“Mission
and Evangelism as a means to relate to peoples of other faith”
- Laldanmawia
Introduction:
In this
post modern world, Christian mission and evangelism have concern about
different issues of its contemporary. They meet issues like ecological crises,
poverty, transforming the margins, liberation of the subaltern people, erasing
the discourses of empire, making relation with other faiths and many other
possible issues. Among them is the focus of this paper. Then how Mission and
Evangelism can be a means to relate the peoples of other faiths is the target
where we have to shot by this paper.
1. Who are the Peoples of other faiths?
The question is
very vast and we may need hundreds of pages to write all the peoples of other
faiths of the World, other than Christianity. In a wider sense, it can cover
all the people of all times who belong to different ideologies, theories,
religions and scientific institutions. Leonard Fernando includes the Roman
religion, the faiths and beliefs in Greek influenced world starting from the
early Christianity.[1]
In the religious phenomena itself, it can cover from the primal religion to
modern big religions like Hinduism, etc. However it is possible that we may
minimize it to the peoples of different religions of the present time.
Then we can
come to the concluding answer that, the peoples of other faiths are the
followers of various religious beliefs in different countries and regions. This
includes the believers of Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, Jainism, Zoroastrianism,
Confucianism, Sikhism, etc.
2. Relating Christianity to the Peoples of other Faiths:
Christianity is
a religion of Propagation. Its central idea is “to go to the whole world and
preach the Gospel”. This theme makes Christianity to build relations to the
peoples of other faiths. Because of this mission statement, Christians could
have relations to other faiths. Then it is right to call Mission as the reason
behind Christian’s encounters with others.
However
there can be some questions: Why Christianity is doing a mission work? Why it
tries to convert people? Why it makes relations to other faiths? Doesn’t it
enough that the followers simply remain in the faith without trying to explore
to other people? All these entire questions could be answered that, why because
is what Christianity exactly is. In the nature of Christianity, Christians
themselves see the uniqueness, the absolute truth, the rightness, the authority
in the ways to God, etc. All these specialities urge the followers to have
concern to those doomed peoples who follow the wrong ways. It is not merely a
political and geographical expansion of Christendom in this world, but it is
also saving the peoples from the doom, because it is the only way to lead away
from punishment and reach God. The people of other faiths will ask the question
that, how can Christianity be the only way; the response must be, because Jesus
Christ says, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the
Father except through me” (John 14:6). How Christ could claims Himself as the
only way; because He is/was the promised Messiah, who fulfilled the prophesied
words. So, all these uniqueness makes Christianity to be a company consultant
in this religious business World. And Christianity uses Mission and Evangelism
as a means in this consultation.
3. Mission and Evangelism as a means to relate to peoples of other
faith:
As discussed
above, Mission and Evangelism is a means for Christianity to relate peoples of
other faiths. Then How Mission and
Evangelism become the means is what we have to discuss on. In the Mission
and evangelism themselves, there are different approaches which can create a
means for making relations to others. Some of them are:
3.1. Conversion Movement: It is the movement launched by
Christians in everywhere! Conversion is the final destiny of Christian mission
and evangelism, by going on and pursuing in every corner of our land. Rightly
say that it is the conversion movement that makes Christianity relating to the
people of other faiths. Conversion is changing of a person’s religious view and
belief to another faith. V.S. Lalrinawma may bring better understanding when he
says, “…is a process by which a person
comes to be gripped by a new force that enters his/her life, changing him/her
to new environment.”[2]Yes,
one is brought to a new environment when he/she is converted.
Conversion is the goal of the mission
and evangelism. To convert people, one has to start by making relations with
others. Christian conversion is inter-religious conversion. Here the relations
stand for inter-religious relationship. And we can say that it is by which the
conversion movement, Christians have constructed and built a means to relate
the people of other faiths; because conversion requires relationship in
different kinds.
3.2. Inter Faith Dialogue: Mission and Evangelism have
inter-faith dialogue as one approach to reach the destiny. Christians always
built relationship with other. When it is with the people of other faiths,
Inter faiths dialogue is found. It is more than living together with tolerance,
and is promotion of understanding through sharing of information and
experiences and through theological discussion on common themes.[3]
Through this inter faith dialogue
one can built good relationship with other people. Dialogue can be seen
sometime as a mere conversation and exchanging of ideas and thought, not so
much involve in conversion.[4] It is true to some extent.
But if we look it from another perspective, we will find how it works to
promote mission works. A person usually starts the mission and evangelism with
inter personal dialogue. Just preach and leave is not the relevant method in
this contemporary pluralistic world, rather building relationship with people
is always better. It is done through Dialogue.
2.3. Humanization: Humanization is understood as relating to
the shift from a state of de-humanization to a state of becoming genuinely
human.[5] It is one purpose and method
of doing Christian mission and evangelism today. According to the Free
Dictionary, Humanization means “to
portray or endow with human characteristics or attributes; make human; to imbue
with humanness or human kindness”[6].
It is the process of making human to draw their full potentialities and
attributes. In this society, many people are being found with inability to
fulfill their full humanness due to various reasons. Then it is Christian
mission that we must help them to achieve the same. Christians open Mission
fields, schools, hospitals, discussion forums, charity organizations, etc. Any
of them are accessed to bring people into the fullness of life. To help them with
giving the above activities is to humanize them.
Then, it is possible to see a Christian
interaction with peoples of other faiths by this humanizing process/ministry.
It is usually done among the people of marginalized in the same Christian
community and multi religious community.
2.4. Liberation: In mission and evangelism, liberation may have
similar attitude with humanization towards the upliftment of the poor people.
That means clapping together can be done in some ways. However, if we try to
separate them, humanization may go with the poor, suffering and disabled
people, where as liberation may focus more on peace and justice to the weaker
sections like women, indigenous people, Tribals, Dalits, etc. It is a Biblical
stand that God is in the supporting position of liberation to the weaker
sections from bondage (Exodus). And it is the mission paradigm that people may
come up in the peace and just society. To liberate them from their bondage is
what the mission and evangelism have been doing.
The goal of the Mission and
Evangelism is the establishment of the Kingdom of God. Jesus teaches kingdom living (Mat 5:3-7) and
Kingdom mission (Mat 10:5-42),[7] in which there must be the
whole human reality transformed by God’s love. And the Kingdom of God is
established when peace, justice and equality are being prevailing. Then these
values can be achieved by liberating the weaker sections of the society, which
is again the aim and goal of Mission and evangelism today. Then in the process
of liberation, Christians develop relations to the people of other faiths.
Conclusion:
Yes it is no doubt that Christians
built relations to people of other faiths, right from the origin and beginning
of it. The influenced of Roman religion, Greek philosophical understandings and
beliefs which met the same contemporary of early Christianity were the reason
by which Christians by any means had to contact to them. However the Christian
mission is taken more and more importance, and more seriously the Missionary
Movement in the 19th Century encouraged Christians to have more
exploration in every possible unreached place. This eventually extended the
missionary population in the confessional and denominational churches. Meanwhile,
in this contemporary world, evangelism occupy inner place in Christian
ministry. Many scholars level it with mission itself. Then these mission and
evangelism are the fusion activity of Christians in this Post modern World. And
thus they become the main way and means to relate the peoples of other faiths.
…………………………………………………………………….
Bibliography:
Bird, Adrian. M.M.
Thomas and Dalit Theology. Bangalore: BTESSC/SATHRI, 2008.
Lalrinawma, V.S. Missiological Issues Facing the Contemporary
Church in India. Bangalore: Centre for Contemporary Christianity, 2011.
Leonard Fernando, S.J. Christian Faith meets other Faiths.
Delhi: ISPCK, 1998.
Neill, Stephen. Christian Faith and other Faiths.
Lucknow: Lucknow Publishing House, 1966.
Selvanayagam, Israel. Being Evangelical and Dialogical: Healthy
Balance in a Multi-faith Context. Delhi: ISPCK, 2012.
Webliography:
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/humanization
(4 December 2012).
[1] S.J. Leonard Fernando, Christian Faith meets other Faiths (Delhi: ISPCK, 1998), 1-10.
[2] V.S. Lalrinawma, Missiological
Issues Facing the Contemporary Church in India (Bangalore: Centre for
Contemporary Christianity, 2011), 245.
[3]V.S. Lalrinawma, Missiological
Issues Facing the Contemporary Church in India …, 260.
[4]V.S. Lalrinawma, Missiological Issues Facing the Contemporary Church in India ….
[5] Bird, Adrian. M.M.
Thomas and Dalit Theology (Bangalore: BTESSC/SATHRI, 2008), 133.
[7] V.S. Lalrinawma, Missiological Issues Facing the Contemporary Church in India …, 21.
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