Regnum Studies in Mission – förlag

The World Missionary Conference, held at Edinburgh in 1910, ranks among the most influential and widely remembered events in Christian history. Though the outcomes of the Conference have differed in many ways from the expectations of its participants, after a century its momentous significance is clearer than ever. While the missionary movement went into decline, from its work emerged a world church, with deep roots and vigorous expression on every continent. As the centenary of the Conference approaches, the time is ripe to examine its meaning in light of the past century and the questions facing Christian witness today. This book is the first to systematically examine the eight Commissions which reported to Edinburgh 1910 and gave the conference much of its substance and enduring value. It will deepen and extend the reflection being stimulated by the upcoming centenary and will kindle the missionary imagination for 2010 and beyond.

"If we believe the church to be a sign and symbol of the reign of God in the world, then we are called to witness to Christ today by sharing in God’s mission of love through the transforming power of the Holy Spirit." This volume is the official record of the Edinburgh centenary conference of 2010 which included this call to mission.

In May 2009, 35 theologians from Asia, Africa and Europe met in Wuppertal, Germany, for a consultation on mission theology organized by the United Evangelical Mission: Communion of 35 Churches in Three Continents. The aim was to participate in the 100th anniversary of the Edinburgh conference through a study process and reflect on the challenges for mission in the 21st century. We decided not to invite renowned experts, but to have an open invitation through a call for papers, so that practicing mission experts not yet well-known would have an opportunity to share their expertise. We decided not to predetermine a theme or motto for the consultation but to allow various themes on mission to emerge from the papers themselves and thus to allow wide-ranging discussions. Indeed the papers were varied; each drew strong reactions, lively and even controversial debates. We were able to discover common concerns transcending very different contexts. The collection of papers in this book has been taken from the papers delivered at the Wuppertal consultation. In some cases, short responses by one or two of the consultation participants were added to highlight the discussions that followed. The very varied voices collected in this anthology nevertheless have much in common: Even where they are most theoretical it is obvious that all contributors come from missionary practice and bring in their contextual experiences.

The New Testament church is universal and local at the same time. The universal, one and holy apostolic church appears in local manifestations. Missiologically speaking the church can take courage as she faces the increasing impact of globalisation on local communities today. Being universal and concrete, the church is geared for the simultaneous challenges of the glocal and local.

Edinburgh 2010 has a special relevance for Christians in India particularly when we consider the contributions Indian Christians continue to make both academically as well as in their day-to-day lives to living out and promoting interfaith relations and interfaith dialogue. For the typical Indian Christian, living with a neighbour of another faith is a daily reality and this pluralism has also influenced Christians in India to view ecumenism in a realistic and appreciative manner. The essays in this book reflect not only this acceptance and celebration of pluralism within India but also by extension an acceptance as well as a need for unity among Indian Christians of different denominations. The essays were presented and studied at a preparatory consultation on Study Theme II: Christian Mission Among Other Faiths under the theme “Interfaith Relations Among Other Faiths” at the United Theological College, Bangalore, India from 17th – 19th July 2009. Interfaith Relations After One Hundred Years: Christian Mission Among Other Faiths contains material which it is hoped will contribute to the aims of the overall Edinburgh 2010 publications, to be studied and reflected on both in the Church and for academic purposes.

The centennial celebrations of the Edinburgh 1910 conference offered Christians of all stripes multiple opportunities to reflect on the past century of mission. Over the course of the twentieth century one of the stories of the church that has moved towards center stage is the growth of evangelicalism around the world. While certainly until the late 1980s this went largely unnoticed among the academic elite of the world, even so by then the vast majority of the missionaries serving to and from every corner of the globe were be framed in some way by this evangelical surge. As we reflect on the past century, then, the stories of the evangelical world church deserve to be heard.

This book addresses the causes and the consequences of culture change in Ethiopia, from Haile Selassie to the present, based on thorough academic research. Although the book is written from an evangelical perspective, it invites Ethiopians from all religious, ideological, and ethnic backgrounds to reflect on their past, analyze their present and to engage in unity with diversity to face the future. It also appeals to the conscience of global and regional powers who have been directly and indirectly involved in the affairs of Ethiopia.

Christian education is an essential component of church development and transformation. Due to the low level of Christian education among lay mission workers the growth of the Diocese of Yangon was almost stagnant since 1877. Such low level of Christian education in the diocese is mainly due to the failure of the successive bishops in not training lay workers and lay leaders since the formation of the diocese. They may have worked hard for the mission but made very little provision for the development of lay ministry. Therefore, to move the diocese one step forward, all bishops and clergy need to understand the importance of training lay workers, catechists and the heads of all the lay departments.

This volume is the result of six years research in ‘Overcoming Obstacles to Female Education in Burkina Faso’. It narrates how Christians and religious groups can speed up female education and contribute to the socio-economic growth of Burkina Faso. Religious culture and traditions were seen as a problem to female education. However, the evidence from this research shows that Christianity is also part of the solution to a quality female education, thus a key factor of socio economic growth of the country. The author is currently working to advocate with families, churches/NGOs and the Government of Burkina Faso for a quality access to Female Education as a strategy to poverty reduction. This independent research comes along side others to inform policy makers, researchers, practitioners, aid agencies, religious communities and governments for a greater involvement in female education as one of the appropriate strategies for achieving Education for All.

This book explores and analyses funerary rite struggles in a nation where Christianity is a comparatively recent phenomenon, and many families have Christian and Hindu, Buddhist and Traditionalist (kiranti) members, who go through traumatic experiences at the death of their family members. The context of mixed affiliation raises questions of social, psychological and religious identity for Christian converts, which are particularly acute after a death in their family. Using empirical research, the focus is on the question of adaptation and identity in relation to church life, within the familial and social sphere of individual Christians and within the wider society in which they live, particularly with reference to death and disposal. The author has used an applied theological approach to explore and analyse the findings in order to address the issue of funerary rites with which the Nepalese church is struggling.

n Leadership in a Slum Johnson looks at leadership in the Thai social context from a different angle than traditional studies which measure well educated Thais on leadership scales derived in the West. Seeking a cultural account of social influence processes he turns to those who have been left behind in the race to participate in a globalizing world, the urban poor. Using both systematic data collection and participant observation he develops a culturally preferred model as well as a set of models based in Thai concepts that reflect on-the-ground realities. Johnson also examines the community-state relationship and finds that in the face of state power that brings both development and the forces of eviction, the community and its leaders are not passive in this relationship but modify, reject, or resist state views in their various forms. He concludes by looking at the implications of his anthropological approach for those who are involved in leadership training in Thai settings and beyond. This work challenges the dominance of the patron-client rubric for understanding all forms of Thai leadership and offers an alternative view for understanding leadership rooted in local social systems to approaches that assume the universal applicability of leadership research findings across all cultural settings.

The purpose of this book is to focus on faith-based development with a particular emphasis on the question of power; to deal with the dark sides and the positive sides of power and partnership and how the two interact; to present relevant case studies on the topic from some of the world religions, and to publish new material and insights on the interdisciplinary debate on the topic, and thus fill a vacuum in the general discourse on faith-based development.

This study is based on extensive research that challenges traditional ways of understanding some evangelical missionaries of nineteenth century Jamaica and calls for revision of those views. It highlights the strength and character of persons facing various challenges of life in their effort to be faithful to the guiding principles of their existence. It gives an account of evangelical missionaries fulfilling their mission to the black people of Jamaica as ex- slaves as they simultaneously contend with hostility from the elites of society. It also tells of the Afro-Jamaicans who rejected unacceptable imposition from the missionaries while contending with challenges from plantation owners and others in Jamaican society.

In the five years since Kwame Bediako passed away there has been a growing desire among colleagues and friends to put together a book that would honour his memory. The title has been chosen to reflect the range of interests and concerns that motivated Bediako’s scholarly work, including his founding and nurturing of ACI, originally named Akrofi-Christaller Memorial Centre for Mission Research and Applied Theology (ACMC), located at Akropong-Akuapem in Ghana. His vision was for the renewal of Christianity as a universal faith, not just in Africa, but also in the non-Western world generally, and with a long-term view to a renewal of the faith in the West. The image of facets of the diamond was his way of describing his vision of the unity-in-diversity that is the biblical mandate for the world church. Thus, Bediako’s interpretation of the African Christian story, to which he devoted so much of his time and energy – ''the surprise story of the modern missionary movement'' – was always in relation to the wider Christian story, whether of earlier periods or of other contemporary settings around the world. This collection of essays has sought to achieve a good representation of mentors, colleagues and disciples from around the world. The contributions come from a variety of countries, theological disciplines and perspectives, and represent either a direct outworking of his vision and initiatives or a connection with them. Taken together, they demonstrate Bediako’s conviction that the theological creativity emerging in Africa is also for the benefit of the mission of the world church. All the essays key into the general theme from contributors'' own particular perspectives and areas of specialisation and capture something of the vision that inspired Kwame Bediako, which he shared, and the legacy he has bequeathed. In addition, they make a contribution to a deeper understanding of world Christianity in our time and provide pointers to the ongoing scholarly task in the service of the church in mission. For it is vital that we continue to see new facets of the diamond that is the universality of the Gospel, as lived and proclaimed through the world church.

This study identifies and analyses the methods, achievements, and constraints of the socialist agricultural policy of post-revolutionary Ethiopia. It investigates the Land Reform Legislation of 1975 and its relevance to Ethiopian conditions at that time. Applying a social interaction approach, this book examines the interrelationships of the different socio-economic actors who affected the success and shortcomings of the policy and its implementation. Through critical consideration of a historical period, this book also uncovers applicable lessons for future achievable development in Ethiopia and similar economies.

A unique book which chronicles the revealing ‘story'' of microfinance, captures the rich diversity of the industry and explores the invaluable contribution of the Christian faith to this vibrant and fast-growing multi-billion dollar global business.

It is here, under these trees on my desert island that this volume takes on meaning because its authors honestly struggle with and debate how we should relate to postmodernities. Should our response be accommodation, relativising or counter-culture? How do we strike a balance between listening and understanding, and at the same time exploring how postmodernities influence the interpretation and application of the Bible as the normative story of God’s mission in the world? Some may consider ‘postmodernities’ a Western dilemma. The contributions from some writers in the Global South (China, India and Korea) unfold a larger canvas and explore the implications for Christian mission. This focus on ‘mission’ is central: this is not just a book about the many facets and trends of postmodernities. It is a book about the implications for mission, for what it means to live as Christians and as churches in a terra incognita, in a world where we have not been before. We know how postmodernities influence the understanding of the gospel, and how it/they may make Christianity merely one local story among many. We have seen how ‘truth’ has become a plural word and how we are left with ‘personal preferences’. But we are not losing hope. Here is a volume to be studied under the trees, on how to understand, how to wrestle with and how to confront these challenges in a constructive way, on various levels and in various parts of the world. Let me therefore congratulate editors and conveners of study theme three for bringing together such a wide spectrum of contributors and laying the stones for a useful and stimulating discussion of what it implies to witness to Christ in a postmodern world.

The Centenary of the World Missionary Conference, held in Edinburgh in 1910, is a suggestive moment for many people seeking direction for Christian mission in the twenty-first century. Since 2005 an international group has worked collaboratively to develop an intercontinental and multidenominational project, now known as Edinburgh 2010, and based at New College, University of Edinburgh. Essential to the work of the Edinburgh 1910 Conference, and of abiding value, were the findings of the eight think-tanks or ‘commissions’. These inspired the idea of a new round of collaborative reflection on Christian mission – but now focused on nine themes identified as being key to mission in the twenty-first century. The study process is intended to contribute, from a research perspective, to the aim of Edinburgh 2010 - witnessing together to Christ in the twenty-first century - and to the development of a new vision in terms of God’s purposes for creation in Christ and a renewed spirituality and mission ethos in the life of churches worldwide. Witnessing to Christ Today contains a summary of what has been achieved through the study process up to the end of 2009 and forms the preparatory volume for the centenary conference to be held in Edinburgh on 2-6 June 2010. There the material will be subjected to rigorous critique from various transversal perspectives and engaged with by church and mission delegates from around the world.

Cross-cultural mission has always been a primary learning experience for the church. It pulls us out of a mono-cultural understanding and helps us discover a legitimate theological pluralism which opens up for new perspectives in the Gospel. Translating the Gospel into new languages and cultures is a human and divine means of making us learn new ‘incarnations’ of the Good News. This book is compiled by contributions from young missiologists from different parts of the world. It is written from the perspective of youth to be a fresh breath of air into more traditional mission thinking and mission paradigms. The flavour of this fresh breath of air, coming from the younger generation, is “learning from others and from one another”: How may traditional sending churches and organizations see themselves as receivers? How may we bring experiences from outside into our own context? What may we learn across geographical borders – North learning from South, South learning from North, South learning from South? What can we learn from one another in a process of reciprocity? ‘Mission as learning”‘is not just a welcome addendum to mission, but a necessity if we want God’s Spirit to reveal to us some new dimensions of Jesus as he comes to be known and loved in “every nation, tribe, people and language.” A church that aims at being A Learning Missional Church sorely needs Reflections from Young Missiologists, as this book is entitled. The reflections are valuable because of the content and substance, because they deal with relevant issues; they are valuable because they depict the church as a ‘learning organisation’ cross-culturally; and they are valuable because they raise signs of youthful willingness to challenge and change. In this way these reflections may show the way towards Edinburgh 2110.

Each of the young Anglicans who write on the Five Marks of Mission were at the Edinburgh 2010 conference in June of that year. The articles were then reworked in Toronto a year later, so what you read here is the fruit of much labour, writing, and rewriting. These articles are also open and honest reflections from a range of young Anglicans in a variety of contexts. Here we see a glimpse of the strengths and struggles of the Anglican Communion. There is no space for complacency. The title of the book created much discussion. I still remember the excitement we all felt when our first contributor, from Hong Kong, explained to us the meaning of the Chinese character for ‘life-widening.’ We all thought that this captured the essence of how we long for mission not only to be but also to be experienced; as life–widening. Our God is a God of love, life and spaciousness so we long for the missio Dei to be practised and received as life-widening. We hope that this book may disturb, challenge, comfort and enrich your life. We think it will disturb and challenge as you read of the hardship and injustices experienced in many parts of God’s world and creation today. We think it will comfort and enrich as you read stories of change and renewal, and as you meet the writers through their writings.

This volume provides an important resource for those wishing to gain an overview of significant issues in contemporary missiology whilst understanding how they are applied in particular contexts. Contributors from across the globe and from different Christian traditions explore foundations for mission. The chapters examine in what ways experience, the Bible, and theology are foundational for mission and how they together inform the missional thought of different traditions. The book also raises questions about the continued use of foundations as a helpful metaphor mission reflection and impetus. Graduate students and scholars surveying the field will find this a useful and accessible way to understand changing trends within mission studies.

This book argues for the primacy of spirituality in the practice of mission. Since God is the primary agent of mission and God works through the power of the Holy Spirit, it is through openness to the Spirit that mission finds its true character and has its authentic impact. This is demonstrated today particularly by movements of Christian faith in the global south which carry the good news to the heart of communities in every part of the world. Originating in the Edinburgh 2010 mission study project, the essays assembled in this volume show that today there is a renewal of the missionary impetus of the churches which is marked by its spiritual character. Here fresh motivation for mission is being found, moving people of faith to share the good news of Jesus Christ both within their own communities and by crossing frontiers to take the message to new contexts.

“The Bible is alive – it has hands and grabs hold of me, it has feet and runs after me”. Thus spoke Martin Luther, as cited by Knud Jørgensen in a quotation that summarizes the deeper meaning of this book. To the authors of Bible in Mission, the Bible is the book of life, and mission is life in the Word. This core reality cuts across the diversity of contexts and hermeneutical strategies represented in these essays. The authors are committed to the boundary-crossings that characterize contemporary mission – and each sees the Bible as foundational to the missio Dei, to God’s work in the world.

Mission At and From the Margins: Patterns, Protagonists and Perspective revisits the ‘hi-stories’ of Mission from the ‘bottom up’ paying critical attention to people, perspectives and patterns that have often been elided in the construction of mission history. Focusing on the mission story of Christian churches in the South Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, where Christianity is predominantly Dalit in its composition, this collection of essays, ushers its readers to re-shape their understanding of the landscape of mission history by drawing their attention to the silences and absences within pre-dominant historical accounts. Contributors drawn from various Christian denominations explore not only the complex, contested and complicated interplay between caste, colonialism and Christianity in Andhra Pradesh but also the contemporary challenges for Christian mission at a wider level. Not confining itself to the past history of Christian mission, the book engages critical issues as it analyses the missiological challenges of the present and offers theological imagination for the future of mission, which, while embracing the voices and visions of the margins, resists any and all forms of marginalization.

Although Pentecostalism worldwide represent the most rapidly growing missionary movement in Christian history, only recently scholars from within and outside the movement have begun academic reflection on the mission. This volume represents the coming of age of emerging scholarship of various aspects of the Pentecostal mission, including theological, historical, strategic, and practical aspects. The more than 20 authors from all five continents, men and women, academicians, mission leaders, and practitioners, offer exciting perspectives on Pentecostal movements'' contributions to the search of Christian unity in various global contexts.

This volume deals with the lived experiences and expressions of Christians in diverse communities across the globe. Christian communities do not live in a vacuum but in complex, diverse social-cultural contexts; within wider communities of different faith and social realities. Power, identity and community are key issues in considering Christian communities in contemporary contexts. Also important is the nature and texture of mission; while a reflection on ‘context’ is a priority in working to improve peoples and communities. The interrelated themes: poverty, suffering and marginalized communities; globalization and the reproduction of hierarchies; Christianity and socio-political action; identity, gender and power; the interface of migration, diaspora and ethnicity; and HIV/AIDS, church and mission, were explored by academics, researchers, church leaders, religious non-governmental organizations, faith-based organizations, as well as policy makers. Such a multidimensional perspective was necessary for critical thinking about how missions is articulated and practiced in contemporary contexts and also towards charting new directions for engagement in Christian Mission in the 21st century.

This ground-breaking volume of 16 contributors from leading child theologians, mission theologians and practitioners examines the constructive interaction of Theology, Mission and Child in fresh and intriguing ways. It is moving, profound, and practical, proposing not just ways theology can better inform mission praxis, particularly with children, but also ways ''child'' can inform our understanding of God, God''s mission and ours.

The purpose of this volume on mission and unity is to bring to public attention a broad overview on the history, development and perspectives on the role of mission in the pursuit of unity and the central biblical focus on unity as a prerequisite for an authentic witness in mission. The volume raises concrete questions: If the churches can agree on unity for mission, then does this visible unity go any further than the ''mutuality, partnership, collaboration and networking'' of the Edinburgh 2010 Common Call? Does the call to unity or communion imply common touch stones, structures or ministries to serve the communion of churches in mission? Might the Holy Spirit be prompting a fresh mission to the churches to promote unity?

Once considered as a Cinderella in church growth and mission in the post-Edinburgh Conference era, the Korean church is given its due in this book. As a guide to Korean Christianity, it contains more than thirty chapters, written by historians, missiologists, sociologists, mission practitioners, pastors, and church leaders. They come from a wide range of church traditions, and also from within and without South Korea. This volume assesses the legacy and place of Korean Christianity and its mission, provides insightful and self-critical accounts in topics ranging from theories, policies, practices, and prospects, and offers a useful overview of how the Korean church grew into a missionary church. As a non-western major mission force, it has been equipping itself and others for service by broadening the understanding of God’s mission throughout the turbulent years of imperialism, post-colonialism and globalisation. The book, concluding with reflections on the future challenges and possibilities, is intended as an important gift to the Korean church and to world Christianity.