A missionary faith

I’m continuing my journey through Eckhard Schnabel’s study of Early Christian Mission.

He describes how Christianity from its beginnings has been a missionary movement with a drive for expansion. The early Church endeavored, with fearless commitment and sacrificial courage, to win other people to their convictions.

Schnable defines “mission” or “missions” as:

The activity of a community of faith that distinguishes itself from its environment in terms of both religious belief (theology) and social behavior (ethics), that is convinced of the truth of its faith, and that actively works to win other people to the content of faith and to the way of life of whose truth and necessity the members of that community are convinced.

This definition of “mission” involves a threefold reality:

1. People communicate to people of different faiths a new interpretation of reality—a different, new view of God, humankind and salvation;
2. People communicate a new way of life that replaces, at least partially, the former way of life;
3. People integrate those whom they win over to their faith and way of life into their community.

If all this mission stuff sounds just too demanding there is an alternative which makes life a lot easier:

1. Blur the distinction between faith in Christ and other faiths.
2. Don’t expect that following Christ demands a new way of life.
3. Promote an individualistic faith that undermines the role of the body of Christ in discipleship and the mission of God.