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Mission Theology and History

Topic: Mission Theology and Historydetails: CTW104 /224session: 4; Christian mission to India & China

Connecting learning Eurocentrism, cultural baggage ...

Wiifm? Leads to help think about Religion and culture, contextualisation, evangelimto other religions ...

Outline: Look at some episodes of particular interestfrom Indian and Chinese history.

Syrian merchantsand monks

Synod 410 AD

Mongolia:Kerait people

Hsianfu/SiNgan/Chang-An stele

Look at exerpt; what do you make of it?

Matteo Ricci goes to China1582 ff.

Rites Dispute

Terms for GodChinese liturgyHonouring Kung Fu Tze(aka. Confucius).

Break: 5 minutes.....

India: Mar Thoma

Assyrians /Nestorians?

India: Mughals, Portuguese & Empire

Goa 1498 ff

Mission Theology and History

Roberto Nobili (arrives 1605 at Madurai)

Mission Theology and History

Lutherans (Danish) arrive 1706 at Tranquebar

Mission Theology and History

Henry Martyn(1781-1812)

... was born in 1781, studied at Cambridge, he won the Cambridge University annual mathematics problem-solving competition, He had, moreover, a considerable facility in languages. Under the encouragement of Charles Simeon, he abandoned his intention of going into law and instead went to India as a chaplain in 1806. In the six remaining years of his life, he translated the New Testament into Hindi and Persian, revised an Arabic translation of the New Testament, and translated the Psalter into Persian and the Prayer Book into Hindi. In 1811 he left India for Persia, hoping to do further translations and to improve his existing ones. He fell ill and eventually died at Tokat on October 16, 1812.

William Carey(1761-1834)

1761 Born at Paulerspury, Northampton.1783 Baptized by Mr. Ryland, October 5.1786 Called to the ministry at Olney.1792 Baptist Missionary Society formed.1793 Appointed missionary to India, Jan 10. Arrived in Calcutta, November 11.1796 Baptized a Portuguese, his first convert.1800 Bap'd Krishna Pal, 1st Bengali convert. 1801 New Testament in Bengali, .1809 Complete Bible in Bengali.1811 New Testament in Marathi published.1815 New Testament in Punjabi published.1820 Founded the Agricultural and Horticultural Society.# 1825 Completed Dictionary of Bengali and English.# 1826 Government gave Carey "Grant in Aid" for education.# 1829 Sati prohibited through Carey's efforts, December 4.# 1834 Died at Serampore, June 9

Break: 10 minutes.....

John Roberts, Wind River .

The Wind River Indian Reservation was established for the Eastern Shoshone Indians in 1868. Revd John Robertscame in 1883 and started an Episcopal Mission near Fort Washakie.

Groups: worksheet exercise.

About 20 mins to work on questionswith a view to very brief feedback.

Mission Theology and History

Topic: Mission Theology and Historydetails: CTW104 /224session: 4a; Communication matters.

Groups. Question:

What human factors limit our ability to appreciate what other people try to communicate to us?.

About 5 mins to feedback.

Limits to communication:

1. Some things are not revealed.

2. Our ability to understand may be limited.

3. Our sin may interfere (impure motives etc)

4. Cultural conditioning skews or hides ...

5. Personal circumstances or experience.

Limits to communication:

1. Some things are not revealed.2. Our ability to understand may be limited.3. Our sin may interfere (impure motives etc)4. Cultural conditioning skews or hides ...5. Personal circumstances or experience.

These apply to our 'hearing' from Godand to communicating the gospel.

Any examples?

Communication, culture and scripture:

What cultures are represented in Scripture?

Concerns are not always ours: -discussion of evangelism & social action?or fair trade?

Do different cultural backgrounds cause us difficulties in understanding Scripture? How?

Communication, culture and scripture:

Missing stuff: What do we tend to miss, culturally,about the story of the woman at the well?

Why do we miss it?

How about Biblical images of sheep, sowing,levirate marriage ...

Communication, culture and scripture:

Plain meaning:

That fox Herod says what about Herod?

Was Jesus disrespectful to Mary? (In Temple,and at Cana)

Communication, culture and scripture:

'Plain' meaning:

Some Nigerians thought to see Ps 23for Jesus meant he would be insane;only the mad and young boys tend sheep.

The Sawi in PNG: applauded Judas ...

Many Chinese see the Dragon in Revelationpositively.

Groups.

What misunderstandings have you comeacross about gospel, church, Christian faith?

How far are they about cultural assumptions?

Break: 10 minutes.....

Groups.

Thinking of Ricci, Nobili etcWhat were the up~ & downsidesof their cultural translations?

Frame of Ref 'A'Frame of ref 'B''

a talks to b entirelyin terms of FoR A

b doesn't understand

Frame of Ref 'A'Frame of ref 'B''

a talks to b byconverting b to FoR A

b can understandbut it's hard work

Frame of Ref 'A'Frame of ref 'B''

a talks to b byfinding waysusing FoR B

b can understandfairly easily

Frame of Ref 'A'Frame of ref 'B''

Can you think of examples in history of each of these?