Critique of Mission thoughts and Initiatives

Joshva Raja

Session 7

• Andrew Kirk, What is Mission

• M Thomas Thangaraj, The common Task: A Theology of Christian Mission

• Steven Bevans and Roger Schroeder Constants in Context.

Media and Mission

Instrumental Perspective

Effect Centered Perspective

Jesus’ Mission and Communication

Instrumental Perspective of MissionGod

Chu

rch

and

agen

cies

Pocketpc.ico

Methods and

means

People

and

context

Missio Dei

• God’s purposes

• Which God?

• Driving Force

• Logic of Love

• Kingdom of God (Kirk)

YHWHLogos = Word

Sign

word - Language

Codeword – flesh

word -spirit

Community of God - TrinityHuman Beings

Mission – Effect Centered Mission

Mission Church

Effect

Local and Global Culture and other impacts

Communication and Christian Ministry

• Conventional forms of Communication in the churchPreaching and Worship Street Preaching

• Conventional means and toolsLoud Speakers,

• Flannel boards, Posters/Charts....

• Conventional places - Pulpit, street corners, Schools

Encoding

Gospel

Missionary

Inclusive adaptations

Decoding

culture

Decoding Gospel

Non-Christians

Encoding culture

Circular model

Dialogic Missions

• Buber I and Thou not I and It

• Paulo Freire Liberative dialogue

• Habermas Public dialogue

• Bhaktin Relationship and engagement

• Gramsci – organic Intellectual critical dialogue against Hegemony

• Gadamer – Merger of Horizons

Missio Ecclesie

• Cruciform Responsibility

• Liberative Solidarity

• Eschatological Mutuality (Thomas Thangaraj)

• Missionary by nature

• Election (not merit, not selfish,but service)

• KOG and church (thru church, thru world, community) (Kirk)

Counter Missionaries

• Indigenous Missionaries• Independent Missionaries• Pentecostal Mission work• NGOs and FBOs Mission work (SCM, YMCA)• Cultural and National Mission work• Charismatic Mission work• Other Religious Mission work• Development based mission work• Local counter Theologies and expressions

ALTERNATIVE MEDIA

Global to local

Local to global

Cheap, available

EffectivenessSimple, plain

Easy access to community

Development and social change Democratic,

participatory

Against mass media in promoting culture of peace, dialogue

Promote communitarian values and Individual freedom

Inter-cultural understanding

Purpose

Reaching the mass but not for profit

Fair representation of minorities, disabled, refugees…

Taking sides with poor, labourers in reporting Voice of

the voiceless

Culturally rooted, community building, inter religious harmony

Praxis

Alternative Media and Mission

Sharing the Gospel

Serving Christian Community

New Spirituality, Alternative media and mission

Ecumenical Media as alternative

Interacting with Communities

Networking different Communities

Alternative Media for Development

Net as Alternative Media

Training Priests and Missionaries

Banking the Knowledge

Alternative - Media Education as mission

Alternative media and cultural groups

Missio Humanitatis

• Responsibility

• Solidarity

• Mutuality (Thomas Thangaraj)

Hinduism

Ministry – engage in this search for God – participating in people’s search!

Church and Mission

Church/Agency Missionary People

servant

evangelist

prophet

Shepherd

EcumenistsDiverse ministries

People’s faith and church traditions

Professional standard

concerns for contextual reality

Transition?

Alternative media characteristics

Dialogic, democratic, communitarian, local, participation

Voice of voiceless, minorities and others

Cheap, easy access, non-profit, simple, non-professional

Towards Social change, human dignity and development

Intercultural in nature, culturally rooted, folk culture, updated interactive technology

Alternative perspectives and practices

Space for disabled, HIV/AIDs infected, refugees, Eunuchs, and less privileged people

Promote a culture of peace and harmony