a contextual missiology of the spirit - eTheses Repository ...

wonderful achievements. Our best days are ahead of us because of a larger body
of experience now happily placed at the disposal of Christendom…. Therefore,
with rich talents like these which we bear forth, surely our best days are ahead of
every one of us, even the most distinguished person in our great company. 14
However, Thangaraj argues that the optimistic confidence of the Edinburgh
delegates about the evangelization of the whole world in a generation has been
gradually toned down. He discusses five major reasons - World Wars I and II, the
dismantling of colonialism, the resurgence of other religions, the intense
consciousness of religious plurality and the rise of post-modern thought - that
affected the optimistic spirit of the Conference. 15 Thangaraj highlights three major
shifts for constructing a contemporary missiology. First, as the word mission is
‘no longer a private property of Christian discourse,’ theology should be done in
public. Second, theological construction should begin with ‘local stories.’ Third, a
conversational method should be used in theology by widening the circle of
conversation and dialogue between Christians and others. 16
There has been a great emphasis in recent years on making local theologies,
particularly by Roman Catholic missiologists. There are various terms, like
‘localization,’ ‘indigenization,’ ‘inculturation’ and ‘contextualization’ of theology,
which have been used interchangeably to explain this focus. According to
Schreiter, ‘despite slightly different nuances in meaning all of these terms point to
14
World Missionary Conference, 1910, History and Records, 108, quoted in Thangaraj, Common
Task, 17-18.
15
For a detailed explanation, see Thangaraj, Common Task, 18-26. According to him, these five
major events and changes that have taken place since 1910 had a radical effect on Christian
mission theology and practice.
16
Thangaraj, Common Task, 27-30.
266