Mission or partnership?
In many cases even Christians adopt an ambiguous attitude concerning Christian mission.They sympathize with the term "partnership” instead, particularly in connection with contemporary relations between Christians in the Northern Hemisphere and those in the Global South. But many of them are not aware of the close relationship between the history and different understandings of Christian mission, its theological background and the contemporary understanding of Christian partnerships.
The present thesis contains a critical analysis of the complex connections between Christian mission, different mission theologies and church partnerships today. Based on a review of the historical development of European external mission and its theological foundations, contemporary church partnerships will be analyzed with a particular focus on relationships between Protestant Western German churches and congregations, and Protestant Western and Southern African churches and congregations. Special emphasis will be placed on the question to what degree these partnerships are influenced by mission theological perspectives and how much awareness of the connection between mission, mission theologies and partnerships exists among those persons who are involved in the partnerships.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
1.1 Mission impossible?
1.2 Mission or partnership?
2 Christian mission
2.1 The term ”mission“
2.2 The history of Christian mission. A short survey
3 Mission theologies
3.1 Biblical foundation of mission
3.1.1 Old and New Testament in general
3.1.2 The Gospel
3.2 Models of mission theologies
3.2.1 “Plantation or Conversion Model“, ”Salvific-historical Model“, ”Promise-historical Model“, ”Communication Model“
3.2.2 Missio Dei
3.2.3 Further approaches. Konvivenz, Koinonia, contextuality
3.3 Mission theological approaches in connection with mission history
3.3.1 Accomplished mission
3.3.2 Inner Mission and overseas activities
3.3.3 Mission conferences and early impulses for an Ecumenical Movement
3.3.4 Mission activities after World War II
3.3.5 The Ecumenical Movement and the World Council of Churches
3.3.6 Contemporary mission questions
3.4 Excurse: missionary saving boxes reflect different mission understandings
3.5 Mission theologies from the Global South
3.5.1 Africa
3.5.2 Latin America and Asia
3.6 Conclusion
4 Church Partnerships as part of modern Christian mission understanding
4.1 The development of Christian church partnership understanding
4.1.1 Beginning of the 20th century
4.1.2 After World War II
4.1.3 The last three decades of the 20th century
4.2 Theological foundation of the term partnership
4.2.1 The Bible
4.2.2 Hermeneutical approaches
4.3 The transfer of the partnership understanding into the praxis
4.3.1 Global Christian siblinghood
4.3.2 Shared theological reflections
4.3.3 Social and global responsibility
4.3.4 Development as a specific element of Christian partnership
4.3.5 Learning communities and ecumenical learning
4.3.6 Promotion of congregational life
5 Contemporary partnerships with Africa and its mission theological perspectives
5.1 German partnership understanding
5.2 African partnership understandings
5.3 Contemporary protagonists of German-African church partnerships. South Africa and Western Africa as particular examples
5.3.1 Mission Societies. The Bremen Mission as example
5.3.2 Church and congregation partnerships between Germany and South Africa
5.3.3 Church partnerships between Germany and Ghana
5.4 Strengths and weaknesses of German-African partnerships
5.4.1 Strengths
5.4.2 Weaknesses
6 The Church of Lippe. Examples of church partnerships with Africa
6.1 The Church of Lippe and its ecumenical involvements
6.2 Partnership between the congregations of Spork/Wendlinghausen and Hillentrup in Lippe, Germany and Alexandra in Johannesburg, South Africa
6.2.1 The partnership
6.2.2 Analysis
6.3 Partnership between the classes Detmold, Blomberg-Horn and Bösingfeld in Lippe and the church district of Ho in North-Ghana
6.3.1 The partnership
6.3.2 Analysis
6.4 Deduction from the examples
7 Conclusion and prospect
7.1 Mission impossible?
7.2 Mission and partnership possible!
Objectives and Themes
This work aims to provide a critical analysis of the complex connections between Christian mission, evolving mission theologies, and contemporary church partnerships. It explores how mission theological perspectives influence current partnerships, particularly those between Protestant Western German churches and African congregations, while assessing the awareness of these theological foundations among participants.
- Historical development of European external mission and its theological roots.
- Transformation of mission understandings from colonial models to contemporary global partnership concepts.
- Analysis of specific German-African church partnerships as case studies.
- The role of theological concepts like Missio Dei, Koinonia, and Konvivenz in shaping partnership praxis.
- Strengths, weaknesses, and the future potential of church partnerships in a changing global context.
Excerpt from the Book
3.4 Excurse: missionary saving boxes reflect different mission understandings
The changing attitudes of mission understandings from a feeling of European supremacy to an ecumenical siblinghood of Christians and to world responsibility is demonstrated in the different saving boxes which were used for collecting financial support for overseas missionaries and their work.
Whereas the first boxes in the 19th century often show indigenous figures in devote positions with a particular mechanism that let the figure nod after inserting money, boxes of the 20th century often show the globe or an indigenous figure working together with a missionary.
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: This chapter outlines the critical connection between historical mission understandings and modern church partnerships, setting the research focus on German-African relationships.
2 Christian mission: A brief overview of the term "mission" and its historical development within Christianity, identifying how its definitions have shifted alongside different theological and social contexts.
3 Mission theologies: This section details the biblical foundations and various historical models of mission, including Missio Dei and contextual approaches emerging from the Global South.
4 Church Partnerships as part of modern Christian mission understanding: Examines the development of "partnership" as a theological concept and how it is implemented in practical church cooperation, emphasizing ecumenical learning and siblinghood.
5 Contemporary partnerships with Africa and its mission theological perspectives: Analyzes the specific motivations and understandings of German and African partners, highlighting political engagement and socio-economic realities.
6 The Church of Lippe. Examples of church partnerships with Africa: Provides a detailed case study of specific partnerships within the Church of Lippe, evaluating their successes and challenges against theological principles.
7 Conclusion and prospect: Synthesizes findings, concluding that while traditional mission models have been surpassed, current partnerships face new challenges that require deeper theological reflection and evaluation.
Keywords
Christian mission, Mission theologies, Church partnerships, Missio Dei, Global South, Koinonia, Konvivenz, Ecumenical movement, Development cooperation, Congregational life, Apartheid, Biblical foundation, Intercultural learning, Germany, Africa
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this master thesis?
The thesis focuses on the complex interconnections between Christian mission, varying mission theological frameworks, and the contemporary reality of church-to-church partnerships, specifically between Germany and African congregations.
Which central themes are discussed in the work?
Key themes include the shift from traditional mission models to partnership concepts, the impact of historical post-colonial structures, and the theological evaluation of practical diaconal and project-based cooperation.
What is the primary objective of the research?
The primary objective is to determine to what degree these partnerships are shaped by mission theological perspectives and to measure the level of awareness regarding this connection among those actively involved.
Which scientific methodology is applied?
The work employs a critical analysis based on historical review of mission theology and qualitative empirical research, including interviews with key participants involved in specific church partnerships in the Church of Lippe.
What is addressed in the main body of the text?
The main body covers the biblical foundation of mission, theoretical models of mission, the development of partnership concepts, and practical case studies involving German-African partnerships, followed by an analysis of their strengths and weaknesses.
Which keywords best characterize the work?
Key terms include: Christian mission, Missio Dei, Koinonia, Church partnerships, Global South, Ecumenical movement, and Intercultural learning.
How is the specific case study of the "Church of Lippe" used?
It serves as a practical example to analyze whether high-level theological aims of partnerships are realized on the congregational level, using qualitative interviews as empirical evidence.
What conclusion does the author draw regarding the future of these partnerships?
The author concludes that while partnerships are successful in fostering personal relationships and diaconal support, their full potential requires deeper theological reflection, evaluation, and adaptation to current global challenges like climate change.
- Quote paper
- Sabine Hartmann (Author), 2012, Partnerships with Congregations and Churches in Africa from a Perspective of Theologies of Mission, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/294955
