Abstract
Secularization in the West has presented a formidable challenge to missiologists, practical theologians, and practitioners for a number of decades. How can the Church engage in mission and evangelism in an increasingly secular, post-Christian world? Any reader who lives and works in a secular context will be enriched with fresh insights and benefit from the breadth of topics addressed in Mission and Evangelism in a Secularizing World: Academy, Agency, and Assembly Perspectives From Canada. In this volume, edited by Narry F. Santos and Mark Naylor, 12 essays narrow their focus on the specific context in Canada. In essence, they try to engage with the question of how the Church can remain relevant in society without losing the integrity of the Gospel message and its call to mission. Although the obstacles are many, and serious difficulties challenge the Church, the authors provide keen insights into possible strategies to overcome the barriers emerging from secularization.
First, the reader will notice a strong grasp of understanding what is actually meant by secularism. Although this worldview claims moral superiority and proudly declares its indiscriminate tolerance, the authors expose a different reality. They define secularization as “the movement of an anthropocentric ideology toward dominance that contrasts or opposes theocentric or religious worldviews” (p. xix). By no means is secularism viewed as the greatest threat to the mission of the Church, but due to the fact that it is a global phenomenon, picking up steam in Canada in particular, the Church needs to be properly prepared and thoughtfully enabled to respond with wisdom and love. This self-reflection, however, also exposes inherent weaknesses, where there is “a deterioration of confidence that the twenty-first-century Church has in its own institutions” (p. 17). As always, it is best to set one’s own house in order before criticizing others. Denbok gives the following sobering warning to the Church, “We will be either converted more wholly to Christ or converted to the spirit of this age. The Church in Canada will serve one or the other” (p. 25).
Among the effects of secularism, this volume especially highlights one important and quite helpful distinction. The fight is not merely between secular ideology and Christian faith but also between secular power (as it relates to cultural, societal, and civil agendas) and its mission to deconstruct Christianity’s role and influence on these issues. This fundamental power struggle is glaringly dangerous, for it has the potential to destroy “the very threads of the tapestry called Western civilization” (p. 27). Nevertheless, the secular actors continue on their path of deconstructing the very foundation from which they also draw strength. This “reduction” in influence and inherent delegitimization, this volume rightly understands, is not limited to one religious group but to religion in general (p. 47).
For a book that intentionally chooses to locate its main focus on Canada, it is refreshing that it does not ignore the possible contribution of the remaining global Church. Looking to Africa as a source of hope and inspiration was an unexpectedly enriching section. Martin concludes his analysis of the African Church by pointing out that the “strengths of African Christianity seem in so many ways to complement wonderfully the vulnerabilities of Western Christianity. If African Christianity is a reservoir from which the global Church will draw in the post-postmodernist era, we have much reason to celebrate the fact that this is so” (p. 115). This connection with fellow believers on other continents certainly helps in shifting the focus outward from the immediate challenges present in Canada. It reminds those Christians who find themselves in a discouraging situation that God’s Kingdom is bigger and His activity sovereignly continues in other parts of the world.
This continuous streak of hope is one of the essential characteristics of this book. While certainly facing many challenges, Christianity in Canada is by no means overrun by secular forces. A clear optimism for future opportunities is consistently a feature in all the contributing essays. For instance, Shetterly and Mcewen write, “While secularism is increasingly the default worldview, it is only Christianity that can provide a fully integrated perspective, the one true story that truly ‘fits’ the present human context” (p. 169). Only through this strong grasp of the veracity of Christianity and assurance that it provides to life’s questions the Church will have enough courage to take the message forward. The only weakness that I can identify in this volume is the need for the scope to be more limited. Such already broad themes as secularism, mission, and evangelism are not helped with the introduction of additional topics related to “secular Muslims” and “Millennials.” These themes are inherently too complex, needing terminological clarification that simply cannot be discussed in adequate depth in this limited format. Nevertheless, the reader will benefit by being made aware of the vast scope of research still needing to be conducted for a more holistic picture to emerge. I hope that forthcoming volumes will provide further exploration of these immensely important topics for the future of the Church in the West. This volume views the future with a positive expectation and a firm faith in God’s providence. Santos concludes the book by offering the following reassurance, “We can take these steps with hope, knowing that we have a God who is on mission, who is committed to fulfilling that mission for the sake of the world he loves and to whom he sent Jesus Christ in love” (p. 182). In this confidence alone, mission and evangelism can hope to succeed in a secularizing world.
