Date of Award
4-2009
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Ministry (DMin)
Department
Seminary
Abstract
This dissertation engages cunent shifts in global Christianity. The problem we are studying is the movement toward the postmodern emerging church in the West and the postcolonial church emerging in the global South, in order to understand both the past failings in the relationship of the Western and Southern church and their present common context, in order to help postmodern and postcolonial churches repent of previous failures and move forward utilizing a common set of experiences and cultural conditions, so that God's people will love and work with one another as co-heirs, co-equals, and comissionaries of the Kingdom.
In order to address this problem, we will propose that although focusing on the specific contexts in which they find themselves is important for the emerging church of the West and the church emerging in the South, by developing relationships of mutual learning and sharing, these two branches of the body of Christ can develop a way forward in accomplishing the mission of God together that subverts present systems of power and control.
Chapter one explores global Christian shifts, the importance of local theologies and networks of learning, and present political, economic, and social systems of power, in order to consider challenging them with new ways of moving forward. Chapter two is a review of Christian history, focusing on Christendom as a system of religious dominance, and the related implications for global expressions of Christian faith. Chapter three examines biblical and theological concepts sunounding the missio Dei as a common base for connecting renewal movements in the global South and the West. Chapter four discusses the power systems present in globalization as the context for the outworking of the missio Dei through renewal movements in the West and global South, and some helpful frameworks for understanding the present opportunities. Chapter five explores the emerging church movement in the West, and how it works out the missio Dei within postmodern contexts. In a similar way, chapter six engages missional movements in the global South as a developing response to postcolonial cultural contexts. Chapter seven brings together the conceptual and contextual elements in the previous chapters, in order to propose a model for global connectivity between various renewal movements, that brings about communities of mutual growth and partnership in mission.
Recommended Citation
Lewis, Stephen P., "Global Christian Shifts and Missional Church Movements: Linking the Postcolonial Global South with the Postmodern West" (2009). Doctor of Ministry. 323.
https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/dmin/323