Theological education is in crisis having lost an important dimension with its main focus on quality academics often abstracted from real life. This study aimed to propose that the formation of spirituality is fundamental to theological education and that theological education should be a holistic formation. The setting of this study is re-imaging theological education in the Dutch Reformed Church, a denomination in the process of missional transformation, but it is also applicable to theological education in general. This study focused (...) on the relation between theology and spirituality, the significance of missional spirituality in theological education and a probable model for the formation of a missional spirituality. The study found that theology and spirituality are interdependent, and theological education should thus focus on all the different areas of learning and formation, that is, minimum knowledge base, pass-on-able habits and skills, and attitudes and beliefs. Theological education should ultimately cultivate a missional spirituality, forming missional leaders for the church. Leaders who are equipped are able to equip others for God's mission. Theological education is not about obtaining a degree but in essence a process of formation and transformation. Wright asks: if the gospel is not transforming you, will it transform anything else? Transformation to be able to transform - a missional metanoia. CONTRIBUTION: This study provides a probable model for holistic theological education and the formation of a missional spirituality. (shrink)

The COVID-19 challenge is unprecedented. It has caused enormous trauma, disrupted economies, social life, mass transportation, work and employment, supply chains, leisure, sport, international relations, academic programmes; literally everything. Churches and religious communities have not been spared; they have been severely affected and, in all likelihood, permanently transformed by the pandemic. The pre-COVID-19 world is gone, replaced by a ‘new normal’. The new landscape calls for both resilience and adaptation, embracing new ways of doing things and of being church. Churches (...) have to adapt; they have to ask themselves questions about the implications for being church in this ‘new normal’ context. This article aims to explore the impact of the coronavirus on the mission and theology of the church. (shrink)

‘Intercultural Theology’ began in the 1970’s as a way of expressing theological mutuality and equality between cultures. Since then, the word ‘intercultural’ has gained currency in a number of fields, secular and religious. This article explores the possibilities of speaking of mission as ‘intercultural’ rather than ‘cross-cultural’ as a way of expressing the cultural engagement that is more appropriate to a postmodern world. The inadequacies of the cross-cultural approach, with its roots in modernity, are examined in the light of the (...) complexity and diversity of cultural identities today. Intercultural mission in contrast is relational, mutual, dialogical, open-ended, and creates space within which God’s missio dei can be experienced. Two examples are offered of intercultural mission in practice. It is suggested that this resonates with Bosch’s proposal for a new paradigm for mission in a postmodern context. (shrink)

Christianity has recently undergone historic demographic and cultural shifts: it has expanded significantly in the global south while declining in the west. In an age of World Christianity, these changes bring diversity and competition, and renewed Christian witness. The global context for the faith reveals unavoidable tensions between missional expansion and the call to be one in Christ Jesus. Amid plurality and rapid changes in identity, Christians are challenged to re-appropriate the classic marks of the church – one, holy, catholic, (...) and apostolic. Engagement with all four marks, reframed for the contemporary situation, will help to maintain the creative tension between mission and unity, to connect Christians across geography and generations, and to forge a common vision of salvation in an interconnected world. (shrink)

This article assesses the strengths and weaknesses of theological education within the evangelical, Spanish-speaking world of Latin America, using the findings of a survey in 2012 of protestant institutions in Bolivia as a case study. There is a particular focus on Pentecostals, since they form the majority of evangelicals in the continent. The study is placed in the context of historical developments, both globally and regionally, from which the involvement and influence of Western mission and models of education are critiqued. (...) The claim by some of a crisis in theological education is examined, and the challenges for the future of evangelical provision are explored. These include the need for contextualization, the importance of a close relationship between churches and seminaries, and the centrality of mission at the heart of the theological curriculum. It is argued that there should be greater interdependence based on an intercultural model of theology. It is hoped that the conclusions provide some resonances for theological education globally. (shrink)

This article explores reverse mission as practised by African Christians in Britain. The main research question is what crucial role does African identity play in African mission in Britain and how does that lead towards developing African British theology? It is argued that such a theology will help African Christians in Britain be affirmed in their cultural identity whilst at the same time reach beyond African communities in their mission engagement. African British theology is related to Black British theology in (...) that they both take the black experience seriously for theological reflection. However, African British theology is also distinct in that it seeks to understand African identity and mission in a postmodern multicultural British society. My research methods have been as an African Practical Theologian involving active participation as well participant observation. My approach has been interdisciplinary engaging the fields of practical theology, diaspora missiology, African theology and Black theology. (shrink)

The New Testament Church was born for mission and by it the gospel has reached different parts of the world today. Through the activities of the CMS, the gospel reached the shores of Nigeria and the Anglican Church of Nigeria was subsequently born. The Church in Nigeria has also employed various methods in furthering the mission of the Church. However, a critical evaluation suggests that unless the church carefully reviews its strategy, it risks abandoning NT mission for structural growth and (...) expansionism which could have negative impact on the mission it sets out to promote. As well as reflect on biblical missions we shall reflect on the development of mission work in Nigeria with appropriate references to available materials while some will also include first- hand knowledge and information with no written document. (shrink)

This article looks at theological education and missional formation in the South African context. It examines the understanding of theology and mission and connects it with theological education. It then proceeds to explore some of the essential elements that should constitute theological education in the South African context. The aim is to show that theological education in South Africa is in need of transformation.

Carl F. H. Henry has widely been acknowledged for his contributions to evangelical social concern. What has not been fully appreciated though is theological foundations that undergirded Henry’s priority model as it relates to the relationship between the church social and evangelistic mandates. For Henry, the key to both was the doctrine of revelation, and this foundation enabled Henry to uniquely argue for both integration and prioritization. As such, Henry presents a challenge to many contemporary models of evangelism and social (...) concern that set the two on an even plane by locating them within a kingdom rubric. Despite accusations that his theological method fosters information over transformation, Henry hold forth a revelation centered approach with Augustinian roots capable of guiding the contemporary church on the elusive issue of finding a biblical approach to its mission. (shrink)

This thesis investigates how children ought to be influenced with respect to religion. To answer this question, I develop a theory of cognitive curriculum content and apply it to the teaching of religious beliefs and beliefs about religions. By ‘a theory of cognitive curriculum content,’ I mean a theory that determines which truth-claims belong on the curriculum, and whether or not teachers ought to promote students’ belief of those claims. I extend this theory to help educators to decide which attitudes (...) address on the curriculum and whether or not to promote them. I then apply this to the case of religious attitudes and attitudes about religions. I argue that where having or failing to have a certain attitude makes a significant difference to students’ lives, it ought to be addressed by curricula. Where failing to have the attitude is irrational, this failure ought to be remedied; where having the attitude is irrational, that attitude ought to be discouraged; and where neither having nor failing to have the attitude is irrational, that attitude ought to be introduced and discussed without encouragement or discouragement. In so far as is practicable, educators should aim to acquaint students with arguments for and against having these attitudes and initiate them into the practice of assessing their soundness. The implications of this theory for extra-curricular influence, such as upbringing in the home, are also explored. (shrink)

In 2017, the Faculty of Theology celebrates its centenary at the University of Pretoria. Celebrating a centennial is as much as looking back as looking forward. In a changing world with changing paradigms how does one remain relevant? Different challenges and expectations presented to tertiary institutions of education in a new dispensation puts all concerned with higher education in South Africa under pressure. The question addressed in this article is how will a Faculty of Theology remain relevant to such an (...) extent that it is continued to be viewed as desirable to have such a faculty present at a university, participating in the academic process and simultaneously continues to contribute to the well-being of the South African society. The author suggests the following guidelines for consideration. In order to remain relevant for the next couple of hundred years the Faculty of Theology should engage contextually with society, practise interdisciplinary Theology, engage in interreligious dialogue while still remaining connected to faith communities. A paradigm of post-foundationalism enables Theology to exercise Theology in a relevant and meaningful manner. (shrink)

In this contribution, an overview of the distinct ways in which the interplay between knowledge, values, and beliefs took shape in the South African context since 1948 is offered. This is framed against the background of the paleontological significance of South Africa and an appreciation of indigenous knowledge systems, but also of the ideological distortion of knowledge and education during the apartheid era through the legacy of neo-Calvinism. The overview includes references to discourse on human rationality, on the use of (...) social sciences in theological reflection, on the teaching of evolution in public schools, on science and religion, and on religion and ecology. The essay concludes with a survey of some of the major voices regarding the interface between religion and science in South Africa. (shrink)

Lesslie Newbigin’s book Foolishness to the Greeks: The Gospel and Western Culture opens with an interesting observation. On the one hand, the relationship between the gospel and culture is not a new subject. One thinks, for example, of the classic study of H. Richard Niebuhr who proposed five models of the relation of Christ to culture, and of work of Paul Tillich who struggled toward, what he called, a ‘theology of culture’ . However, the majority of work has been done (...) by scholars who have not had the missionary experience of communicating the gospel to a radically foreign culture. On the other hand, the last three decades have witnessed a spate of studies on the issue of gospel and culture within the discipline of missiology under the general rubric ‘contextualization studies.’1 Missionaries have become more aware of the western captivity of the gospel and have struggled fruitfully with the issues of gospel and culture, and gospel and cultures. Yet while “it has sought to explore the problems of contextualization in all the cultures of humankind from China to Peru, it has largely ignored the culture that is the most widespread, powerful, and persuasive among all contemporary cultures — namely . . . modern Western culture” . To put Newbigin’s observation another way, the missionary experience and tradition has gained penetrating insight into the issues of gospel and culture, and gospel and cultures but this tradition has not been appropriated in mainstream western scholarship to shed light on the subject of gospel and culture, and more particularly on the relationship between the gospel and western culture. To my way of thinking, this is a great loss because the missionary experience of cross-cultural witness offers important insight into the gospel-culture relation. (shrink)

In the post-colonial era, the incarnation has become an important model for cross-cultural missionary presence. Though this model improves on Eurocentric and colonial models, it is deficient because it is unrealistic, potentially paternalistic, inappropriate in the light of globalization and post-modern understandings of culture, and because it doesn’t sufficiently respect the particularity of the incarnation of Christ. This article proposes an alternative model of the role of the cross-cultural missionary as a guest and argues that it is more appropriate on (...) precisely these counts. (shrink)

The emergence of postdenominational identities has been recognised as a significant development in approaches to mission. These contribute to a deeper form of ecumenism in the way they integrate different traditions in themselves rather than starting from a confessional or correlational outlook. They also seek to develop over time through ongoing dialogue with different traditions. This article examines one such postdenominational identity, the emerging ‘renewalist’ identity that is particularly shaped by the charismatic tradition. A renewalist approach is contrasted with the (...) ecumenical approaches of Lausanne and the World Council of Churches as represented in their latest agreed statements on mission. We also consider the next stage of renewalist development by asking how it might learn from these mission statements. This article strengthens the claim to significance of postdenominational identities and clarifies the nature of renewalist missiology. (shrink)

How does faith-based social involvement within a cultural diverse society express itself? Is the focus pure social outreach, that is, the rendering of services, or should the focus include meaningful interaction between the so called 'outreacher' and those being supported by the outreach? This article looks at the relationship between koinonia and diaconia in the creation of an intercultural space where individuals from different contexts are welcomed and supported in a mutual way. Through an interdisciplinary approach this article reflects on (...) the experience of koinonia and diaconia in the mission of the church by bringing it into an interdisciplinary conversation with Sociology. God's reign become visible if koinonia and diaconia can dance together! (shrink)

In modern times, Christian theology has increasingly become a ‘mission field’ itself because its ‘intellectual space’ has largely marginalized the missions mandate of the local church. On this conceptual mapping, the present work engages three intellectual responses of the African theological discourse to the modern missions’ crisis of the African church. Reading the writings of Bediako, Katongole, and de Gruchy as missions’ texts, the work seeks to show the paradox of missions in Africa particularly in its eternal preoccupation with issues (...) arising from missions, and yet its inability to provide practical and helpful insights for the missionaries on the African missions fields. Importantly, the article notes the dialectical distance between the ‘intellectual space’ of these Christian theologies and the actual missions practices of the African church. (shrink)

In a time of change for the church and its mission effort, important and useful questions are being asked about the cross-cultural mission movement. This article looks at challenges within and outside of the mission movement, and makes helpful critiques of the Christendom basis of Protestant mission. Areas where the movement could experience realignment are explored, such as globalisation, inter-cultural community, discipleship, and contextualisation. Cross-cultural mission is reaffirmed at the same time as difficult questions are asked.

There have recently been attempts in the academic discourse to describe what is referred to as the demise of the postmodern due to the perceived insufficiency of the latter concept to adequately express the uniqueness of the 21st-century world. The younger generation of scholars, therefore, suggest adopting a new discourse, termed ‘metamodernism’, to do justice to this transforming sensibility. Metamodernism can be characterised by an oscillation between the modern and the postmodern, enthusiasm and irony, hope and nihilism, construction and deconstruction. (...) This article seeks to reflect on this new discourse from the perspective of theological anthropology. It will bring theorists of metamodernism in conversation with theological discussion to explore how Christians can respond and contribute to this ongoing transformation in the human interpretation of reality. It will be suggested that this momentum should be viewed by Christians as a ‘paradigm shift’ that they are to embrace critically, yet affirmatively. (shrink)

The latter part of the 20th century is known for a surge in the so-called ‘genitive theologies’. Usually, a genitive theology has an ulterior motive, aiming at the transformation of a society or the promotion of sound politics and economy. In recent years, this trend culminated in public theology. The issue of religion with an ulterior motive was raised by Van de Beek in a seminal article focusing on theology without gaining anything from it as an answer to the surging (...) genitive theologies of the latter part of the 20th century and the public theologies of today. Taking into account Van de Beek’s critique against ‘religion with an ulterior motive’, this article explores the concept of the church as a moral agent in dialogue with Van de Beek. The central theoretical argument of this investigation is that Van de Beek’s ecclesiology is valuable when defining the role of the church as a moral agent. However, the perspective of the Kingdom of God concerning the church can enrich one’s views and can add value to his valid critique on public theology. (shrink)

This article discusses the lack of inclusive language in the Liedboek van die kerk, which still remains the official hymnal of the Afrikaans Reformed churches in South Africa. Because there seems to be a general misconception about inclusive language, especially in this particular religious context, I will argue that the use of inclusive language will not only help to counteract the current identity crisis the church is experiencing, but will also reflect Christ's theology of inclusivity during his time on earth. (...) A broader understanding of the God image, rooted in biblical hermeneutics, is imperative and should be incorporated in the text of the Afrikaans hymn. I will argue that this inclusive spirituality may also lead to greater spiritual well-being of all Christians in the Afrikaans Reformed churches. This paper is critical qualitative research and arguments from the feminist theology will be interpreted and applied to the Afrikaans context. (shrink)

This article examines the 19th and 20th century European context wherein religion was practiced. In a 'Rip-Van-Winkle' manner it is as if this context had no influence on the Afrikaans speaking church in South Africa. The isolation, that was the result of the apartheid ideology, lead to the Afrikaans speaking church in South Africa not internalising ecumenicity. It is argued that for the church to be able to take an active role in reconciling diversity and therefore contributing to social cohesion (...) in South Africa, the church needs to transcend being a 'nation' church. This is possible by respecting culture and diversity, while recognising the priority of salvation in Christ. This is the ellipse of being church. (shrink)

There is a growing phenomenon of evangelical NGOs engaging in ecotourism businesses. Preliminary research and case studies show that there is a diversity of approaches and methods among them, including seeing ecotourism as a method to alleviate local poverty, care for the environment and stand in solidarity with indigenous cultures. Based on this research, a theological framework is proposed to help organizations engaged in community-based ecotourism think through their endeavors in this field.

The Oxford Centre for Mission Studies has sought to provide holistic theological and missiological graduate education, particularly for Two-Thirds World church and academic leaders since 1983. This article addresses the question, ‘Has it succeeded?’ Originally presented at the 25th Anniversary of OCMS in 2008, this article looks back at the history behind its formation as well as assesses its accomplishments in the first 25 years. But there is value in such an exercise only if it serves the future; what issues (...) need to be addressed if OCMS is going to continues its impact in the next 25 years? This article looks back in order to forge ahead into the future with confidence and resolve. (shrink)

As we structure the economic and social practices of the communities, institutions and nations of which we are all a part, jubilee calls us to discipleship. Jubilee speaks to the creation of societies of hope, of celebration and of prosperity. It is about the creation of social rest as we rest in God. This requires the careful and intentional formation of agents of social rest. Jubilee clearly advocates for proactive rather than reactive social practices in relation to immediate needs as (...) well as long-term social legacy. Jubilee clearly addresses six of the 10 principles for just peacemaking. (shrink)

The paper is a critique of traditional and formal models of theological education that historically have developed in the West and are generally adopted by Asian theological schools in Asia. Globalisation and the emergence of Asian Diasporas presented new problems and opportunities for rethinking appropriate models of contextual training. Building on works by Robert Banks, Ian Stackhouse and David Kelsey, the paper will explore contextual models for the Chinese Christian Diasporas in Britain, and suggest some contributions for the renewal of (...) theological education in Asia. (shrink)

This article focuses on international mission from Protestant churches in the Czech Republic since 1989. It analyses the contemporary missiological literature related to the Czech context and engages the cross-cultural aspects of Czech mission, both inside and outside of the Czech Republic. The author argues for greater missiological reflection on international Czech mission.

The impetus toward an indigenous Church missiology in the 20th century was defined and defended within Roland Allen’s missionary ecclesiology. This paper attempts to understand Roland Allen’s missionary ecclesiology which emerged from his apostolic ecclesiology and evangelical faith.

Jesus was poor and he came to proclaim the gospel to the poor. Not just to the poor in spirit, who are aware of their need of God, but also to those who are poor in economic terms, who are poor by any standards 1975:96.

This article traces the historical impact of the church in transforming, developing and changing society. It looks at how the church in selected periods in history, mainly in the reformation era, worked towards the transformation of society and communities. Extracting from these the author attempts to show how this can be applied to the church in the South African context. Further, the author explores the changing dynamics and characteristics of being church today and establishes that it is not so much (...) about what the church believes, but in what it does that matters most in this day and age. The author, with the latter thought in mind, expresses that community transformation has to be an integral part of the ministry of the church today. (shrink)

According to the Gospel of Matthew, disciplemaking seems to be the signature mark of faithful disciples of Jesus the Christ. Van Aarde refers to this, with reference to Von Harnack and Lohmeyer as the manifesto of the church, being on the same level of meaning as Deuteronomy 6 in the Old Testament. It may be fair to say that this 'natural' way of being and doing was in more than one way exchanged for evangelism practices that did nothing to show (...) forth that following the Christ is a better or best way of living life, here already, to its fullest. These practices even reflected negatively on disciplemaking as such. A personal conviction is that 'discipling' may even be one of the missing links in the so-called missional conversation. This article will reflect on current theory on discipling and the natural necessity thereof. It will also draw upon findings in empirical research conducted by the National Church Life Surveys during 2014 in South Africa that may give an indication whether discipling is a common praxis among selected South African denominations and congregations. The focus will be on 'Faith-Sharing' as a core quality among adult attenders and includes several measures of the involvement of attenders in the outreach of the congregation. (shrink)

Urban youth marginalisation became a key consideration in scholarly and policy literature in the 1990s. This entailed a shift from an emphasis on youth in relation to activism in the struggle to overcome colonial racism - popularly known as 'the struggle against apartheid' - to an emphasis on youth as the object of social inquiry and social welfare programmes. Irrespective of how we evaluate this shift, the question in this article is how urban faith communities and youth ministry research are (...) to respond to the agency of youth as dialogue partners - with a focus on social cohesion. This article explores this shift in scholarship on urban youth movements, especially for the period since 1994. It draws from the perspectives of my recent doctoral studies in constructing a creative dialogue with youth movements. The ultimate aim of this article is to provide a grounded basis for constructing a methodology for a postcolonial urban theology. In addition, it aims to inform the ongoing Youth at the Margins comparative study on the contribution of faith-based organisations to social cohesion in South Africa and Nordic Europe, with the Riverlea community, in Johannesburg, as one of the case studies. (shrink)

This article examines the missionary spirit of the Edinburgh Conference 1910 and that of the Pentecostal movement. While the optimistic confidence of Edinburgh to evangelize the entire world by the best human resources of the Western church was waned away in a couple of decades after the Conference, the Spirit empowered missionaries of the Pentecostal movement were more effective in accomplishing the same task. Although Pentecostals did not complete the task of world evangelization yet, they became the fastest growing missionary (...) movement in the world today. A definite missiological shift seems to be the key in Pentecostal mission – from an anthropological dimension to a theological dimension of mission – which leads this article to propose a pneumatological Pentecostal missiology. A pneumatological missiology has the potential to serve multiple purposes, as it takes into consideration several aspects of mission, including evangelism, social action, and engaging with people of other faiths. (shrink)

Pentecostals have a gospel to proclaim and yet in the rush to share don’t often stop to reflect on the nature of the gospel. This article reflects on the ‘Full gospel’ that is proclaimed by many within classical Pentecostalism, against historical and contemporary considerations. It suggests that there are limits to who the Full gospel is good news for, particularly given the diversity within pentecostalism.

The article discusses the work of the Orthodox Christian churches with children and especially children-at-risk. This work is new for these churches and is not yet theologically grounded or systematically organized. Observing the various activities of Orthodox Christians with children-at-risk, questions are raised, such as: is this missionary work, or is it ministry, or is it a task fulfilled by individuals and not by the Church at large? These questions are explored, yet readers are left to make their own conclusions. (...) What becomes evident is the necessity for the Orthodox churches to cooperate with other Christian churches and organizations that are engaged in work with children, and particularly those at-risk, so that all learn from each other and continue their ministry with children in more innovative and successful ways, for the glory of God and the salvation of people, especially the ‘little ones’. (shrink)

A transforming spirituality is needed to attend to the ‘third-millennial needs’ of Africa to address issues such as relationships, globalisation, ecology and social issues. It is argued that reformed theology, African spiritualities and a spirituality of creation need to be enriched by each other to bring about transformation in Africa. To discover a transforming spirituality of creation, participants need to listen to the different spiritualities and beliefs, without attempting to create a meta-narrative. Participants need to acknowledge the differences and even (...) tensions, and embrace these. As such, this article attends to the research question, how can a dialogue between reformed theology and spirituality of creation help to establish a transforming spirituality based on common values for the diverse African continent in ‘our third-millennial world’?Contribution: From a multidisplinary theological perspective, the article deals with ‘historical thought’ regarding spirituality and creation. This includes both the textual history from Christianity and oral history from Africa. A missional hermeneutics is used to bring different traditions and beliefs together. (shrink)

In this article we want to argue that mission models of inculturation and contextualization are not apt responses to the enlightenment model of mission or colonial mission and that the ‘mission as translation’ model is one way forward. We propose this explorative model of mission by engaging mission studies with translation studies in philosophy of language. The realization that mission studies, with its focus on the gospel text, missionary-interpreter and receptor community, shares structural commonalities with the central categories of translation (...) studies inspires this engagement between disciplines. Our proposal is that mission as translation is necessarily a fusion of these three horizons. Finally, we test this model in the Lotha Naga context, ending with broad implications for mission studies. (shrink)

Missional discipleship is more than a movement seeking a new methodological and strategic mission paradigm. Missional discipleship is the essence of Christianity concerning the ontological foundation for the prime reason for existence as believers and the epistemological lens to see the world from the perspective of transformed values in Christ. In other words, missional discipleship requires acknowledging the lordship of Christ by demonstrating the ontological embodiment of who Christ is and epistemological resemblance by perceiving the reality as Christ does. These (...) radical transformations in both ontological and epistemological areas can enable believers to authentically follow Christ as disciples and demonstrate Christlikeness in all spheres of their existence as missionaries. Christlike attributes and qualities are progressively cultivated in believers lives as they conform to the image of Christ, and the most profound nature of Christlikeness is holiness. Missional discipleship provides a platform to expand the concept of Christlikeness as holiness from the personal dimension to the public dimension to overcome the privatisation of discipleship and Christian religious dualism polarising things into the categories of the sacred and secular. (shrink)