“Transforming Mission Paradigm Shifts in the theology of mission”: was Written by Author David J.Bosch, whose influence is great in mission studies still Globally, is a great Protestant missiologist who died at the age of 62, one year of after this book publication.The author’s thesis is that the social events or natural events we have been experiencing since world war 2 and the crisis in the christian mission should not be understood as merely coincidental and reversible. Instead, what has unfolded in the theological and missionary categories over the past decades is the result of a fundamental paradigm shift not only in mission and theology,but also in the experience and thought of the world.
As the author suggests in its preface, the title of his book is ambiguous. At one For example, 'transformation' can be used as an adjective to describe 'mission'. In this case, the missionaries were understood as an organization that would change reality. On the other hand, “transformation” can be the present participle, the activity of transformation; Of these, 'Mission'
Object
Here, the mission is not an organization that changes reality, but it is also transforming. The author explains that he initially had doubts about using this title for his book. However, after a thorough evaluation and discussion with his colleagues, he finally decided to use it as his book title. I would say it was aptly named because it reflects the ambiguity in the title of the book. The content of the book is very accurate. Using the idea of “pattern changes”, Bosch attempts to show how much understanding and practice of the mission has changed in the twenty centuries of christian missionary history.
The author’s main theory is that there is no end to come in this process of “transformation”, and of course, never ends. The author suggests that we are in a time and place of very important changes in the understanding and practice of Christian missions.
The author tends to convey the message that “The inevitable aspect of the mission remains” in the Christian faith and its most profound level, its purpose is to change reality.
Mission: The Contemporary Crisis
There has been in the use of the word “mission” among Christians since 1950s. The 1950 mission, not used in a single sense, has a lot of chaotic meanings. The term mission refers to the sender or persons of the sender, to whom it is sent and an appointment. What is new about our era is that the Christian mission-at least as tradionally described and demonstrated is under attack not only from the outside but also its own ranks.
THE WIDER CRISIS
The crisis we are referring to is, naturally, not only a crisis in regard to mission Christian church from one Sunday to next. Partly because of the above, the world can no longer be divided into Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, and adherents of many traditional religious rub shoulders daily. This Proximity to others has forced Christians to reexamine their traditional stereotypical views about their faiths.
FROM CONFIDENCE TO MALAISE
Secretary of the church missionary society in Great Britain, referred to what termed a terrible failure of nerve about the missionary enterprise.
A PLURIVERSE OF MISSIOLOGY
If there is no possibility of ignoring the present crisis in mission, nor any point in trying to circumvent it, the only valid way open to us is to deal with the crisis in utmost sincerity yet without allowing ourselves to succumb to it. The world of the 1990s is undoubtedly different from that of Edinburgh 1910 or from that of the 1960s. Both manifestations of optimism have been destroyed, fundamentally and permanently by subsequent events.
MISSION: AN INTERIM DEFINITION
The Christian faith, I submit, is intrinsically missionary. It is not the only persuasion that is missionary. The entire Christian existence is to be characterized as missionary existence or, in the words of the second Vatican council.The church on earth is by its nature missionary.The difference between home and foreign mission is not one of principle but of scope. God’s yes does not imply any unbroken continuity between this world and god’s reign.
In the first part of the book,the author first surveys the new testament model of mission, noting that he noticed a significant change in the concept of Jesus' arrival in Nazareth. The mission understood in the old testament Jesus is characterized by incorporating ministry and breaking down barriers between people. Jesus’ goal is not all of Israel rather than the remnant of the faithful.Furthermore, Bosch sought to introduce the reader in ways that were understood by three important early christians witnesses(Matthew,Luke, and Paul. The event of Jesus Christ and the church flows from its responsibility to the world.
In Matthew’s case, Bosch paid close attention to our understanding of the great commission text(Matthew 28:18-20).This well known mission text cannot be divorced from the rest gospel of Matthew. All contemporary scholars agree on this, to be understood against the background of the great commission the gospel of Matthew as a whole and if we do not remember it, we will fail to understand it. We cannot be reduced the universally allied missionary doctrine from the Gospel of Matthew; however, the direction of Matthew says Jesus earthly ministry using death and resurrection has opened the “road” of mission for gentiles. In his view,When Christians participate in the mission, they find their true identity in communicating others a new way of life, reality and a new interpretation of God, and committing themselves to the redemption and salvation for others.
In Luke issue, his understanding of mission highlights repentance and forgiveness of sins as well as economic justice and peace making. What is more interesting in Luke’s interpretation is that he has left out the vengeance part of Isaiah 61.He depicted Jesus as a God of compassion even to those of the enemies. Hence, it is said that Luke4:16-21 has, has pragmatic purposes replaced Matthew’s great commission as the key text not only for understanding Christ’s mission but also that of the church.
The author acknowledged that Paul is well known first Christian missionary. Paul’s theology of mission is practically synonymous with the totality of these awesome reflections of Christian life and practically co-extensive with his entire Christian vision. His theology and mission do not simply relate to each as a theory and practice in the sense of mission flows from his theology is a missionary theology.
The churches that have come into existence as a consequence of Paul’s mission find themselves in a world divided culturally, religiously, economically and socially. Despite this Paul insisted on the unity of the one body, in spite of all the differences. What Paul says in Romans 9-11, still remains sufficiently ambiguous. His perspective of mission focuses on the church as an eschatological community which works for the improvement of society while awaiting the ultimate renewal of all things with the Parousia.
However, more than those nineteen centuries have come and gone since Paul proclaimed the impending end of the world without his expectation being fulfilled. As a result, there has been a widespread disillusionment with Paul ecclesiastical and theological circles. Paul does not permit his readers an illusory escape from the sufferings, weakness, and death of the present hour, with his proclamation of Christ’s ultimate victory. In fact, to Paul, suffering is a mode of missionary involvement.