A Theology of Evangelism in the Global South

A Theology of Evangelism in the Global South

By Samuel Escobar

Source: LWP

One of the most forceful expressions of this Christological conviction that I know of is the chapter entitled “The Scandal of Jesus” in the book The Recovery of Mission by Sri Lankan theologian Vinoth Ramachandra. Ramachandra reminds us of Jesus´ claims to enjoy a unique filial relationship with God, to be a unique fulfillment of the Jewish scripture, and to be in a different category from other human beings. This uniqueness is part and parcel of the gospel we proclaim, and as Ramachandra very ably demonstrates in his book, it is truth that is consistent with the logic of the gospel story. It is this uniqueness that makes Jesus Lord of all and the Lord of mission. As an evangelist in Asia, Ramachandra knows that in the pluralistic religious world in which he proclaims the gospel, this uniqueness of Jesus brings controversy:

It is this traditional claim—that in the human person of Jesus, God himself has come amongst us in a decisive and unrepeatable way—that constitutes an offence to a pluralist society. It is this that invites the scorn of the secular humanist, the puzzlement of the Hindu, and the indignant hostility of the Muslim. The same range of response was encountered in the Greco-Roman world that the earliest followers of Jesus inhabited.

Mission in Bold Humility

Similar to other theologians in the Global South, Ramachandra points out the humility and the spirit of service of Jesus Christ as well as his orientation toward “the others,” breaking up all kinds of exclusions, both social and religious. He goes on to state:

But it is here that Jesus stands as unique. One can search all the religious traditions—indeed all the great literature—of humankind and you will not come across one like Jesus, who makes seemingly the most arrogant claims concerning himself yet lives in the most humble and selfless manner conceivable, Jesus of Nazareth simply confounds our imagination.

Elaborating on this point, Ramachandra warns us about our way of evangelizing which should be free from any kind of triumphalism and attitudes of superiority that marked traditional missionary methods or apologetics:

Since the gospel announces the sheer grace of God towards unworthy sinners, it can be commended to others only in a spirit of humility. Why I should have been chosen to bear witness to this gospel which has nothing to do with my personal qualities, let alone merit? It is all of grace.

To describe this attitude South African missiologist David Bosch used the expression “bold humility.” This bold humility is the only way ahead for world evangelism. Writing about India and China today, Ramachandra reminds us that in these places, “for the first time in her history, the Church can no longer be identified with the power blocs of West and East.”And this is a blessing because it takes us back to the point where evangelism is to be carried on in the days of the Acts of the Apostles, with no other strength than the truth of the gospel, the power of the Holy Spirit, and the qualities of the lives of the evangelists as disciples of Jesus. Read More.