Reflections of a New Missionary - Lutheran Society for Missiology

90 Missio Apostolica
convinced that indeed he should double check and make sure he really understands what
the people to whom he is ministering believe, and how they practice these beliefs after
the Sunday worship service. The reader may also fmd himself checking his own
presuppositions and worldview. The discussion of the Indo-European Myth and its great
difference to the cross of Jesus Christ (pp. 270-278) should be read at one time or another
by all seminary and church work students, as this myth arguably influences much of W.S.
culture, and through the entertainment industry, much of the world. (It is surprising how
many war and martial arts videos are shown publicly in remote villages of Ghana, West
Africa.)
Another helpful consequence of reading Understanding Folk Religion is an
appropriate leveling of all human cultures as all having a logic to their presuppositions,
needs, desires, fears, and beliefs. Rarely is anybody purely "superstitious" for no reason.
There is a "logic" to one's beliefs and practices even if they are in error. If the Christian
can begin to identify the underlying concerns, logic, worldview, and fears of the
unbeliever, a more appropriate Gospel presentation might be made. For instance, to
alleviate fear of witchcraft in the case of illness by arguing against the existence of
witches requires Western modem presuppositions which an African does not hold (not to
mention such presuppositions might not align with Scripture!). But to proclaim Jesus as
Victor over sin, death and the devil (including all witches) is good news straight from the
Scriptures, whether or not witchcraft is actually involved in any given case.
Many of the underlying concerns in folk religion revealed by this study is related to
the theodicy issue, i.e., why do bad things happen to good people, or, why do bad things
happen to me This topic is well known in Christian circles, but traditionally missionaries
have not addressed this topic very well. Thus, the convert's reliance on the old beliefs
and ways to solve problems and answer questions. This topic, Christian problem solving
and decision making, still remains a shortcoming in our seminary and missionary
training. "Counseling" has become a Western professional sphere into which many
pastors fear to tread, not to mention the hazards of "counseling" in another culture (in
Africa one may need to involve much of the extended family to solve marriage problems
because the marriage belongs to the whole family). Moreover, the contemporary trend to
rush psychologists into every disaster zone does reveal the West's reliance upon this
profession to reassure the disaster victims that the Western worldview still holds in times
of great stress. However, the ability to assist a person to make godly life decisions, cope
with disasters, deal with oppression, etc. out of faith and without fear of failure, on the
basis of Scripture, is a skill desperately needed by Christian leaders and has still not been
addressed appropriately. Understanding Folk Religion makes a call for such holistic
theology (p. 372).
Some Shortcomings
There are occasional leaps in logic and dissonant pairing of ideas in Understanding
Folk Religion whlch are disconcerting. On page 23 "sending church" is contrasted to
"younger church." This pairing seems to mix unusual missiological ideas, and even
implies the "young" church does not or cannot send. While most of the many charts and