Knowles, Malcolm S., Elwood F. Holton III and Richard A. Swanson. "The Adult Learning:
The Definitive Classic in Adult Education and Human Resource Development," 6th ed. New York: Elsevier, 2005. 378.
The authors of this book have extensively dealt with the idea of andragogy in theory and in its practical natures to implement in the human educational developments. The intention of the book is to articulate the adult education/learning in theories/principles and the practicality of it in the human resource development in the society. Andragogy has been described as “a set of guidelines, a philosophy, a set of assumptions, and a theory.” (1) Although there are different ways of defining it, the authors agreed to say that “it is an honest attempt to focus on the learner. In this sense, it does provide an alternative to the methodology-centered instructional design perspective.” (1) I agree with them that no single theory or model or method can define the phenomena of how adults learn. The authors’ position for explaining about andragogy is that “andragogy presents core principles for adult learning that in turn enable those designing and conducting adult learning to build more effective learning processes for adults.” (2) The authors also stated the strength of andragogy that “it is a set of core adult learning principles that apply to all adult learning situations.” (2)
The thesis of this book is “(1) the learner’s need to know, (2) self-concept of the learner, (3) prior experience of the learner, (4) readiness to learn, (5) orientation to learn, and (6) motivation to learn.”(3) These five concepts are explained and articulated throughout the book in theories and practices. These adult learning principles include “goals and purposes for learning, and individual and situational differences.” (4) Whatever I may be, an andragogy is to let the adult-learners accomplish their purposes for learning. According to the book, the authors have defined learning as “the process of gaining knowledge and/or expertise.” (17) I think that learning is not only gaining something new but also changing lives.
According to Malcolm S. Knowles, andragogy is “a theory” (1) which applies to the adult learning. Will an andragogy be a theory? Thus, this book is developed and written based on Knowles’ understanding of andragogy. The authors of this book defined theory as “a comprehensive, coherent, and internally consistent system of ideas about a set of phenomena.” (10) What is pedagogy and andragogy? What is the different between them? Pedagogy and andragogy have a very complex notion to define as theory. I think they are a philosophy of learning. A philosophy of how human beings learn. Theory cannot be applied in every situation but philosophy. Philosophy is more flexible than theory in the practical phenomena. Pedagogy is “a leader of child.” (61) It is based on a philosophy that a teacher should direct all learning activities and responsibilities because the learners (children) do not know about the subject. “It is teacher-directed education, leaving to the learner only the submissive role of following a teacher’s instructions.” (62) On the other hand, andragogy is a learner-centered education, where a teacher becomes a facilitator. In the andragogy, teacher somehow already has objectives and goals for the class. “Andragogy is any intentional and professionally guided activity that aims at a change in adult persons; andragogics is the background of methodological and ideological systems that govern the actual process of andragogy; and androgology is the scientific study of both andragogy and andragogics.” (60) Though they have different audiences, they focus on developing a learner’s psychology, philosophy, sociology, and intellect in the processes. They both aim for a change in the learners.
I disagree with Van Enchevort that “adult education required special teachers, special methods, and a special philosophy” (59) because I think that every learning situation needs special attention and method/setting. I agree with the authors that pedagogical education is transferring information and needed skills to learners and andragogical learning is facilitating learners to acquire and participate in the learning process. The teaching and learning models of children and adults are also different because children do not cognitively reflect what is needed for life but adults understand what should be learned so that he/she can use them right away. Although there are different approaches to children and adults learning, the common goal for pedagogy and andragogy is the developments of a learner in knowledge and the advancement of a society.
However, adults come to learn and take education based on the need and experiences they have faced in their lives. So, the philosophy of andragogy provides adults various learning environments where they can gain and improve their knowledge and skills. Thus, I agree with the authors that there are different theories/methods of teaching and learning. Among various theories, Dewey’s theory and concepts of teaching and learning based on “experience, democracy, continuity, and interaction” will be useful in the andragogical education. (92-96) It is also true that some people learn by imitating and critical reflection of thought and patterns. I agree with the authors that “andragogical model is a process model.” (115) Thus, it is different from pedagogical model of learning and teaching. “The difference is that the content model (pedagogical model) is concerned with transmitting information and skills, whereas the process model (andragogical model) is concerned with providing procedures and resources for helping learners acquire information and skills.” (115) Therefore, the learning environments have to be created, designed, and evaluated for the smooth flow of the learning processes.
The five principles of this book are practically applicable to andragogical education because adults come to learn for they know their needs, able to control themselves, experienced people, readiness to learn and use, know the problems, and motivated by their value and necessity. These five principles also provide the foundational andragogical learning goals and purposes and individual and situational differences. It is true that “adult learning is defined as the process of adults gaining knowledge and expertise.” (174) Thus, the procedures of “need, create, implement and evaluate” of adult theorical learning should be flexibly prepared and planned according to formal and informal education in the various environments. (175) Practically, andragogical learning is useful because it is “system of elements that can be adopted and adapted in whole or in part. It is not an ideology that must be applied totally and without modification. In fact, an essential feature of andragogy in flexibility.” (204)
It is also concentrated on “cognitive, personality, and prior knowledge” of adults so that those people who participate adult learning process will based their ability, energy, experience, and intellect to accomplish their goals and purposes. (205) It is true that “learning how to learn has increasing important in the workplace.” (229) To know how to learn and to attain good positions in the office or the company is essential and crucial for employees. I agree with the authors that “Knowles (1989) foresaw technology as one of the major forces shaping adult learning in the twenty-first century and a force that would be consistent with andragogy.” (236) Physically and psychologically, a teacher has to invite, support and encourage the adult-learners to participate/lead in discussions, solving problems, planning the learning processes, listening what they say about, and giving responsibilities in the learning processes. Universities, seminaries and colleges around the world are using online learning or internet for educational channels and purposes to transmit information. For example, moodle.ctsfw.edu can be used simultaneously from the four corners the world. As the world is advanced in technology, people will communicate and take education through andragogical internet learning where people can respond, answer and build an educational environments without the physical contacts.
But I think that andragogical learning will not be appropriate to apply in countries where their education system is pedagogy for centuries. It will be hard to suddenly change but andragogical learning will eventually be applied in the world. In my country, I do not see andragogical education system even in the universities. Most of the learning is teacher-directed education, and memorization is the core element of learning. Teacher-directed learning is not only used in Myanmar but also in the eastern education. Therefore, most of the eastern students will have to learn questioning and critical thinking in class when they come to the West. I personally have to adjust my learning system. I think there are advantages and disadvantages in the philosophy of andragogy. If a learner does not have many experiences and know nothing about the subject, he/she might need pedagogical learning model. The facilitator should also understand the education and experienced levels of the learners so that a teacher flexibly arrange and manage the learning environments.
The authors have uncovered several important information and procedures about the andragogical educations in theories and practical phenomena which are useful and helpful for us in reaching out the gospel of Christ Jesus to the whole world. We practically use the andragogical model of learning in the biblical education. I recommend this book to pastors, missionaries and professors to read. Pastors can use the philosophy of pedagogy as well as andragogy in the church.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Understanding Folk Religion (bookreview)
"Understanding Folk religion: A Christian Response to Popular Beliefs and
Practices" by Paul G. Hiebert, R. Daneil Shaw and Tite Tienou.
According to the authors,
The purpose of this book is not to present ready answers to the questions folk religions pose. Rather, it is to sensitize Christians to the need to deal with folk religions, and to understand them. It is to challenge Christian leaders to think biblically in responding to them. (10)
Critically analyzing about the nature and reasons of folk religion will be articulated based on biblical, theological, and missiological perspectives in each chapter. Moreover, the authors also address it based on cultural, anthropological, philosophical and scientific observations.
Chapter 1 deals with the problem of new believers going back to their former religious practices while attending church services. This “two-tier Christians” are the concern of missionaries and pastors today. This was because “they were not consciously dealt with; they went underground…So, these ways became a part of the new Christian’s hidden culture (19).” Thus, we need to do phenomenological analysis of the cultures, ontological and evaluative approaches of their religious worldview with Christian theology and the gospel message, and provide them explicit information to transform. It is also very important to note that “the gospel is not simply to be communicated. It is a message to which people must respond (27).”
Chapter 2 discusses the importance of knowing the structures or levels of anthropological life which affect the core belief systems of a person. One has to critically look the social, psychological, spiritual, and personal dimensions of the recipients of the gospel so that it will be helpful to understand the genuine nature of the people. Moreover, the worldview and interpretation about their beliefs, values and feelings should be understood in order to contextualize the gospel effectively.
Chapter 3 presents the comparison and contrast between organic and mechanical metaphors which are existed in the world. One must analyze the reality of the organic living beings which can be seen and mechanic beings which cannot be seen but are active in the society. These beings are so real to the life of people that missionaries or pastors have to elaborate and address based on the biblical information.
Chapter 4 examines the reasons why the folk and formal religions exist together in a society. Formal religion sees things in term of “ultimate origin, purpose, and destiny of the universe, society and self but folk religion sees based on the meaning of life, problem, fortune, righteousness, injustice.” (74) That is why people who converted into Christianity from animistic beliefs are facing the two philosophical worldviews. Besides, scientific understanding of the supernatural and natural world trouble them what to follow. Thus, Christian ministers should teach people not just to be christianed but to transform the whole person into Christ.
Chapter 5 explains the question, how do people find meaning in life on earth, how do they explain death? To understand the meaning of life on earth based on the concept of folk religious people, one has to look the diachronic which tells the story of people’s past, present and future and the synchronic which explains the nature and structure of the human beings. (95f) In folk religion, meaning can be found in proper relationships (living and dead), rites, belongings, and properties. But Jesus Christ is our meaning for life.
According to chapter 6, human well-being depends on how they treat their ancestors and supernatural forces around them. Folk religious people believe that misfortune and luck are caused by their ancestral spirits and other spirits. Thus, they have to serve these spirit forces in order to receive blessings and good fortune. But the Bible says that every thing happens according to the will of God. The holy Scriptures do not talk about luck but God’s blessing, provision, mercy, and grace upon human beings.
Chapter 7 talks about the uncertainty of human future and the search for guidance. Knowing the future becomes man’s most desired attraction to cope up with what life has to offer. This desire leads them to consult people who are specialized in communicating with spirits for any cost. It is very important to teach how to seek the will of God to people, even Christians in the church. Ministers of the word of God should guide people to transform their misconception about future into the biblical perspective.
Chapter 8 presents what is right and what is wrong both in folk religious comprehension and Christian theological and biblical understandings. Based on the cultural folk religious norms and biblical theological concept, ministers of the word of God should distinguish and teach good and bad, holy and righteous, sin and holiness, purity and pollution, righteousness and law, and salvation and judgment because people have to understand clearly so that they will totally commit their lives to Christ and to the word of God.
Chapter 9 articulates about sacred signs and symbols in religions. Every religion has sacred signs and symbols which carry and convey special meaning and are significant to the people. Certainly, signs and symbols can effectively communicate but someone has to know the meaning. Obviously, we can see signs and symbols such as driving signs, religious symbols, commercial signs, etc., in the society. They transform the reality of things which they depict. Thus, when presenting the gospel we should not compromise the sacred signs and symbols we have.
Every society has myths and rituals which relate with their cosmological, anthropological and theological understandings. Chapter 10 reveals us about sacred myths which people inherit them from their forefathers to meet their religious desires and practices. The writers do not only articulate the functions and the sources of these myths but also explain the types of myths which folk people believe in the society. Thus, Christians must understand them in order to deliver God the Creator, the Redeemer, and the Judge who lives eternity to eternity, who is omnipotence, omnipresence, omniscience, who loves the world, and wants to have fellowship with human beings.
Rituals, festivals, and ceremonies are the folk religiosity in the society. Chapter 11 discusses how rituals are significant and meaningful to folk religious people. Every religious ritual conveys and communicates messages to the spiritual and physical life of the people as individual and a group. We should not compromise these folk rituals but rather critically evaluate them so that we can properly impart our Christian rituals which are founded on the word of God.
Chapter 12 looks how religious leaders and institutions construct and operate in order to meet the needs of the people, develop their religious organization and their ministries. These folk specialists and leaders function as both spiritual and physical healers, and teachers in the society. They are radically different from Christian leaders and Christian institutional structure because most of these animistic people are in living culture where people emphasize social community relationship. Thus, missionaries and pastors should not enforce the western structures right away for the people. Rather Christian leaders should lead local people for indigenous church organizations.
Chapter 13 explains the constant evolution of religious beliefs and the reforming of religious organizations. The growth and spread of Christianity, Muslim, Buddhism, and Hinduism impact the societal culture of the life of the people. Moreover, the colonization of the West has enormously effect some pluralistic religious societies in the world. Thus, new religious ideologies, sects, and philosophies emerge in the world. Even in Christianity, there are crazy sophisticate false ideas and false beliefs appear claiming to posses the truth. Therefore, we must study the word of God not to distract by these new religious movements.
Chapter 14 examines Christian theological principles for encountering and answering the questions and needs of folk religion. Understanding the language and beliefs and practices of people will help us in contextualizing our theology of God, creation, sin, salvation, and the second coming of Christ. We should critically build theology in a way people could easily understand and obey God. Missionaries, leaders and pastors have to avoid syncretism in the ministry so that these “two-tier Christians” will forsake their old beliefs.
Chapter 15 provides the effective procedures for transforming the hearts of these folk Christians to the authentic Christian life and to be witnesses in their respective contexts. Every contextualized theology must be constructed based on the biblical truths by the guidance of the Holy Spirit who teaches us all truth, and performed hermeneutic interpretation as church community. Besides, our aim should not be to destroy the folk religion but to regenerate their spirit-centered belief systems to Christ-centered belief in the Bible. To explicitly teach them about the triune God, His redemptive work through Christ, and our church offices and functions will be essential because these folk religious people must understand them. Pastors and missionaries in the churches have to conduct discipleship and follow-up ministries to the newly converts and their church members.
This book critically deals with the problem of folk religious people who intentionally or unintentionally practice the split level Christian life in the world. The authors have presented the crucial importance for explicitly teaching the biblical truths them by properly contextualizing according to their respective contexts in the mission fields and in the churches. The methodologies, strategies and responses they discussed in the book will be effective to apply in the ministry. Is it appropriate to demythologize scriptures? (269) The authors have phenomenologically, philosophically, theologically and missiologically communicated how to confront the folk beliefs and practices.
First, the practice of “split level” “two-tier” Christianity has interrelationship with the whole articulation of the authors in this book. Then, second, “critical contextualization” figure 1.2 has conveyed the whole process of missiology. (22; cf.391) Third, “formal religions focus on what happens to people after death. Folk religions answer the question of death by seeking to maintain relationships with the dead.” (118) This statement gives us to consider why people who professed to be Christians still go to their old religious beliefs. Therefore, to understand the people from “emic” and etic” perspectives will be essential for every missionary and leaders in the mission fields. As result, we will also figure out their “new Christian’s hidden culture” which they still keep and practice in their lives. These hidden practices which are mentioned on page 19 are the starting point for people to live “two-tier” Christian life.
First, I agree with this idea, “this process of cross-cultural task means that missionaries, by the very nature of their task, must be theologians.”(26) It is true that missionaries and leaders have to learn language, culture, societal life of the folk people to bridge the divine revelation and human contexts effectively. Missionaries must think theologically when dealing with these folk religious people in the mission fields.
Second, the authors correctly pointed out that “the heart of the gospel is not abstract philosophical systems, complex institutions, or large programs. It is people, common people.” (91) The will of God is to save human beings through His Son Jesus Christ so that they will receive eternal life. The gospel is not for programs, institutions and philosophy but people. When pastors, leaders and missionaries concentrates more on things rather than people, the passion for mission will be diminishing.
Third, “Christians need a theology of suffering, illness and pain.”(164) One of the reasons why there are split level Christians is that people have a tendency to perceive Christianity does not believe in suffering, illness and pain in this world. Though, people search and approach their old religious specialists to consult for their problems. In the western society, people just buy medicine before they even pray but people go to the folk specialists in the animistic cultures. We have to deal with the whole person.
Fourth, it is crucial that “the study of symbols, their meaning, and their uses in different contexts is essential for missionaries to understand the worldview underlying a culture.” (253) Since we have different symbols and signs which portray various meanings and interpretations, missionaries and leaders should critically evaluate them what to present and display before the recipients because “the ultimate meanings of fundamental sacred symbols help people understand the ultimate truth and norms of their society.”(253) Moreover, “It is important to study the questions, data, and methods that lie behind explicit manifestations of religious life” (40). In doing so, we will understand the interconnection and configurations of cultures, worldviews, beliefs, society systems and their relations to one another in the society.
Fifth, “one measure of godliness of a church is the way it treats the marginalized.” (390) As Jesus Christ our Lord did, Pastors, leaders and missionaries should develop ministries for “the oppress, the poor, battered, jobless, lonely, orphaned, widowed, aged, disabled, and displaced.”(390) We have to meet their physical as well as spiritual needs because when they feel empty people tend to search for result from anywhere. When we meet with our Lord, I believe, He will ask us how we treat these people in the ministry.
The authors of this book have utilized some significant theological, anthropological and missiological terminologies which are effective vocabularies to describe, convey and communicate the word of God to the people. The book presented the philosophical and biblical understandings of both folk and Christian religions. Models and transformational approaches to folk religion which are mentioned in the book can be practically applied in the churches in the world. I recommend this book to be used as a text book in Biblical schools and pastoral meetings because we must distinguish what folk religion and Christianity in the churches.
Practices" by Paul G. Hiebert, R. Daneil Shaw and Tite Tienou.
According to the authors,
The purpose of this book is not to present ready answers to the questions folk religions pose. Rather, it is to sensitize Christians to the need to deal with folk religions, and to understand them. It is to challenge Christian leaders to think biblically in responding to them. (10)
Critically analyzing about the nature and reasons of folk religion will be articulated based on biblical, theological, and missiological perspectives in each chapter. Moreover, the authors also address it based on cultural, anthropological, philosophical and scientific observations.
Chapter 1 deals with the problem of new believers going back to their former religious practices while attending church services. This “two-tier Christians” are the concern of missionaries and pastors today. This was because “they were not consciously dealt with; they went underground…So, these ways became a part of the new Christian’s hidden culture (19).” Thus, we need to do phenomenological analysis of the cultures, ontological and evaluative approaches of their religious worldview with Christian theology and the gospel message, and provide them explicit information to transform. It is also very important to note that “the gospel is not simply to be communicated. It is a message to which people must respond (27).”
Chapter 2 discusses the importance of knowing the structures or levels of anthropological life which affect the core belief systems of a person. One has to critically look the social, psychological, spiritual, and personal dimensions of the recipients of the gospel so that it will be helpful to understand the genuine nature of the people. Moreover, the worldview and interpretation about their beliefs, values and feelings should be understood in order to contextualize the gospel effectively.
Chapter 3 presents the comparison and contrast between organic and mechanical metaphors which are existed in the world. One must analyze the reality of the organic living beings which can be seen and mechanic beings which cannot be seen but are active in the society. These beings are so real to the life of people that missionaries or pastors have to elaborate and address based on the biblical information.
Chapter 4 examines the reasons why the folk and formal religions exist together in a society. Formal religion sees things in term of “ultimate origin, purpose, and destiny of the universe, society and self but folk religion sees based on the meaning of life, problem, fortune, righteousness, injustice.” (74) That is why people who converted into Christianity from animistic beliefs are facing the two philosophical worldviews. Besides, scientific understanding of the supernatural and natural world trouble them what to follow. Thus, Christian ministers should teach people not just to be christianed but to transform the whole person into Christ.
Chapter 5 explains the question, how do people find meaning in life on earth, how do they explain death? To understand the meaning of life on earth based on the concept of folk religious people, one has to look the diachronic which tells the story of people’s past, present and future and the synchronic which explains the nature and structure of the human beings. (95f) In folk religion, meaning can be found in proper relationships (living and dead), rites, belongings, and properties. But Jesus Christ is our meaning for life.
According to chapter 6, human well-being depends on how they treat their ancestors and supernatural forces around them. Folk religious people believe that misfortune and luck are caused by their ancestral spirits and other spirits. Thus, they have to serve these spirit forces in order to receive blessings and good fortune. But the Bible says that every thing happens according to the will of God. The holy Scriptures do not talk about luck but God’s blessing, provision, mercy, and grace upon human beings.
Chapter 7 talks about the uncertainty of human future and the search for guidance. Knowing the future becomes man’s most desired attraction to cope up with what life has to offer. This desire leads them to consult people who are specialized in communicating with spirits for any cost. It is very important to teach how to seek the will of God to people, even Christians in the church. Ministers of the word of God should guide people to transform their misconception about future into the biblical perspective.
Chapter 8 presents what is right and what is wrong both in folk religious comprehension and Christian theological and biblical understandings. Based on the cultural folk religious norms and biblical theological concept, ministers of the word of God should distinguish and teach good and bad, holy and righteous, sin and holiness, purity and pollution, righteousness and law, and salvation and judgment because people have to understand clearly so that they will totally commit their lives to Christ and to the word of God.
Chapter 9 articulates about sacred signs and symbols in religions. Every religion has sacred signs and symbols which carry and convey special meaning and are significant to the people. Certainly, signs and symbols can effectively communicate but someone has to know the meaning. Obviously, we can see signs and symbols such as driving signs, religious symbols, commercial signs, etc., in the society. They transform the reality of things which they depict. Thus, when presenting the gospel we should not compromise the sacred signs and symbols we have.
Every society has myths and rituals which relate with their cosmological, anthropological and theological understandings. Chapter 10 reveals us about sacred myths which people inherit them from their forefathers to meet their religious desires and practices. The writers do not only articulate the functions and the sources of these myths but also explain the types of myths which folk people believe in the society. Thus, Christians must understand them in order to deliver God the Creator, the Redeemer, and the Judge who lives eternity to eternity, who is omnipotence, omnipresence, omniscience, who loves the world, and wants to have fellowship with human beings.
Rituals, festivals, and ceremonies are the folk religiosity in the society. Chapter 11 discusses how rituals are significant and meaningful to folk religious people. Every religious ritual conveys and communicates messages to the spiritual and physical life of the people as individual and a group. We should not compromise these folk rituals but rather critically evaluate them so that we can properly impart our Christian rituals which are founded on the word of God.
Chapter 12 looks how religious leaders and institutions construct and operate in order to meet the needs of the people, develop their religious organization and their ministries. These folk specialists and leaders function as both spiritual and physical healers, and teachers in the society. They are radically different from Christian leaders and Christian institutional structure because most of these animistic people are in living culture where people emphasize social community relationship. Thus, missionaries and pastors should not enforce the western structures right away for the people. Rather Christian leaders should lead local people for indigenous church organizations.
Chapter 13 explains the constant evolution of religious beliefs and the reforming of religious organizations. The growth and spread of Christianity, Muslim, Buddhism, and Hinduism impact the societal culture of the life of the people. Moreover, the colonization of the West has enormously effect some pluralistic religious societies in the world. Thus, new religious ideologies, sects, and philosophies emerge in the world. Even in Christianity, there are crazy sophisticate false ideas and false beliefs appear claiming to posses the truth. Therefore, we must study the word of God not to distract by these new religious movements.
Chapter 14 examines Christian theological principles for encountering and answering the questions and needs of folk religion. Understanding the language and beliefs and practices of people will help us in contextualizing our theology of God, creation, sin, salvation, and the second coming of Christ. We should critically build theology in a way people could easily understand and obey God. Missionaries, leaders and pastors have to avoid syncretism in the ministry so that these “two-tier Christians” will forsake their old beliefs.
Chapter 15 provides the effective procedures for transforming the hearts of these folk Christians to the authentic Christian life and to be witnesses in their respective contexts. Every contextualized theology must be constructed based on the biblical truths by the guidance of the Holy Spirit who teaches us all truth, and performed hermeneutic interpretation as church community. Besides, our aim should not be to destroy the folk religion but to regenerate their spirit-centered belief systems to Christ-centered belief in the Bible. To explicitly teach them about the triune God, His redemptive work through Christ, and our church offices and functions will be essential because these folk religious people must understand them. Pastors and missionaries in the churches have to conduct discipleship and follow-up ministries to the newly converts and their church members.
This book critically deals with the problem of folk religious people who intentionally or unintentionally practice the split level Christian life in the world. The authors have presented the crucial importance for explicitly teaching the biblical truths them by properly contextualizing according to their respective contexts in the mission fields and in the churches. The methodologies, strategies and responses they discussed in the book will be effective to apply in the ministry. Is it appropriate to demythologize scriptures? (269) The authors have phenomenologically, philosophically, theologically and missiologically communicated how to confront the folk beliefs and practices.
First, the practice of “split level” “two-tier” Christianity has interrelationship with the whole articulation of the authors in this book. Then, second, “critical contextualization” figure 1.2 has conveyed the whole process of missiology. (22; cf.391) Third, “formal religions focus on what happens to people after death. Folk religions answer the question of death by seeking to maintain relationships with the dead.” (118) This statement gives us to consider why people who professed to be Christians still go to their old religious beliefs. Therefore, to understand the people from “emic” and etic” perspectives will be essential for every missionary and leaders in the mission fields. As result, we will also figure out their “new Christian’s hidden culture” which they still keep and practice in their lives. These hidden practices which are mentioned on page 19 are the starting point for people to live “two-tier” Christian life.
First, I agree with this idea, “this process of cross-cultural task means that missionaries, by the very nature of their task, must be theologians.”(26) It is true that missionaries and leaders have to learn language, culture, societal life of the folk people to bridge the divine revelation and human contexts effectively. Missionaries must think theologically when dealing with these folk religious people in the mission fields.
Second, the authors correctly pointed out that “the heart of the gospel is not abstract philosophical systems, complex institutions, or large programs. It is people, common people.” (91) The will of God is to save human beings through His Son Jesus Christ so that they will receive eternal life. The gospel is not for programs, institutions and philosophy but people. When pastors, leaders and missionaries concentrates more on things rather than people, the passion for mission will be diminishing.
Third, “Christians need a theology of suffering, illness and pain.”(164) One of the reasons why there are split level Christians is that people have a tendency to perceive Christianity does not believe in suffering, illness and pain in this world. Though, people search and approach their old religious specialists to consult for their problems. In the western society, people just buy medicine before they even pray but people go to the folk specialists in the animistic cultures. We have to deal with the whole person.
Fourth, it is crucial that “the study of symbols, their meaning, and their uses in different contexts is essential for missionaries to understand the worldview underlying a culture.” (253) Since we have different symbols and signs which portray various meanings and interpretations, missionaries and leaders should critically evaluate them what to present and display before the recipients because “the ultimate meanings of fundamental sacred symbols help people understand the ultimate truth and norms of their society.”(253) Moreover, “It is important to study the questions, data, and methods that lie behind explicit manifestations of religious life” (40). In doing so, we will understand the interconnection and configurations of cultures, worldviews, beliefs, society systems and their relations to one another in the society.
Fifth, “one measure of godliness of a church is the way it treats the marginalized.” (390) As Jesus Christ our Lord did, Pastors, leaders and missionaries should develop ministries for “the oppress, the poor, battered, jobless, lonely, orphaned, widowed, aged, disabled, and displaced.”(390) We have to meet their physical as well as spiritual needs because when they feel empty people tend to search for result from anywhere. When we meet with our Lord, I believe, He will ask us how we treat these people in the ministry.
The authors of this book have utilized some significant theological, anthropological and missiological terminologies which are effective vocabularies to describe, convey and communicate the word of God to the people. The book presented the philosophical and biblical understandings of both folk and Christian religions. Models and transformational approaches to folk religion which are mentioned in the book can be practically applied in the churches in the world. I recommend this book to be used as a text book in Biblical schools and pastoral meetings because we must distinguish what folk religion and Christianity in the churches.
Communication with Power
Kraft, H Charles. "Communicate with Power: Jesus the Model for Contemporary
Communication." Manila, Philippines: OMF Literature Inc, 1991.
Author information
Dr. Charles H. Kraft, the author of this book, is very well known in the subject of anthropology and cultural issues. He has written a lot of books about different cultures and their functions in order to provide the needed information for missionaries around the world. He is Professor of Anthropology and Intercultural Communications at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. Christianity with Power and Christianity in Culture are included in his many books.
Reaction
The author of this book dealt the need and the important topic of Christian ministers who prepare for sharing, preaching and proclaiming the gospel of God to another people group, land and culture in this book of Communicate with Power. Every preacher, teacher and missionary must learn and understand to convey the message of God in a communicational way. It is essential for us to have and build intimate relationship with God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. I believe that if there is a lack of communication, there will be lack of trust and fellowship in the society and even in the church. We must produce creative information and communication methods in order to gain the attention of the receptors so that they will be more convinced for what we preach and share to them. Kraft stated, “ Our God is a communicating God.”(3) The communication of God was so magnificently creative and lovingly planed that he sent His one and only Son Jesus Christ to be just like human beings in this sinful world so that he could deliver us from the bondage of sin. In order to have effective communications with the receptors, we must have a loving hearts upon them. We also need to learn and understand their frame of references so that there will not be problems in our communications. We have to follow the patterns of our Lord Jesus. As missionaries, we should understand the value systems of the people as much as possible in order not to interpret us in the wrong way.
It is also a very importance to remember that we, as communicators of the message, must know and meet the felt of needs of the receptors. Crossculturally, we have to discover how to do things in order to meet the needs according to their cultural value systems and meaning. I agreed with Kraft that in cross-cultural setting of missions the “meanings exist only within persons, within me and within you” situation (72). I am not saying that we should forget the hermeneutical interpretation of the Word. We should consider the receptors’ worldviews, cultural patterns of meaning, and their way of interpretation in order to have proper communication. There are many different ways of interpretations and giving forms of meaning within a particular society. So we need to learn and understand the receptors’ verbal and non-verbal traits and languages. Understanding the receiver’s language is so important in communication. Kraft discussed a lot about language in this book. If I want to build proper communication with or learn something from someone who is totally different from my culture and language, I must learn the language of that particular person or society. We should also be identify with them so that there will be a good friendship relationship between each other. We cannot convince them to Christ without building a strong relationship. Building a trust relationship is essential even among the same group of people who are living together. As Jesus Christ, the Word, lived out among us, we should also do it to show that we are just like them to the receptors. Jesus Christ is our model for everything we walk and do in the ministry. He has shown us the excellent patterns to follow. Every excellent information we need for our ministry is shown in Jesus Christ! Most of the pastors and teachers in Myanmar do not have this kind of learning and understanding toward the Burmese group who are practicing Buddhism. We do not consider their cultures and practices. This might be one of the reasons why Christianity in Myanmar is growing very slowly. There are some churches which evangelize and reach out the Burmese group with the Gospel. They are not succeeding because they did not learn how to communicate the message in such a way that they could understand. They do not have “down-to-earth”(131) communicational relationship with them. This book has given me a lot of insight how to conduct missions in my country. I understand that Christians in Myanmar are lacked in this communication area. When it comes to the mission fields, communication is very important in the ministry of the word of God.
The six myths of communication that Kraft discussed are somehow helpful for us to get information because we cannot apply everything that he explains in that particular areas. We need to consider the situations and people group where we communicate and share the gospel. There are a lot of people who testified and said by hearing and reading the word of God they are saved. The work of the Holy Spirit is very important in this kind of event. I agreed with Kraft when he said, “ God’s basic method is incarnation.” (117) Being the creator and God, Jesus first incarnated as a human beings so that we might believe and have eternal life. Thus, we have to incarnate ourselves according with the receptors cultural frame of references. We must prepare for everything to win them to Christ because God is still using people as his primary channel to flow his love to the world. I believe that a sermon on Sunday is to change the lives of the congregation in certain degree because there will be some who do not accept Jesus Christ in their hearts and there will be some who need to renew their hearts in Christ. Besides, a pastor can also encourage, strengthen, remind, and challenge the audiences to live glorify life for God. I also do not believe that there is only one best method to communicate the gospel. We need to communicate it according to the acceptable and suitable way of the people. Since there are different cultures of people around the world, there must be different ways of communications within each society and land. As Kraft mentioned we should be like
“ a repairman who has a toolbox full of tools and is able to study any situation and use the appropriate tool or technique.” (129) Since there are varieties of languages in the world, I believe that there will be different understanding and interpretations upon a particular word. I agree with Kraft that, “a given word may have different meaning to different groups of people.” (132)
Life involvement is also very crucial need in communications. We can influence the receptors much through personal communication rather than just giving them some information. We encourage them by asking questions and having fellowship with them. By personally involvement in talking to them will help get their ways of receiving message. We can also know the felt need of the people and can organize how to present them the messages. Kraft made a very strong statement concerning the message that is importance for us to remember in our ministry-“that the real Christians message lies in the behavior of the messenger rather than in his words.” (154) Incarnational communications and life involvement are the secondary needs in doing missions. The first and foremost important need is the call of God for missions and the empowered of the Holy Spirit. Without the filling of the Holy Spirit, we cannot do anything! We must also have prayerful life in such a way that can change the hearts of the people. This book is very helpful for me. I have learnt a lot of things pertaining a powerful communications and its theological usage shown in the life of Christ.
Communication." Manila, Philippines: OMF Literature Inc, 1991.
Author information
Dr. Charles H. Kraft, the author of this book, is very well known in the subject of anthropology and cultural issues. He has written a lot of books about different cultures and their functions in order to provide the needed information for missionaries around the world. He is Professor of Anthropology and Intercultural Communications at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. Christianity with Power and Christianity in Culture are included in his many books.
Reaction
The author of this book dealt the need and the important topic of Christian ministers who prepare for sharing, preaching and proclaiming the gospel of God to another people group, land and culture in this book of Communicate with Power. Every preacher, teacher and missionary must learn and understand to convey the message of God in a communicational way. It is essential for us to have and build intimate relationship with God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. I believe that if there is a lack of communication, there will be lack of trust and fellowship in the society and even in the church. We must produce creative information and communication methods in order to gain the attention of the receptors so that they will be more convinced for what we preach and share to them. Kraft stated, “ Our God is a communicating God.”(3) The communication of God was so magnificently creative and lovingly planed that he sent His one and only Son Jesus Christ to be just like human beings in this sinful world so that he could deliver us from the bondage of sin. In order to have effective communications with the receptors, we must have a loving hearts upon them. We also need to learn and understand their frame of references so that there will not be problems in our communications. We have to follow the patterns of our Lord Jesus. As missionaries, we should understand the value systems of the people as much as possible in order not to interpret us in the wrong way.
It is also a very importance to remember that we, as communicators of the message, must know and meet the felt of needs of the receptors. Crossculturally, we have to discover how to do things in order to meet the needs according to their cultural value systems and meaning. I agreed with Kraft that in cross-cultural setting of missions the “meanings exist only within persons, within me and within you” situation (72). I am not saying that we should forget the hermeneutical interpretation of the Word. We should consider the receptors’ worldviews, cultural patterns of meaning, and their way of interpretation in order to have proper communication. There are many different ways of interpretations and giving forms of meaning within a particular society. So we need to learn and understand the receptors’ verbal and non-verbal traits and languages. Understanding the receiver’s language is so important in communication. Kraft discussed a lot about language in this book. If I want to build proper communication with or learn something from someone who is totally different from my culture and language, I must learn the language of that particular person or society. We should also be identify with them so that there will be a good friendship relationship between each other. We cannot convince them to Christ without building a strong relationship. Building a trust relationship is essential even among the same group of people who are living together. As Jesus Christ, the Word, lived out among us, we should also do it to show that we are just like them to the receptors. Jesus Christ is our model for everything we walk and do in the ministry. He has shown us the excellent patterns to follow. Every excellent information we need for our ministry is shown in Jesus Christ! Most of the pastors and teachers in Myanmar do not have this kind of learning and understanding toward the Burmese group who are practicing Buddhism. We do not consider their cultures and practices. This might be one of the reasons why Christianity in Myanmar is growing very slowly. There are some churches which evangelize and reach out the Burmese group with the Gospel. They are not succeeding because they did not learn how to communicate the message in such a way that they could understand. They do not have “down-to-earth”(131) communicational relationship with them. This book has given me a lot of insight how to conduct missions in my country. I understand that Christians in Myanmar are lacked in this communication area. When it comes to the mission fields, communication is very important in the ministry of the word of God.
The six myths of communication that Kraft discussed are somehow helpful for us to get information because we cannot apply everything that he explains in that particular areas. We need to consider the situations and people group where we communicate and share the gospel. There are a lot of people who testified and said by hearing and reading the word of God they are saved. The work of the Holy Spirit is very important in this kind of event. I agreed with Kraft when he said, “ God’s basic method is incarnation.” (117) Being the creator and God, Jesus first incarnated as a human beings so that we might believe and have eternal life. Thus, we have to incarnate ourselves according with the receptors cultural frame of references. We must prepare for everything to win them to Christ because God is still using people as his primary channel to flow his love to the world. I believe that a sermon on Sunday is to change the lives of the congregation in certain degree because there will be some who do not accept Jesus Christ in their hearts and there will be some who need to renew their hearts in Christ. Besides, a pastor can also encourage, strengthen, remind, and challenge the audiences to live glorify life for God. I also do not believe that there is only one best method to communicate the gospel. We need to communicate it according to the acceptable and suitable way of the people. Since there are different cultures of people around the world, there must be different ways of communications within each society and land. As Kraft mentioned we should be like
“ a repairman who has a toolbox full of tools and is able to study any situation and use the appropriate tool or technique.” (129) Since there are varieties of languages in the world, I believe that there will be different understanding and interpretations upon a particular word. I agree with Kraft that, “a given word may have different meaning to different groups of people.” (132)
Life involvement is also very crucial need in communications. We can influence the receptors much through personal communication rather than just giving them some information. We encourage them by asking questions and having fellowship with them. By personally involvement in talking to them will help get their ways of receiving message. We can also know the felt need of the people and can organize how to present them the messages. Kraft made a very strong statement concerning the message that is importance for us to remember in our ministry-“that the real Christians message lies in the behavior of the messenger rather than in his words.” (154) Incarnational communications and life involvement are the secondary needs in doing missions. The first and foremost important need is the call of God for missions and the empowered of the Holy Spirit. Without the filling of the Holy Spirit, we cannot do anything! We must also have prayerful life in such a way that can change the hearts of the people. This book is very helpful for me. I have learnt a lot of things pertaining a powerful communications and its theological usage shown in the life of Christ.
Bondage Breaker
"The Bondage Breaker: Overcoming Negative Thoughts, Irrational Feelings, Habitual Sins" by Neil T. Anderson.
The purpose of this book is “to clarify the nature of spiritual conflicts and outline how they can be solved in Christ” (13). Neil T. Anderson based the Biblical truths and his experiences to prove all his discussions and writings which I believe will be effective in overcoming the bondage of Satan.
In the first chapter, Anderson talks about how a Christian who is saved can be deceived by his or her worldview. These demonic forces give misconceptions to believers so that the spirituality of the believers will be weaken and become bondage to the power of Satan. Moreover, he also remains us that there are psychological as well as spiritual problems of the people. The most important thing Christians must understand is that the word of God is our authority and power over these satanic forces.
In chapter two, Anderson has mentioned about a paradigm shift of the worldview of the West to the so called “New Age movement.” The eastern practices of supernatural power are increasingly attractive to the West. Thus, there are more supernatural exercises in the western society than the past. People are being misled by this idea that they can be gods themselves. As Dr. Paul Hiebert has pointed out, we should not ignore the activity of evil forces.
In chapter three, the author discussed about our privileges in Christ Jesus. We are children of God and partakers of the divine nature. Sometime we forget our identity in Christ and condemn ourselves. Satan is a liar. Obviously, there is constant fighting between our desiring to do the will of God and to follow our sinful nature. The Apostle Paul himself struggled. I agree with Anderson that we must control our minds and thoughts in order not to sin and become the bondage of sin.
In Chapter four, Anderson has explained us the advantages and disadvantages of confronting the satanic forces. It is true that we should not be proud of or rejoiced just like the disciples by casting out demons but we must give glory to God because we do not have the ability to do it by our own. It is only by the power of God. The author has explained it well by sharing testimonies and the Scriptures. In Chapter five, as the author said, once we accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior, we have both spiritual and physical enemies. Thus, protecting ourselves with the full armor of God, reading the word of God and prayer will be essential for us. Prayer is one of our Christian spiritual weapons. It is also the spiritual air that we breathe to mature in Christ.
In dealing with evil forces in people in chapter six, the author has described some effective strategies to understand how to confront and communicate with a person by the name of Jesus Christ powerfully. Anderson has proved his explanations about the personality of demons and their activities based on the word of God. It is true that supernatural powers can trick people in many ways. Because of our human tendency to acquire supernatural power for some reasons, some people are physically and spiritually demonized so much so that they could not go back to their normal life. The author is informing us in the chapter seven that there are medium, spiritist, witchcraft, palm reader, psychic, and fortune-teller who are very active in the society. Even in the Old Testament God has instructed the people of Israelites not to involve in these paganistic worship practices and beliefs.
Anderson has profoundly shown us the three basic temptations, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye and the pride of life, which Christians are facing in our daily life. He has explained the concept of temptation by the Scriptures and his experiences. Even Jesus our Lord was tempted by Satan and why not we. But we can resist and overcome the temptation of Satan by the powerful word of God in Christ Jesus. In chapter nine, Anderson talks about the accusations of Satan to our life and the danger of believing his accusation. Many times in our Christian life we fail God but we have to confess our sin so that God will forgive and strengthen us. We should not just believe whatever we hear because Satan is accusing Christians to self deception. We are righteous in Christ Jesus before God.
He also mentioned the disadvantages of not obeying what the Bible says in our daily basic. Satan gets a chance when we ignore and compromise the word of God. In chapter ten, the author is informing us to be aware of false teachers, prophets and pretenders in the churches in order not to be disguised by them. We need spiritual discernment.
In chapter eleven, the author encourages us to control our thoughts, behaviors, speeches, and feelings so that Satan can not creep into our heart just like Peter and Annias and Sapphira in the Bible. So we must live a true and holy life before God. The steps of boldly taking freedom in Christ in chapter twelve are essential for our Christian life. Anderson has laid step by step procedures based on the Scriptures to resist the devil and live powerfully in Christ by prayers, dedications, declaration and submission.
When we do counseling it is important to confront every evil force with the truth of the word of God. Anderson has placed what we should keep in mind when counseling people in chapter thirteen. His counseling procedures are effective strategies to help people free from the bondage of Satan. Ministering the whole person is crucial in counseling.
It will be difficult for people who do not believe in the reality of the demonic forces active in the society. However, the reality is that they are so active in that millions of people are being disguised by the demonic ideology and control. As Christian we should not afraid to encounter but to live courageously believing that we are in Christ who has all authority and power in heavens and on earth. Since believers are the most wanted people whom Satan wants to attack we should preach and teach the word of God in the churches and in the families. I believe that most of the people who are having self deception are started from the family.
I have seen people who are attacked and possessed by the evil forces in my place. As Anderson mentioned, there are some people being used by the supernatural forces so that the demons spoke through him or her. Neil T. Anderson has communicated effectively and profoundly by teaching us in this book. Moreover, he has given us practical truths and examples which we need to be aware of in dealing with people who are one way or another controlled by the satanic forces. We should not be intimidated by these evil forces when encountering with them because Jesus Christ has already defeated the power of the kingdom of darkness on the cross of Calvary. We must declare and know our identity in Christ Jesus so that we will overcome every temptation in life.
The general flow of thoughts of the book has communicated and taught what the author wanted to deal and convey but some ideas are illogical to my understanding. Can a Christian be demon possessed? Can a person be controlled by demons without allowing them to control? Is the self deception concept be the only reason for demonization? According to Anderson, it seems to me that Christians can be possessed by the devil at the same time they are in Christ Jesus. Were those people whom he dealt with are committed Christians? Or did they really experience and receive the assurance of salvation in Christ? I think we should question ourselves if there is something wrong about our relationship with God and ask forgiveness and repent for what we did.
How can I carry the cross of Christ? (36) Even though I am in Christ and Christ is in me, I could never carry the cross of Christ. In Matthew 16: 24, Jesus said to His disciples, “if anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.” Jesus Christ himself said that “take up his cross” but not My cross.
In Asia, it is believed that there are certain places and areas where satanic forces dwell. Since it is pluralistic religious societies and cultures, every one understands it. But how can a westerner who does not have a concept of ghost or spirit understand the territorial spirits? The author mentioned that 15 percent of the evangelical Christian will be completely free of satanic bondage. (107) Do you believe this information? It seems to me that he knows every person’s spiritual journey and that he is accusing 85 percent who are still struggling. Can we really say the statistical percentage of people who are completely free from the attack of demons?
Is it true that temptations are to invite and live independently of God? Who is tempting us? Look at the life of Job, God allowed Satan to test his faith and absolute dependency upon God. It was not to live independently of God. It is to realize the need for us to totally depend and trust in God. As I read through the book page by page, Anderson has shared many of his experiences encountering with believers who said they lost their salvation because of unpardonable sins that they have committed. My question is that does Anderson believe in losing salvation in Christ?
I appreciate Anderson for frankly sharing his mistakes and wild experiences because they have testified that he as human being has weakness and unprepared for a certain degree that he must absolutely depend on the word of God in Jesus Christ. And I also want to suggest that when performing counseling, there must be some one beside the counselor and the counselee in the office because we need to have accountability and credibility of what we are doing. The counseling steps and asking a counselee’s background information will be also helpful because you will encounter different kinds of people with different problems in their lives.
First, obviously enough, the westerners are searching for supernatural power and satanic performances that we even can watch on television, movie and newspaper. (27ff) There will be a lot of people who are suffering under the control of these evil forces. I appreciate Anderson for pointing out the problem of acquiring supernatural knowledge and power because the desire for power is an expression of the influence of satanic forces. (34) This idea has interrelated the whole theme of this book. Wanting to become a god has demonstrated the interrelationship of whole idea of this book.
Second, “he knows if he can control your thought, he can control you behavior.”(53) This idea also has an interrelationship idea with the purpose of writing this book. Most of the author’s illustrations and experiences have demonstrated that people are controlled by demons because they cannot control their thoughts.
Third, Anderson has presented some biblical truths about our identity in Christ (213-4). His approaches here also show the whole idea of dealing with self-deception and demonic people with the word of God in Christ. I personally thank him for his excellent work for gathering these important statements from the word of God. The appendices are also useful information for our identity and position in Christ.
First, as a human being, somehow or some points I experienced blaming myself comparing with other people or not performing what I should perform in the ministry. As Anderson mentioned on page 18, I have a tendency to doubt myself. Whenever I prayed my mind was full of my daily planning and needs in life. But this book enlivened and reminded my identity in Christ. I agree with Anderson that there are many Christians who are experiencing what I have experienced. Anderson is correct in saying that “nothing is more foundational to your freedom from Satan’s bondage than understanding and affirming what God has done for you in Christ and who you are as a result.”(42)
Second, the seventy “returned with joy and, saying, ‘Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name” (Luke 10:17).(58-9) Sometime, some pastors and evangelists have a tendency to show off a God-given power by force but nothing happens. Jesus commanded us not to enjoy for casting our demons but rather to enjoy for our names are written in heaven. (Luke 10:19-20) We should not boast our ministries and services for the Lord. God hates a prideful heart. We should take Jesus Christ, our Lord as the excellent example in our ministry.
Third, animistic cultural beliefs have also somehow influenced the worldview of the people so that people interpret their dreams based on their superstition, consult palm reader, fortuneteller, and so on. Even some people who professed to be Christian consult these palm readers, astrologers, and fortuneteller to receive the result of their problems. Thus, “understanding the spiritual nature of our world should have a profound effect on your (our) evangelistic strategy.” (91)
Fourth, since there are all kinds of teachings and information in the world, we should not believe whatever we hear (141-2). We should study the word of God and compare whether his or her teaching is based on the truth. Feeling is dangerous for determining the truth. People go where they feel good. Feeling does not last long.
Neil T. Anderson has dealt with the practical negative deceptions of human beings which blur our freedom and victory in Christ Jesus. His biblical supports and counseling procedures give how to defeat and resist the satanic temptations and attacks. His experiences are so powerful. In this book, the author does not really acknowledge the work of the Holy Spirit who is revealing the truth and empowering him in the ministry.
The purpose of this book is “to clarify the nature of spiritual conflicts and outline how they can be solved in Christ” (13). Neil T. Anderson based the Biblical truths and his experiences to prove all his discussions and writings which I believe will be effective in overcoming the bondage of Satan.
In the first chapter, Anderson talks about how a Christian who is saved can be deceived by his or her worldview. These demonic forces give misconceptions to believers so that the spirituality of the believers will be weaken and become bondage to the power of Satan. Moreover, he also remains us that there are psychological as well as spiritual problems of the people. The most important thing Christians must understand is that the word of God is our authority and power over these satanic forces.
In chapter two, Anderson has mentioned about a paradigm shift of the worldview of the West to the so called “New Age movement.” The eastern practices of supernatural power are increasingly attractive to the West. Thus, there are more supernatural exercises in the western society than the past. People are being misled by this idea that they can be gods themselves. As Dr. Paul Hiebert has pointed out, we should not ignore the activity of evil forces.
In chapter three, the author discussed about our privileges in Christ Jesus. We are children of God and partakers of the divine nature. Sometime we forget our identity in Christ and condemn ourselves. Satan is a liar. Obviously, there is constant fighting between our desiring to do the will of God and to follow our sinful nature. The Apostle Paul himself struggled. I agree with Anderson that we must control our minds and thoughts in order not to sin and become the bondage of sin.
In Chapter four, Anderson has explained us the advantages and disadvantages of confronting the satanic forces. It is true that we should not be proud of or rejoiced just like the disciples by casting out demons but we must give glory to God because we do not have the ability to do it by our own. It is only by the power of God. The author has explained it well by sharing testimonies and the Scriptures. In Chapter five, as the author said, once we accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior, we have both spiritual and physical enemies. Thus, protecting ourselves with the full armor of God, reading the word of God and prayer will be essential for us. Prayer is one of our Christian spiritual weapons. It is also the spiritual air that we breathe to mature in Christ.
In dealing with evil forces in people in chapter six, the author has described some effective strategies to understand how to confront and communicate with a person by the name of Jesus Christ powerfully. Anderson has proved his explanations about the personality of demons and their activities based on the word of God. It is true that supernatural powers can trick people in many ways. Because of our human tendency to acquire supernatural power for some reasons, some people are physically and spiritually demonized so much so that they could not go back to their normal life. The author is informing us in the chapter seven that there are medium, spiritist, witchcraft, palm reader, psychic, and fortune-teller who are very active in the society. Even in the Old Testament God has instructed the people of Israelites not to involve in these paganistic worship practices and beliefs.
Anderson has profoundly shown us the three basic temptations, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye and the pride of life, which Christians are facing in our daily life. He has explained the concept of temptation by the Scriptures and his experiences. Even Jesus our Lord was tempted by Satan and why not we. But we can resist and overcome the temptation of Satan by the powerful word of God in Christ Jesus. In chapter nine, Anderson talks about the accusations of Satan to our life and the danger of believing his accusation. Many times in our Christian life we fail God but we have to confess our sin so that God will forgive and strengthen us. We should not just believe whatever we hear because Satan is accusing Christians to self deception. We are righteous in Christ Jesus before God.
He also mentioned the disadvantages of not obeying what the Bible says in our daily basic. Satan gets a chance when we ignore and compromise the word of God. In chapter ten, the author is informing us to be aware of false teachers, prophets and pretenders in the churches in order not to be disguised by them. We need spiritual discernment.
In chapter eleven, the author encourages us to control our thoughts, behaviors, speeches, and feelings so that Satan can not creep into our heart just like Peter and Annias and Sapphira in the Bible. So we must live a true and holy life before God. The steps of boldly taking freedom in Christ in chapter twelve are essential for our Christian life. Anderson has laid step by step procedures based on the Scriptures to resist the devil and live powerfully in Christ by prayers, dedications, declaration and submission.
When we do counseling it is important to confront every evil force with the truth of the word of God. Anderson has placed what we should keep in mind when counseling people in chapter thirteen. His counseling procedures are effective strategies to help people free from the bondage of Satan. Ministering the whole person is crucial in counseling.
It will be difficult for people who do not believe in the reality of the demonic forces active in the society. However, the reality is that they are so active in that millions of people are being disguised by the demonic ideology and control. As Christian we should not afraid to encounter but to live courageously believing that we are in Christ who has all authority and power in heavens and on earth. Since believers are the most wanted people whom Satan wants to attack we should preach and teach the word of God in the churches and in the families. I believe that most of the people who are having self deception are started from the family.
I have seen people who are attacked and possessed by the evil forces in my place. As Anderson mentioned, there are some people being used by the supernatural forces so that the demons spoke through him or her. Neil T. Anderson has communicated effectively and profoundly by teaching us in this book. Moreover, he has given us practical truths and examples which we need to be aware of in dealing with people who are one way or another controlled by the satanic forces. We should not be intimidated by these evil forces when encountering with them because Jesus Christ has already defeated the power of the kingdom of darkness on the cross of Calvary. We must declare and know our identity in Christ Jesus so that we will overcome every temptation in life.
The general flow of thoughts of the book has communicated and taught what the author wanted to deal and convey but some ideas are illogical to my understanding. Can a Christian be demon possessed? Can a person be controlled by demons without allowing them to control? Is the self deception concept be the only reason for demonization? According to Anderson, it seems to me that Christians can be possessed by the devil at the same time they are in Christ Jesus. Were those people whom he dealt with are committed Christians? Or did they really experience and receive the assurance of salvation in Christ? I think we should question ourselves if there is something wrong about our relationship with God and ask forgiveness and repent for what we did.
How can I carry the cross of Christ? (36) Even though I am in Christ and Christ is in me, I could never carry the cross of Christ. In Matthew 16: 24, Jesus said to His disciples, “if anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.” Jesus Christ himself said that “take up his cross” but not My cross.
In Asia, it is believed that there are certain places and areas where satanic forces dwell. Since it is pluralistic religious societies and cultures, every one understands it. But how can a westerner who does not have a concept of ghost or spirit understand the territorial spirits? The author mentioned that 15 percent of the evangelical Christian will be completely free of satanic bondage. (107) Do you believe this information? It seems to me that he knows every person’s spiritual journey and that he is accusing 85 percent who are still struggling. Can we really say the statistical percentage of people who are completely free from the attack of demons?
Is it true that temptations are to invite and live independently of God? Who is tempting us? Look at the life of Job, God allowed Satan to test his faith and absolute dependency upon God. It was not to live independently of God. It is to realize the need for us to totally depend and trust in God. As I read through the book page by page, Anderson has shared many of his experiences encountering with believers who said they lost their salvation because of unpardonable sins that they have committed. My question is that does Anderson believe in losing salvation in Christ?
I appreciate Anderson for frankly sharing his mistakes and wild experiences because they have testified that he as human being has weakness and unprepared for a certain degree that he must absolutely depend on the word of God in Jesus Christ. And I also want to suggest that when performing counseling, there must be some one beside the counselor and the counselee in the office because we need to have accountability and credibility of what we are doing. The counseling steps and asking a counselee’s background information will be also helpful because you will encounter different kinds of people with different problems in their lives.
First, obviously enough, the westerners are searching for supernatural power and satanic performances that we even can watch on television, movie and newspaper. (27ff) There will be a lot of people who are suffering under the control of these evil forces. I appreciate Anderson for pointing out the problem of acquiring supernatural knowledge and power because the desire for power is an expression of the influence of satanic forces. (34) This idea has interrelated the whole theme of this book. Wanting to become a god has demonstrated the interrelationship of whole idea of this book.
Second, “he knows if he can control your thought, he can control you behavior.”(53) This idea also has an interrelationship idea with the purpose of writing this book. Most of the author’s illustrations and experiences have demonstrated that people are controlled by demons because they cannot control their thoughts.
Third, Anderson has presented some biblical truths about our identity in Christ (213-4). His approaches here also show the whole idea of dealing with self-deception and demonic people with the word of God in Christ. I personally thank him for his excellent work for gathering these important statements from the word of God. The appendices are also useful information for our identity and position in Christ.
First, as a human being, somehow or some points I experienced blaming myself comparing with other people or not performing what I should perform in the ministry. As Anderson mentioned on page 18, I have a tendency to doubt myself. Whenever I prayed my mind was full of my daily planning and needs in life. But this book enlivened and reminded my identity in Christ. I agree with Anderson that there are many Christians who are experiencing what I have experienced. Anderson is correct in saying that “nothing is more foundational to your freedom from Satan’s bondage than understanding and affirming what God has done for you in Christ and who you are as a result.”(42)
Second, the seventy “returned with joy and, saying, ‘Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name” (Luke 10:17).(58-9) Sometime, some pastors and evangelists have a tendency to show off a God-given power by force but nothing happens. Jesus commanded us not to enjoy for casting our demons but rather to enjoy for our names are written in heaven. (Luke 10:19-20) We should not boast our ministries and services for the Lord. God hates a prideful heart. We should take Jesus Christ, our Lord as the excellent example in our ministry.
Third, animistic cultural beliefs have also somehow influenced the worldview of the people so that people interpret their dreams based on their superstition, consult palm reader, fortuneteller, and so on. Even some people who professed to be Christian consult these palm readers, astrologers, and fortuneteller to receive the result of their problems. Thus, “understanding the spiritual nature of our world should have a profound effect on your (our) evangelistic strategy.” (91)
Fourth, since there are all kinds of teachings and information in the world, we should not believe whatever we hear (141-2). We should study the word of God and compare whether his or her teaching is based on the truth. Feeling is dangerous for determining the truth. People go where they feel good. Feeling does not last long.
Neil T. Anderson has dealt with the practical negative deceptions of human beings which blur our freedom and victory in Christ Jesus. His biblical supports and counseling procedures give how to defeat and resist the satanic temptations and attacks. His experiences are so powerful. In this book, the author does not really acknowledge the work of the Holy Spirit who is revealing the truth and empowering him in the ministry.
Book Review on ministry in the Urban Cities
Bakke, Raymond. The Urban Christian: Effective Ministry in Today’s Urban World.
Downers, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1987.
Is there a perfect mission method or strategy for city evangelization? What should we know the racial complexity of the urban city dwellers so that we can without racial discrimination reach or communicate the Gospel to people in the cities? How can we effectively do ministry in the urban cities? Why do we need to emphasize evangelization in the urban cities? Raymond Bakke has a Norwegian Lutheran background and who later become a Baptist pastor serving the Lord Jesus Christ in the urban city of Chicago. He has articulated profound ministry strategies and methods for effective Gospel communication in the urban cities based on his pastoral and academic experiences. He has narrated the complexity of the urban cities like Chicago and provided some excellent detailed information about the people (groups or races or classes or levels) who live in the sophisticated cities around the world. He has also written it by the biblical and theological understandings.
The thesis of this book, I hope, is:
that my urban pastor colleagues could best find meaning in their otherwise buffeting and discouraging circumstances if they understood the true significance of their roles. They needed to concentrate on their local congregations or neighborhoods, but they also needed to widen their visual lenses in order to see the whole world was coming to their cities. For the first time in nearly 2000 years of Christian history, we could speak realistically of the global mission of local churches. (9)
In another word, Raymond Bakke wanted pastors or ministers in the urban cities understand their significant ministries for diverse people from all over the country come to the cities to search for a better life. Thus, they are going to minister all races/groups of people in their local churches. It is really true that we can see all colors of people in the cities. Bakke also has struggled between “theory and practice” in the pastoral ministry. (10) However, he answered by saying “good theory is good practice and the best theory of all comes from honest and disciplined reflection on personal and public ministry action.” (10) One of the purposes of this book is “to show how a person extrapolates principles from practice.” (10)
As Bakke pointed out “the city is less of a place and more of a process” where people migrate or emigrate from various places so that cities around the world will be drastically increased in number. Urbanization can be seen around the world as technologies can be easily accessed, higher education can be received and jobs can be found in the urban cities. Moreover, the birth-rate of babies in the world will cause a dramatic growth of urban city population. Everybody one purpose or another desires to live in the urban cities. I was in Tokyo, Japan in 2005 for my field education and I saw how populated the city of Tokyo is. I also was Manila and I saw how crowded and polluted city is. For example, it is true that “the United States is a country of immigrants” where people from every continent have been coming together since it is found. (33) Refugees of war, persecution, economy, and others are still coming to the United States of America for a better life.
I agree with Bakke that pastors in “Two-Third World” where Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism are a state religion “stop evangelizing nonbelievers and find it much easier to proselytize others who name the name of Christ.”(48) A perfect example will be Myanmar pastors. Theravada Buddhism is the state religion and the military government does not allow Christian evangelization in the country. Thus, pastors who are planting churches plant by just gathering their own family members or relatives. There is rarely new believers add to the new church. There are church competition, denominational competition, and so forth. Most of the time, capital capability to help families will promote pastors and increases church members. Worst of all, those pastors who receive financial support from other parts of the world do not spend their mission money to evangelize or reach out the Gospel to the lost.
I also agree with Bakke that pastors should prioritize their ministerial tasks by one, two and three. As he arranged on page 120, pastors in the cities should their first priority “preaching and teaching the Scriptures so that people know who they are and what their mission is.” (120) Second, “pastoral care” should not be neglected because pastors are not only to feed their sheep with spiritual food but also physical care which the sheep needs in the church. Third, proper “administration” is necessary because pastors who cannot properly administrate their church ministry will end up in problems and conflicts in the ministry. Pastors with church committee or deacons should plan, organize, budget, delegate and make decisions so that the ministry of the church will run smooth. A pastor should not make decision without his church committees because the church committees are the back-bone of a church. He should delegate people in the church to various ministries, jobs and tasks so that there will be many participants in the ministry. Pastors must practice servant leadership model in their ministries because Christian ministry is different from secular organizations. Some pastors in Myanmar imitate military model of governing the country and so there is no really proper relationships between church members and pastors in the church. Fourth, as Christians who live in a community, pastors should encourage church members to build community up so that people will know the love of God through their lives and good works. These social works can be used as pre-evangelism and discipleship training. Fifth, as pastors in colorful and busy cities, they should allocate day(s) for family time to have outdoor recreation because pastors are also human beings who can feel stress, depress, and burn out by their busy ministries.
Downers, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1987.
Is there a perfect mission method or strategy for city evangelization? What should we know the racial complexity of the urban city dwellers so that we can without racial discrimination reach or communicate the Gospel to people in the cities? How can we effectively do ministry in the urban cities? Why do we need to emphasize evangelization in the urban cities? Raymond Bakke has a Norwegian Lutheran background and who later become a Baptist pastor serving the Lord Jesus Christ in the urban city of Chicago. He has articulated profound ministry strategies and methods for effective Gospel communication in the urban cities based on his pastoral and academic experiences. He has narrated the complexity of the urban cities like Chicago and provided some excellent detailed information about the people (groups or races or classes or levels) who live in the sophisticated cities around the world. He has also written it by the biblical and theological understandings.
The thesis of this book, I hope, is:
that my urban pastor colleagues could best find meaning in their otherwise buffeting and discouraging circumstances if they understood the true significance of their roles. They needed to concentrate on their local congregations or neighborhoods, but they also needed to widen their visual lenses in order to see the whole world was coming to their cities. For the first time in nearly 2000 years of Christian history, we could speak realistically of the global mission of local churches. (9)
In another word, Raymond Bakke wanted pastors or ministers in the urban cities understand their significant ministries for diverse people from all over the country come to the cities to search for a better life. Thus, they are going to minister all races/groups of people in their local churches. It is really true that we can see all colors of people in the cities. Bakke also has struggled between “theory and practice” in the pastoral ministry. (10) However, he answered by saying “good theory is good practice and the best theory of all comes from honest and disciplined reflection on personal and public ministry action.” (10) One of the purposes of this book is “to show how a person extrapolates principles from practice.” (10)
As Bakke pointed out “the city is less of a place and more of a process” where people migrate or emigrate from various places so that cities around the world will be drastically increased in number. Urbanization can be seen around the world as technologies can be easily accessed, higher education can be received and jobs can be found in the urban cities. Moreover, the birth-rate of babies in the world will cause a dramatic growth of urban city population. Everybody one purpose or another desires to live in the urban cities. I was in Tokyo, Japan in 2005 for my field education and I saw how populated the city of Tokyo is. I also was Manila and I saw how crowded and polluted city is. For example, it is true that “the United States is a country of immigrants” where people from every continent have been coming together since it is found. (33) Refugees of war, persecution, economy, and others are still coming to the United States of America for a better life.
I agree with Bakke that pastors in “Two-Third World” where Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism are a state religion “stop evangelizing nonbelievers and find it much easier to proselytize others who name the name of Christ.”(48) A perfect example will be Myanmar pastors. Theravada Buddhism is the state religion and the military government does not allow Christian evangelization in the country. Thus, pastors who are planting churches plant by just gathering their own family members or relatives. There is rarely new believers add to the new church. There are church competition, denominational competition, and so forth. Most of the time, capital capability to help families will promote pastors and increases church members. Worst of all, those pastors who receive financial support from other parts of the world do not spend their mission money to evangelize or reach out the Gospel to the lost.
I also agree with Bakke that pastors should prioritize their ministerial tasks by one, two and three. As he arranged on page 120, pastors in the cities should their first priority “preaching and teaching the Scriptures so that people know who they are and what their mission is.” (120) Second, “pastoral care” should not be neglected because pastors are not only to feed their sheep with spiritual food but also physical care which the sheep needs in the church. Third, proper “administration” is necessary because pastors who cannot properly administrate their church ministry will end up in problems and conflicts in the ministry. Pastors with church committee or deacons should plan, organize, budget, delegate and make decisions so that the ministry of the church will run smooth. A pastor should not make decision without his church committees because the church committees are the back-bone of a church. He should delegate people in the church to various ministries, jobs and tasks so that there will be many participants in the ministry. Pastors must practice servant leadership model in their ministries because Christian ministry is different from secular organizations. Some pastors in Myanmar imitate military model of governing the country and so there is no really proper relationships between church members and pastors in the church. Fourth, as Christians who live in a community, pastors should encourage church members to build community up so that people will know the love of God through their lives and good works. These social works can be used as pre-evangelism and discipleship training. Fifth, as pastors in colorful and busy cities, they should allocate day(s) for family time to have outdoor recreation because pastors are also human beings who can feel stress, depress, and burn out by their busy ministries.
Some Challenges In Missiology Today
Missiology in the 21st century is a necessary and important academic discipline committed to reminding the church of her ongoing mission. However, as much as we see the task of mission as an integral part of Christianity, it still remains a contested issue at many levels. In an essay entitled “what is mission?”, Donald McGavran writes: “A major cause for the tremendous decline in missionary sendings on the part of mainline denominations and the older missionary societies is the spreading confusion concerning the word mission.”
From a bird’s eye perspective, describe some of the challenges missiology has to address and remove-and add some other theological and non-theological points-that would lead the church to accomplish her task better and fuller.
-----------------------------------------------------------
It is a very good question to clarify some of the challenges which church or missionary agencies are facing in the Christian missions. However, it is a hard question to solve and answer but I will try to address some of the concern that I have in my mind. What really is Christian mission(s)? What are the challenges in missions? What are some causes of confusions caused by mainline denominations and the older missionary societies? How do we define “Missio Dei”? Missiology must study the challenges and find out some solutions for Christian missions to be conducted accordance with the will of God which is revealed in the Scriptures. Missiology has a big task to do research and send out helpful information to mission agencies and missionaries how to theologically and biblically follow the will of God in saving the lost with the Gospel of Christ Jesus in the mission fields so that there might be less confusion in the Christian missions. Missiology must also determine what to add and remove in its theological and non-theological build up.
Christian mission(s) is proclaiming the redemptive work of God in/through Jesus Christ on the cross to the lost. It operates based on the biblical, theological and historical facts of Christianity and uses every communication method to pass the gospel message to every cultural society in the world. Human beings (or the church) are just the instruments of God for reaching out the Gospel to people. As Dr. Martin Luther biblically stated, “Justification is by faith in Christ Jesus through the grace of God.” We cannot save people by force or our enterprises or mission agendas but the Holy Spirit who touches the hearts of people and convinces people to have faith in Christ Jesus as we faithfully share the word of God. Christian mission is to preach the Gospel of Christ Jesus. If this preaching activity is not the primary aim for Christian mission, we must reevaluate our purpose for going to some other countries. Missiology must prescriptively or descriptively build every direction it takes based on what God is, and His plan in Christ Jesus for the lost world in the Old and New Testaments. Its normative must draw from the Scriptures.
God the Father sent Jesus Christ to die for us and Jesus Christ accomplished His mission; He then prayed and sent the church to the lost world (John 17). Jesus Christ willingly sacrificed His life on the cross without shame. St. Paul declared that he was not ashamed of the gospel of Christ because it is the power of the salvation of God. (Rom. 1:16) Jesus Christ told us in Mark Gospel that “if anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of his when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.” (Mk. 8: 34-38)
When a missionary does not or cannot deny himself to follow Christ by carry his own cross in his or her mission field, he/she merely consider the Christian mission as a business or some kinds of enterprises which he or she become the boss over the host nations. Some missionaries in the mission fields control the mission activities of the church by their capital ability. Some missionaries also want to save their own lives by securing their families financially. They build some fine missionary campus where the hosts are not allowed to come. How can they understand the receptors when they are away from the hosts? Some spend more capital in golf or recreations than their mission works. Missionaries are ashamed of offending people by sharing their belief in Christ Jesus. Thus, they emphasize on holistic approach by which they can live side by side with other religious people in the society. They are not ready to die for Christ Jesus in their mission fields.
Missiology must study the text of the Scriptures to understand how much it needs to depend on sociological, ethnological, anthropological, philosophical and economical scientific knowledge of the secular academic world. Since Christian mission is dealing with human beings, missiology has to constructively and critically do reflection these scientific knowledge or information to utilize in the Christian missions to spread the Gospel of Christ to the unbelievers.
In the past, Christianity was brought to other countries under or through the colonization of nations by the West. The super powers came to colonize the nations but missionaries came to Christianize other nations with the Christian teachings. Although they came under the colonizers, missionaries in the past went out from their countries to other nations knowing and convincing that God will lead them in the new mission fields. Many sacrificed their lives for the gospel of Christ Jesus in the mission fields. They also had established and planted churches, schools, translated, and so forth for the receptors to understand the gospel in their own ways. Adoniram Judson, the first missionary from American to Myanmar, learned the language, translated the whole Bible in Burmese language, suffered severely and sacrificed not only his life but his families for Myanmar. The American Baptist missionaries who came to the Chin State in Myanmar created a language for us by translated the whole Bible. They also opened schools, medical center and so on. These are essential for their missionary works to spread the good News of the love of God. Their works are so significant for the whole Chin society in Myanmar. The Judson’s Burmese Bible is still the best translation we have in Myanmar.
But the bad part of missionary works in Myanmar was that missionaries came along with the British colonizers. Burmese Buddhists could not really embrace Christianity because they suffered under these colonizers. They were enslaved by, what they called, the missionary country and heard the gospel of Jesus Christ from them, too. That is why, instead of embracing Christianity the Burmese Buddhists revitalized Buddhism in Myanmar. Christianity is still seen by the Burmese Buddhists as an intruder to their identity, Buddhist beliefs, and social cultural heritage. Missionaries also transported their own cultures and practices into their mission fields thinking that their cultures are Christian cultures and ethics.
Because of the technological instantness, mission agencies or missionaries project their mission works to accomplish within a certain period and time. Is it advisable to limit a period of mission works in a particular context? Can we call “program” as “mission”? When we emphasize building “programs” over the sharing or preaching the gospel to people, people are usually considered as business row materials which missionaries raise their funds and supports. People are people. They are not a row material or program to organize within limited time. Missiology has to study cultural anthropology and languages of the target people in order to better understand how it can help the boarder Christian community in reaching out the gospel to the world. Short-term missionary going is now popular today than sending long-term missionaries to the other countries. I think there are many places where long-term missionaries should be still sent to train local pastors and Christians in leadership knowledge, theological and biblical teachings. It is good news to see that churches in the then mission fields in the world are sending out thousands of missionaries to other foreign nations. These churches are also formed their own missionary organizations to partner with missionary agencies in the West in doing missions. One of the problems I see is that these churches are poor in capital to run their own mission affords. When the western missionaries left from their mission fields, the financial supports from the West seem steadily dry down and the local churches are left struggling financially.
When Christian mission is defined as “helping people with the grace of Christ,” it is true that the Christian mission will be interpreted as “to create a better world.” (McGavran) Can we really create a better world by helping people or our Christian missions? Christians should impact every societal decision made by the leaders in the community. Christians should transform the evil natures of cultures and practices in the society. However, it is not our task to change the hearts of people to believe in Christ because it is the work of the Holy Spirit. Providing the needs of the poor, I think, is excellent job to do but it cannot be considered as Christian missions. However, missionaries have to preach the Gospel of Christ to the poor as well as provide their needs because they will not listen the message with their empty stomachs. In some mission fields, this “helping people” seems go forever because missionaries or mission agencies do not directly encounter people by sharing about sins, and the salvation in Christ to people they are dealing with. Some mission centers exist only for the purpose of pre-evangelism. Missiology should study how Christians can better be the agents of transforming the hearts of people through pre-evangelistic centers around the world. Teaching English using the Bible stories is used for evangelizing the unbelievers in the foreign countries or even in the States. It is helpful to inductively start the Christian missions because inductive research will reveal us what really are the needs for a particular context or society. However, since an inductive approach does not begin with what the word of God to the context, the context controls the text in the process.
Liberal Christians and the World Council of Churches have been focusing on building a better world. I think that there will never be a better world or a peaceful world. But rather there will be more wickedness and sinful works in the world. Humanization is now thought as a primary goal of Christian missions. It is dangerous for Christendom and its mission affords for spreading the salvation of God. Christian missions are not humanization or civilization. To properly utilize “from above and below” approach will be necessary because when we highlight “from below” approach it only focuses on humanization and excludes the plan of God in the process. Missiology in its academic researches must apply “from above and below” rather than “from below and above” concept of missiological approach.
Some theologians and Christian leaders are planning to come together with other religions on the concept of “God” in order to dialogue with them. I think it is a wrong direction to take because Christian God who revealed Himself in the Christ Jesus is totally different from gods in other religions. Islam rejects the divinity and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Whereas Buddhism and Hinduism do not have the concept of a Personal Creator God in their beliefs. Buddha denied the existence of such Supreme Being in his teaching. He only emphasized on human affords to escape from suffering in life. Buddha also taught that one cannot save someone else from his or her suffering because his/her karma determines what will happen in the future life. Buddhism and Hinduism also teach reincarnation which is the opposite teaching of the Christian beliefs. Missiology should diligently study and do research on other religions so that it can understand the depth of their beliefs and critically contextualize and interpret the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ for them. In doing so, missiologists will help missionaries who are working with other religious faiths in the mission fields. Missiology must also clarify what syncretism is and what is not syncretism. Syncretism is a serious matter in Christian mission works. Missiologists must do research on some theological terminologies and worldviews of other religions because these are very essential for missionaries to encounter with them. Moreover, missiologists should also study the historical reality of other religions to be able to fluently converse with people who have different faiths. I believe that Christianity is the only true religion which can be proven not only by theologically and Biblically but also historically to the world. Metaphysically, Christian God can be proved by phenomenology, ontology, epistemology, philosophy, empiricism and historical accounts. Other religions are cultural religions of people groups or nations in the world. But Christianity can be translated into several cultural people groups in the world. To become a Muslim is to identify and practice the Arab language and cultures.
Some defined Missio Dei as everything that is occurred in the history of the world. Then, is God responsible for the killing and evil deeds which are happening in the world? I believe that God is in control. But He does not dictate people just an automaton for every action and decision. God is not a confusing God. He created male and female separately. He never creates female to be male or male to be female. God has purposefully placed kings or leaders or people in particular position. I believe God has been leading me to be in this program at Concordia Theological Seminary to learn and be equipped by some scholarly professors for His kingdom mission. Liberal Christians interpreted Missio Dei as whatever happens in the world. I would say that Missio Dei is the redemptive act of the triune God in/through Christ Jesus in the history of human beings.
Missiology has to understand the struggles Christians are facing in this world. The struggle we have with the principalities of this world, the works of Satan in the lives of people. I think that missiology must include the study of the work of God the Holy Spirit in its studies. As St. Luke says in Acts 1:8, missionaries need the power of the Holy Spirit to encounter these worldly principalities in the mission fields. Missiology has to study not only the Biblical, theological and historical facts of God but also empirical reality of God by studying the work of the Holy Spirit. We cannot neglect one and emphasize the other in the Trinity. As Gailyn put it, “God: the source of mission, Christ: the message of mission, the Holy Spirit: the power of mission, the church: the embodiment of God’s mission, and the world: the target of mission.” John 3: 16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave only One and only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” To share this love of God to those who do not know it Christians must obey the Great Commission of the Lord Jesus in Matthew 20:19-20 by going to them with the Gospel; baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit; and teaching them to obey what Jesus Christ teaches in the Bible for He will be with us to the end of the age.
From a bird’s eye perspective, describe some of the challenges missiology has to address and remove-and add some other theological and non-theological points-that would lead the church to accomplish her task better and fuller.
-----------------------------------------------------------
It is a very good question to clarify some of the challenges which church or missionary agencies are facing in the Christian missions. However, it is a hard question to solve and answer but I will try to address some of the concern that I have in my mind. What really is Christian mission(s)? What are the challenges in missions? What are some causes of confusions caused by mainline denominations and the older missionary societies? How do we define “Missio Dei”? Missiology must study the challenges and find out some solutions for Christian missions to be conducted accordance with the will of God which is revealed in the Scriptures. Missiology has a big task to do research and send out helpful information to mission agencies and missionaries how to theologically and biblically follow the will of God in saving the lost with the Gospel of Christ Jesus in the mission fields so that there might be less confusion in the Christian missions. Missiology must also determine what to add and remove in its theological and non-theological build up.
Christian mission(s) is proclaiming the redemptive work of God in/through Jesus Christ on the cross to the lost. It operates based on the biblical, theological and historical facts of Christianity and uses every communication method to pass the gospel message to every cultural society in the world. Human beings (or the church) are just the instruments of God for reaching out the Gospel to people. As Dr. Martin Luther biblically stated, “Justification is by faith in Christ Jesus through the grace of God.” We cannot save people by force or our enterprises or mission agendas but the Holy Spirit who touches the hearts of people and convinces people to have faith in Christ Jesus as we faithfully share the word of God. Christian mission is to preach the Gospel of Christ Jesus. If this preaching activity is not the primary aim for Christian mission, we must reevaluate our purpose for going to some other countries. Missiology must prescriptively or descriptively build every direction it takes based on what God is, and His plan in Christ Jesus for the lost world in the Old and New Testaments. Its normative must draw from the Scriptures.
God the Father sent Jesus Christ to die for us and Jesus Christ accomplished His mission; He then prayed and sent the church to the lost world (John 17). Jesus Christ willingly sacrificed His life on the cross without shame. St. Paul declared that he was not ashamed of the gospel of Christ because it is the power of the salvation of God. (Rom. 1:16) Jesus Christ told us in Mark Gospel that “if anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of his when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.” (Mk. 8: 34-38)
When a missionary does not or cannot deny himself to follow Christ by carry his own cross in his or her mission field, he/she merely consider the Christian mission as a business or some kinds of enterprises which he or she become the boss over the host nations. Some missionaries in the mission fields control the mission activities of the church by their capital ability. Some missionaries also want to save their own lives by securing their families financially. They build some fine missionary campus where the hosts are not allowed to come. How can they understand the receptors when they are away from the hosts? Some spend more capital in golf or recreations than their mission works. Missionaries are ashamed of offending people by sharing their belief in Christ Jesus. Thus, they emphasize on holistic approach by which they can live side by side with other religious people in the society. They are not ready to die for Christ Jesus in their mission fields.
Missiology must study the text of the Scriptures to understand how much it needs to depend on sociological, ethnological, anthropological, philosophical and economical scientific knowledge of the secular academic world. Since Christian mission is dealing with human beings, missiology has to constructively and critically do reflection these scientific knowledge or information to utilize in the Christian missions to spread the Gospel of Christ to the unbelievers.
In the past, Christianity was brought to other countries under or through the colonization of nations by the West. The super powers came to colonize the nations but missionaries came to Christianize other nations with the Christian teachings. Although they came under the colonizers, missionaries in the past went out from their countries to other nations knowing and convincing that God will lead them in the new mission fields. Many sacrificed their lives for the gospel of Christ Jesus in the mission fields. They also had established and planted churches, schools, translated, and so forth for the receptors to understand the gospel in their own ways. Adoniram Judson, the first missionary from American to Myanmar, learned the language, translated the whole Bible in Burmese language, suffered severely and sacrificed not only his life but his families for Myanmar. The American Baptist missionaries who came to the Chin State in Myanmar created a language for us by translated the whole Bible. They also opened schools, medical center and so on. These are essential for their missionary works to spread the good News of the love of God. Their works are so significant for the whole Chin society in Myanmar. The Judson’s Burmese Bible is still the best translation we have in Myanmar.
But the bad part of missionary works in Myanmar was that missionaries came along with the British colonizers. Burmese Buddhists could not really embrace Christianity because they suffered under these colonizers. They were enslaved by, what they called, the missionary country and heard the gospel of Jesus Christ from them, too. That is why, instead of embracing Christianity the Burmese Buddhists revitalized Buddhism in Myanmar. Christianity is still seen by the Burmese Buddhists as an intruder to their identity, Buddhist beliefs, and social cultural heritage. Missionaries also transported their own cultures and practices into their mission fields thinking that their cultures are Christian cultures and ethics.
Because of the technological instantness, mission agencies or missionaries project their mission works to accomplish within a certain period and time. Is it advisable to limit a period of mission works in a particular context? Can we call “program” as “mission”? When we emphasize building “programs” over the sharing or preaching the gospel to people, people are usually considered as business row materials which missionaries raise their funds and supports. People are people. They are not a row material or program to organize within limited time. Missiology has to study cultural anthropology and languages of the target people in order to better understand how it can help the boarder Christian community in reaching out the gospel to the world. Short-term missionary going is now popular today than sending long-term missionaries to the other countries. I think there are many places where long-term missionaries should be still sent to train local pastors and Christians in leadership knowledge, theological and biblical teachings. It is good news to see that churches in the then mission fields in the world are sending out thousands of missionaries to other foreign nations. These churches are also formed their own missionary organizations to partner with missionary agencies in the West in doing missions. One of the problems I see is that these churches are poor in capital to run their own mission affords. When the western missionaries left from their mission fields, the financial supports from the West seem steadily dry down and the local churches are left struggling financially.
When Christian mission is defined as “helping people with the grace of Christ,” it is true that the Christian mission will be interpreted as “to create a better world.” (McGavran) Can we really create a better world by helping people or our Christian missions? Christians should impact every societal decision made by the leaders in the community. Christians should transform the evil natures of cultures and practices in the society. However, it is not our task to change the hearts of people to believe in Christ because it is the work of the Holy Spirit. Providing the needs of the poor, I think, is excellent job to do but it cannot be considered as Christian missions. However, missionaries have to preach the Gospel of Christ to the poor as well as provide their needs because they will not listen the message with their empty stomachs. In some mission fields, this “helping people” seems go forever because missionaries or mission agencies do not directly encounter people by sharing about sins, and the salvation in Christ to people they are dealing with. Some mission centers exist only for the purpose of pre-evangelism. Missiology should study how Christians can better be the agents of transforming the hearts of people through pre-evangelistic centers around the world. Teaching English using the Bible stories is used for evangelizing the unbelievers in the foreign countries or even in the States. It is helpful to inductively start the Christian missions because inductive research will reveal us what really are the needs for a particular context or society. However, since an inductive approach does not begin with what the word of God to the context, the context controls the text in the process.
Liberal Christians and the World Council of Churches have been focusing on building a better world. I think that there will never be a better world or a peaceful world. But rather there will be more wickedness and sinful works in the world. Humanization is now thought as a primary goal of Christian missions. It is dangerous for Christendom and its mission affords for spreading the salvation of God. Christian missions are not humanization or civilization. To properly utilize “from above and below” approach will be necessary because when we highlight “from below” approach it only focuses on humanization and excludes the plan of God in the process. Missiology in its academic researches must apply “from above and below” rather than “from below and above” concept of missiological approach.
Some theologians and Christian leaders are planning to come together with other religions on the concept of “God” in order to dialogue with them. I think it is a wrong direction to take because Christian God who revealed Himself in the Christ Jesus is totally different from gods in other religions. Islam rejects the divinity and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Whereas Buddhism and Hinduism do not have the concept of a Personal Creator God in their beliefs. Buddha denied the existence of such Supreme Being in his teaching. He only emphasized on human affords to escape from suffering in life. Buddha also taught that one cannot save someone else from his or her suffering because his/her karma determines what will happen in the future life. Buddhism and Hinduism also teach reincarnation which is the opposite teaching of the Christian beliefs. Missiology should diligently study and do research on other religions so that it can understand the depth of their beliefs and critically contextualize and interpret the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ for them. In doing so, missiologists will help missionaries who are working with other religious faiths in the mission fields. Missiology must also clarify what syncretism is and what is not syncretism. Syncretism is a serious matter in Christian mission works. Missiologists must do research on some theological terminologies and worldviews of other religions because these are very essential for missionaries to encounter with them. Moreover, missiologists should also study the historical reality of other religions to be able to fluently converse with people who have different faiths. I believe that Christianity is the only true religion which can be proven not only by theologically and Biblically but also historically to the world. Metaphysically, Christian God can be proved by phenomenology, ontology, epistemology, philosophy, empiricism and historical accounts. Other religions are cultural religions of people groups or nations in the world. But Christianity can be translated into several cultural people groups in the world. To become a Muslim is to identify and practice the Arab language and cultures.
Some defined Missio Dei as everything that is occurred in the history of the world. Then, is God responsible for the killing and evil deeds which are happening in the world? I believe that God is in control. But He does not dictate people just an automaton for every action and decision. God is not a confusing God. He created male and female separately. He never creates female to be male or male to be female. God has purposefully placed kings or leaders or people in particular position. I believe God has been leading me to be in this program at Concordia Theological Seminary to learn and be equipped by some scholarly professors for His kingdom mission. Liberal Christians interpreted Missio Dei as whatever happens in the world. I would say that Missio Dei is the redemptive act of the triune God in/through Christ Jesus in the history of human beings.
Missiology has to understand the struggles Christians are facing in this world. The struggle we have with the principalities of this world, the works of Satan in the lives of people. I think that missiology must include the study of the work of God the Holy Spirit in its studies. As St. Luke says in Acts 1:8, missionaries need the power of the Holy Spirit to encounter these worldly principalities in the mission fields. Missiology has to study not only the Biblical, theological and historical facts of God but also empirical reality of God by studying the work of the Holy Spirit. We cannot neglect one and emphasize the other in the Trinity. As Gailyn put it, “God: the source of mission, Christ: the message of mission, the Holy Spirit: the power of mission, the church: the embodiment of God’s mission, and the world: the target of mission.” John 3: 16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave only One and only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” To share this love of God to those who do not know it Christians must obey the Great Commission of the Lord Jesus in Matthew 20:19-20 by going to them with the Gospel; baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit; and teaching them to obey what Jesus Christ teaches in the Bible for He will be with us to the end of the age.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
What is the apostology?
A church which does not have any missionary activity or work is a dead church. Church exists in the world with a mission. A mission to proclaim the Gospel of Christ Jesus who died and resurrected from the dead. A mission to go as well as to send missionaries to other parts of the world where people do not even hear the name Jesus Christ in their whole life. There are many parts of the world where nations and people groups are not yet reached with the Gospel of Christ Jesus. There are many places in the world, where the existing Christian churches need teachers, leaders, and missionaries to teach, to disciple, and to train them. There are many Christians who not only need prayers but also financial and material supports to survive for life. Pastors, how many churches do your church financially support today? How many missionaries do your church organization send to other parts of the world? Are you a mission minded pastors or Christians? Historically, missiologists have been discussed on the significance of "sending" or "to send" missionaries to foreign countries and nations to evangelize, to teach, to share, to preach, to train, and do other missionary works for the kingdom of God. Why is this "sending" so importance for the missions of the Christian church? The famous missiologist Gustav Warneck (1834-1910), the father of mission science, who taught in Halle, Germany, in the late nineteenth century have proposed four alternative categories for missiology. They are 1) halieutics (to fish or fisherman), 2) kerytics (to preach or to herald), 3) evangelistics (evangelist is one of the office of ministries in the church), and 4) apostology (to send). Gustav Warneck has drawn all these four areas of mission activities from the various biblical references in the Bible. The Lord Jesus Christ and Saint Paul have used all these four terms during their missionary works. Among these four terms, apostology, according to Detlve K. Schulz, can be found 131 times in the New Testament. Jesus Christ was the sent One. God the Father sent the Son, Jesus Christ, to proclaim the kingdom of God and die for humanity on the cross so that whoever believes in Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit will receive the eternal life in heaven. God the Father sent the Son, the Father and the Son sent the Holy Spirit send the church to the lost world. Missio Dei is God doing redemptive works through the church in the world. Thus, "to send" or "sending" missionaries to other nations or people groups is significant and essential for Christian missions. Paul encourages in his writing saying that "how are they to preach unless they are sent" (Rom.10:15). Jesus said "peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." (John 20:21) Before He was taken up to heaven, Jesus Christ said to His disciples, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." (Acts 1:8) The Lord Jesus Christ wants us to be His witnesses not only in our own cities or countries, but also to the other parts of the world. He wants us to go and make disciples of all nations by baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy, teaching them to observe everything He has commanded us to do for He promises us to be with us to the very end of the age. (Matthew 28: 19)
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