Globalizing Theology Belief and Practice in an Era of World Christianity
It is written in a philosophical approach over the underlying issue of change in the modern world and the place of Christianity. It a book written by two distinguished professors of mission, anthropology and philosophy whose writings prophetically emphasis the importance of globalizing theology drawing their contributions from rich and diverse areas of anthropology, philosophy, missiology and theology.
The book provides a coherent examination of the need to do theology in the three contextual features in the 21st century. For instance, the first context encompasses the eminent crisis in confidence in the enlightenment and understanding of science which has particularly led to the modern era of evangelism. Secondly, there is the context of the shift in paradigm in the Christians center of gravity from the North to the south. With regard to this, globalization has brought to fore the changes in the distribution and nature of world Christianity, thus forcing many Christians to reexamine the fundamental question about the Christian identity and the entire relation of local Christian communities to other Christian traditions as well as groups (Ott and Netland, 15). In retrospect, Ott and Netland define globalizing theology as a planetary consciousness ands the profound awareness of the realities of the increasing interdependence among the people in the world. Accordingly, this view refutes the homogenized perspective of the global market place (Ott and Netland, 99).
Globalization is indeed one of the most powerful forces in the 21st century. Encompassing nearly all the political, social, economic, cultural, religious as well as ethnic realms, it is making the traditional boundaries to disappear thus enabling people to embrace technological advancement. Craig Ott and Harold Netland have focused widely on the globalization of Christianity and the subsequent shift that is evident in the center of gravity of Christianity from the west to Asia and then Africa. Ideally, the authors undertook their scholarly discussions to grapple the implications of theological reflection, method and missiological practice.
In this book, the authors underscores a set of vital and complex issues that have contributed to globalizing theology. They have addressed these issues not only within theological and missiological perspectives but also within the insights of history, ecclesiology, sociology and Anthropology (Ott and Netland, 45-57).The book is structured in three parts. Part one examines the challenges for theology brought about by globalization while part two is focused on the theological methods, reflection and missiological issues. Part three wholly deals with the implications of global theology on various practical issues such practices, beliefs, culture and mission.
It is indisputable that this book seeks to address the question of the moral consideration of theology in a more globalised world. Essentially, the authors draw from the historical theology which properly underscores the unchanging truths about God and how that truth applies to all people in all cultures. However, in a strong criticism, the authors argue that theology must be separated from the revelatory word of God. Although theology is imperatively rooted in the authoritative revelation of God and is engaged through prayerful reliance on the guidance of the Holy Spirit, it is in itself a human activity and discipline. For instance, given the fact that it reflects on the characteristic of faith and spirituality, it equally is a subject that can be explored and studied. Thus, Ott and Netland pictures theology as an ongoing conversation by fallible human beings. They entirely reflect on the authoritative revelation of God within the precincts of current global realities (Ott and Netland, 16).
The moral of globalizing theology is clear. For example, there is no single interpretive community that can harness all the treasures of the word of God by itself. Therefore, Ott and Netland note that, if the interpretation of the bible is for sure the heart of theology, then it is imperative that all theologians must ideally attend to the global conversation. This in essence has led to the need to translate and incarnate the bible into different cultural settings so as to make the world Christianity to be able to characterize the gospel to their own whispers shouts groans and cries. In other words, this paradigm interprets John 114 The word became flesh to mean that the story of God became the story of Jesus who lives in the stories of all Christians across all cultures (Ott and Netland, 105).
Moreover, Globalizing Theology Belief and Practice in an Era of World Christianity successful enjoys the strength of addressing globalised theology by answering the question of what the current situation calls from the worlds Christians. Primarily, it opens up that theologians from the west must go to an extra length in paying greater attention to non western theologians within the dynamism of searching for a global theological identity which ideally takes on seriously on the traditions and cultures in which Christianity is located. As the world theologians share a convictions that western theology in the recent past was largely unaware of the globalised cultural context of theology (Ott and Netland, 91-95).As a result, such a situation calls for a global hermeneutical community with the methods that are able not only to integrate cultures but also evaluate them in the light of the gospel. Accordingly, this is in a bid to eliminate possible uncritical contextualization and erosion of deep Christian claims.
Consequently, there is no way we can entirely engage in the gospel without culture. Our interaction with the gospel truly relies on our human language, cultural context and world view. The gospel engages a wider range of our human experiences through the narrative of countless people each with a distinct worldview as well as culture (Ott and Netland, 257-292).Although cultures are dynamic, they rise, stagnant and give room for newer cultures. As this is evidenced by modernity which has significantly transformed the world, the development of an interconnected global system as far as relationships and Christianity is concerned, has been the contributions of globalization of theology.
The church has been has actively participated in the formation of globalised theology. Due to the widespread modernity, the church has equally been shaped by modernism thus being taken up in the crisis that overtook cultures. The fruits of globalized theology are largely witnessed because the church has been able to identify the independence of cultural context which stands stand for the benefit of all people.
In summary, to engage globalizing theology in the present world means the Christians commitment to the universal themes of Christianity must be somehow guarded because although such themes are the same, they resonate differently with the intensified uniqueness of our cultures. For example, if theology was to serve Christian churches throughout the world, it must also reflect the multifocal way of seeing Christianity an element that becomes a vantage point from which we must generally revise and rethink the conceptual methods and programs of theology. As such, uniqueness of cultural context must be taken care of to develop a globalised theology that is faithful to the revelation of God within the context and missionally motivation of the 21st century.
However, the book portends certain shortfalls. To begin with, it gives un-clarified information with regard to the Christianity and other cultural conflicting practices. Ott and Netland equally fall short to explain the mechanisms of globalization and according to them, globalization per se is not new but basically a stage in the entire process of a somewhat integrated world system (Ott and Netland, 179-198).In essence, world Christians have no choice but to recast relationships and knowledge in the light of globalised theology.
Irrespective of these imperfections, globalised theology has seen Christianity become polycentric enabling the world churches to reap theological rewards of cultural diversity. As a result, Ott and Netland have succinctly demonstrated that an integrated world theology which is both biblically grounded and culturally informed has significantly yielded a further, broader and deeper understanding of Gods revelation. The book is indeed a valuable contribution to the understanding of globalised theology because its merits are far much remarkable. I recommend it to anybody who seems interested in understanding the perspective of modernity in respect to worlds Christianity.
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