For some, missionaries are faith-filled heroes—out on the far reaches of society, sharing the good news in faraway lands. For others, “missionary” might be synonymous with words like “colonizer” or “imperialist.” What’s in a word? In this episode, Alex Kocman and Scott Dunford wrestle with the implications of the “m” word in terms of language,Continue reading “Should We Use the ‘M’ Word?”
Tag Archives: colonialism
Has the White Savior Complex Infected Evangelical Missions?
The story of American missionary Renee Bach made waves last year when she was implicated in the deaths of more than 100 Ugandan children. But does her complex situation serve as a mirror for us—and for modern evangelical missions in general? This week, Scott and Alex address whether or not Western missions is dominated byContinue reading “Has the White Savior Complex Infected Evangelical Missions?”
Critical Theory, Post-Colonialism, and Missions: Neil Shenvi on Social Justice
Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube. Social justice. Critical theory. Post-colonialism. Intersectionality. These issues have divided believers and unbelievers alike in the church over the last few years, and in 2020 the issue is impossible to escape. Is conservative evangelicalism beginning to compromise biblical teaching on complex social issues? And if so,Continue reading “Critical Theory, Post-Colonialism, and Missions: Neil Shenvi on Social Justice”
Missions History in a ‘Cancel Culture’ Age: Jonathan Arnold Explains
Christians live in an age of iconoclasm. How can we do church history and modern missions history responsibly—without falling into the opposite errors of hero-worship or “cancel culture”? Jonathan Arnold, Associate Professor of Church History and Historical Theology at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, weighs in from his perspective as a church historian. For three years,Continue reading “Missions History in a ‘Cancel Culture’ Age: Jonathan Arnold Explains”
Is All Theology Cultural? Biblical Authority and Contextualization
Biblical authority is under attack. A missionary’s job is partly to make the transcendents truths of God’s word understandable within human language, context, and culture. But is it possible to know God’s objective truth, or are we always “stuck” within our culture—making modern missions inescapably colonialist? In this episode, Scott Dunford and Alex Kocman dialogueContinue reading “Is All Theology Cultural? Biblical Authority and Contextualization”