DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY A critical dialogue between the missiology of Lesslie Newbigin and the emerging understanding of mission with the Prebyterian Church in Ireland McDowell, Peter Award date: 2015 Awarding institution: Queen's University Belfast Link to publication Terms of use All those accessing thesis content in Queen’s University Belfast Research Portal are subject to the following terms and conditions of use • Copyright is subject to the Copyright, Designs and Patent Act 1988, or as modified by any successor legislation • Copyright and moral rights for thesis content are retained by the author and/or other copyright owners • A copy of a thesis may be downloaded for personal non-commercial research/study without the need for permission or charge • Distribution or reproduction of thesis content in any format is not permitted without the permission of the copyright holder • When citing this work, full bibliographic details should be supplied, including the author, title, awarding institution and date of thesis Take down policy A thesis can be removed from the Research Portal if there has been a breach of copyright, or a similarly robust reason. 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Sep. 2021 A critical dialogue between the missiology of Lesslie Newbigin and the emerging understanding of mission within the Presbyterian Church in Ireland by Peter George McDowell, BEng, BD A Dissertation Submitted to the Queen’s University of Belfast, Institute of Theology in Candidacy for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy August 2014 Table of Contents List of Abbreviations..............................................................................................................4 1. Introduction.........................................................................................................................5 1.1. Introduction to the Research........................................................................................5 1.2. Research Procedure and Thesis Structure....................................................................8 1.3. Methodology for Researching the Emerging View of Mission in PCI.......................10 1.4. Originality, Scope and Limits of the Research...........................................................17 1.5. The Relationship Between the Researcher and the Research.....................................18 2. The Emerging Understanding of Mission in PCI...............................................................20 2.1. The Presbyterian Church in Ireland...........................................................................20 2.2. The Coleraine Assembly............................................................................................24 2.3. The PCI Mission Statement.......................................................................................27 2.4. The Priorities and Central Structures of PCI (1995-2003).........................................28 2.5. Strategy for Mission (1986-2000)..............................................................................30 2.6. The Board of Mission in Ireland (2001-2009)...........................................................35 2.7. The Board of Mission Overseas (1990-2009)............................................................39 2.8. The Board of Social Witness (1990-2009).................................................................45 2.9. The Board of Youth and Children (1990-2009).........................................................49 3. Newbigin and the Emerging Post-Christendom Context...................................................52 3.1. Introduction...............................................................................................................52 3.2. Lesslie Newbigin.......................................................................................................54 3.3. The Manner of Newbigin’s Missiological Thinking..................................................55 3.4. The Relationship Between Gospel, Church and Culture............................................73 4. Newbigin and the Church in Mission..............................................................................101 4.1. The Need for a New Ecclesiology...........................................................................101 4.2. The Church in Mission...........................................................................................125 5. Newbigin as Mentor to PCI in Emerging Post-Christendom Context..............................149 5.1. The Manner of PCI’s Theological Thinking............................................................149 5.2. Dialogue With Newbigin on the Manner of Theological Thinking..........................156 5.3. PCI and the Relationship between Gospel, Church and Culture..............................164 5.4. Dialogue With Newbigin on Cultural Plurality and the End of Christendom..........173 5.5. Conclusion...............................................................................................................186 6. Newbigin as Mentor to PCI as a Church in Mission........................................................188 6.1. PCI as a church in mission......................................................................................188 6.2. Dialogue with Newbigin on the Church in Mission.................................................221 6.3. Conclusion...............................................................................................................240 7. Conclusion.......................................................................................................................241 7.1. PCI in Transitional Uncertainty...............................................................................241 7.2. Theological Resources for Living in Transitional Uncertainty................................243 7.3. Some Practical Suggestions.....................................................................................254 7.4. Further Research......................................................................................................262 Appendices.........................................................................................................................263 The Coleraine Declaration.............................................................................................264 The PCI Mission Statement...........................................................................................271 The PCI Peace Vocation................................................................................................273 An Understanding of Mission for the Presbyterian Church in Ireland...........................275 Informed consent form for interviewees........................................................................278 Interview Questions.......................................................................................................280 8. Bibliography....................................................................................................................282 Acknowledgements To Åsa, my wife, and Hannah and Daniel, my children, who have encouraged, supported and believed with patience, humour and grace. To Drew, my supervisor, who has advised, guided and directed, with knowledge, wisdom and insight. List of Abbreviations APP Additional Pastoral Personnel – a term used within PCI for non-ordained employees working in a variety of roles in congregations BMI Board of Mission in Ireland (of PCI) BMO Board of Mission Overseas (of PCI) BSW Board of Social Witness (of PCI) CSI Church of South India IMC International Missionary Council NRC Netherlands Reformed Church PCI The Presbyterian Church in Ireland PC(USA) The Presbyterian Church USA PWA/PW Presbyterian Women’s Association, renamed Presbyterian Women in 2008 PYP Preparing Youth for Peace – a project of PCI’s Youth Board. The name was changed in 2005 to Preparing Youth to be Peacemakers WCC World Council of Churches YAC Youth and Children’s Board (of PCI) Section 1 Page 5 of 295 1. Introduction 1.1. Introduction to the Research The Presbyterian Church in Ireland (PCI) is the largest Protestant denomination in Northern Ireland, and the second largest in the whole island of Ireland.1 In recent years the churches in Ireland have encountered many of the same challenges faced by churches in Western Europe. These challenges include societal changes, variously referred to as post-modernity or post-Christendom, and falling numbers. These challenges have elicited various responses within PCI. This research project seeks to examine these responses between 1990 and 2009, and then to provide a critical response drawing upon the missiology of Lesslie Newbigin. 1990 was the 150th anniversary of the formation of PCI, and was marked by a Special Assembly in Coleraine. This marked the beginning of a process in which mission began to