Psychological Understanding about the mission to the people (original) (raw)

Challenges to the Ecumenical Ministry in the Indian Context - JIT_11-_1.pdf

Keeping in mind what Pope Francis has said, an attempt is made in this article to respond to the difficulties and challenges that the Catholics face in their ministry of ecumenism in the present context of India. Though all of those issues cannot be dealt with exhaustively, attempt will be made to touch upon the crucial issues that directly affect ecumenical ministry. While mentioning the progress and achievements made so far in India in the ecumenical field, I would offer some suggestions for responding to the present challenges in the ecumenical ministry of the Catholic Church in India with a view to take forward the ecumenical movement at the local, regional and national levels. At the same time, ecumenical ministry is required to respond to the exigencies, demands, advancements, failures, and vital issues, both positive and negative, of present Indian context. In India “the ecumenism of love” and “ecumenism of life” are to be promoted at the local, diocesan, regional and national level. Enhancing such “local ecumenism” is the need of the hour and a possible breakthrough in order to carry forward the ecumenical movement at this moment of crisis and stalemate related to the theological and moral issues at the global official level. At the outset, it must be clarified that the purpose of coming together of the Christians, Churches and Ecclesial Communities, and their collaborative work is neither aimed at gaining superiority over other religions nor is it for power and hegemony in the world. Its goal is to promote the well-being, liberation and salvation of humanity by carrying out Church’s mission of proclaiming the Gospel of the Reign of God and fostering it more effectively through united strength. It is to be underlined that, though the ecumenical activities may be as the diverse as the local contexts, their ultimate goal is promote Christian unity for the common mission of realizing the Reign of God.

Theology of Mission in a Pluralistic Indian Context

The Academic , 2024

Research Paper Theology of mission is floating in the context of India. It is ambiguous whether to proceed with the concept of humanization, religious harmony, philosophy, interpretation and ideology, however theology is found on mission. The importance to indigenous thought confused the comprehension of the pure biblical theology in Indian minds. The multiple forms and approach to it in Indian mind set reflect the missionary nature. The pioneers and contributed factors have helped us to understand it. This article reflects the state of theology of mission. The purpose is to emphasize for bringing right rhythm in mission so that in its effect formulating the right missional theology in India.

Reconstructing Management Principles for a Relevant Missional Model for the Indian Church

MTh Thesis, UTC, Semapore University, 2005

Participating in God’s mission has been the privilege of the Church down the centuries. Missions till about the middle of the last century have been a one dimensional- a “first-world” “burden”. However recently missions in/with/by the “third-world” countries have made it to be multi-dimensional. In this context, the Indian Church is confronted with three harsh realities necessitating her to look afresh at two indispensable tasks – missions and its management. The three harsh realities are limited resources, both human and non-human, the dilemma of Indian Christian mission caught up in between the two powerful forces of naïve “particularity” through cultural nationalism and contextual theologies, and vicious “universality” trying to be homogeneous through globalization. Finally, the uncritical use of management principles and practices in Indian missions without a proper mission theory has fashioned Indian Christian mission management (ICMM) to be “western”, “unchristian” and “profit-making”. These three main issues or realities and several nuances within them have propelled those of us, involved in Christian missions, to cross these boundaries and reconstruct management principles for a relevant missional model for the Indian Church. In this venture and intent, this research has used the following methodology. Firstly, it studies and understands basic management principles– planning, organizing, staffing, leading and controlling. Then it develops a theology of ICMM taking into consideration three contextual realities – “Indian”, “Christian” and “non-profit-making” and “interculturality” as a principle under Contextualization within the theology of mission. This theology of ICMM is further strengthened by biblical and historical foundations. Having employed the two management and Christian principles now, the research then constructs the practices in Indian Christian Mission Management. This is substantiated by a general survey of ICMM practices and then with two particular case studies of mission organizations – Indian Missionary Society and World Vision India. The research then initiates critical studies, alongside case studies for practical insights, taking critical management research as a tool involving three processes namely “insights”, “critique” and “transformative definition”, in the form of deconstruction and reconstruction. It has been found that ICMM is still underdeveloped both in its knowledge and practice of scientific management principles. It is uncritical in its use of management principles and knowledge and has not found a theoretical framework for a critical approach and study. It also finds that ICMM is over-lead and under-managed. Because of this, aims, objectives, methods and goals have overlapped and mixed with western thinking, unchristian values and profit-making motives. This has caused sufficient damage to Christian missions through mushrooming of several independent Christian mission organizations in India. However, ICMM considers commitment to God and people-oriented relationship to be the highest ideals. This one-dimensional outlook has in a sense handicapped ICMM to be unprofessional and not task-oriented. This research also finds that within each principle of management these and several other elements have encroached upon ICMM. One of the important findings of this research is that there is no possibility of making a model of ICMM because of several theologies of mission existing within the Indian Church and secondly, because of the varied contextual realities. Therefore a missional model is proposed on the basis of critical and analytical foci to reconstruct models of management within ICMM. Finally, this research then integrates these findings and proposes three distinct movements for ICMM. Firstly, it necessitates a module course of management principles to be made in order to be incorporated into leadership classes for on-the-job and off-the-job training. Secondly, in order to learn and manage well in ICMM, the concept of “networking” and “conversation” is proposed beyond the present pattern of “partnership” and “dialogue”. Thirdly, keeping a focus on being Indian, Christian and non-profit making, some mission management principles are proposed theologically under-girding them with the emphasis on servant-leadership, stewardship and on the option for the poor and the needy. This research has attempted to set the ball rolling in examining management principles for the Indian churches and mission organizations for suitability. It is only a step that initiates a critical approach to management principles and concepts, neither discarding them nor uncritically adopting them totally but rather, reconstructing them into a relevant missional model for the Indian Church that would be truly “Indian”, Christian, and “non-profit-making”.

MISSION -THE CORE OF CONSECRATED LIFE

Sanyasa Journal of Consecrated Life , 2017

Quoting Is 52:7, the author rejoices at the feet of the missionaries who renounce personal comforts for the preaching the Gospel. The article explains different meanings of mission and affirms that mission is the core of consecrated life with quotes from different Church documents. Different missionary terms like ad-gentes, inter-gentes and trans- are well clarified before enumerating the challenges to mission from the Indian perspective. The author affirms that the mission of the consecrated person is ultimately sharing Jesus whom they have experienced first so intensively in their lives. Then, the author proposes different ways of sharing Jesus with others giving prime importance to life witness. Proclamation of the Gospel which is Jesus Christ himself should be done in words and deeds with utmost importance to charity and social works. The Scripture and the Church documents are widely quoted by the author in establishing his viewpoints.

Mission, Liturgy, and the Transformation of Identity

Mission Studies, 2010

Th is article considers the signifi cance of liturgical worship for the purpose of overcoming the problem of intellectualism and rationalism that have been prevalent in the modern Christian missions since the 19th century. Despite its centrality in Christian life, worship has been given a marginal place in the discussions of Christian mission. Th e author, however, maintains that it should play a crucial and powerful role in mission at the age when human identity is increasingly becoming fl uid and problematic, as it is capable of producing profound spiritual transformation among worshippers and thus establishing in them a new identity centered on Christ without eradicating "primordial attachments." Th is is because liturgy has a holistic nature with its rich symbolism and is able to reach the non-rational level of personality where the primordial attachments operate. Th e author, who teaches courses in Christianity at a Christian college in Kobe, Japan, takes as his starting point the apparent impasse of Christian higher education in today's Japan which still operates on the Enlightenment model of mission with its emphasis on knowledge as the foundation of faith. He takes advantage of some insights of recent Ritual Studies to illuminate the identity-forming character of liturgical rituals.

Chapter One from the Dissertation of Doctor of Ministry

Jeffrey Pau Do Lian, 2014

This project outlines a proposal for Christian engagement in the religious and social setting in Myanmar, with particular emphasis on Buddhist-Christian dialogue. In a religious pluralistic country such as Myanmar, there is a high potential for conflict between the major ethnic group (Burmese Buddhists) and minor ethnic groups of other religious backgrounds. The Myanmar government has privileged Buddhism and repressed religious and ethnic minorities, partly in response to the oppression of the colonial period. In Myanmar Christianity and Islam are the primary minority religions, with Muslims prominent among the Rakhine ethnic group and Christians dominant among the Chin, Kachin, Karen, Kayah, Mon, and Shan. The paper gives a concise historical background on the Theravada Buddhist tradition, the arrival of Christianity and their relations in different periods, including the recent cultural and political opening in the country. I analyze the urgency for dialogue and social reconciliation in the contemporary setting. I review various kinds of interreligious dialogue and their relevance or viability in Myanmar. Many of these cannot be employed successfully, because of existing hostility and suspicion. I then propose a model of dialogue-cooperative love-in-action---which I believe is most appropriate for this context. This model seeks to build a dialogue through cooperation for social improvement across religious and ethnic boundaries. In particular, it proposes partnerships between faith-based development organizations and international nongovernmental organizations, which have been given opportunity to operate in Myanmar. The writer draws upon his own experience in this work and describes his own practical implementation of this vision, in the creation of a non-profit organization, the Rural Development Agency. The steps necessary to educate and equip church leaders and churches for participation in this form of dialogue are outlined.