Missions encompasses a wide range of definitions these days. For some, missions can only mean the traditional missionary moving from one country to another. For others, everything is mission. A mission is a provided assignment and can be very specific or very general. That said, the missional focus of God encompasses all who are willing to obey. “Should you choose to accept it…” is the phrase of Mission Impossible. The aspect of being missional, communally or individually, is to accept the mission God has.
Deep Missional Review generally engages the subjects of spirituality, justice and mission with the express application for cross-contextual mission. The lens of DMR is for traditional and not so traditional missionaries who engage in ministry in a cross-contextual way. For some that will mean engaging new people groups; for others that may be engaging in a new sub-culture.
One of the values of the information age is the ability to gain access to presentations, lectures and other forms of media. The downfall of this is the time needed to sift through all of the accessible options. DMR has begun reviews on mission, justice and spirituality media from Itunes University. In this issue find reviews of lectures on the missiology of Matthew, Luke and John. Also, find reviews on preparing post-modern missionaries and the trends of member care.
Likewise, the number of books being published in mission, justice and spirituality are overwhelming, and no missionary, missions committee or professor has the time or funds necessary to sift through all the published books. This month, catch the first of a three-part review of The Global Mission Handbook. Catch also the review of Look What God is Doing, another book about God’s global mission.
I hope that this first issue of DMR proves to be the launching of a valuable resource for missionaries, missions organizations and professors of missions throughout the world.
Tuesday, 3 November 2009
Book Review - Global Missions Handbook: A guide for Crosscultural Service
Global Mission Handbook: A Guide for Crosscultural Service – Steve Hoke & Bill Taylor
InterVarsity Press, 2009
Reviewed by Kevin Book-Satterlee
Note: Due to the workbook style of Steve Hoke and Bill Taylor’s Global Missionary Handbook, this review will be one in a series of reviews broken up over multiple issues. This review will focus on the first section on becoming a missionary and discerning the call while exploring missions.
InterVarsity Press has published the well-updated revision by Hoke and Taylor, previously titled Send Me! Your Journey to the Nations. Hoke and Taylor have remained well ingrained in the missions world and the cultural shifts of potential western missionaries, updating and keeping their work current.
They begin as any missions handbook would do by defining missions. While missions encompasses a number of things and may take shape in multiple ways, Hoke and Taylor both define missions and missionaries in the traditional sense. Traditional meaning having been sent to a particular context be it international or domestic. Unlike some who use the term missional to encompass the God given purpose of all Christians, Hoke and Taylor reject this notion, claiming that if all are missionaries, none are (21).
Defining missions as Hoke and Taylor do protect the integrity of what has been considered missions for some time. However, to define it as such limits the true understanding of God. Like the priesthood of all believers, classifying all Christians who take their discipleship seriously as missionaries does not limit cross-cultural or domestic traditional missions status. By contrast however, limiting the term as Hoke and Taylor do fails the Church in its total inclusion of the mission of God. The worry of a blurred distinction can be corrected by demarking the type of mission, such as cross-cultural, or urban, etc.
Despite their fairly protective definition of mission, Hoke and Taylor have created a valuable section for pre-missionaries or those exploring entering into a context in the sense of traditional missions (for the sake of this review, when referring to missions it will mean missions as Hoke and Taylor define it).
The article, “The Global Canvas: How Your Story Fits into the Big Picture,” written by Taylor and Hoke does an excellent job in discussing current missions issues from the major challenges with globalization, changing world-views, to the shift of Christianity from the North to South and other such issues. The use of the term “story” in this article and others, shows the sensitivity to the changing world-view and language of the up-and-coming generation of missionaries.
The assessments at the beginning of the book serve the reader well in the ability to begin engaging the thought of global missions. For those who have already begun exploring the call to missions before reading the book, these sections will serve as radically affirming, but can also guide a person with the first inklings of the call to missions (or not).
All this is basically introduction, the pre-“Getting Ready” section which is called phase 1. The layout of the book is already deeply engrained and organized, breaking each piece into small articles and workbook guided reflections.
One of the most valuable pieces to this book is the inclusion of the “Global Perspectives” articles, written by those, naturally, with a global perspective. By including these articles, the reader begins to be let in on the collaborative work that is missions today. Hoke and Taylor quickly affirm the partnership collaboration needed among missionaries of differing cultures. Readers cannot easily imagine their place in missions without understanding the equalization between missionaries from all over the world. The missionary enterprise is now globalized and must be addressed hereon when discussing missions, especially the preparation of missions.
All in all, while the book takes a good deal of introspective and interactive time, from just the introduction, it will be a valuable resource. This would be a great book for those teaching missions formally or informally and for missions organizations working with inquirers and early applicants. It will resonate well with younger audiences and be incredibly informative even for “finishers” as they enter the field of missions with their “beginner” counterparts.
From the introduction alone, the book is powerful. Look for section 1, “Getting Ready” in the following issue.
InterVarsity Press, 2009
Reviewed by Kevin Book-Satterlee
Note: Due to the workbook style of Steve Hoke and Bill Taylor’s Global Missionary Handbook, this review will be one in a series of reviews broken up over multiple issues. This review will focus on the first section on becoming a missionary and discerning the call while exploring missions.
InterVarsity Press has published the well-updated revision by Hoke and Taylor, previously titled Send Me! Your Journey to the Nations. Hoke and Taylor have remained well ingrained in the missions world and the cultural shifts of potential western missionaries, updating and keeping their work current.
They begin as any missions handbook would do by defining missions. While missions encompasses a number of things and may take shape in multiple ways, Hoke and Taylor both define missions and missionaries in the traditional sense. Traditional meaning having been sent to a particular context be it international or domestic. Unlike some who use the term missional to encompass the God given purpose of all Christians, Hoke and Taylor reject this notion, claiming that if all are missionaries, none are (21).
Defining missions as Hoke and Taylor do protect the integrity of what has been considered missions for some time. However, to define it as such limits the true understanding of God. Like the priesthood of all believers, classifying all Christians who take their discipleship seriously as missionaries does not limit cross-cultural or domestic traditional missions status. By contrast however, limiting the term as Hoke and Taylor do fails the Church in its total inclusion of the mission of God. The worry of a blurred distinction can be corrected by demarking the type of mission, such as cross-cultural, or urban, etc.
Despite their fairly protective definition of mission, Hoke and Taylor have created a valuable section for pre-missionaries or those exploring entering into a context in the sense of traditional missions (for the sake of this review, when referring to missions it will mean missions as Hoke and Taylor define it).
The article, “The Global Canvas: How Your Story Fits into the Big Picture,” written by Taylor and Hoke does an excellent job in discussing current missions issues from the major challenges with globalization, changing world-views, to the shift of Christianity from the North to South and other such issues. The use of the term “story” in this article and others, shows the sensitivity to the changing world-view and language of the up-and-coming generation of missionaries.
The assessments at the beginning of the book serve the reader well in the ability to begin engaging the thought of global missions. For those who have already begun exploring the call to missions before reading the book, these sections will serve as radically affirming, but can also guide a person with the first inklings of the call to missions (or not).
All this is basically introduction, the pre-“Getting Ready” section which is called phase 1. The layout of the book is already deeply engrained and organized, breaking each piece into small articles and workbook guided reflections.
One of the most valuable pieces to this book is the inclusion of the “Global Perspectives” articles, written by those, naturally, with a global perspective. By including these articles, the reader begins to be let in on the collaborative work that is missions today. Hoke and Taylor quickly affirm the partnership collaboration needed among missionaries of differing cultures. Readers cannot easily imagine their place in missions without understanding the equalization between missionaries from all over the world. The missionary enterprise is now globalized and must be addressed hereon when discussing missions, especially the preparation of missions.
All in all, while the book takes a good deal of introspective and interactive time, from just the introduction, it will be a valuable resource. This would be a great book for those teaching missions formally or informally and for missions organizations working with inquirers and early applicants. It will resonate well with younger audiences and be incredibly informative even for “finishers” as they enter the field of missions with their “beginner” counterparts.
From the introduction alone, the book is powerful. Look for section 1, “Getting Ready” in the following issue.
Itunes University - Review on three Biblical Missiologies
“Matthew’s Missiology,” “Luke’s Missiology,” and “John’s Missiology” – Three lectures by Dr. Craig Keener
Itunes University – Assemblies of God Theological Seminary Lectures
Reviewed by Andrew Gackenbach
Note: On Itunes Universtiy, “Matthew’s Missiology” and “Racial Reconciliation” both mislabeled as one being the other.
Dr. Craig Keener is a prolific New Testament scholar most well known for his IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament which has sold over 350,000 copies in nine languages. In a series of talks given at the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary he presents the missiology of three of the gospel writers Matthew, Luke and John. He explains how each author had a different purpose in writing and a different story to tell. Beginning with Matthew he explains the emphasis on Jew/Gentile reconciliation and how it is not ethnic descent that saves, but turning to Jesus. He highlights the first chapter genealogy that cites four gentile women in Jesus’ family line and shows how Matthew used this genealogy to emphasize Jesus’ mixed ancestry and that He came to be the savior of the world, not just the Jewish world. Dr. Keener continues with explaining the missiology of Luke heavily focusing on the day of Pentecost, he demonstrates how the day of Pentecost and the ability for Peter to be understood by people of all languages served as an impetus for the gospel to be spread throughout the world. Finally, he presents John’s missiology emphasizing that Jesus died as our savior and our task is to present Him to the world, to reveal the living Christ in our lives. He illustrates this idea telling the story of the gentile woman at the well and how she joyously told her friends about Jesus and later introduced them to Him. Each of the three messages from Dr. Keener provides a different argument for the importance of missions, each one is informative and keeps the listener’s attention while focusing on why missions has to be the task of all of God’s people. I would recommend these three lectures to anyone not passionate about missions in order to show that all the Gospel writers communicated how Jesus was indeed passionate about missions.
Itunes University – Assemblies of God Theological Seminary Lectures
Reviewed by Andrew Gackenbach
Note: On Itunes Universtiy, “Matthew’s Missiology” and “Racial Reconciliation” both mislabeled as one being the other.
Dr. Craig Keener is a prolific New Testament scholar most well known for his IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament which has sold over 350,000 copies in nine languages. In a series of talks given at the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary he presents the missiology of three of the gospel writers Matthew, Luke and John. He explains how each author had a different purpose in writing and a different story to tell. Beginning with Matthew he explains the emphasis on Jew/Gentile reconciliation and how it is not ethnic descent that saves, but turning to Jesus. He highlights the first chapter genealogy that cites four gentile women in Jesus’ family line and shows how Matthew used this genealogy to emphasize Jesus’ mixed ancestry and that He came to be the savior of the world, not just the Jewish world. Dr. Keener continues with explaining the missiology of Luke heavily focusing on the day of Pentecost, he demonstrates how the day of Pentecost and the ability for Peter to be understood by people of all languages served as an impetus for the gospel to be spread throughout the world. Finally, he presents John’s missiology emphasizing that Jesus died as our savior and our task is to present Him to the world, to reveal the living Christ in our lives. He illustrates this idea telling the story of the gentile woman at the well and how she joyously told her friends about Jesus and later introduced them to Him. Each of the three messages from Dr. Keener provides a different argument for the importance of missions, each one is informative and keeps the listener’s attention while focusing on why missions has to be the task of all of God’s people. I would recommend these three lectures to anyone not passionate about missions in order to show that all the Gospel writers communicated how Jesus was indeed passionate about missions.
Itunes University - "Growing Global Christians: Putting Missions in Bible School Curriculum"
“Growing Global Christians: Putting Missions in Bible School Curriculum” by Joyce Hardin
Itunes University – Abilene Christian University – ACU Summit 2008
Reviewed by Kevin Book-Satterlee
The most impacting part of this lecture is the title and it sums up Hardin’s purpose very clearly. Hardin’s premise is that Bible School curriculum, primarily geared towards children, needs to do more to include a missional focus. Though a former missionary in the traditional sense, Hardin operates under the assumption that all Christians are missionaries, and thus ought to be taught earlier on how to be more missional.
In ways of practical suggestions, this lecture is lacking, however its power comes in part by her explication of how current Bible School operations are failing children in their missional development, both internationally and domestically.
One suggestion that is incredibly helpful in setting a direction for increasing missionality in Bible School curriculum is her emphasis to focus on the similarities. She begins the lecture by displaying a jagged object for the class, and after many attempts to guess what it is she says it is the equivalent to an engagement ring in another culture. While the difference is astounding, the sentiment is not so far off. This is where she proposes that Bible School curriculum takes children, to introduce cross-cultural understanding by recognizing that while different, the differences are not so vast.
In terms of its usefulness for the general missions world, I see this hour-long lecture as valuable to share with any who might be missions pastors in churches or those in charge of Christian education. The limits are not only to international missions, but mission in general. For a deeper insight into the development of missions in Bible School curriculum, Joyce Hardin promotes a book she and her daughter co-wrote. For the price and the time, this lecture is worth the listen and could have positive impact on the thinking of Christian education in many churches.
Itunes University – Abilene Christian University – ACU Summit 2008
Reviewed by Kevin Book-Satterlee
The most impacting part of this lecture is the title and it sums up Hardin’s purpose very clearly. Hardin’s premise is that Bible School curriculum, primarily geared towards children, needs to do more to include a missional focus. Though a former missionary in the traditional sense, Hardin operates under the assumption that all Christians are missionaries, and thus ought to be taught earlier on how to be more missional.
In ways of practical suggestions, this lecture is lacking, however its power comes in part by her explication of how current Bible School operations are failing children in their missional development, both internationally and domestically.
One suggestion that is incredibly helpful in setting a direction for increasing missionality in Bible School curriculum is her emphasis to focus on the similarities. She begins the lecture by displaying a jagged object for the class, and after many attempts to guess what it is she says it is the equivalent to an engagement ring in another culture. While the difference is astounding, the sentiment is not so far off. This is where she proposes that Bible School curriculum takes children, to introduce cross-cultural understanding by recognizing that while different, the differences are not so vast.
In terms of its usefulness for the general missions world, I see this hour-long lecture as valuable to share with any who might be missions pastors in churches or those in charge of Christian education. The limits are not only to international missions, but mission in general. For a deeper insight into the development of missions in Bible School curriculum, Joyce Hardin promotes a book she and her daughter co-wrote. For the price and the time, this lecture is worth the listen and could have positive impact on the thinking of Christian education in many churches.
Book Review - Look What God is Doing!
Look What God is Doing by Dick Eastman
Chosen Books, 2009
Reviewed by Kevin Book-Satterlee
Often in missions, the stories told tend to begin such as, “Look what I’ve done...” Dick Eastman, author of the famed The Hour that Changed the World has published a new book through Chosen Books (division of Baker Publishing Group) that changes the beginning of the story to Look what God is Doing! Eastman begins and ends with God’s miraculous interventions throughout his organization Every Home for Christ.
The book reads like many Christian hagiographies, a lot of drummed up suspense yet with very little conflict. Each inspiring story functions almost as an apologetic for Every Home for Christ. Yet despite these two criticisms of the book itself, Eastman has found some pretty incredible stories that God has done miraculously through Every Home for Christ missionaries.
One of my favorite aspects of the book was the continuous acknowledgement of foreign missionaries in participation with God. Nearly every person highlighted was not a Western missionary coming in to evangelize, while there were a few, it was highly overshadowed by the global collaboration in missons and evangelism today. It is inspiring to read of the prolific work by many indigenous workers of Every Home for Christ.
Eastman likes to talk about the prolific. Each story has a miraculous account of God and Eastman takes great care to show that these stories of God’s hand are not coincidental acts. Eastman is a numbers guy, frequently quoting the effectiveness of Every Home for Christ’s ministry by the quantitative growth. As one who come from a more incarnational strand of missions, I was looking for stories of recovery of serious community change, etc. These stories were lacking, but they did remind me that God can be glorified also in the numbers.
I cringed at the lack of relationships involved in the ministries of Every Home for Christ. As a missionary influenced by the “missional church” discussion and post-modernity, relationships tend to be everything to me. But God uses more than that and Eastman does a great job in pointing this out. God can even use the flat, two-dimensional words on a Gospel track that has been thrown en mass out of a train window in China. The book’s title says it all, it is about what God is doing, not about what we are doing.
There is no doubt that the conversion stories that Eastman highlights have a profound relationship with God based on the Gospel. These are truly miraculous stories. While the book takes all of its examples from Every Home for Christ, it can be very encouraging for those who engage in similar evangelistic efforts.
The tenacity alone of the indigenous workers is inspiring to me. While I still cringe about the lack of relationship in ministry, I am quite amazed about how the faithful in little – such as printed Gospel messages that were printed for under a penny – get to participate in the grand work of God.
Still though, I want to know how communities are changed by the thousands who have come to accept Christ. I wonder why entire countries are not affected by the dramatic increase in Christian converts. Aside from the many indigenous workers highlighted, why are there not chains of stories on how entire communities became lights in entire countries.
I think it a great thought to take Eastman’s advice and Look at What God is Doing! God is doing amazing things and can use even the simplest of methods. As a missionary, I need to remember that God can use a passing glance. I would not say that this book is recommendable, but it’s simple delivery and enlivening stories would be a decent addition to any church library. There is little for an academic exploration of missions, but could serve as a very positive and quick read to those going out into mission or those whose work has plateaued.
God is an active God and he uses us, not the other way around, to spread his message. It takes a little humility for me to recognize that he can use pieces of paper or a blanket radio statement as much as he can use my deep relationship investment. Strategically, I would still err on relationship, but it reminds me to be more intentional with the seemingly trivial efforts of evangelism. God is in action. Look at what God is doing!
Chosen Books, 2009
Reviewed by Kevin Book-Satterlee
Often in missions, the stories told tend to begin such as, “Look what I’ve done...” Dick Eastman, author of the famed The Hour that Changed the World has published a new book through Chosen Books (division of Baker Publishing Group) that changes the beginning of the story to Look what God is Doing! Eastman begins and ends with God’s miraculous interventions throughout his organization Every Home for Christ.
The book reads like many Christian hagiographies, a lot of drummed up suspense yet with very little conflict. Each inspiring story functions almost as an apologetic for Every Home for Christ. Yet despite these two criticisms of the book itself, Eastman has found some pretty incredible stories that God has done miraculously through Every Home for Christ missionaries.
One of my favorite aspects of the book was the continuous acknowledgement of foreign missionaries in participation with God. Nearly every person highlighted was not a Western missionary coming in to evangelize, while there were a few, it was highly overshadowed by the global collaboration in missons and evangelism today. It is inspiring to read of the prolific work by many indigenous workers of Every Home for Christ.
Eastman likes to talk about the prolific. Each story has a miraculous account of God and Eastman takes great care to show that these stories of God’s hand are not coincidental acts. Eastman is a numbers guy, frequently quoting the effectiveness of Every Home for Christ’s ministry by the quantitative growth. As one who come from a more incarnational strand of missions, I was looking for stories of recovery of serious community change, etc. These stories were lacking, but they did remind me that God can be glorified also in the numbers.
I cringed at the lack of relationships involved in the ministries of Every Home for Christ. As a missionary influenced by the “missional church” discussion and post-modernity, relationships tend to be everything to me. But God uses more than that and Eastman does a great job in pointing this out. God can even use the flat, two-dimensional words on a Gospel track that has been thrown en mass out of a train window in China. The book’s title says it all, it is about what God is doing, not about what we are doing.
There is no doubt that the conversion stories that Eastman highlights have a profound relationship with God based on the Gospel. These are truly miraculous stories. While the book takes all of its examples from Every Home for Christ, it can be very encouraging for those who engage in similar evangelistic efforts.
The tenacity alone of the indigenous workers is inspiring to me. While I still cringe about the lack of relationship in ministry, I am quite amazed about how the faithful in little – such as printed Gospel messages that were printed for under a penny – get to participate in the grand work of God.
Still though, I want to know how communities are changed by the thousands who have come to accept Christ. I wonder why entire countries are not affected by the dramatic increase in Christian converts. Aside from the many indigenous workers highlighted, why are there not chains of stories on how entire communities became lights in entire countries.
I think it a great thought to take Eastman’s advice and Look at What God is Doing! God is doing amazing things and can use even the simplest of methods. As a missionary, I need to remember that God can use a passing glance. I would not say that this book is recommendable, but it’s simple delivery and enlivening stories would be a decent addition to any church library. There is little for an academic exploration of missions, but could serve as a very positive and quick read to those going out into mission or those whose work has plateaued.
God is an active God and he uses us, not the other way around, to spread his message. It takes a little humility for me to recognize that he can use pieces of paper or a blanket radio statement as much as he can use my deep relationship investment. Strategically, I would still err on relationship, but it reminds me to be more intentional with the seemingly trivial efforts of evangelism. God is in action. Look at what God is doing!
Itunes University - "Trends and Direction in Missionary Care"
“Trends and Direction in Missionary Care,” – Dr. Larrie Gardner
Itunes University – Abilene Christian University – 2006 Missions Focus
Reviewed by Kevin Book-Satterlee
Dr. Larrie Gardner begins her lecture on the basis that we must “put thought and heart into missionary care,” (8:42). This is a crucial and growing field in missions. So often it is easy to think of the missionary, especially those deep in jungles or deserts amongst an unreached people group as one who is a stand-alone missionary, needing no help. These are the missionaries of old, and they were our heroes. But the care of missionaries has grown exponentially among friends, family, sending churches, sending organizations and among colleagues.
An important story that Dr. Gardner gives shows the growing preparedness among common churches regarding the challenges that face missionaries. Many of these challenges are different than they were years ago. Globalization, hostilities between Islam and Christian faiths, increased poverty and many other challenge face missionaries, but the churches are beginning to recognize this. Churches must continue to be actively informed of global changes so that they may be able to best care for their missionaries.
One of the most fascinating trends that Dr. Gardner articulates is the increasing need for cross-cultural missionary care. Missionary colleagues are from all over the world – Africa, Asia and Latin America. This naturally complicates matters, but is a sign of a global growth and collaboration in missions. It is important than to recognize the specific member care needs across an array of spectrums.
As missionary care grows in academic and practical works, Dr. Gardner warns that missionary care is for the support of missionaries, it is not the end, but a means. There is then a point at which too much missionary care detracts from the mission, thus putting the missionary first and not the people that the missionary serves. Along with that, member care is becoming increasingly formalized, and need not. Caring for a missionary can be done by the informed lay person. More often than not, the help and care of a loved one or supporter will be sufficient.
This lecture is a great lecture, well delivered by Dr. Gardner and worth the listen for all those on the sending side of missions. Sound quality does get muddled by the shifting of the microphone or movement of papers, however very rarely is Dr. Gardner inaudible. This is a great resource, especially for those churches commissioning a missionary and a team that is to care for them.
Itunes University – Abilene Christian University – 2006 Missions Focus
Reviewed by Kevin Book-Satterlee
Dr. Larrie Gardner begins her lecture on the basis that we must “put thought and heart into missionary care,” (8:42). This is a crucial and growing field in missions. So often it is easy to think of the missionary, especially those deep in jungles or deserts amongst an unreached people group as one who is a stand-alone missionary, needing no help. These are the missionaries of old, and they were our heroes. But the care of missionaries has grown exponentially among friends, family, sending churches, sending organizations and among colleagues.
An important story that Dr. Gardner gives shows the growing preparedness among common churches regarding the challenges that face missionaries. Many of these challenges are different than they were years ago. Globalization, hostilities between Islam and Christian faiths, increased poverty and many other challenge face missionaries, but the churches are beginning to recognize this. Churches must continue to be actively informed of global changes so that they may be able to best care for their missionaries.
One of the most fascinating trends that Dr. Gardner articulates is the increasing need for cross-cultural missionary care. Missionary colleagues are from all over the world – Africa, Asia and Latin America. This naturally complicates matters, but is a sign of a global growth and collaboration in missions. It is important than to recognize the specific member care needs across an array of spectrums.
As missionary care grows in academic and practical works, Dr. Gardner warns that missionary care is for the support of missionaries, it is not the end, but a means. There is then a point at which too much missionary care detracts from the mission, thus putting the missionary first and not the people that the missionary serves. Along with that, member care is becoming increasingly formalized, and need not. Caring for a missionary can be done by the informed lay person. More often than not, the help and care of a loved one or supporter will be sufficient.
This lecture is a great lecture, well delivered by Dr. Gardner and worth the listen for all those on the sending side of missions. Sound quality does get muddled by the shifting of the microphone or movement of papers, however very rarely is Dr. Gardner inaudible. This is a great resource, especially for those churches commissioning a missionary and a team that is to care for them.
Itunes University - "Preparing Post-Modern Missionaries for Pre-Modern Places"
“Preparing Post-Modern Missionaries for Pre-Modern Places” – Jeff Holland
Itunes University – Abilene Christian University – 2007 Lectureship
Reviewed by Kevin Book-Satterlee
With the 19th Century rise of the Protestant missions movement missionaries from the West have come in with a modernist worldview, taking for granted the scientific method and the concrete. Now, however younger Western missionaries are beginning to enter with a radically altered worldview rooted in post-modernity. It is a reality, and those training this next generation of Western missionaries must straddle two different world-views while coming from a third.
Holland begins his lecture by de-bunking the idea that majority world fields are in fact “pre-modern”, since they do not stem from the West. However, for the general understanding of the differing worldview the term serves its purpose.
The majority of the lecture is a primer on the differences between post-modernity and modernity and the differences exhibited in missionaries from the two worldviews. Holland is clear to note that this shift is not just one of generational differences, but rather one of differing worldviews. That said, he clarifies that on the hump of transitioning from modernity to post-modernity, no person is fully modernist or fully post-modern. This is an important aspect to Holland’s lecture as his thesis is not really in preparing post-modern missionaries, but rather that modernists and post-moderns need to find a ground to work together.
Most fascinating about this lecture is the fact that the very cross-cultural tools one learns before entering into the mission field must be applied “at home” or within the “same culture” as the worldview is shifting. Holland suggests beginning with humility and contextualizing for one another AND the field of service. He says modernists and post-moderns must put the field before their personal agendas.
Because of the Enlightenment, no modernist or post-modern can really move to a pre-modern worldview. Likewise, the modernist again will have greater difficulty adapting to the post-modern because post-modernity has only just recently emerged from modernity. That said, the difficulty of adaptation falls then on the very people who will be straddling the pre-modern and post-modern worldviews.
This lecture is a great resource for missionaries and those training missionaries. On the field, post-modern partners are joining with modernists who have a great deal of experience in the pre-modern culture. They need to work together. “The post-modern missionary,” states Holland, “is not an oxymoron, it is a reality.” He suggests using Paul’s missionary methods in this tri-polarization – to become a modernist with the modernists, post-modern with post-moderns, and pre-modern with the pre-moderns. Adaptability is the crucial need for all involved in missions today.
Itunes University – Abilene Christian University – 2007 Lectureship
Reviewed by Kevin Book-Satterlee
With the 19th Century rise of the Protestant missions movement missionaries from the West have come in with a modernist worldview, taking for granted the scientific method and the concrete. Now, however younger Western missionaries are beginning to enter with a radically altered worldview rooted in post-modernity. It is a reality, and those training this next generation of Western missionaries must straddle two different world-views while coming from a third.
Holland begins his lecture by de-bunking the idea that majority world fields are in fact “pre-modern”, since they do not stem from the West. However, for the general understanding of the differing worldview the term serves its purpose.
The majority of the lecture is a primer on the differences between post-modernity and modernity and the differences exhibited in missionaries from the two worldviews. Holland is clear to note that this shift is not just one of generational differences, but rather one of differing worldviews. That said, he clarifies that on the hump of transitioning from modernity to post-modernity, no person is fully modernist or fully post-modern. This is an important aspect to Holland’s lecture as his thesis is not really in preparing post-modern missionaries, but rather that modernists and post-moderns need to find a ground to work together.
Most fascinating about this lecture is the fact that the very cross-cultural tools one learns before entering into the mission field must be applied “at home” or within the “same culture” as the worldview is shifting. Holland suggests beginning with humility and contextualizing for one another AND the field of service. He says modernists and post-moderns must put the field before their personal agendas.
Because of the Enlightenment, no modernist or post-modern can really move to a pre-modern worldview. Likewise, the modernist again will have greater difficulty adapting to the post-modern because post-modernity has only just recently emerged from modernity. That said, the difficulty of adaptation falls then on the very people who will be straddling the pre-modern and post-modern worldviews.
This lecture is a great resource for missionaries and those training missionaries. On the field, post-modern partners are joining with modernists who have a great deal of experience in the pre-modern culture. They need to work together. “The post-modern missionary,” states Holland, “is not an oxymoron, it is a reality.” He suggests using Paul’s missionary methods in this tri-polarization – to become a modernist with the modernists, post-modern with post-moderns, and pre-modern with the pre-moderns. Adaptability is the crucial need for all involved in missions today.
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