Enoch Wan. In the last three decades, “missionary anthropology” has “remained synonymous with functionalism done by Christians” (Krass 1979:28). According to functionalism, “culture is not a mere lifeless heap of unrelated parts: it is a system more like a living organism or a complicated operation” (Luzbetak 1970:141). The organismic analogy and organic/equilibrium perspective of functionalismContinue reading “Critique of Functional Missionary Anthropology”
Tag Archives: Functionalism
Park Outreach
In September 2014, I noticed a local park near my church that was very busy and diverse. It was surrounded by apartment complexes, but I did not know anyone in those facilities or that community. I went home asking the Lord to give me this park for His Kingdom. I worried about looking suspiciousContinue reading “Park Outreach”
Towards a Theology of Relational Mission training – an Application of the Relational Paradigm
Enoch Wan and Tin V. Nguyen. In the famous “Batman begins” Hollywood film, when asked about his name, Bruce Wayne, the actor who played the Batman character, answered, “It’s not who I am underneath [the mask], but what I do that defines me.” This statement succinctly defines the American culture – a function-oriented culture inContinue reading “Towards a Theology of Relational Mission training – an Application of the Relational Paradigm”
Christ the Reconciler: A Theology for Opposites, Differences, and Enemies
Peter Schmiechen. Schmiechen first analyzes the dysfunctional state of America’s churches – with their capitulation to modern culture – and then argues convincingly that the church can be renewed only through the recovery of Christ’s gospel of reconciliation.
Relational Realism for Christian Ministry 關係論與基督教事工 