) 895-5566 (US); (386) 246-0171 world. While others may respond to them diff erently (p. 190), Cashin has done Fax: (626) 398-2263 Email: [email protected] us all the favor of tying this signifi cant piece of mission history to the discussion of insider movements today. IJFM (ISSN #2161-3354) was established in 1984 by the International Student Editorial continued on p. 148 Leaders Coalition for Frontier Missions, an outgrowth of the student-level meeting of The views expressed in IJFM are those of the various authors and not necessarily those Edinburgh ‘80. of the journal’s editors, the International Society for Frontier Missiology or the society’s COPYRIGHT ©2016 International Student Leaders Coalition for Frontier Missions. executive committee. PRINTED in the USA 148 From the Editor’s Desk, Who We Are John Kim has also dipped back into Our systematic theologians may get Jesus, will be the plenary speaker for history with his analysis of the Korean nervous with all these uses of reli- the ISFM portion of the program movement to Christ (p. 167) that gious concepts; any Athens Redux (see Duerksen’s review on p. 184 and emerged in the 19th century. While threatens our established categories. Warrick Farah’s commentary on p. not theology per se, Kim calls the Todd Pokrifka gets it—he teaches 190). And Henk Prenger’s three ses- church to reconsider the essential systematic theology and empathizes sions on his recently published theo- groundwork laid during that early with those who may take off ense. His logical analysis of insider movements movement. Kim’s concern is one heard work among Buddhists has pressed will certainly frame the challenge of across the global church, especially in him to discern ever more carefully just frontier theologizing in the Muslim the West where a “stained glass bar- how the fl uid worlds of the Christian world. We hope to see you there, but if rier” calls for a re-contextualization of and the Buddhist can intersect in the you can’t make it, we intend to publish the gospel into new ecclesial forms. identity of a believer (p. 149). He felt many of the papers in the upcoming Proximate but resistant populations, the need to coin the term “frontier issues of the journal. often representing other religions, will theologizing” for this crucial exercise. Frontier conditions are dynamic and demand the same theologizing we wit- He calls both the systematic theolo- call us to deepen and expand our edi- ness with Paul on the Areopagus. gian and the mission practitioner to torial reach, to stay ever more vigilant collaborate with indigenous voices and Th e conditions of these frontiers are and alert to the realities of globaliza- select indigenous concepts to see the dynamic, not static. Globalization goes tion, and to fi nd ways to make sub- gospel transmitted. before us, creating new predicaments, stantive missiology more available to a moods, and reactions that complicate Th ese articles are being published just rising generation in mission. the way we theologize. Howell and before the 2017 joint gathering of In Him, Th ompson have looked at the way the Evangelical Missiological Society honor/shame in both Africa and (EMS) and the International Society among American millennials requires for Frontier Missiology (ISFM) in us to draw upon another historical Dallas, TX, September 15–17 (see Brad Gill slant on the atonement (p. 157). Th eir emsweb.org). Th is year, the focus is on Senior Editor, IJFM thesis demonstrates the speculative majority world theology, theologians nature of our frontier theologizing— and theological education. William like Paul we pull from any and every Dyrness, systematic theologian at corner of truth to present the gospel. Fuller Seminary and author of Insider The IJFM is published in the name of the International Student Leaders Coalition for Frontier Missions, a fellowship of younger leaders committed to the purposes of the twin consultations of Edinburgh 1980: The World Consultation on Frontier
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