Pentecostalism in Mission and Evangelism Today

This article includes Pentecostal mission strategies and missionary approaches. The author has consciously brought out Asian or non‐Western experiences and perspectives. It touches on some new opportunities and challenges for global Pentecostalism or charismatic Christianity in fulfilling the missionary mandate of the church. Finally, the article evaluates how Pentecostal missions add dimensions to global Christianity.     

Pentecostal Mission: A German Free Church Perspective

The Pentecostal movement is growing worldwide. This applies both globally and to the German context. Pentecostal mission, therefore, plays an increasingly important role – a role that is also reflected in new networks and institutions emerging in Germany. As Pentecostal churches increase in importance, their ecumenical relationships are also moving into focus. The reproach of prosyletism arises repeatedly at the intersection of mission and ecumenism in ecumenical discussions. This article illustrates the development of ecumenical relations in Pentecostal churches in Germany from a Free Church perspective, viewing ecumenical challenges and opportunities in relation to approaches of church theory.     

Mission to Persons with Disabilities

The human ego pushes some people to think that a wall of separation should be built, with the rich and the poor in their camps and the weak and the strong living separately. People with disabilities are victims of this separation, often considered as being apart, labelled as “the others.” However, the love of God pushes us to consider the others, whatever their differentiation, as the image of God created to live in relation with other humans. Thus, the mission to people with disabilities is a transformative love that releases actions of justice. This article frames the text of 1 Samuel 9, 1‐11, in Missiology Studies and Contextual Bible Studies from a disability perspective. It also re‐reads the text according to an African context, more precisely the Democratic Republic of Congo. The paper uses the “see, judge and act” approach: the author’s experience as a scholar and a woman living with disability will aid critical analysis, leading to recommendations.     

Beyond Ramps and Rails

Architectural accessibility does not always adequately represent the disability inclusiveness of a Christian community. Oftentimes, what is needed for appreciable inclusion is something as basic as friendship. Friendship that is based on unconditional love, acceptance, and mutual interdependency can facilitate inclusion, especially disability inclusion. This article draws on a study on Mary Slessor Memorial Presbyterian Cathedral, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. It examines its disability inclusion efforts. It demonstrates that disability inclusion must go beyond ramps and rails toward enabling friendship that is affirming of individual personhood through respectful interpersonal relationships. In highlighting the challenges to friendship as a relationship that is given freely, this article wrestles with the complexities of friendship and how this basic concept can bring about acceptable inclusive community within the Cathedral and indeed the global church.     

The Tianzhu Shilu Revisited: China’s First Window into Western Scholasticism

On 29 September 1584, the first Catholic catechism was printed in China under the title The True Record of the Lord of Heaven (Tianzhu Shilu 天主實錄). Written primarily by the Jesuit missionary Michele Ruggieri (1543–1607) with the assistance of at least two other Jesuits and Chinese interpreters, the catechism inaugurated the rich cultural exchange between China and Europe for which the Jesuit China mission would be renown. Despite the pioneering role of this catechism, it has been viewed for the most part by posterity as a pale forerunner of the later catechism by Ruggieri’s confrère, Matteo Ricci (1552–1610), The True Meaning of the Lord of Heaven (Tianzhu Shiyi 天主實義). This article attempts to skirt the anachronistic comparison with Ricci’s Tianzhu Shiyi by proposing the Tianzhu Shilu as an autonomous text expressive of a cogent strategy for tailoring Western scholasticism to the contingencies of the Chinese cultural context.     

从"兼济天下"到"独善其身":魏晋南北朝士阶层社会担当意识的弱化

自汉武帝接受董仲舒"罢黜百家,独尊儒术"的建议后,儒家思想即上升为国家意识形态。儒学是一种带有强烈入世色彩的哲学思想和价值观念系统,在个体与整体的关系上,强调整体至上,公利优先的价值取向,使儒家士大夫具有强烈的社会责任意识和使命意识,但是,这种社会担当意识在魏晋南北朝时期特殊的时代氛围中弱化了。关注自我、及时行乐,成了这一时期士大夫的风尚。这一风尚对于促进个体意识的觉醒具有积极意识,但对于社会秩序的整合与重建来说,却不可避免地具有消极影响。     

The Double Face of Christian Mission and Education in India from Dalit and Decolonial Perspectives

Missionaries from Europe came to India starting in the 15th century to preach the gospel. Their mission works have both intended and unintended consequences that affect people even today. Missionaries brought modern education to India and gave Western education to Dalits, leading to the social uplifting of Dalits, who were denied education by the oppressive caste system. Some missionaries also spoke against the social evils during their time. On the other hand, some missionaries’ work at times highlighted the Brahmanic religion as a pan-India religion which placed popular religions in a disadvantaged position. Furthermore, their work also helped the British colonial government to maintain control and become powerful. The translation work of the missionaries and the educational institutions helped the colonial government to strengthen its control over the local population. This article discusses the mission work of Robert de Nobili, Bartholomew Ziegenbalg, and William Carey and evaluates their mission works from Dalit and decolonial perspectives.     

Mission of the Church Under Pressure—An Orthodox Perspective

Mission always has focused on the constituent elements of the church, which are an intrinsic part of the church's very existence. Mission therefore is defined directly in relation to evangelism. This study aims to present briefly two of the today's missionary challenges from an Orthodox perspective. The first is how to preserve cultural and religious identity in a polymorphic society in all aspects, and how to eliminate the risk of confusing it with an ideology. The second refers to the missionary dimension of monasticism and the efficiency of the professional practice of the spiritual competences.     

A Scottish Millennial Mission to Jews

This paper investigates how the missionaries of the Church of Scotland sought to convert the Jews in Hungary. The research studies carefully Adolph Saphir's change of faith, his theological views, and his work. His family was the first “fruit” of Scottish missionary activity among the Hungarian Jews in 1843. After scrutinizing his conversion, the study proceeds to map his sphere of work as a missionary. In particular, it examines his millennial views, which gave the impetus to his missionary activity. Finally, the paper demonstrates that he became an ardent supporter of mission to the Jews not only in Britain but also in Central Europe.