Religion And Contextualization

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Introduction There are a great many lessons, good and bad alike, to be learned from Church history, especially as it relates to our missional efforts. A propensity exists for many of us to fall into a functional belief that we are the one’s building the church – maybe even our own church – and also that the expansion of the gospel rests in our ingenuity and accomplishments. However, as we take a sincere look at Church history and past missional feats we quickly and rightly see that nothing is further from the truth. First and foremost, the entirety of the work of our Triune God, and second, he has been working through the Church for generations and until his Kingdom is fulfilled he will continue to work through the Church. Stephen Neill beautifully …show more content…

Ultimately, this is the question of contextualization. Contextualization involves striving to present the gospel in a culturally pertinent manner. Before moving further, a key distinction needs to be made between contextualization solely based on methods, versus contextualization of the gospel message itself. Contextualization of methods finds the source of contextualization in the activities of the Church. Although there are appropriate occasions when this can be challenged, often times when our methods or activities are the locus of our contextualization efforts it inclines itself to the prioritization of preferences, a cultural “syncretism” of sorts, and even a shallowing of the Church and the gospel. However, when the locus is of contextualization is the contextualization of the gospel message then we began to see the larger impact that the gospel has on the whole of creation. In turn, God is made bigger, more transcendent, yet more immanent. The gospel message is made broader, more expansive across the various brokenness found in life, yet more present and personal in one’s specific life. As such, a second essential principle which I believe to be derived from the historical mission of the Church is the contextualization of the gospel message. First, translating the Holy Scriptures into the indigenous language is the first …show more content…

This principle is rooted in the gospel itself. Essentially, if we believe that the gospel changes who we are, then it changes how we think and act, then it only makes sense that it should change where we live. Societal engagement entails not just being engaged within the cultural, but also serving the local regions, cities, and villages where one lives. There is likely not greater visual representation of the gospel than to serve as Christ has served. Mark 10:45 reminds us, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” The gospel message of Jesus Christ is not one merely of future hope, but also of present hope in that his followers should be an extension of his love, his mercy and justice, to the physical world. For example, this was exemplified by the development of educational institutions by the Church Missionary Society (CMS) within the West Africa region, such as the Fourth Bay college and the CMS Grammar schools. The work of CMS in West Africa is not alone, when we take broader look at the mission of the Church throughout history one sees a tight association between gospel expansion and loving Christian service. However, when we take a look at the western church it seems that there is a growing deficiency – I would place myself at the forefront of this deficiency.

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