Abstract
This issue of Review & Expositor begins with “A word from” Ken Luscombe, who poses a powerful and thought-provoking question, “What on earth can we do?” In this article, “The Place of Difference,” Luscombe attempts to unpack the meaning of mission by way of radical and authentic discipleship. He reflects on Jürgen Moltmann’s theology of pain and suffering of God in Christ. Luscombe frames his theological argument in a juxtaposition of the “cross and the resurrection” as he guides Baptists and other Christians in naming God outside of their “comfortable and contained ways of Christian existence” and the “ideological conformities of the fundamentalists of the right and left.” The article asserts that the call “to make a difference” that “really makes a difference” could start at a “place of contradiction rather than conformity and custom with the different, the other, and the alien.” The Baptist tradition and movement that was “born in difference” reinforces this costly and radical discipleship.
Articles in the “Thematic words” examine the state of the church on a global scale. Writers from various continents vary in their approach, but the dissonance in their presentations exposes some constants. The six articles show how the center of Christianity has moved from the Global North to the Majority World. Globalization, technological advancement, the diasporas, global migration, and immigration combine to produce “new missions frontiers” for the Church, including those within the borders of the western hemisphere. These authors concur that churches in the West can no longer claim to be the sole major players of the missionary mandate. In fact, countries in Global North have now evolved into “receiving nations” as far as world evangelization is concerned.
Vesekhoyi Tetseo reminds us that the gospel came from Asia, and, after moving westward, has finally returned to its original roots. Contemporary Asia is home to more than four billion people; it is also the birthplace of many of the world’s major religious traditions. For centuries, the Christian community has remained a minority, but churches continue to grow steadily. Churches in Asia face numerous challenges, including population explosion, poverty, hunger, migration, urbanization, changing ecosystems, competing ideologies, and religious fundamentalism, among others. Many congregations struggle with failures in leadership, lack of integrity, and the traditional concept of “inherited faith.” The post-colonial era witnesses the introduction of democratic principles and the development of nationalist sentiments; these, consequently, have changed the landscape of theological education and restructured denominational and congregational leadership models and structures. In fact, one of the success stories in the Asian Church is the training of local leaders on Asian soil. Another is the strong missionary impulse of Asian Christians, as evidenced by their aggressive participation in global missions. Tetseo elucidates further the emergence of indigenous missionary movements and church multiplication movements that contribute to the growth of churches across Asia.
In Europe, Darrell Jackson unpacks the often one-sided and reductionist narratives of the Christian faith that picture ecclesial decline and erosion of orthodox belief. He offers a more integrative and realistic account, highlighting the potential to reverse the future directions of the churches amid increasing secularity. Jackson cites, for example, the emerging new forms of religiosity and spirituality that thrive in many parts of Europe. The arrival of immigrants and the impact that their faith has upon European Christianity results in many churches innovating and establishing creative communities of faith. This phenomenon could no longer be ignored as the new faith communities begin to serve as catalysts for awakening, re-awakening, and sustaining the Christian faith across Europe. The article provides a basis from which to examine significant factors, noting that Europe’s highly diverse and complex socio-religious context is simultaneously pre-secular, secular, and post-secular. Churches in Europe continue to face various challenges, but optimism exists because of the church’s many opportunities to witness and serve across the continent.
In Latin America, J. Daniel Salinas takes readers back to more than a century of Evangelical presence in the region. He revisits some historical developments and identifies current challenges and opportunities that Evangelicals face in Latin America. Accordingly, Latin American Evangelicals inherited some leadership traits and theology from missionaries. However, a major paradigm shift is currently taking place—that is, the lack of interest in denominationalism. In many parts of Latin America, individual leaders tend to personalize various ministry networks and the churches they form. This “post-denominational reality” affects many of the traditional paradigms of ministry and leadership. Salinas is candid about his assessment: the church grows steadily, but its influence in society is still minimal. Evangelical voices are known in almost every area of society, as a growing number of Latin American Christians pursue or hold advanced degrees in various academic fields and sciences. Today, doors are open for Evangelicals to participate in the public square and the marketplace as they increase their numbers and relevance.
In Africa, Daniel Atuahene describes the church’s surge in numerical growth, which makes Christianity the leading religion on the continent. This growth was unexpected as the dawn of the twentieth century saw Africa as a bastion of voodoo practices, witchcraft, and traditional religious practices. By the turn of the twenty-first century, Africa emerges as the “center of gravity of Christianity.” If growth trends continue by 2060, Sub-Saharan Africa would have four in ten Christians living across the region. Amid colossal growth, churches in Africa continue to face hardships and challenges—rampant poverty and hunger, disease, insufficient basic education, lack of solid biblical teaching, and the proliferation of prosperity theology, among others. African Christians also suffer from regional persecutions, weak “African identity,” non-involvement in political leadership, and less enthusiasm for community development; other issues reflect spiritual, socio-economic, and political challenges. Despite all these hardships and challenges, Atuahene is optimistic that the church in Africa will grow and develop more through suffering.
In examining the status of the American churches, Brent H. Burdick surveys the various settings of the contemporary American church and identifies some of the trends that contribute to the decline of the Christian population. He notes some of the challenges that the American church faces today, including but not limited to cultural influences, generational changes, multiple religious practices, non-adaptive leadership, poor discipleship training, and the loss of mission. Despite its declining population, the American church continues to wield significant global influence thanks to its unwavering commitment to missionary sending, the exporting of media, marketing, and technological influence. Burdick claims that many churches worldwide remain beholden to the leadership of the American church. The American church is not monolithic, with congregations depicting many expressions, as seen in the mushrooming of denominations across the country. American churches reflect variants of theological persuasions, ministry leadership structures, and styles in worship, depending on the congregations’ ethno-linguistic composition and geographic location. Burdick outlines some practical ways to advance the cause of the gospel across North America and beyond.
Down under in Australia, I briefly retrace the humble but rich beginning of Christianity, as gleaned from the loving sacrifices and hard work of Christian individuals and like-minded groups. In the early days, the British Crown ensured that the Church would have almost unparalleled opportunity to propagate the gospel. At the turn of the twentieth century, 90% of the Australian population identified themselves as Christian; by 2016, however, 30% of the nation claimed to have “no religion.” A series of revival occurrences that coincided with significant social and political events have contributed to Australian church growth. An increase in missionary activities among the Aboriginal Australians is also worth noting. The Australian Church, however, faces major challenges amid increasing affluence and wealth. New waves of immigrants and diaspora communities are turning the nation into a multicultural society. Australia is now culturally diverse and pluralistic, as advances in technology and a consumerist attitude develop even among many congregants. New key players continue to emerge within denominational circles. The Pentecostals and charismatics, for example, offer new ways of being and doing church that challenge traditional leadership structures and styles.
This issue of Review & Expositor features two “Words of interest” articles. The first examines the word “Armageddon” and its place of prominence today. Robert Canoy sifts through the thoughts of Montanus, Gaius, and Andreas, along with the earlier and subsequent Latin and Greek commentaries that may shed light on the subject. He chose their works because of their “special knowledge” of the world and their speculation about the “specific location of the arrival of the New Jerusalem.” Canoy investigates both the linguistic nuances and “geographical enigma” of Armageddon. Unlike some scholars, he refuses to posit a specific location or the possibility of locating Armageddon (e.g., Mount Carmel, Megiddo, the Valley of Jezreel). By employing careful biblical and theological exegesis, he invites readers to consider the merging of two thematic texts, namely Zechariah 12 and Ezekiel 38:8–21 (also 39:2, 4, 17). He asserts, “John has intentionally merged elements from a number of biblical images to achieve his non-literalist purpose in this newly coined word.” Megiddo is “a spiritual rather than a physical place” because it is “hardly a mountain, and not really that much of a hill either.” Both word and place are “symbolic.” Even with the prospect of a final battle, believers would refrain from participating in Armageddon. Canoy notes, “John’s point of emphasis is that God’s people must not get caught up in the conflicts that evil empires have with other evil empires.”
In the second article, David Seal investigates the “banquet parable,” as narrated in Luke 14:15–24. Through a performance critical analysis, he identifies the oral and aural features of the story, based on the original oral delivery by word of mouth until it was codified into written form and then verbally told again to the audience of the early church. The Lukan banquet parable offers numerous rhetorical devices. The listening audience is also set within a specific socio-economic setting. The possible delivery styles and modes of the speaker are considered, including voice and gesture. These oral features underscore important thematic elements, engage the listening audience and their possible reactions, and affect the way the text was heard when Jesus first told the parable and when it was re-enacted to the Lukan community. A practical feature in the article is Seal’s attempt to offer a conceivable script or suggest dramatic elements that can be utilized to re-enact the parable to a modern audience.
The two articles in the “Expository words” come from both Old and New Testaments and are equally stimulating. Rolex Cailing investigates the concept of the “fear of God” that unlocks the key to the theology and ethics of Qoheleth. This dominating motif plays a pivotal role in the quest for life’s meaning despite tremendous challenges, a theme that is foundational for establishing a relationship with God, and for viewing life through the lens of the sovereignty of God. The doctrine of God unpacks Qoheleth’s realistic attitude to life. Qoheleth understands God’s concern for the “details of human lives and determines the fate of every human creature.” God could be utterly incomprehensible, and his actions unpredictable; consequently, human reason and self-confidence fail when such belief in a reliable causal order fails. Cailing observes that God considers this experience as a way to arouse “fear.” In this sense, Qoheleth, as in the books of Job and Proverbs, asserts that the “fear of God” is the beginning of wisdom.
Narry Santos concludes this issue of Review & Expositor by examining the Gospel of Mark to describe the social values of honor and shame as inherent in the family system in Jesus’ time. However, these social values undergo radical redefinition through a narrative reversal, which “seeks to persuade the readers to view as honorable what they have valued as shameful, and to regard as dishonorable what they have seen as honorable.” Santos stresses the importance of the natural family in the Gospel; he also invites readers to see how “Mark transforms it and the honor-shame value system by emphasizing the greater value of the new family that Jesus is forming (“fictive family”) over the importance of the natural family.” Mark 1:16–3:35, 3:20–21, and 3:31–35 present these narrative reversals as part of an act to relativize the family in transforming “the honor-shame social values in the Gospel.” Thus, the reversal of family allegiance is possible, from natural to fictive kinship.
The publication of this issue on the state of the global church coincides with the passing of a prominent leader who exerted a major influence on global Christianity in the modern age–Reverend Billy Graham (1918–2018). The evangelist from North Carolina rose to international prominence as he tirelessly travelled around the world to preach the good news of Jesus Christ. Millions of Christians from all stripes and theological persuasions speak of the lasting impact that Graham has made on their lives for more than sixty years. Thus, the thematic articles in this issue of Review & Expositor aptly reflect the realities of the growth and struggles of the global church, which Graham vigorously addressed throughout the span of his global ministries.