Who Is the Subject of Mission? The Need to Decolonize Mission From the Perspective of “the Margins”
The critique of mission history often involves perpetuating the overestimated impact of the missionaries from opposite sides. It was not so much the missionaries who mattered, but what mattered more was whether the people were responding to the message or not. Today we see the translating function o...
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| Published in | Transformation (Exeter) Vol. 37; no. 2; pp. 131 - 139 |
|---|---|
| Main Author | |
| Format | Journal Article |
| Language | English |
| Published |
London, England
Sage Publications, Inc
01.04.2020
SAGE Publications |
| Subjects | |
| Online Access | Get full text |
| ISSN | 0265-3788 1759-8931 |
| DOI | 10.1177/0265378820914641 |
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| Abstract | The critique of mission history often involves perpetuating the overestimated impact of the missionaries from opposite sides. It was not so much the missionaries who mattered, but what mattered more was whether the people were responding to the message or not. Today we see the translating function of the missionaries in a clearer way and the people’s reception as the crucial factor in the process of modern Christianization. The World Council of Churches in its declaration “Together Towards Life” (2013) separates mission from its entanglement with colonialism as a mission from the margins by grounding it in the triune God (missio Dei), but it seems to overlook the contributing factor of the people as the human subject of the Christianization process. Instead of following a simple input-impact model, we have to acknowledge more those who were adapting themselves to the Christian faith from within their own context. |
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| AbstractList | The critique of mission history often involves perpetuating the overestimated impact of the missionaries from opposite sides. It was not so much the missionaries who mattered, but what mattered more was whether the people were responding to the message or not. Today we see the translating function of the missionaries in a clearer way and the people’s reception as the crucial factor in the process of modern Christianization. The World Council of Churches in its declaration “Together Towards Life” (2013) separates mission from its entanglement with colonialism as a mission from the margins by grounding it in the triune God (missio Dei), but it seems to overlook the contributing factor of the people as the human subject of the Christianization process. Instead of following a simple input-impact model, we have to acknowledge more those who were adapting themselves to the Christian faith from within their own context. |
| Author | Knuth, Anton |
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| References | Downs 1980; 8 Weir 2014; 49 Behera 2018; 63 Aleaz 2002; 44 Reinbold W (bibr17-0265378820914641) 2000 bibr23-0265378820914641 Trompf G (bibr22-0265378820914641) 1995 Wilfred F (bibr25-0265378820914641) 1992 Tuwere IS (bibr24-0265378820914641) 2002 Hau’ofa E (bibr12-0265378820914641) 1993 Pachuau L (bibr16-0265378820914641) 2018 Garret J (bibr11-0265378820914641) 1985 Koschorke K (bibr13-0265378820914641) 2014; 25 Bargatzky T (bibr3-0265378820914641) 1997 Starck R (bibr20-0265378820914641) 1996 Anders C (bibr2-0265378820914641) 2010 Forman CW (bibr10-0265378820914641) 1989 bibr5-0265378820914641 Fernando L (bibr9-0265378820914641) 2013 Barker J (bibr4-0265378820914641) 1989 Downs FS (bibr8-0265378820914641) 1992; 5 Aleaz KP (bibr1-0265378820914641) 2002; 44 Berger PL (bibr6-0265378820914641) 1966 bibr26-0265378820914641 bibr7-0265378820914641 Pachuau L (bibr15-0265378820914641) 2002 Sunquist SW (bibr19-0265378820914641) 2015 Tauira MG (bibr21-0265378820914641) Langi J (bibr14-0265378820914641) 1992; 1992 Schieder D (bibr18-0265378820914641) 2012 |
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| Title | Who Is the Subject of Mission? The Need to Decolonize Mission From the Perspective of “the Margins” |
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