Dialogue is in contradiction to Evangelism. Or is it? Dialogue is generally thought of as conversation between two equals (certainly equals in terms of roles in conversation) so as to achieve mutual understanding. As such it is not driven by a desire to coerce another, or change another's mind. From this standpoint, it is certainly …
Month: January 2020
The Counterproductive Missionary?
So... let's talk about some well-known expansions of Christianity. One of these was the growth of the church in the Roman Empire, and adjoining territories during the first 3 centuries. The church grew rapidly. If I remember right (and am quite prepared to be wrong), the church averaged growth of around 20% per year. That …
Asian Christian Theology? (Part II)
Years ago I wrote an article on Asian Christian Theology, where I expressed some questions or concerns about how some consider this. (You can read it by CLICKING HERE). Recently I was in a meeting where exploration of supporting Asian Christian Theology books was explored. Some questions came up that commonly come up when this …
How to Teach Missions Anthropology?
A few weeks ago a friend of mine who teaches at a small missions school asked me what is the most valuable way to teach missions anthropology. I suppose the most valuable way to teach missions anthropology is to do missions anthropology. However, the question was given in the context of a course taught in …
Can You Learn Something Good From “Playing God”?
We generally use the term "Playing God" to describe a bad thing. But let's try to think of some ways that are a bit more positive. Being a parent (or a pet owner) and leading a government involves a bit of playing God--- embracing some of the roles that God has, but on a smaller …
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Missions Theology— Problems of Reaction
Consider Quote from Corbett and Fikkert's book When Helping Hurts: As numerous scholars have noted, prior to the twentieth century, evangelical Christians played a large role in ministering to the physical and spiritual needs of the poor. However, this all changed at the start of the twentieth century as evangelicals battled theological liberals over the …
Better than Scribblings on a Scrunched-up Piece of Paper at a Bus Stop
I was in a seminar in our seminary about doing research. The issue came up of what sources are legitimate for research. When the issue of blogs came up, the speaker, one of my colleagues, said that while many professors don't allow citations of blogs or “personal websites” not all feel that way. For the …
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Updated Book, “Dialogue in Pastoral Counseling and Training”
Celia and I have gone through our most recent book, Dialogue in Pastoral Counseling and Training, and made a few modest changes. Some of these were fixing small glitches. Played with the structure in spots as well. I think the book is stronger now. Yes, I know that this blog is MOSTLY about missions, and …
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Is Righteous Anger Righteous?
Before getting into the topic, I would like to share with you my view of anger. I think anger is neither good nor bad. It is an emotion and emotions are not good or bad. Emotions begin to take on ethical concerns when tied to motives and actions. In this sense, then, I believe that …
Um… Maybe Missions is NOT for You.
Before I get into this... a bit of a confession time. I may not be the great exemplar of a missionary. I am not adept at language. I am an introvert, when it seems as if the extrovert is the ideal promoted. I am prone to be a bit grumpy. I am also not particularly …