29 July - 01 November

Rev. Prof J. Flett

Christianity is the world’s largest faith. With an estimated 2.3 billion adherents, 31.2 per cent of the global population are Christian. A good percentage of this is due to the growth of the faith in the “global South”. Such growth, however, is very different from the faith as it is often experienced within western societies. These complex dynamics highlight well some of the ambiguities shaping the field of intercultural theology/missiology.  First, for many, mission is linked to the (ongoing) practices of colonisation and should be rejected as an anachronistic and violent practice. Second, with the changing shape of religious adherence within western Christianity, many churches are looking for practical direction in reaching out their local communities to invite a new generation into the body of Christ. Third, though secondary reflection on mission is not so prevalent within world Christianity, mission is understood to be central to who Jesus Christ is and is expressed in many and varied practices, including exorcism and healing. Mission studies is concerned with the visibility and local embodiment of the gospel within these differing contexts and against the background of both colonial violence and theological claims concerning the essential nature of the faith. This unit is a basic introduction to this interdisciplinary field. It outlines a range of key ideas, authorities and methodologies, including hermeneutics, contextualisation, and interreligious dialogue. Its main aim, however, is resourcing participants to develop their own theology of mission in conversation with their theological and cultural contexts.