MISSION, MISSIONARIES, MISSIOLOGIES
Lessons from the Past
Keywords:
Missionary activity, ChristianityAbstract
Missionary activity was an integral part of Christianity from the
beginning. Without it, there would have been no world Christianity
with its more than two billion followers today. This success was,
however, not achieved without struggles and problems as every age
posed its own specific questions to and criticisms against mission.
The pluralistic, highly secular and globalized contemporary world is
no exception. Cultures and religions of the world have come closer
and interact with each other in an increasingly interdependent and
networked world. At the same time there is also the urge to assert
one’s identity, and in the process, respect and tolerance for each other
and the correct way to communicate with each other have become
problematic. How can Christianity meaningfully speak about mission
in a world of religious and cultural pluralism with its exclusive truth
claims? Such claims are viewed sceptically and are even rejected by
the postmodern world. This scepticism cannot be washed away
because the fact remains that there is no rational or empirical
foundation for such claims, and added to that, there is the historical
burden of Christian mission, although one cannot close the eyes to
the immense religious and cultural contributions of Christianity to
humanity.
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