Proselytism and Western missionaries

I think Crabtownboy's OP can't be answered without a lot more information: surveys, interviews, etc. We don't want generalizations and anecdotes. We're talking about a Ph. D. thesis in missiology here! :thumbs:

I'll put in my two yen, though. Personally, I have to say that the vast majority of the Baptist missionaries I've known (and I've known hundreds to countries all over the world) genuinely have one primary wish: the salvation of the souls of the people they are sent to, whatever the "religion" of the land is! Call that agressiveness, call it cultural insensitivity, I just call it Biblical.

Concerning the Orthodox folk, though, here's a real case of the pot calling the kettle black! God bless their hearts, if anyone has a culture set in stone they are it! An Orthodox missionary in most cases is going to carry along his religious cultural baggage (little enough of it from the Bible) wherever he goes: regalia, fancy buildings, sacraments, etc. One example of this is Nikolai Kasatkin (1836-1912) here on my own island of Hokkaido (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikolai_of_Japan). I've seen a couple of his church buildings--very fancy, all rigged up for the ceremonies. He did a good job outwardly as a missionary, but was hampered by his religion.

This is where we Baptists missionaries come in. With our insistence on the Bible as the sole rule of faith and practice, my personal view is that we contextualize better than anyone. Sure, some of us try to insist on American standards of personal separation (I did that once over here my own self) but we usually get that knocked out of us and learn what is necessary to teach where we minister.

Concerning the emerging church stuff, I'll leave that up to you guys. Fortunately maybe, we don't appear to have that in Japan yet. :type:

Edited in: P. S. I've yet to meet an emergent missionary. Do they have 'em?

 

You are right on Marcia. As I pointed out my experience is different than what is described in the OP.

Contextualization is OK if it does not cheapen the Gospel or blur it as you say. Some popular means of evangelism are not acceptable here so we do not use them. Instead we find other ways of sharing the gospel of Christ.

 

I don't know Marcia, and to be honest I don't really care about it. Are you trying to make a point to write off all that his ministries have done and are doing now because of his personal beliefs on hell and the afterlife?

 

I wasn't trying to make a point; I was trying to find out if it's the same guy. I think it is the same guy. I am disturbed by his view of annihilationism but I would not say that it causes me to write off any good he's done for the Lord.
But I would not support his ministry now – I consider his view serious enough to keep me from that. I think such a view goes against the clear teaching of scripture and colors how one sees salvation and atonement.