engaging with the world

8/3/2019 Engaging With the World

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/engaging-with-the-world 1/24

Development Issues IDevelopment Issues I

All Nations, Term 3, 2011 All Nations, Term 3, 2011



Week OneWeek One

Thinking and Acting IntegrallyThinking and Acting Integrally



Key QuestionsKey Questions

As believing Christians, why and how As believing Christians, why and howshould we engage with the issues of theshould we engage with the issues of the

world?world? What influence have Christians and theWhat influence have Christians and the

Church had on these issues?Church had on these issues?



Why get involved?Why get involved?

Read Matthew 4:23 and 9:35; and ActsRead Matthew 4:23 and 9:35; and Acts10:38. How should we balance spiritual10:38. How should we balance spiritual

and social ministries? Is there any gain inand social ministries? Is there any gain infavouring one over the other?favouring one over the other?

What would you say to people who toldWhat would you say to people who toldyou Christians should not be involved inyou Christians should not be involved in

politics or society quoting John 18:36, orpolitics or society quoting John 18:36, or2 Cor 6:142 Cor 6:14--18?18?



The Biblical callThe Biblical call

The visionThe vision

Leviticus 19:10, 23:22Leviticus 19:10, 23:22

Psalm 85:10, 103:6Psalm 85:10, 103:6 Luke 4:18Luke 4:18--2121

The commandThe command

Micah 6:8Micah 6:8

Proverbs 31:8Proverbs 31:8--99

Matthew 25:31Matthew 25:31--4646



The ministry of JesusThe ministry of Jesus

Whole personWhole person

In communityIn community

Adapted the ministry to fit the need Adapted the ministry to fit the need Note the contrast between his approachNote the contrast between his approach

and current specialized interventionsand current specialized interventions

PastoralPastoral

PropheticProphetic Combining compassion and indignationCombining compassion and indignation



The witness of the church: 1The witness of the church: 1

Early ChurchEarly Church

See how these Christians love one anotherSee how these Christians love one another

Medieval ChurchMedieval Church Great charity alongside great corruptionGreat charity alongside great corruption

By 18By 18thth Century the church had lost almost Century the church had lost almost

all its social and political influenceall its social and political influence



The witness of the church: 2The witness of the church: 2

The evangelical revivalThe evangelical revival

Zinzendorf and the MoraviansZinzendorf and the Moravians

WesleyWesley Wilberforce and the Clapham Sect Wilberforce and the Clapham Sect

1919thth Cent. Britain: Many evangelical socialCent. Britain: Many evangelical socialreformersreformers

Quakers: Fry, Rowntree, CadburyQuakers: Fry, Rowntree, Cadbury

ShaftesburyShaftesbury

BuxtonBuxton



The ³Great Reversal´ early 1920¶sThe ³Great Reversal´ early 1920¶s

Evangelical retreat from social actionEvangelical retreat from social action

Premillennial eschatologyPremillennial eschatology

Disillusionment post Disillusionment post--WWIWWI Rise of the middle classesRise of the middle classes

Rejection of the social gospel Rejection of the social gospel

Opposition to liberal theologiesOpposition to liberal theologies



Recovery of a social conscience in theRecovery of a social conscience in the

evangelical Christian communityevangelical Christian community

Lausanne 1974Lausanne 1974

New thinking and leadershipNew thinking and leadership

John Stott John Stott Rene PadillaRene Padilla

US Christian community actionUS Christian community action

John Perkins, Jim WallisJohn Perkins, Jim Wallis Christian development and social actionChristian development and social action

Tearfund: from relief to advocacyTearfund: from relief to advocacy



Is Christian witness necessary?Is Christian witness necessary?

Two kinds of politicsTwo kinds of politics

Party, adversarial, power politics: politics fromParty, adversarial, power politics: politics fromaboveabove

Involvement as citizens in the wellInvolvement as citizens in the well--being of abeing of asociety: politics from belowsociety: politics from below

Social service vs. social actionSocial service vs. social action

Politicization of the gospelPoliticization of the gospel



Can we think straight?Can we think straight?

A fourfold framework A fourfold framework

CreationCreation

FallFall RedemptionRedemption

ConsummationConsummation

(John Stott,(John Stott, Issues Facing Christians Today)Issues Facing Christians Today)



Can we be of influence?Can we be of influence?

SecularizationSecularization

MultiMulti--faith societyfaith society

Post Post--modernismmodernism No absolute truth, no metaNo absolute truth, no meta--narrative narrative

Pessimism, alienationPessimism, alienation



The nature of Christian witnessThe nature of Christian witness

The witness of historyThe witness of history

The witness of the BibleThe witness of the Bible

Witness and protest Witness and protest Demonstration and organisationDemonstration and organisation

(John Stott,(John Stott, Issues Facing Christians Today)Issues Facing Christians Today)



How we see determines our How we see determines our

responseresponseProblemProblem LevelLevel ResponseResponse

Hungry childrenHungry children Need foodNeed food Social welfareSocial welfare

NutritionNutritionknowledgeknowledge

ImmediateImmediatecausescauses

CommunityCommunitydevelopment development

Land tenureLand tenureMarket accessMarket access

UnderlyingUnderlyingcausescauses Advocacy Advocacy

I have a right toI have a right tothe wealth I createthe wealth I create

WorldviewWorldviewcausescauses

Value change Value change



How would you respond?How would you respond?

Y ou live in inner London. Y ou wake up Y ou live in inner London. Y ou wake upone morning to discover someone isone morning to discover someone issitting outside your door. Y ou ask himsitting outside your door. Y ou ask himwhether you can help, and through hiswhether you can help, and through hisbroken English, discover that he is abroken English, discover that he is aSomali asylumSomali asylum--seeker who is facingseeker who is facing

deportation.deportation.



Case study 1: Case study 1:

Telemac

hus

Telemac

hus



Became a monk in an Asiatic ChristianBecame a monk in an Asiatic Christiancommunitycommunity

Led by the Spirit to go toRomeLed by the Spirit to go to

Rome

Jumped into the Colosseum trying to stopJumped into the Colosseum trying to stopthe slaughterthe slaughter

Was killed by gladiators or audienceWas killed by gladiators or audience Put an end to the gladiatorial sport Put an end to the gladiatorial sport



Case study 2: Case study 2:

CarolineCarolineChisholmChisholm



Born in Britain and married an army officerBorn in Britain and married an army officer

Went to India and settled in Madras (nowWent to India and settled in Madras (nowChennai)Chennai)

Founded a school for child prostitutesFounded a school for child prostitutes

Moved to AustraliaMoved to Australia Took up the cause of poor migrant womenTook up the cause of poor migrant women

Set up emergency sheltersSet up emergency shelters

Employment agencies with proper contractsEmployment agencies with proper contracts

Lobbied the British government about Lobbied the British government about abuses of human rights in the Colonies abuses of human rights in the Colonies



Case 3: Case 3:

MerfynMerfyn

TempleTemple



Merfyn became a Methodist ministerMerfyn became a Methodist minister

Went to Africa aged 24Went to Africa aged 24 Repelled by colonial attitudesRepelled by colonial attitudes

Helped Kenneth Kaunda form the ZambianHelped Kenneth Kaunda form the Zambianindependence movement independence movement

Led a fast in Westminster AbbeyLed a fast in Westminster Abbey

Returned to Britain in 1974Returned to Britain in 1974

Went to the Falklands during the warWent to the Falklands during the war

Rode around Britain in prayers for peaceRode around Britain in prayers for peace Back to Africa in support of organic agricultureBack to Africa in support of organic agriculture



Week One summaryWeek One summary

Thinking and Acting IntegrallyThinking and Acting Integrally

We are Kingdom buildersWe are Kingdom builders

All of us whether involved cross All of us whether involved cross--culturally or sameculturally or samecultureculture

We should embody an integral approach whileWe should embody an integral approach whileholding to Kingdom valuesholding to Kingdom values

Integrating reflection and actionIntegrating reflection and action(the reflective activist)(the reflective activist)

Integrating sacred and secular perspectivesIntegrating sacred and secular perspectives

Integrating Northern and Southern interestsIntegrating Northern and Southern interests



What we needWhat we need

TheologyTheology

Understanding of the issuesUnderstanding of the issues studystudy

experienceexperience

Advocacy skills Advocacy skills organisingorganising

mediamedia legallegal

Perseverance!Perseverance!

engaging with the world

Documents