Jonah: A Preacher God Wanted To Save—A City God Wanted To Reach,
2018
Andrews University
Jonah: A Preacher God Wanted To Save—A City God Wanted To Reach, Ranko Stefanovic
Faculty Publications
"The book of Jonah records one of the most provocative stories in the Bible. It contrasts God’s and humans’ attitudes toward sinners.1 It is a story of God’s love and compassion that stands in contrast to human indifference, condemnation, and bigotry toward wayward sinners who are in need of salvation. Its primary purpose was to teach Israel that God’s love is for all people, not just for Israel. The book is also for God’s people throughout history who find it hard to accept the truth that no person is out of the reach of God’s love and salvation."
Reaching Millennial Generations,
2018
Andrews University
Reaching Millennial Generations, Samantha Angeles
Lake Union Herald
No abstract provided.
Mission Research,
2018
Andrews University
Jesus As Mwalimu: Christology And The Gospel Of Matthew,
2018
Harding University
Jesus As Mwalimu: Christology And The Gospel Of Matthew, Alan Howell, Robert Andrew Montgomery
Faculty Research and Publications
No abstract provided.
Editorial,
2018
Andrews University
Editorial, Bruce L. Bauer
Journal of Adventist Mission Studies
"This issue of the Journal of Adventist Mission Studies focuses on case studies of various attempts to communicate God’s message in understandable ways in a variety of cultural settings. One of the challenges facing the Seventh-day Adventist Church is that since it was founded and grew out of a North American environment most church practices, ceremonies, art, architecture, methods for presenting the gospel, appropriate dress, and many other areas of Adventist life are dominated by the American way of doing things."
Thai Contextualized Art,
2018
Global Mission Center For East Asian Religions
Thai Contextualized Art, Gregory P. Whitsett, Amy Whitsett
Journal of Adventist Mission Studies
"In the 1980s, a set of four murals depicting four specific and unique Adventist teachings and beliefs was commissioned by Pastor Clifton Maberly who was serving as a missionary in Thailand. His goal was to have these events depicted in a medium familiar to local Thai buddhists so they could wrestle with the new concepts without being distracted by Western art styles. His hope was that if Jesus, Satan and the angels could be depicted using characters similar to those already familiar to the Thai, the viewer would be better able to focus on and understand the truth portrayed in …
Jewelry In Hinduism: A Mission Challenge,
2018
Andrews University
Jewelry In Hinduism: A Mission Challenge, J. L. Samir
Journal of Adventist Mission Studies
"The issue of adornment and jewelry is a point of contention between Western and Eastern Christians. When Hindus accept Jesus Christ, they are expected to dispose of all adornment and jewelry before becoming members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. To Hindus, this is one of the confirmations that the Seventh-day Adventist Church is an agent of Western culture trying to replace their Eastern values and way of life. The Adventist position on adornment and jewelry is a challenge to many Hindus because of the different cultural ideals and meanings behind adornment within the South Asian context."
Critical Contextualization: A Case Study Of Lobi Funeral Rites In Burkina Faso,
2018
Andrews University
Critical Contextualization: A Case Study Of Lobi Funeral Rites In Burkina Faso, Boubakar Sanou
Journal of Adventist Mission Studies
"It is very difficult to be relevant in our Christian witness if we do not know and address the issues with which the people we are trying to reach are wrestling. For the gospel to meaningfully engage recipients with the purpose of transforming their worldviews, Christian witnesses must always encode the biblical message in such a way that its content remains faithful to biblical principles but also makes sense to its receptors in terms of its relevance. Such new experiences often challenge them in their social location. The rationale for this is that because the gospel is always received from …
Can I Get An “Amen”? Affirming The Contemporary Ghanaian Usage Of Amen,
2018
SPARK International Missions
Can I Get An “Amen”? Affirming The Contemporary Ghanaian Usage Of Amen, Agana-Nsiire Agana
Journal of Adventist Mission Studies
"Altogether then, the claim that amen as used in the instances we have discussed is inappropriate is found to lack firm biblical or etymological foundation. Neither does the suggestion that if it is a vestige of African worship culture then that provides a reasonable ground for thus condemning it. While it is recognized that amen is often babbled from mental laxity, it is suggested that the problem lies not in amen, as a word, but in the person, as a worshipper. Amen is a rich word, capable of communicating a spectrum of positive human intellectual and emotional responses to worship; …
African Christian Leadership: Realities, Opportunities, And Impact,
2018
Andrews University
African Christian Leadership: Realities, Opportunities, And Impact, David K. Penno
Journal of Adventist Mission Studies
"African Christian Leadership is a well-organized, well-written report on some very significant research about leaders and the practice of leadership in the African church. The methodology allowed the researcher to hear from a broad spectrum of African Christians. One criticism of the study could be that a sample of church leaders and members in majority Muslim countries of North Africa were not included in the study, but this might be understandable due to the already vast scope of the project. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in leadership in the Christian context, and especially as practiced …
Case Study: How The Apostle John Contextualized,
2018
Loma Linda University
Case Study: How The Apostle John Contextualized, Jon Paulien
Journal of Adventist Mission Studies
"Three aspects of the Prologue and its background in the Gospel of John make it clear that in the Bible God meets people where they are. He inspires ordinary human beings to write in the language, culture, and concepts that would be familiar to their original readers. First, John made use, for example, of an early Christian hymn to express his exalted insights into the nature and character of Jesus Christ. Second, he also structured the Prologue in ways that would make logical sense to a Jewish reader. Third, he gave Jesus a title (the Word) that was far better …
Bulugo Vine Story: Redemptive Analogy Case Study,
2018
Adventist Frontier Missions
Bulugo Vine Story: Redemptive Analogy Case Study, John Holbrook
Journal of Adventist Mission Studies
"Shaw indicates that rather than contextualizing the missionary’s perception of Christianity to make it understandable within the local people’s culture, the missionary should facilitate the people themselves discovering God from within their own cultural context ... In my own mission experience, I have found this approach to be valid and preferable, once there are local believers, and as God begins to develop leaders from among them. At times, cultural dynamics or God’s preparation of an unreached people group allow them to discover God without a great deal of intervention on the missionary’s part. However, in the beginning stages, it is …
Sinolization Of Christianity: Increasing Gospel Relevance Or Distorting The Gospel Message?,
2018
Andrews University
Sinolization Of Christianity: Increasing Gospel Relevance Or Distorting The Gospel Message?, L. Asher
Journal of Adventist Mission Studies
"This study aims to address the concept of the Sinolization of Christianity in light of cultural studies, biblical principles, and the Great Controversy perspective. It will then set forth some ideas on how it could affect the communication of the gospel in the Chinese context. It will attempt to see if Sinolization makes the gospel more relevant or further distorts the Christian message through the lens of the Chinese culture. The answers to these questions should help Chinese Christians, and especially Adventists, better understand their mission in China."
The Reality And The Apparent: Worldviews And Missiological Strategies,
2018
Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies
The Reality And The Apparent: Worldviews And Missiological Strategies, Cristian Dumitrescu, Hatsarmaveth Venkaya
Journal of Adventist Mission Studies
"Worldview is an abstract concept used for identifying a set of assumptions people use to organize their view of reality. Conceptualizing worldview is a challenging task. Nobody has seen a worldview, but everybody has one. A worldview informs a person’s interpretation of reality, their cosmology, and determines their actions and reactions. Charles Kraft (1988) considers worldview as the “center control box” of a person’s life and communal culture. Most assumptions reflect one’s unverified beliefs and answers to fundamental questions, such as who they are and who others are, how people should relate to each other, what causes things to happen, …
Reaching Thai Buddhists And Those With A Background In Thai Buddhist Beliefs,
2018
Asia-Pacific International University
Reaching Thai Buddhists And Those With A Background In Thai Buddhist Beliefs, Warren A. Shipton, Jared Wright, Tonya Wright, Nilubon Srisai
Journal of Adventist Mission Studies
"One of the greatest challenges for those working across cultures is to understand the unique features of the host culture and the dominant religious beliefs and practices found in the society represented. If this is to be done acceptably, the written and spoken language must be mastered and personal friendships formed with community members. Much damage has been done by Western missionaries arriving with preconceived ideas on evangelism taken from their home country and with an attitude of being holders of superior knowledge in many areas of thought beyond that held by the host culture. Catholic missionary activity has been …
Hmong Statement Of Belief: A Case Study,
2018
Andrews University
Hmong Statement Of Belief: A Case Study, Jon L. Dybdahl
Journal of Adventist Mission Studies
"This case study exploring the Hmong statement of belief is more than just a story. Embedded and implied in it are certain key missiological principles which should be considered any time a particular belief statement is framed. Specifically, it assumes that the gospel must be presented in ways that are culturally relevant. Responsible communicators must adapt their message so that it can communicate the gospel to their intended audience with clarity and power. A missionary must prayerfully consider both how the truths of Scripture can be best articulated in a new cultural context, as well as just what truths ought …
Contextualization Of An Indian Christian Marriage: A Case Study,
2018
University of the Southern Caribbean
Contextualization Of An Indian Christian Marriage: A Case Study, Chanchal Gayen
Journal of Adventist Mission Studies
"In this case study the Pheras ceremony was reinterpreted, but many of the cultural elements were retained. Biblical meanings were substituted for the cultural meanings that went against the teachings of Scripture. When doing this type of contextualization it is important to constantly pour Christian meanings into the cultural practice. Good biblical teaching is the antidote to syncretism, a danger that is always present while doing contextualization. The local people appreciated the fact that the wedding ceremony incorporated local cultural elements that were important to them. This approach also communicated the idea that Christianity is not a Western religion, but …
Christian Versus Heathen Ways Of Praying: A Look From The Age Of Postmodernity,
2018
Zaoksky Adventist University
Christian Versus Heathen Ways Of Praying: A Look From The Age Of Postmodernity, Yuri N. Drumi
Journal of Adventist Mission Studies
"In many respects, postmodernity resembles paganism, but certainly it does not totally overlap with it. People around us are searching, but they do not search for answers and explanations as much as they are searching for people who are living answers. If prayer is a metanarrative, then my life must be a metanarrative too. In this context, I find helpful the analogy drawn by Crossan between Paul’s metaphor of spiritual maturation and that of an individual Christian growing in prayer. Paul says, “When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as …
Critical Contextualization: Case Studies From Cambodia,
2018
Andrews University
Critical Contextualization: Case Studies From Cambodia, Bruce L. Bauer
Journal of Adventist Mission Studies
"Those of us involved in world mission must be at the forefront to encourage local people to develop local expressions of their faith. When I hear people rejoice about the fact that regardless of where they travel in the world the Sabbath school and church service order of worship, the songs sung, and the way of doing church is the same, I do not rejoice, I groan. For that means that the foreign visitor is comfortable, but how about the local people? Are they comfortable with the often foreignness of Adventist worship? We can and must do better to allow …
Japanese Baptismal Vows,
2018
Andrews University
Japanese Baptismal Vows, Bruce L. Bauer
Journal of Adventist Mission Studies
"Initiation ceremonies are important in most cultures; however, they need to be carried out in culturally sensitive ways. The changes suggested above did not change in any way the purpose or content of the baptismal day. The only thing that was changed was a strong emphasis on groupness. The missiological implication from this case study is that one size does not fit all situations. There is more than one way to do most church ceremonies, so church leaders need to be encouraged to rethink what they do and do everything in culturally sensitive ways."
