Third Millennium Missiology: “Use of Egyptian Gold”

As mission enters a new millennium the utilization of profane learning—the use of “Egyptian gold”— in spiritual and mission endeavors takes on a new urgency. We need to investigate pertinent precursors and precedents in history, and above all else, we need to apply the principles in Scripture to make the God-designed impact for missions in the new millennium.

by David J. Hesselgrave

t the beginning of a course on priate to investigate pertinent precursors, arrival in Canaan, Abraham built an altar A church planting and development in precedents and principles in Scripture and and worshiped Jehovah. But in Egypt he Trinity Bible College in Kursk, Russia, I church and mission history in order to vacillated; resorted to subterfuge in order sensed a pervasive suspicion on the part chart a proper course. to protect Sarah and himself, and was of the students, especially the 22 pastors justly rebuked by none other than the Pha- who made up about half of the class. I Biblical Background raoh himself! soon discovered the reason: Experience A number of pertinent Bible passages Back in Canaan, at Sarah’s sugges- had taught them to anticipate more and point to the relationship between Israel tion, Abraham proposed to “help” Jeho- more material on social structures, demo- and Egypt, especially as that relationship vah fulfill his promise by impregnating graphics, opinion surveys, program devel- has to do with the Exodus and its after- her Egyptian maid, Hagar. From that opment and the like. When they under- math. Liberation theologians, for exam- union sprang the Ishmaelites. Tension stood that the primary focus of the course ple, appear to give more attention to between Sarah and Hagar and their would be on biblical theology—and espe- Israel’s emancipation from Egypt than to respective families was further exacer- cially as they rediscovered the newness almost any other single event in the Old bated when Esau “despised” his heritage, and relevance of the biblical text—their Testament. At the same time, it is doubt- married Ishmael’s daughter Mahalath, and attitude changed completely. In session ful that any of us give sufficient attention fathered the Edomites. after session notebooks were readied; to the subsequent struggle to “get Egypt The Genesis record closes with Jacob Bibles were opened; discussions came out of Israel,” to use the phraseology of and Joseph and the rest of Jacob’s sons in alive; and new auditors appeared. preachers. And yet this latter undertaking Egypt as beneficiaries of Egyptian kind- In retrospect, it is easy to see what has happened at Kursk, and similar proved to be far more difficult than get- ness and largesse. But they were destined schools, since the doors of Russia opened ting Israel out of Egypt. In fact, it consti- to become victims of Egyptian cruelty and to Western—especially, American mis- tutes a major theme of the Old Testament, barbarism. Numerically they had been sions. Studies in practical theology, Chris- to use Walter Kaiser’s term, one of those blessed. Seventy souls had gone down to tian education, counseling and missions “nodal points” that we do well to ponder. Egypt and when they came out they were have become increasingly occupied with Accordingly, the ubiquitous and as “numerous as the stars.” (Deut. 10:22) social science materials. In some cases ambivalent relationship between Israel But spiritually they had become impover- those materials have not been well inte- and Egypt might well serve as a starting- ished. grated with Scripture. In some cases they point for this particular article. Through- 2. The book of Exodus details Egyp- have even preempted the proper place of out the Old Testament and right into the tian barbarism and, then, the Passover and Scripture. New, God’s Chosen People alternately Israel’s miraculous deliverance. But the Problems connected with the utiliza- found Egypt to be a refuge and a prison. text goes on to demonstrate Israel’s con- tion of profane learning in spiritual Their relationship with the Egyptians tinued fascination for Egypt as expressed endeavor is not new, but for a variety of proved to be both a bane and a blessing. A in her lack of appreciation for divine guid- reasons these problems take on a new few familiar illustrations and biblical ance and provision; her preference for urgency as missions enter a new millen- examples will have to suffice. Egyptian food, especially its leeks and nium. Accordingly, it would seem appro- 1. In Genesis we learn how, after his garlics; her readiness to convert Egyptian

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gold into a calf resembling a prominent tivity. But he added that, though Jehovah tyred in the streets of a great city of the Egyptian idol; her faulty assessment of would eventually deliver a faithful rem- future—a city identified as both Jerusalem the chances for overcoming the Canaan- nant from Babylon, those Jews who and, mystically, as “Sodom” and “Egypt” ites; and much, much more. sought refuge in Egypt would be severely (Rev. 11:310).2 3. According to the account in 1 judged and judged in that land (Jer. 42:9- Certainly, Egypt and its ubiquitous Kings, no sooner had Solomon ascended 22). relationship with the people of God is a David’s throne than he formed an alliance 5. During the so-called “silent years,” theme that was not lost to the New Testa- with Pharaoh and cemented it by marry- it first appeared that Israelites who dis- ment writers and should never be lost to ing his daughter and bringing her to the obeyed and sought refuge in Egypt had us as followers of the Lord. Accordingly, city of David (1 Kgs. 2:1). Solomon’s chosen the better course. Aramaic Jewish the institution of the Lord’s Supper on wisdom surpassed “all the wisdom of papyri found at Aswan indicate that the Passover of the Passion Week—and every Egypt” (1 Kgs. 4:30) but he was not wise Jewish colony in Egypt flourished and celebration of it since that time—recalls enough to withstand Egypt’s evil influ- that they even built a large temple before for God’s people the fact that they have ence. In spite of repeated warnings Solo- the time of Cambyses in the late sixth cen- been redeemed from sin and “rescued mon’s flirtation with Egypt soon became tury B.C. But Jeremiah was right. Eventu- from Egypt” by the body and blood of the apparent in the prominence he accorded ally, the kindly Pharaoh Hophra was Lamb of God. the city of Gezer, Pharaoh’s dowry to his strangled to death; the temple was While well known to Bible scholars, daughter (1 Kgs. 9:16-17); in the magnifi- destroyed; and Jewish colonists came the foregoing biblical and historical refer- cent house he made for his Egyptian bride upon evil days. ences (and many others that could be (1 Kgs. 7:8); and in the fact that he Nevertheless, the God who makes added) deserve careful study by all of us allowed his love for her and other foreign even the wrath of man to praise him and especially by Christian mission prac- women to lead him to a lesser devotion caused Ptolemy II to bring 72 Jewish eld- titioners. The critical placement, recurrent for the Lord leading him headlong into ers from Palestine to Egypt in the third attention (approximately 750 references in idolatry (1 Kgs. 11:1-4). century B.C. in order to translate the Pen- the Bible) and attendant phraseology of In this way Solomon set the stage for tateuch into Greek. And, as is common these references conspire to underscore the downfall of Israel. After Solomon’s knowledge, the resultant Septuagint trans- both the theological and practical signifi- spiritual defection and the division of the lation was destined to play a crucial role cance of the relationship between Egyp- monarchy, Jeroboam in the north institu- in the ministries of Jesus and the apos- tian religion and culture on the one hand, tionalized apostasy by taking cues from tles.1 and the fortunes of the people of God on Aaron’s use of Egyptian gold and from 6. As the New Testament opens, the the other. Egypt is at once a friend and an the idolatry of surrounding nations, espe- last independent Edomite King, Herod, enemy, a storehouse and a rubbish heap, a cially Egypt. He built shrines; set up concocted a diabolical plot to kill the refuge and a snare for God’s people. It is golden calves at Bethel and Dan; and baby Jesus. Ironically, the Holy Family no wonder, then, that that very relation- appointed priests indiscriminately (1 Kgs. was instructed to seek refuge in, of all ship came to occupy a prominent place in 12:26-33; 13:33). places, Egypt (Mt. 2:13-19). Moving on the thinking of one of the greatest of the Subsequently, King Hoshea, consort- in the New Testament, we discover vari- Church Fathers at a critical time in the ing with So the king of Egypt, offended ous similarly intriguing references. history of the church. Shalmaneser and thus invited the down- According to the Acts record, people from fall of Israel. (2 Kgs. 17:1-18:13) Even Egypt were among those who heard the St. Augustine’s View King Hezekiah evidently leaned upon gospel in their own tongue on the day of In the fourth century of the Christian Egypt until Isaiah reminded him that it Pentecost and Israel’s deliverance from Era a scholar destined to become one of was not Egypt but the God who had deliv- Egypt was a prominent part of Stephen’s the foremost fathers and theologians of ered the fathers from Egypt who alone apology (Acts 2:10; 7:8-42). The writer of the Christian church, Saint Augustine, would deliver Judah (2 Kgs. 18:21, 19:21- Hebrews uses the Egyptian captivity to came face to face with a most critical 28). warn of the dangers of falling away, hard- issue. Others among the Fathers faced it 4. Coming to the Prophets, according ness of heart, and the deceitfulness of sin also, but it was the perspicuous Augustine to Isaiah and Jeremiah, the Jews of their (Heb. 3:12-19); and he warns believing who addressed it most forthrightly and time had to be warned not to lean on that Jews (and all believers) that the treasures instructively. “broken reed,” Egypt (Isa. 36:6). After and pleasures of Egypt are to be resisted As is well known, many of the failing to heed that and other warnings, (Heb. 11:22-27. Finally, the apostle John Fathers had been educated in rhetoric--the Jeremiah prophesied destruction and cap- predicts that two witnesses will be mar- summum bonum of the education of the

International Journal of Frontier Missions 193 David J. Hesselgrave time. The mastery of rhetoric at that time two-fold task: (1) to define Christian doc- not possible to employ “Egyptian gold” in entailed both the acquisition of philosoph- trine in such a way as to preserve its Christian service? Augustine answers ical and other knowledge, and also the exclusive character and weed out pagan these questions in the affirmative. He con- ability to communicate that knowledge accretions; and, (2) to effect a rapproche- cludes that, wherever truth is found, it is clearly, appropriately, and persuasively. ment between revelational truth and those the Lord’s. Gold from Egypt is still gold. For that reason, the great universities of aspects of pagan intellectual achievement It is usable. It can be a real asset in King- the time-—whether in Athens or Rome or not inherently antagonistic to that revela- dom service. However, Augustine adds Alexandria or Augustine’s Carthage— tion. Accordingly, in the first three books three cautions. The first is most explicit: were famous as centers of education in Egyptian gold must be tested in the light rhetoric. It will not be human of Scripture in order to determine whether Early in his life Augustine was pro- or not it is real gold. The second is both foundly influenced by the philosophy and knowledge that explicit and implicit: The truths of Scrip- oratorical skills of Cicero; later by the will ultimately ture are far more meaningful and signifi- Manicheism that found its way from Per- triumph in our day cant than any knowledge obtainable from sia through Egypt to North Africa; and, Egypt. The third is less obvious but, it ultimately, by a pervasive Neo-Platonism. or any other day. seems to me, also implicit in the text: But it was his early training in rhetoric In the final Quantitatively as well as qualitatively, that equipped him for his task as rhetor of more real, Kingdom-building truth is to Carthage and, subsequently, of Rome and analysis, what has be found in Scripture than in all the books then Milan. As his Confessions makes carried the day in of Egypt. clear, rhetor Augustine took great pride in What shall we make of Augustine’s his classical learning while entertaining a the past, and what solution to the problem of Egyptian gold? decided disgust for Scripture. Concerning will triumph in the On the one hand, there can be little doubt this he later wrote, future, is the truth that his rhetorical and philosophical learn- And now I was chief in the rheto- ing contributed much to the way in which ric school, whereat I joyed of the revealed proudly, and I swelled with arro- he championed biblical truth both within gancy, though (Lord, Thou know- Word of God. and without the Christian church. His role est) far quieter and altogether removed from the subvertings of in the all-important Council of Chalcedon those "Subverters" . . . among 4 (A.D. 451) is an obvious a case in point. whom I lived, with a shameless of De doctrina Christiana he concerned Refusing to sacrifice revealed truth on the shame that I was not even as himself with the discovery of biblical they.3 truth (modus inveniendi in rhetorical altar of pagan philosophy, Augustine nev- I resolved then to turn my mind to terms), and in the fourth book with ways ertheless utilized knowledge and skills the holy Scriptures, that I might of expressing and communicating that accruing to his pre-conversion training to see what they were. But behold, I refute Gnostic Christologies and sectarian see a thing not understood by the truth to others (modus proferendi).5 proud... For not as I now speak, While Augustine’s work reflects his gospels, and also in a successful effort to did I then feel as I turned to those maintain Christian orthodoxy. Scriptures; but they seemed to me tendency to allegorize Scripture, he never- to be unworthy to be compared to theless succeeded in providing his readers On further reflection, however, the the stateliness of Tully...4 with what has come to be a classic state- problem may be more complicated than Augustine’s attitude and perspective ment of both the problem before us and Augustine made it out to be, especially in underwent profound change when, struck also its resolution. Near the conclusion of our day. Speaking out of a background in by the eloquence of Ambrose in his Milan Book II he takes his readers back to the German theology and on the faculty of a pulpit, he was converted and baptized on Exodus story. He notes that Jehovah him- leading German university, for example, Easter, 387. His conversion was thorough- self had ordered the Children of Israel to Eta Linnemann comes to a quite different going. As a consequence, after being take vases and ornaments of gold and sil- conclusion. She holds that biblical Chris- ordained as Bishop of Hippo in 396, ver out of Egypt in order to put them to tianity and profane philosophy are inher- Augustine undertook a monumental task. use as they proceeded toward the Prom- ently incompatible, the latter being Aware of the fact that the various perver- ised Land. Could not the same hold true erected wholly on the bases of scholasti- sions of orthodox doctrine tended to in respect to some aspects of pagan phi- cism, naturalism and humanism. Conse- reflect one or another strain of a pagan losophy in general and, in particular, quently, she does not think that our emu- philosophical heritage, he set out on a Augustine’own acumen in rhetoric? Is it lation of Augustine and the church fathers

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in this regard is entirely positive. Refer- evangelical and pentecostal churches and the missiological relevance of the social ring specifically to Augustine’s gold from missions on the other. But among both sciences and the potential of rapidly Egypt analogy, she writes: conciliars and conservatives the ideas and developing technologies became particu- approaches of secular disciplines have I regard as unfortunate Augus- larly appealing. tine’s statement in De doctrina been accorded a wide berth, though in dif- Gradually but inexorably over the Christiana that Christians can fering ways and with different results. years appreciation gave way to fascina- use the phantom of pagan sci- ences like the Israelites used the During the last half century, conciliar tion. More and more attention came to be Egyptians’s goods. It needs to be missiologists have made repeated devoted to the discovery and use of social noted in passing that these same Egyptian riches were probably attempts to recover biblical authority and science findings, theories and methodolo- the material out of which the redefine mission in ways consonant with gies. Statistical analysis, dynamic equiva- golden calf was made at Sinai. Unfortunately, in Christianity the mindset and methodologies of West- lence, transformational grammar, func- golden calves were made out of ern modernity and post-modernity. The tionalism, bonding, programmed learning, 6 the riches of pagan philosophy. results have been decidedly mixed. In the “motivational pyramid, cognitive dis- 1968 in Uppsala, for example, conciliars sonance, decision scales, “yes-yes-yes” At the very least, Linnemann’s state- more or less agreed to “let the world set ment should serve as a reminder that and other sales techniques, fuzzy and the agenda.” Predictably, the “world’s bounded sets, marketing—all of this and problems accruing to the use of secular agenda” drowned out Donald McGavran’s more came to be common grist for missio- learning in Kingdom service are not easily appeal to remember the two billion who logical mills. And all the while, continu- resolved. Not at all. In fact, at one point had not yet had an opportunity to hear the ing advances in technological know-how Linnemann herself adds to the complexity gospel. Then, after the adoption of the made data gathering techniques, informa- of the problem when she says that much Third (“Reform”) Mandate of the Theo- of the scientific work of recent centuries tional networking, satellite telecasting and logical Education Fund (1970-77), they the like immediately available for King- (which she also grounds in humanistic conceived of one “contextualized” theol- 8 philosophy) is actually helpful—this by dom service. ogy after another. Liberation Theology, To illustrate, as this is being written, virtue of the patience, faithfulness, mercy Third Eye Theology, Waterbuffalo Theol- an entirely new project designed to break and grace of God himself.7 ogy, the Theology of Ontology and Whatever disagreement there might down resistance and mass market Chris- Time—these and still other theologies tianity is being launched in Japan. Basing be at this point, looking at the great con- were deemed to have special relevance to their strategy on the kind of imaging tech- troversies in which the church has been the varied cultural contexts of their propo- niques used in the commercial world, engaged through the centuries, Augustine, nents. This despite the fact that, whether knowledgeable, dedicated researchers pro- Linnemann and all Bible-believers can developed with an eye to the farmer in an pose to overcome Japanese resistance and agree on one thing. Namely, that it was Asian rice paddy or a villager in central not human knowledge, lucid argumenta- achieve results rivaling those achieved by Africa, most of those new theologies yield Francis Xavier over four hundred years tion or lofty eloquence that carried the day clear evidence of having been conceived, ago! More than a dependence upon scien- at Chalcedon and the other early councils, birthed and nurtured within the matrices tific methodology is involved here. Also and it will not be human knowledge that of Western universities and theological involved is an almost unbounded confi- will ultimately triumph in our day or any schools where biblical revelation had been other day. In the final analysis, and in dence in the value and potential of secular emasculated by historical criticism. accordance with Augustine’s dicta, what science put to Kingdom use. All the while, evangelical and pente- It is no mystery why conservative has carried the day in the past, and what costal missiologists have prided them- theorists and practitioners alike have dedi- will triumph in the future, is the truth of selves on their adherence to the plenary cated themselves to the mastery and utili- the revealed Word of God. authority of Scripture and the cardinal zation of “Egyptian gold.” They have doctrines of the church. Ostensibly at The Last Fifty Years done so with the best of intentions and out least, they placed their confidence in the of a profound concern for world evangeli- It was especially after World War II revealed Word of God rather than in the zation. They have done so because, the that “Egyptian gold” became common social sciences. Nevertheless, in a pro- issue of biblical authority being largely currency in mission—both conciliar and found sense and in unique ways, those settled (in their view, at least), it has been conservative. During these last fifty years very sciences were allowed to “set the thought that biblical answers to missiolog- there has been a spurt and then a gradual agenda” for conservatives as well as for ical questions can be either readily decline of conciliar Protestant missions on conciliars. This process gained significant assumed or easily adduced. What remains the one hand, and a significant surge in momentum in the 1940s and 1950s when is to make full use of any and all

International Journal of Frontier Missions 195 David J. Hesselgrave resources available in order to carry out most difficult for conciliars and liberals. ogy is well known—Paul Hiebert. Speak- the God-given task of discipling the As we have seen, already before the close ing to fellow missiologists, Hiebert takes nations. of the “Great Century” in Protestant mis- note of the positive contributions of the Though unintended, the results were sions, the Bible had been so subjected to social sciences to missiology but then cau- predictable. In this process we who are the ravages of the Enlightenment that they tions and counsels as follows: theologically conservative have become often found themselves bereft of authority ...we face a real danger. In recent overly enamored with the glitter of for both the Christian message and the years in evangelical missions, we “Egyptian gold.” All too often we have Christian mission. Because they did not have been so fascinated by the power of the social sciences that disregarded questions having to do with go far enough, noteworthy attempts to we are in danger of leaving our the purity of that “gold” as well as related biblical foundations, and, in the process, of losing the heart and questions having to do with the extent of soul of mission. We need to our reliance on it. Warnings that we have We who are return to the Scriptures to lay the developed a form of “de-theologized mis- foundations for a theology of mis- theologically sions for the next century.11 siology” have gone unheeded in many conservative circles.9 conservative have Also listen to the advice of a theolo- A generation ago the Church Growth become overly gian who in the past was committed to the School was greatly indebted to the find- enamored with construction of new theologies but who ings of sociologists and social anthropolo- now courteously but courageously gists especially. But, at the same time, its the glitter of exposes contemporary infatuations with early proponents were profoundly aware “Egyptian gold.” the golden calves of modernity and post- of the need for integrating those findings modernity—Thomas C. Oden. In a mono- with a biblical theology of mission. Vari- All too often we graph pertinently entitled “On Not Whor- ous attempts were made by Alan Tippett have disregarded ing After the Spirit of the Age,” he pro- and others of the Church Growth School questions having poses that we prepare for the new to fill this lacuna. Over the years, McGav- millennium by undertaking three tasks. ran himself became increasingly impatient to do with the First, he counsels us to study the bib- with any kind of mission that denigrated purity of “true lical text itself in preference to its modern Scripture and “Great Commission mis- interpreters. Second, he urges that we sion.” In more recent times, however, gold.” commit ourselves to contributing no new church growth studies and strategies have theology. Third, he challenges us to reac- become almost totally preoccupied with regain biblical authority in the twentieth quaint ourselves with the Christian con- what classical rhetoricians thought of as century have been only partially success- sensus of the first millennium. 12 the “audience,” now seen as the “market.” ful. Attempts to bridge the gap that separ- Listen also to a former student of ated Christ from Scripture and both Christ Bultmann, Gogarten, Fuchs and Ebeling Mission in the and Scripture from sinful man have not who subsequently became honorary pro- New Millennium carried the day. Very recent approaches fessor of New Testament at Philipps Uni- It appears that, for over a century, will prove similarly deficient. It will not versity—Marburg-Eta Linnemann. Con- Protestant missiologists of the various the- be enough to get back to the Bible— verted to Christ and called of the Lord to ological persuasions have labored almost almost.”10 Without a completely authori- teach in the Bible college in Malang, too diligently under “Egyptian taskmas- tative Bible, conciliars and liberals will Indonesia, Linnemann now says that his- ters.” Many if not most of us have increasingly find themselves in the com- torical criticism is based on the underly- become almost too acculturated to an pany of non-Christian religionists who ing scientific principle ut si Deus non “Egyptian mindset” and overly given to nevertheless claim a relationship with the daretur (“as if there were no God”). She the accumulation and utilization of One God called by whatever name. says that this has meant that “Statements “Egyptian gold.” I confess to being impli- But here we address ourselves pri- in Scripture regarding place, time, cated in the process. Now I would sound marily to conservative evangelicals and sequence of events, and persons are an alarm as we prepare for a new millen- pentecostals. How, then, should we pro- accepted only insofar as they fit in with nium with its potential for entering the ceed? We would do well to listen to some established assumptions and theories. Sci- “Promised Land” of an evangelized of our colleagues who have recently entific principle has come to have the world. addressed themselves to this question. status of an idol.”13 The question is, “How then should We need to listen to the cautions of a Concerning future Christian endeav- we proceed?” Changing direction will be missiologist whose expertise in anthropol- ors, Linnemann is persuaded that two

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principles stand out as being fundamental ways that are but slightly less restrained, Endnotes: to those endeavors. First, the sciences that is precisely what Hiebert and Carson 1. Actually, various manuscripts edited should be recognized as basically anti- are also proposing. David Wells sums it about that time combine to form the Christian even though they yield helpful basis of our modern texts. But, espe- up succinctly when he writes, “Two dec- cially from a missionary point of view, information at times. Second, the Word of ades ago the debate was over the nature of the Septuagint Greek Old Testament dat- God should be recognized as sufficient Scripture, today it should be over its func- ing to c. 275-250 B.C. ranks as the most important. It was widely distributed, was for the work of God and as requiring no 17 tion.” the Bible of the early Christians, and supplementation from sociology, psychol- became the Bible of the Dispersion. ogy, educational theory or human experi- Conclusion 2. This prophecy entails a strange irony. ence!14 Namely, that among those who behold In a significant way, the future of the martyrdom of the two witnesses will Finally, we need to listen to the be representatives of the world’s peo- mission depends upon what conservatives exhortation of another New Testament ples, tribes, tongues and nations (the scholar whose commitment to both sacred make, not only of the authority, but also rubrics used to categorize the redeemed Scripture and Christian mission is well of the function of Scripture. Christian host in that oft-quoted missionary pas- sage in Revelation 5:9). known to most of us—Donald A. Carson. mission must be undergirded with biblical 3. Augustine, The Confessions of Saint He responds to the current state of affairs authority but it must be guided by biblical Augustine, (trans. Edward B. Pussy; NY: and to the challenge of the future in a way theology. The most hopeful future for Collier Books, 1961) 38. 4. Ibid. 40. missions and missiology depends on the that leaves little doubt as to his take on 5. Cf. James J. Murphy, “Augustine and the both the urgency of the problem before us “re-missionizing of theology” on the one Debate About a Christian Rhetoric,” and the nature of its resolution. He writes, hand, and the “re-theologizing of missio- Quarterly Journal of Speech 46 (Decem- ber 1960) 408. ...the Bible as a whole document logy” on the other. To accomplish this, a 6. Eta Linnemann, Historical Criticism of tells a story, and, properly used, largely new kind of dialogue and syner- the Bible: Methodology or Ideology?, that story can serve as a meta- gism will be required. Theologians will (trans. Robert W. Yarbrough, Grand narrative that shapes our grasp Rapids: Baker Book House, 1990) 55. of the entire Christian faith. In need to fight off the infection of an Aris- 7. Ibid. 42-43. my view it is increasingly impor- totelianism imported from Egypt centuries 8. The author has made an effort to discover tant to spell this out to Christians and to non-Christians alike-—to ago; devote less time and effort to the the extent of social science influence on missiology over the period of about two Christians, to ground them in erection of theological systems; and, Scripture, and to non-Christians, decades from the later 1960s to the late as part of our proclamation of together with missiologists, give more 1980s (Cf. Today’s Choices for Tomor- the gospel. The ignorance of attention to the kind of biblical theology row’Mission: An Evangelical Perspec- basic Scripture is so disturbing in tive on Trends and Issues in Mission. our day that Christian preaching that will arrest the minds and change the Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing that does not seek to remedy the hearts of people of various religions and House, 1988) :139-140. In part the study lack is simply irresponsible.15 18 provided the basis for the writing of a cultures. Missiologists will have to book on directions open to missions in Then, with mission and evangelism struggle against a pragmatism that is the years remaining to the twentieth cen- specifically in view, Carson goes on to overly devoted to ingenious ways of tury. It consisted of a modified content analysis of representative mission publi- give us the solution, employing “Egyptian gold” and puts too cations during that period. One aspect of Evangelism might wisely become, much stock on the often ephemeral results the study entailed an analysis of 444 increasingly, a subset of biblical of alchemized strategies; and they will book reviews that appeared in Missio- theology... As I use the expres- logy between 1973 and 1986. (Missio- sion, biblical theology refers to have to labor alongside theologians in an logy is the official publication of Ameri- the theology of the biblical cor- effort to understand correctly and handle can Society of Missiology—an pora as God progressively dis- rightly the Holy Spirit-inspired Scripture. organization founded in the early 1970s closes himself, climaxing in the and composed of Roman Catholics, Con- coming of his Son Jesus Christ, Together, all alike will need to ponder and consummating in the new ciliar Protestants and Conservative heaven and the new earth. In again and again the contemporary rele- Evangelicals/Pentecostals). This analysis other words, sequence, history, vance of Paul’s admonition to first- revealed that the number of books focus- the passage of time—these are ing primarily on social science materials foundational to biblical theol- century citizens of both Caesar’s Rome was 79 (or 17.8 per cent of the total). ogy.16 and Christ’s Kingdom: “Adapt yourselves The number focusing on theological no longer to the pattern of this present concerns (i.e., theology and mission, and Readers will note that the two schol- theology of mission) was only slightly ars who themselves have been caught up world, but let your minds be remade and more—89 (20 per cent). The Missiology in higher criticism and new theologizing, your whole nature thus transformed. Then book review study was augmented by a you will be able to discern the will of modified content analysis of over two Oden and Linnemann, are the most radi- decades (from 1966 to 1988) of major cal not only in defending Scripture but in God, and to know what is good, accepta- articles in the International Review of urging its proper use. Indeed, though in ble and perfect” (Rom. 12:2 NEB.). Missions and the Evangelical Missions

International Journal of Frontier Missions 197 David J. Hesselgrave

Quarterly. The former is more ecumeni- arship that theological understandings of 14. Ibid. 156-157. cally oriented; the latter is a joint publi- mission are fluid and changing. They 15. Donald A. Carson, The Gagging of God cation of the Evangelical on the contri- are, therefore, in need of constant review (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996) 84. butions of the social sciences whereas and revision. At the same time, theologi- 16. Ibid. 502. over four times as many (38 or 6.3 per cal discussions in the EMQ have tended 17. David F. Wells, God in the Wasteland cent) of 604 articles in the EMQ had to be less frequent and more superficial. that as a primary focus. On the other This likely grows out of the fact that con- (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1994) 212. hand, 45 (10.6 per cent) of the 604 arti- servatives have more or less assumed 18. Cf. Hiebert, Paul. cit. 203, fn. 8 and cles in the EMQ focused on theological theological orthodoxy on the one hand, Thomas Finger, Christian Theology: An concerns while almost three times that and have seldom subjected secular-based Eschatological Approach (Scottsdale, number (145 or 15.3 per cent) of the 949 innovations to serious biblical evaluation PA: Herald Press, 1985). IRM articles had that focus. To better on the other. appreciate the significant of this statisti- 9. Cf. Edward Rommen, “The De- cal data it would be necessary to set theologization of Missiology,” Trinity them in the context of all the categories World Forum No. 19 (Fall, 1993). Dr. David involved. Also a more extensive content 10. Cf. Roger Olson, “Back to the Bible-- Photo Hesselgrave analysis would have to be made in order almost,” Christianity Today, May 20, here served as to ascertain more accurately the impact 1996, 31-34. of missionary to of secular studies and disciplines on the 11. Paul G. Hiebert, “The Social Sciences David writers and writings of the books and and Missions: Applying the Message” in Hesselgrave Japan for twelve journals that were under study. On the Edward Rommen and Gary Corwin, eds. years. He is basis of the study in question all that one 184-210 Missiology and the Social Sci- could confidently conclude is that, quan- ences, Evangelical Missiological Society professor emeritus titatively at least, missiological inquiries Series, Number 4, (Pasadena: William of the School of World Mission at of recent times reveal that almost as Carey Library, 1996) 203. Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. much attention has been given to pro- 12. Thomas C. Oden, “On Not Whoring fane studies and disciplines as has been After the Spirit of the Age” in Os Guin- This article was first published in devoted to strictly theological ones. ness and John Seel, eds., No God But the Journal of Evangelical Theological Also, that more attention has been given God: Breaking with the Idols of Our Age to theological subjects in the ecumeni- (Chicago: Moody Press, 1992) 189-204. Studies (Vol. 42, No. 4). Used with cally oriented IRM than in the evangeli- 13. Eta Linnemann, Historical Criticism of permission. cal-oriented EMQ. My own reading of the Bible: Methodology or Ideology?, this is that higher critical studies have so (trans. Robert W. Yarbrough, Grand impacted conciliar missiological schol- Rapids: Baker Book House, 1990) 84.

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