Missions and World Christianity Commons^™

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, 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, 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 …

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."

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, 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 …

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 …

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 …

Saving People From The Fiery Pits Of Hell? A Review Of “The Very Worst Missionary”, Melanie Springer Mock

Faculty Publications - Department of English

Excerpt: "As a Christian college student several decades ago, I knew without a doubt that the holiest, most sanctified majors on campus where those preparing their graduates for overseas missions. This probably explains the small twinges of guilt I felt when others gushed about their longing to serve God on the mission field. Nothing about that vocation seemed appealing to me, nor did the yearly short-term missions trips the college hosted, when vanloads of students travelled to Mexico or flew to other far-away locales to offer children a week of Vacation Bible School, or to build an outdoor baño."

Forgive, Forget Or Feign: Everyday Diplomacy In Local Communities Of Polish Subcarpathia, Iuliia Buyskykh

Journal of Global Catholicism

The paper is based on my ethnographic fieldwork in Przemyśl, Poland and several surrounding villages in 2015-2017. While conducting my research on a set of religious practices and pilgrimages in confessionally and ethnically mixed localities, I faced many challenges that changed the main course of my initial research plan. During my interaction with people here themes came to light that seemed little related to religiousness. My status as a researcher from Ukraine and even more so, my being a young single woman from Ukraine, gave rise to a number of other topics that my interlocutors, both of Polish and Ukrainian …

Missio Dei Determines Missiones Ecclesia : A Study On The Missional Theology And Practice Among Ipc Churches In Kottayam, Kerala, India, Thomas Thoppil Varghese

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Preaching With Cultural Intelligence: Understanding The People Who Hear Our Sermons, Rodney A. Palmer

Faculty Publications

"Kim does a masterful job at demonstrating how, through a careful exegesis of Scripture, culture, and one’s self, the preacher will deliver more effective sermons that will reach the hearts of both the giraffes (the insiders) and the elephants (the others) within the congregation. Preaching with cultural intelligence is worth it!"

Damascus Road Or Emmaus Road?: Conversion, Nurtutre Or Both?, Edyta Jankiewicz

Faculty Publications

As outlined previously, the Scriptures appear to portray a tension between, on the one hand, the need for adults to nurture the faith of children and, on the other hand, the need for the new birth of conversion. Thus, while adults are encouraged to create an environment that facilitates optimal spiritual development, the Scriptures do not suggest that optimal spiritual nurture negates the need for conversion. However, while the Scriptures provide counsel on the how of spiritual nurture, they do not address the subject of how those who are nurtured in faith experience conversion. Thus, Adventist understandings of children’s faith …

Wrap-Up Report, Wonsuk Ma

Empowered21 Global Network of Spirit-Empowered Scholars

No abstract provided.

The Church As A Eucharistic And Prophetic Community In India: A Theological Exploration Into The Challenges And Implications Of A Eucharistic Ecclesiology Based On The Early Church And The Statements Of The Indian Theological Association (Ita), Shibi Devasia

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Theological trends change from time to time to make the faith more meaningful and relevant to the contemporary context. To an extent, the Second Vatican Council, by its commitment to two concepts, “ressourcement” and “aggiornamento,” succeeded in this mission in the last century. The communion ecclesiology of the Council, which has its foundation in the sacrament of Eucharist, shows that the centrality of the Eucharist in the Church cannot be overlooked, because the ecclesial body of the Church is built up by the Eucharistic body of Christ. Any Eucharist-centered ecclesiology is prophetic and eschatological by nature. The “Eucharistic” and …

Postwar Churches Of Christ Mission Work: The Philippines As A Case Study, Brady Kal Cox

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There was a large increase in the number of Churches of Christ missionaries and missionary efforts following World War II (WWII). There were also significant changes and developments in American religious culture following WWII—Churches of Christ were not exempt from these changes. This study examines the question of how postwar developments in American religion influenced missionary efforts of American Churches of Christ by looking at examples of American missionaries in the Philippines.

The study relies heavily on primary sources, including letters and news reports from archival collections, Churches of Christ periodicals, and email correspondence with people familiar with the main …

From Busy Bags To Building Bridges: An Investigation In How The Intentional Engagement Of Children In Worship Can Assist Cultural Inclusivity, Billie Jo Wicks

Children, Youth, and Family (CYF) Papers

No abstract provided.

Refugees

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

No abstract provided.

Calvin Theological Seminary Forum: Summer 2018, Matthew J. Tunninga, Jeffery A. D. Weima, Lyle D. Bierma, Bruce Buursma

Calvin Theological Seminary Forum (2002- )

3 - On the Potter's Wheel by President Jul Medenblik
4 - The Grace of Discipline by Matthew J. Tunninga
8 - Dare to Discipline! by Jeffery A. D. Weima
12 - Practicing Church Discipline: Wisdom from the Field by Jul Medenbik + Sarah Schereiber
15 - What's New @ Calvin Seminary
16 - Phd Program Celeberates Silver Anniversary by Lyle Bierma
18 - Retirement Profile: Michael Williams by Bruce Buursma
20 - Distinguished Missionaries
22 - Distinguished Alumni
26 - Recent Faculty Publications + New Faces

Clericalism: Advancing The Theological Basis For Vatican Ii's Call For An Active Laity, William Orbih

Obsculta

It is the purpose of this paper to echo the Second Vatican Council’s call for a more active laity by, on the one hand, drawing atten-tion to the theological basis of this call (baptism), and, on the other hand, identifying and denouncing clericalism as the biggest obstacle to a more active laity in the church.

Amazonian Reform, Alyssa Maty

Obsculta

This paper intends to show how Pope Francis’ ecclesiology and environmental consciousness are intimately related. Pope Francis calls on the church as a community to come together to preserve important environments like the Amazon rainforest from human devastation. This communal call is similar to how Pope Francis uniquely calls on the local church to be involved in general ecclesial matters.

Spiritual Transformation At Austin Christian Church, David Hooper

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

This project was designed to meet a need at the Austin Christian Church (ACC) for enhancing the spiritual formation of new converts to Christianity by providing clear direction for mentors seeking to disciple others into the image of Christ. The scope of this project is focused directly on taking the first steps toward a deliberate pathway for spiritual formation by establishing the foundational principles. The apostle Paul’s pastoral theology provides the theological rationale for the project. Theosis, the theologically rich description of the Christian transformative process, also informs the theological foundation for the project. Drawing on the work of Richard …

Schoentube's "Gospel In Transformation: Rethinking Of Goessner’S Insights, Lutheran Heritage In Relation To Mission" (Book Review), Gary R. Averill

The Christian Librarian

No abstract provided.

Role Of The Church In Reaching Next Generation : Envisioning Bangalore Churches On The Significance Of Childen's Ministry In North India : To Maximize Their Support, Johnvesly Pethudu Muniappa

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Jesus For Jews : Comparing C&Ma Perspectives, Harry B. Stephenson

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Orthodoxy And The Great Commission In The South Georgia Conference Of The United Methodist Church, Lee Edward Pettis

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Biblical Community : Moving From Multicultural Congregation To An Intimate Spiritual Family, Anand Varghese Abraham

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Role Of The Church In Restorative Justice : Sex Trafficking Of Children And Young Girls In Karnataka, Roopa Anand

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Anglican Church Planting Essentials For The 21st Century : A Study In Acts 2, Anglicanism, And British Missionary History, Kris Mcdaniel

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Progressing From Corruption To Fidelity : An Exploration Of Church-Initiated Agentry In Nigerian Society, Babatunde Oladimeji

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.