Article Review: Hope S. Antone "Bridging the Gaps between Mission, Evangelism and Ecumenism (original) (raw)

The article, Bridging the Gaps between Mission, Evangelism, and Ecumenism, is authored by Hope S. Antone, a Protestant religious educator, and an executive secretary for Faith, Mission and Unity of the Christian Conference of Asia. Summarily, the article tries to explain why different churches would seem to regard mission, evangelism, and ecumenism to be opposing with one another. Conversely, it begs the question, why unity in different Christian denominations remains elusive. Towards the end, she wants to know how Christian churches would build communities of peace with all those who adhere to the Christian faith. Her answer to these concerns is to return to the original context and purpose of the three concepts mentioned above. Initially, Antone examined the words mission, evangelism and ecumenism, in their simple dictionary definition (common perception), and then later on discussed them in their biblical context. In the dictionary definition of the words (mission, evangelism and ecumenism), she argues that they are much interrelated and not in conflict with each other. For instance, dictionary.com defines the word mission (in a church-related manner), as a body of persons sent to a foreign land by a religious organization to spread its creed or provide educational, medical, and other assistance. This is not really far from, according to Antone, the way the church understands the word mission, which emanates from God, a Missio Dei. The same dictionary further defines evangelism, as a zealous preaching and dissemination of the gospel through missionary work. Lastly, ecumenism generally means the movement towards Christian unity, that is, to enable the whole church to bring the whole gospel to the whole world. After discussing the aforementioned words in their common parlance, Antone revisited the biblical bases of mission, evangelism and ecumenism. She began by reexamining the text in Mt. 28:16-20, viz., THE grEaT COmmISSION (16) Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. (17) And when they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted. (18) And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. (19) Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (20) teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you, and lo, I am with you always to the close of the age."(RSV) The author followed Preman Niles' work reflected in the book, From East and West: Rethinking Christian Mission. Niles argues that the meaning of the phrase "authority entrusted by God in heaven and on