5 challenges for mission and ministry from postmodern assumptions
1. Challenges for Mission and
Ministry from Postmodern
Assumptions and Realities
Joshva Raja
Session 5.
2. Themes to be discussed
An emerging paradigm / emerging church
The end of Modern Era and Missions
PostChristendom
Simpson’s Gospel
Harry Potter’s church
3. Resources for reading
J Andrew Kirk Mission Under Scrutiny: Confronting Current Challenges, pp.
201-219: ‘A Postscript: Mission post-Everything?’
Bosch, Transforming Mission. 349-362)
Richard Tiplday, Church in a Postmodern Society.
Richard Tiplady Postmission: World Mission by a Postmodern Generation.
Cumbria
Paternoster Press, 2002.
Richard Bauckham Bible and Mission: Christian Witness in a Postmodern
World.
Cumbria: Paternoster Press. 2003.
J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban New York:
Scholastic
Press, 1999.
Brian McLaren, A New Kind of Christian (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2001),
xiv-xv,
xvi.
4. Preview Modernity and Mission views
A scientific view of the Bible
Emphasis on doctrine – Doctrines are our
theological facts.
High value on rightness
Low tolerance for mystery
High Value on Truth
Proclamation as Doctrine
High value in teaching and preaching
Low value in personal discipleship
Autonomy in Church practice
5. Rise and fall of Christendom
In 312 Constantine (hoc Signo Vince – in
this sign conquer) – sign of the cross –
Christianity as a force of unity of the
Roman empire
Christendom means –
a. adoption of Christianity as a the official
religion of the empire
b. All citizens were Christians by birth
6. Mission of the Christian Church in a
Postmodern World – George Carey
The Collapse of Global Ideology
Relativising of values
Loss of hope
Mission Response – The church should never be
apologetic for bearing witness to eternal truths
(versus material values)
As a Church we need to rediscover the
sacramental nature of community
The Church must put service before power and
status
7. Christian Mission in the Postmodern
World Peterstephenson
A. Suspicion of All Big Stories progress vs
ecological disaster
Deconstruction as mission?
Come clean about the churches’ past
Examine ourselves for oppressive
tendencies
Search ourselves for signs of syncretism
8. B Distrust of Authority and
Institutions
Big stories are construction of those in
power built to legitimise and preserve that
power
No favours to elders due to ecological
disasters – Live for today
Image – free to choose – any truths
Global awareness – ecological destruction,
human rights, destruction of ethnic
cultures, racial and religious intolerance,
sexual discrimination, abuse of animals
9. Missions 1
Personally Focussed –
a. I will get by with a little help from my
friends – relationship
b. Live and let live – pluralism
c. Get your act together
Longing for Intimacy
Real Personal Spirituality
10. Missions 2
Politically Alienated
a. Trust no one above thirty – authority
b. Whatever - Ideology
Philosophically Confused
a. There is more to life than meets the eye
– empiricism
b. Consistency belongs to small minds –
rationalism
11. Missions 3
Theologically Ignorant
a. Feeling good is good enough for me:
Truth and Values
b. Imagine there is no heaven: Spirituality
13. Initiatives
Mission as Development
Mission with HIV Patients
Mission with prisoners
Medical Mission
Media and Mission
Charity as Mission
Conflict Resolution as Mission
Ecological concerns as Mission
15. Medical Mission
Wilkinson, John (1989 Maxwell Memorial Lecture) Making Men
Whole - The Theology of Medical Missions, CMF and the book by
Christopher H Grundmann - University Press of America 2005 Sent
to Heal! - Emergence and Development of Medical Missions
Holistic approach of mission – Physical healing
through medical treatment?
God’s concern for the sick and weak
Jesus’ healing and caring for the sick
Mission purely spiritual? Caring for physical
wellbeing as well! – James 5
16. Paradigm shifts in Medical Mission
Nestorian Christianity - 'the knowledge and
practice of medicine and healing was a notable
feature’
Constantine’s conversion – 4th Century –
hospitals, orphanages and other missions began
Until enlightenment the medical practice was
traditional, religious, and superstitious
Medical missionaries were sent out in 18th
Centuries – from Hospitals to Community health
care systems
17. Development as Mission
Progress
Traditional societies
Linear models
Modernization – diffusion
Dependency
Participation
Community based development
18. Development
Ecological economics
Sustainable development
Welfare economics
Feminist economics
http://etd.rau.ac.za/theses/available/etd-
10062004-104219/restricted/Chapter6.pdf
http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/economics/la
ureates/1998/sen-lecture.pdf
20. Mission among the virtual
communities
(1) a virtual common-public-space where
a significant portion of interactive group-
CMCs
occur;
(2) a variety of communicators;
(3) a minimum level of sustained stable
membership; and
(4) a minimum level of interactivity.
21. New Mission Initiatives and models
Postmodern Mission
Globalization and Mission
Popular culture and Mission
Media and Mission
War and Mission
Eco-concerns and mission
Collaborative mission
22. Barriers between Modern and
Postmodern faith
Truth and Subjectivity
Rejection of rigid distinctions
Local, personal and specific truth
Rejection of absolute truths
Inclusiveness or tolerance
Diversity of Morals and Lifestyles
Noise as non-confirming
Conservative religion as enemy
23. Bridges
Tendency for spiritual sensitivity
Experiential spirituality
Personal spirituality
Practicality
Social needs
Shalom
Looking for spiritual guides
24. Postmodernist church
Strong tendency toward personal
spirituality
Deep thoughtful Christians
Tendency to live out their faith in society
Desire for community
Less tendency to fight with other
Christians over the doctrine
Living in Metaphors
25. Weakness of the Postmodern Church
Desire for Individual spirituality
Desire for Individual Truth
Potential to get attracted with Spirituality
itself
Tendency not to reflect biblically about
social issues
Pragmatism without biblical reflection is
no good
Tendency to hold personal doctrine above
biblical doctrine
26. Postmodern models
Testimonies, symbols, paradox, parables
and stories to share
Creative artistic expressions
Talents and gifts of spirit using them in
ministry
Sharing through the web of relationship
Avoiding denominational identities
Using all media
27. Models of churching
Non-church-like names
Home web of cell groups
Smaller churches
Corporate worship is like a theatre room
Churches filled with art meeting non-
traditional hours
Distrust marketing techniques
No leader but leaders