Missionalia : Southern African Journal of Mission Studies - Volume 35, Issue 1, April 2007

The seven articles in this issue represent a variety of missiological approaches, contexts and styles. The first is a historical contribution by Fredrick Hale, a regular contributor to our journal, who is attached to the University of Stellenbosch as a research associate.

Theological strife was not uncommon on the nineteenth-century mission fields of southern Africa, but while some disputes, such as that surrounding the Anglican bishop of Natal, John Colenso, have been analysed by theologians and historians, most have not received appropriate scholarly attention. The present article seeks to fill one of the lacunae by exploring the roots of a controversy, which began in Natal but had repercussions in Germany and Scandinavia, where theories of the meaning of the atonement that departed from the Anselmian satisfaction doctrine incorporated in the Augsburg Confession were multiplying. In the 1870s, Johan Moe, a Norwegian in the employ of the Hermannsburg Mission in Zululand, propounded an interpretation in his book Die Versöhnung (1878), of which the original German text and his Dano-Norwegian translation prompted strong reactions in northern Europe. His dismissal in 1877 from that agency had also evoked strong reaction. It is argued inter alia that Moe's disagreement with the received Lutheran doctrine was not influenced by such contemporary theologians as Albrecht Ritschl but stemmed in large part from his disillusionment with ineffective missionary praxis and frustrations experienced in his ministry.

Since the 1970s, Korean Christian theology has emerged in a number of different strands; including minjung theology, Full Gospel theology, p'ungryu theology, and feminist theology. Reconciliation is an important theme in any Christian theology, and in the contemporary political context of South Korea it assumes an even greater significance. Examination of the theology of leading theologians in each strand-Suh Nam Dong, Cho Yonggi, Ryu Tong-Shik, and Chung Hyun Kyung-reveals that each conceptualises reconciliation in a different way as humanisation, healing, harmony, and hanpuri, respectively. A dialogue between these different models suggests an enhanced vision of reconciliation to offer in the process of reunification.

Westernisation and Constantinianism have led to a reduction of the gospel and to a crisis of vocation for the church. God's mission for a broken world constitutes the church's primary vocation. This article proposes a functional missional ecclesiological methodology for the Partnership for Missional Church (PMC). PMC engages local churches on a shared journey of spiritual discernment. Its main objective is cultural and missional transformation at local church level. Mission is transformed by engaging congregations primarily as cultural systems, instead of as organisations. PMC is designed to guide congregations to witness to the reign of God.

This study investigates the concept of Partnership in Mission (PIM) from a historical perspective and evaluates its appropriateness as a current model for mission. The origin and definition of the term, the historical development of PIM in the World Mission Council (WMC) of the Church of Scotland (CoS) and its predecessors are considered. The period under review can be said to begin with the twentieth century missionary movement and the 1910 Edinburgh conference of the International Missionary Council [IMC] and continue until the present time, although the main focus will be on the World Mission Council during the period 1997-2006.

While some Western theologians have identified a weariness with regard to the ecumenical agenda, Christians in countries like Uganda cannot afford such ennui in the face of political divisions that have often fallen along religious divides. This paper draws attention to a neglected connection between religious conflicts (esp. Roman Catholic vs Protestant / Anglican missions) and current tensions in Uganda. It calls for Catholic-Protestant reconciliation in modern Uganda and draws on insights from John Yoder, John Paul II and Miroslav Volf to develop a theology (and a culture) of grace that can renew ecclesiology and help overcome hostility and alienation.

Creating contextually relevant churches requires a number of complementary methods. Congregational analysis is one important dimension of this task, but this dimension has not yet been adequately examined from a missiological point of view. Only by doing this can the pragmatic and ideological limits of congregational analysis be overcome. The theological shape of churches demands a theological basis. The framework for a theologically defined praxis of analysing and developing churches is provided by Communicative Theology (CT). A contextual approach offers a broad spectrum for the application of different methods in congregational counselling (Gemeindeberatung).

This article describes the empirical-theological praxis (ETP) cycle as a methodological base for fundamental research in missiology. For decades, missiology and practical theology have understood themselves as applied sciences, but in recent years, there have been several efforts to develop their respective methodological foundations. This article describes empirical theology as a methodological foundation for missiology. Building on the epistemological research of Kuhn and the methodological theories of Bosch and Van der Ven, the ETP cycle is proposed as a new methodology base for missiology.

Mission is all about obedience to God's Word, but also about deep emotional reflection on God's grace and the love of God towards humans.

I pray that this readable book will prod its readers to address the vital subject of conversion to faith in Jesus Christ from Islam, a yawning chasm that begs to be breached in especially postgraduate studies p.4.

When Christians want to motivate each other to spread the gospel, passages like Matthew 28:19f or 1 Peter 3:15 quickly come to mind.

In a time that the media is exploding both in the technical aspects thereof, as well as in the various ways of accessability and usage, a book such as this by Thomas Mathew is much needed and most welcome.

The author is a Lutheran pastor in India with a doctorate in Philosophy and many years of teaching experience in Theology.

Dr Villafañe weaves together the three theological themes of discipleship, incarnation and justice, and does so in the form of three sermonic essays, each followed by a response from different contributors. Each essay and response is an easy half-hour read.

The fundamental statement which Steinert [senior pastor for Southern Africa of the Evangelical Lutheran Mission ] is underlining in his book, is that music is an integral part of life in Africa [chapter 1, pp ix; chapter 2, pp 7-18], but also in the worshipping life of the Church as a whole [chapter 1, pp 1-6]. Hence the very interesting - and according to the author important question - How could the Church utilize music's precious qualities in its missionary outreach in contemporary South Africa?

In 25 chapters plus an Introduction and Epilogue by Anderson, the book begins with thematic studies on Asian Charismatic Christianity, then deals with the important and growing phenomenon in nine countries in three different regions (South Asia, South East Asia, and East Asia), followed by conclusions.