GENERAL INTRODUCTION
I. AN OVERVIEW OF GLOBALIZATION: THE GENERAL UNDERSTANDING OF THE PROSPECT AND PROCESS OF GLOBALIZATION IN PRESENT CONTEXT
II. ETYMOLOGY
III. DESCRIPTIVE DEFINITIONS AND MEANINGS OF GLOBALIZATION
IV. GENESIS AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROCESS
V. MAJOR PLAYERS OF GLOBALIZATION
VI. THE FUNCTIONS OF GLOBALIZATION
VII. THE CLAIMS OF GLOBALIZATION
VIII. GLOBALIZATION’S CHALLENGE TO CHRISTIAN MISSION: POSTMODERNISTIC IDEOLOGY
IX. CONTRIBUTION OF GLOBALIZATION TO GOSPELIZATION
X. BIBLICAL PARADIGM OF GLOBALIZATION
XI. CHRISTIAN’S RESPONSE TO GLOBALIZATION
XII. CHRISTIAN MISSIONS IN A GLOBALIZED WORLD
XIII. GLOBALIZATION AND THEOLOGY OF MISSION
XIV. THE URGENCY OF MISSION
XV. DESIDERATUM OF CHRISTIAN APOLOGETICS
CONCLUSION
BIBLIOGRAPHY
GENERAL
INTRODUCTION
At this point with just
one click there are 10 million results in Google search engine. Near about one
million books and articles have been written on the topic. There is something
fascinating about this phenomenon called globalization. A big number of
scholars ranging from every field of science have tried to define it and bring
to single framework. However, it still remains to be an ambiguous word for
many. This could be because of its wide impact on every field of human
activity, Globalization can draw its definition from any perspective (economic,
social, cultural, technological, political, secular, spiritual so on) thus it
solely depends on its definer at times what he wants to address. Mostly in
positive concept it refers to the processes involved in making this world a
global village. But in negative concept its sort hegemony at a global level by
collecting powerful nations over less powerful nations. As its definitions its
proponents also vary from market globalists to justice globalists. As this
phenomena has impinged on every human affairs, Christian mission is not
anywhere outside of this. So it’s a humble venture to look at globalization
from missiological optics. However, this paper work is undertaken to look at
globalization from a Christian missiological stand point to ascertain its
impact on mission and find out how far it has contributed to the work of
globalization in modern times and acknowledge the cardinal opportunities and
challenges globalization proposes to Christian mission.
OBJECTIVES
This paper is purely focused
to answer the questions as followed:
What is globalization?
What has changed with the
advent of globalization?
What difference does that
make to Christian mission?
What connects globalization to contemporary
Christianity?
Is globalization
beneficial or detrimental to Christian mission?
Attempt has been made in this paper
to bring out the relation between Globalization and Christian mission. It also
seeks to enlighten the different aspects of globalization and its impact on our
society. However, because of the vast scope of the term ‘globalization’, this
research paper is limited to the general meaning of the term and its relation
to Christian missions. I hope this paper will also help to ascertain the
appropriate way of Christian mission in the sphere of globalization.
I.
AN OVERVIEW OF GLOBALIZATION: THE GENERAL UNDERSTANDING OF THE PROSPECT AND PROCESS OF
GLOBALIZATION IN PRESENT CONTEXT
The twenty-first century already has
a good number of epithets, labels, and nicknames. Expressions like post-modern,
post-industrial, post-religious, but also post-nihilistic, age of disbelief,
the abolition of man, are examples of how people feel and think about our age.
One could gather a few dozen such labels, analyze and interpret them, and see
to what kind of future they might lead. It is in the context of worldviews that
these labels regarding globalization as a powerful and complex process are
debated. Every field of life is affected by globalization. If globalization were
perceived as not affecting drastically people's lives, there would be less
interest in it. Given its implications for human life at all levels, those
happy with the phenomenon are quick to praise and defend it, whereas those who
are unhappy or skeptical are quick to protest, warn, and discourage it.
Alienation of women, violation of human rights, environmental crisis and social
predicaments like poverty, unemployment and urbanization are to be understood
in relation to the process of the globalization. However in this chapter
researcher would attempt to portray some visible and apparent definitions,
meanings, and impacts with its historical origin and development down to the
recent times.
II. ETYMOLOGY
The term globalization is derived from the verb ‘globalize’, which refers to the emergence of an international
network of social and economic systems. One of the earliest known usages of the
term as a noun was in a 1930 publication entitled, Towards New Education, where it denoted a holistic view of
human experience in education.
However, by the 1960s, both terms began to be used as synonyms by
economists and other social scientists. It then reached the mainstream press in
the latter half of the 1980s. Since its inception, from the 15th century onwards
the concept of globalization has inspired competing definitions and
interpretations, with antecedents dating back to the great movements of trade
and empire across Asia and the Indian Ocean.
Due to the complexity of the concept, research projects, articles, and
discussions often remain focused on a single aspect of globalization.
Globalizing processes affect and are
being affected by business, work organization, economics, socio-cultural resources, and the natural environment.
III. DESCRIPTIVE DEFINITIONS AND
MEANINGS OF GLOBALIZATION
Karl Polani in 1957 first used this
term to describe the dislocation caused by the rise of an Industrial
Capitalism. Globalization
relatively a dated term, which was first, discussed only after the mid 1980’s
in academic circle, but at this it was emerged with manifold impacts on various
fields. At this point it’s very
difficult to define its concepts, because we are experiencing the process in a
way that varies from person to person. Although in its simplistic sense globalization refers to the
widening, deepening and speeding up of global interconnection, such a
definition begs further elaboration... Globalization can be located on a
continuum with the local, national and regional.
Globalization
has many meanings depending on the context and on the person who is talking
about. Though the precise definition of globalization is still unavailable but
a few definitions are worth viewing.
For an instance Guy Brainbant
observes that the process of
globalization not only includes opening up of world trade, development of
advanced means of communication, internationalization of financial markets,
growing importance of MNC’s, population migrations and more generally increased
mobility of persons, goods, capital, data and ideas but also infections, diseases
and pollution.
Swedish journalist Thomas Larsson, in his book The Race to the Top: The Real Story of Globalization,
states that globalization, it is a process of world shrinkage, of distances
getting shorter, things moving closer. It pertains to the increasing ease with
which somebody on one side of the world can interact, to mutual benefit, with
somebody on the other side of the world.
According
to Economist David Held, Globalization is neither a singular condition nor a
liner process, rather is best thought of age multidimensional phenomenon,
involving diverse domains of activity and interaction, including the economic,
political, technological, military, legal, cultural, environmental. Each of these spheres
involves different patterns of relationship and activity. For renowned
economist C.T. Kurian, Globalization is not a thing we can see, feel or taste,
it’s a concept used as a short form to convey a variety of processes,
possibilities and positions. It’s therefore, capable to many interpretations.
For
Sociologist Ram Ahuja globalization appeals to him as a process in which physical
distance obstacle have become less important in communication and exchange in
social, political, economic and cultural matters. He says that fifty years ago
mobility was more from village to cities, then it increases from cities to
cities then from region to region now it has extended from country to country.
Words and message can cross the world in seconds.
Albert Nolan
describes globalization as ‘spreading something around the globe’; world
diffusion as such is not a problem. Everything depends on what it is that is
being diffused or globalized. The globalization of deadly disease could be
constituted a serious problem, but the globalization of an effecasive vaccine
would be good news. For P.J. Philip,
Globalization is the greed for unlimited wealth, glory, and power, generated in
human beings by capitalism, is the evil of present civilization.
According
to Dr M. A. Oomman, there are three but
inter-related meanings of globalization. First is, the global information
revolution made possible by internet and e-mail. Second, cultural
globalization, the emergence of the world culture with the common attitudes,
value and ideals fostered and disseminated by globalized form of art, music,
dress and patterns of human relations, summed up in modernity. Third, Economic
globalization, it may be considered as a process of trans-nationalization of
production and capital, standardization of consumer taste and legitimization of
global capitalism through international lending institutions like IMF, WB, WTO.
Albert
Nolan also adds that Globalization is the greed for ultimate wealth, glory and
power, generated in human beings by capitalism, is the evil of present
civilization.
The new form of global colonization and imperialism is often called
globalization confusing and ambiguous word that need to be unpacked. Literally
Globalization means “spreading something around the globe”. Worldwide diffusion
as such is not a problem, but the globalization of an effective vaccine would
be good news. The globalization that many people today are
protesting is the globalization of particular economic culture, neo-liberal
capitalism thoroughly materialistic world view based on the principles of
survival of the fittest, a culture that destroys other cultures and indigenous
wisdom.
Globalization
according opponents is a very uneven process with unequal distribution of
benefits and losses. This imbalance leads to polarization between the few
countries and group that gain and many countries and group in society lose out
are marginalized. Furthermore, opponents argue that the unethical means though
which competition is initiated in the global market will benefit only a section
of market monopolies and will further disintegrate sustainable growth.
IV.
GENESIS AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROCESS
Though several scholars place the
genesis of globalization in modern times, others trace its history long before the European age of discovery and voyages to the New World. Some even trace the origins to the third millennium BCE.
In the late 19th century and early 20th century the connectedness of the
world's economies and cultures grew very quickly, so some place it there. Here
researcher follows the historical inception proposed by the Dr M.A. Oomman in
his lecture in Singapore.
Threefold Classification
Dr M.A. Oomman classifies the
process of globalization into three different periods, they are as followed:
1. Colonialism and Mercantile Capitalism
In the 16th century onwards, Europe is bent on enormous
expansionism. Christopher Columbus, Vasco Da Gamma and other subsequent
explorers from Portugal, Spain, France, and Holland, and Italy began their
conquest over other colonies. At that point they commenced their extensive
trade negotiation with East, with of course, typical European domination
instincts.
The rise of the sea-born trade was
noticed during the early years of global integration, which went hand to hand
with aggression, colonializations, slave trade and forced shipments of
indentured labor were carried out by the European merchants, under the veil of
explicit state patronage. Throughout the expansionary mercantilist period of 14th
to 16th century, these privileges sometimes took the form of
charters which lend monopoly right to trading companies in selected countries.
Controls were exercised by Britain was years in terms of the Ottawa Agreement
of 1932. By using India’s export of earnings in gold-sterling and use gold as a
medium of currency in India.
West conquered and subjugated the Asia, Africa, and Latin America called third
world telling expression coined by Jawaharlal Nehru. First of all in India
everything began with trade of spices, ivory, timber, gold and silver etc.
and this was the commencement of the first phase of globalization.
2. National Capitalism
A break from the ongoing pattern of formal surveillance and domination by the
powerful nations can be witnessed in the post war years as a large number of
developing nations including India achieved independence from foreign rule with
the conclusion of the World War II in 1945.
It started by early 1980s. It coincided with reinventing of conservative
Neo-Liberal doctrines and its application, both in economic theory and policy
in the advance economics. The major goal was to contain the rise in the price
which followed the successive round of oil price hikes by OPEC
which happened to be oil cartel and the major supplier of oil in Middle East.
The change came with the initial effort in some of these newly independent
nations to pursue the nationalist agenda of freedom struggle which also
resulted in the control of a nation over its own economical activities, to
achieve economic sovereignty, as well as economic and social advances in
general matters or masses. This includes direct contact between the newly
independent states and the rest of the world.
In this attempt the second face of globalization revoked in developing
countries which later became the process of establishing their own economic
stand, was the starting of second phase of globalization.
3. Neo-Liberalism
and Re-Emergence of Colonialism.
Researcher refers here to the free emergence of free market through the
dismantling of tariff, quota system and foreign exchange control regime. In
Marxist discourse this phenomenon is usually termed Neo-Imperialism. The
operation of MNC’s and TNC’s in the Third World. MNC’s and TNC’s are seen as to
be the principle agents of contemporary Neo- Liberalism and Neo-Colonialism.
Globalization’s current stage is what we call global capitalism. It’s needless to say that the basic pursuit
of capital including its transnationalization is profit and accumulation. This
exercise of political institutions and cultural instruments which is called
Neo-liberalism has given way to the privatizing profit and socializing losses
and calling it socialism. Globalization and Development are
two contemporary manifestation of the process of the New-Liberalism. This is
how third phase of globalization came to be in process in the post modern age.
> Impact of Neo-Liberalization
i. The sharp cut in concessional
development assistance from these industrialized countries.
ii. Decline in net exports to the
above countries.
iii.
A steep rise in the import bill for oil and finally recourse to IMF loans as a last
resort which came with high
conditionalities.
V. MAJOR PLAYERS
OF GLOBALIZATION
The term ‘Player’ does mean here, as contributing factors to the process of
globalization.
1. The International Monetary Fund (IMF)
IMF is an international
organization that was initiated
in 1944 at the Bretton Woods
Conference and formally created in 1945 by 29 member countries. The IMF's
affirmed goal was to co-ordinate in the reconstruction of the post–World War II
world’s international payment
system. Countries contribute money to a pool through a quota system from which
countries with payment imbalances can borrow funds temporarily. Through this activity and
others such as surveillance of its members' economies and the demand for
self-correcting policies, the IMF works to improve the economies of its member
countries.
The IMF describes itself as an organization of 188 countries, working to foster
global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international
trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce
poverty around the world.
2. The World Bank (WB)
Just as IMF, a specialized agency of the United Nations, it developed
from the IMF and Financial Conference held at Bretton Woods, New Hampshire in
1944, and was established in 1945 by 44 Nations. Its cardinal goal is to spur
economic growth in developing states through the support of loans and technical
assistance to their respective governments.
The WB's official goal is to reduce the poverty. The World Bank comprises two
institutions: the International
Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD)
and the International Development
Association (IDA). Each member of
the Bank contributes two per cent of its subscription in gold or US dollars and 18 per cent in its
national currency. Members pay in 20 per cent of the capital while the
remaining 80 per cent is kept "callable" (to be paid in the event of
a default). This guarantee allows the Bank to raise money for its lending purposes
on international capital markets by the sale of its bonds.
Although the World Bank’s loans are intended to help countries, they also cause
those countries to take on debt that they must pay interest on and remain under
the conditions of the institution. Over the last 20 years, these debts
have piled up so much that, critics say; they amount to ‘perpetual debt’ that
the poor people of world are saddled with.
3. Structural Adjustments Programme
(SAP)
SAP is the policy implemented in 1980 by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (the Bretton
Woods Institutions) in developing countries.
SAPs are supposed to
allow the economies of the developing countries to become more market oriented.
This then forces them to concentrate more on trade and production so it can
boost their own economy. In SAP the poor countries that are heavily under debt
are directed by the IMF, WB and G-8 nations to adjust their programme to suit
their dictatorship of the rich nations. To obtain further loans, they make the
terms and conditions stiffer. While public
debt in developing and developed
countries is a nearly universal fact, low-income countries face a much more
vulnerable position to maintain balance
of payments equilibrium, with
some of the world's 47 poorest nations already $488 billion in debt in 2003. Another demand of SAP is
the elimination of subsidies, agricultural subsidies etc. Kavaljit Singh, the coordinator of the Public
Interest Research Group, aptly observed that adverse effects of the SAP policy,
‘programme would be removal of state from the social sector’. It forces a nation to
eradicate any economic support to nation health, nutrition, education, water
supply along with the heavy demand of privatization of these sectors. Comply with SAP means,
debunking the basic rights of common people group of a nation, and taking them
to the next level in their predicament of daily lives.
4. General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)
GATT is a multilateral agreement
regulating international trade. According to its preamble, its purpose was the
‘substantial reduction of tariffs and other trade barriers and the elimination
of preferences, on a reciprocal and mutually advantageous basis’. It was negotiated during
the United Nations Conference on Trade and Employment and
was the outcome of the failure of negotiating governments to create the International Trade Organization (ITO). GATT was signed in 1947 and
lasted until 1994, when it was replaced by the World Trade Organization in 1995.
5. The World Trade Organization (WTO)
WTO is an organization that intends to supervise and liberalize international trade. The stated aim of the World Trade Organization is to promote free
trade and stimulate economic growth.
Critic including many opponents of economic globalization have
charged that it undermines national sovereignty by promoting the interest of
large multinational companies and that the trade liberalization it encourages
leads to environmental damage and declining living standard for low skilled
workers in developing countries. The actions and
methods of the World Trade Organization evoke strong antipathies. Among other
things, the WTO is accused of widening the social gap between rich and poor it
claims to be fixing. It appears committed to removing all barriers to
international trade to achieve ‘free trade’’ and thus to removing all ‘economic
boundaries’ among nations.
6. Multinational Companies (MNCs)
As defined by I. L. O. or the International Labor Organization, a M. N. C. is
one, which has its operational headquarters based in one country with several
other operating branches in different other countries. The country where the
head quarter is located is called the home country whereas; the other countries
with operational branches are called the host countries. Apart from playing an
important role in globalization and international relations, these
multinational companies even have notable influence in a country's economy as
well as the world economy. The budget of some of the MNCs is so high that at
times they even exceed the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of a nation. As the basic economic
data suggest that after the liberalization in 1991, it has brought in hosts of
foreign companies in India and the share of US shows the highest. At present
they account about 37% of the turnover from top 20 companies that function in
India.
Das Gupta, an economist
pictures some of the disadvantages of having MNCs in a developing country like
India are as under:
• Pollution and
Environmental hazards • Some MNCs come only for tax benefits only •
Exploitation of natural resources • Lack of employment opportunities •
Diffusion of profits and Forex Imbalance • Working environment and conditions
•Slows down decision making • Economical distress.
VI. THE FUNCTIONS OF GLOBALIZATION
The scholars have analyzed three functions of globalization; economical,
political and cultural.
Ø This form of economic globalization
involves integration of all market into one global market.
Ø Political aspect of globalization implies
to the dominating international institutions such as IMF, WTO and MNCs which
weaken a nation’s sovereignty.
Ø Cultural function of globalization
includes swift development in communications, transportation and information
technologies which have evidently transformed the living style and standard of
people. It also gives rise to the capitalistic, imperialistic and dominant
western culture is developed.
VII. THE CLAIMS OF GLOBALIZATION
Ø TNCs are benevolent institutions and
effective solution to the problem of unemployment.
Ø Foreign investment contributes to the
development of one’s country and people.
Ø Economic growth in trade and commerce will
uplift society as a whole.
Ø Countries with the level of integration
exhibit the fastest output growth and have benefited immensely from
globalization.
VIII.
GLOBALIZATION’S CHALLENGE TO CHRISTIAN MISSION: POSTMODERNISTIC IDEOLOGY
Postmodernity is
completely a western intellectual phenomena in its origin. The term post-
refers to something (state or condition) exists after modernity.
It’s a product of unpaid
bills of modernism of west so it arose in west out of revulsion for the
insufficiency of the rationalist modernity. Post-Modernism is the cultural matrix that possibilizes the unification
of plurified, diversified humanity. Nothing is certain, nothing is absolute,
nothing is right, nothing is wrong; everything is certain, everything is
absolute, everything is right, everything is wrong. Postmodernism doesn’t subject itself to any categorization or definition
except holding on to deconstructionism.
Some of its main aspects are materialism, rational positivism, emphasis on
empirical testing as final authority o truth and a mechanistic worldview. It is
also known for its questioning behavior to every value system and method
developed by modernism under enlightenment period.
According to Indian
scholar Vishal Mangalwadi this concept in India turns out to impact negatively
with the vague ideas of mysticism and pluralism.
As far as Christian
mission is concerned, the Edinburg 2010 commission’s presuppositions are here
“the Acid of modernity has dissolved faith in societies where Christian faith
used to be strong. The postmodernities which define life and community for
many, pose new and searching question for Christian mission.
Paul Hiebert opines, Postmodernism with the help of globalization has led world
to a secularism that denies the existence of God, deity of Christ, Miracles of
gospel recorded in the Bible. It puts religion in private
sphere as an individualistic concept. Thus we can conclude that the emerging
concept of postmodernism of west actually being popularized by globalization
with its powerful communication and exposed to entire world with its dire
ramifications.
IX. CONTRIBUTION OF GLOBALIZATION TO
GOSPELIZATION
Beside many detrimental ramifications of globalization to economy, society,
culture and Christian value system as seen earlier, in other hand for many
scholars it has also benefited the mission of gospelization. One among those
concepts is being drawn bellow from Dr Domenic Marbaniang, a Professor of
Christian Apologetics in CITS. He opines,
We
may point out some reasons why globalization may be justified as favorable for
gospelization:
1. The new covenant of Jesus unites the ‘called out’ into
one Body. People from every nation and tongue can now be one in Christ, the New
Man.
2. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit brought down the
national barriers of religion.
3. Hellenization helped ease barriers and the spread of the
Gospel in the early period; similarly, globalization can help ease the spread
of the Gospel across boundaries today.
4. Open trade routes always helped in cross-cultural
evangelism.
5. Media globalization helps to make the Gospel accessible
trans-nationally and trans-linguistically all over the world.
6. Economic globalization helps the church to share their
economic resources with fellow believers all over the world.
7. The independent, penetrative, open, and liberating nature
of truth is bold about globalization; and, one doesn’t need to be afraid of
globalization as a threat to truth – it might be a threat to fundamentalism,
perhaps.
8. The Holy Spirit is the Gospelizer; therefore, organic and
centralized structures of unity are not the issue – in fact, organic and
centralized ecumenism is still open to corruption.
9. As globalization is an inevitable process; gospelization
is also an inevitable process through the presence of the Holy Spirit. But, it
also involves the conscious thrust of the church towards the unchurched areas.
Interestingly, the book of Acts portrays scattering (Acts 8), sending (Acts
13), and separation (Acts 13:46) as the thrust cases; while persecution,
leading of the Spirit, and open doors seem to be the thrusting agents.
10. However, gospelization doesn’t necessarily lead to
conversion always; though, it does compel a conscious response. This approach
trumps neither for post-millennialism nor pre-millennialism; it only posits
that the Gospel’s presence compels a response of either transformation or
self-annihilation.
On the basis of above mentioned comments built
on through analysis of history, one (opponent of globalization) is indeed
compelled to re-think and look at Globalization in a positive sense to certain
extent. What always God meant for good, has also been manipulated for evil by
devil as it can be seen in history. In the same way globalization in a sense
God ordained programme for gospel carriers to reach the nations without any
barriers or anti-global prejudices.
According to Neil J.
Ormerod even the Church itself has been shaped by the globalizing process from
its grass root level. Barnet says that the
globalization in India has given a freedom to many foreign religions to open up
with the exclusive message.
Robert states, Globalization could not be blamed for all ills but here
perceived as a change agent. The connection between globalization and
Christianity is ironic because the missionary enterprise nursed the seed if
globalization.
Bauman goes further and says that even many a conversion among the satnamis in the Chhattisgarh was the
result of high social standard which was opened to all under the process of
globalization.
Burrows well talks about spread of Christianity through
globalization in fact global migration
gave rise to non western missionary movement. He calls god as a man with the
large map.
He also invites us to acknowledge what god is doing in the world as the
gospel interacts with cultures and Christ becomes embodied in communities.
X. BIBLICAL
PARADIGM OF GLOBALIZATION
1.
Globalized Divine Plan of God
As
portrayed in the bible, God has His own universal way of dealing with his
people. Almost from the beginning as we find God as a creator and sustainer of
entire world. As in Gen. 11 we see He, himself acting as a divine operator of
entire human history. Then he also calls out people for the various missions as
per the need of the hour, which finally leads to the culmination of the eternal
plan. But then in the New Testament this concept becomes more apparent. Jesus
command to his disciples for entire world or to say people group is an evidence
for the globalized plan of God for the Gospel message. Thus, we understand that
both OT and NT anticipate the globalization of the gospel message. This tells
us more about the God’s concern for entire world that from the start God has a
plan which includes every individual regardless of their background or language
or nativity. One can say God has globalized plan for us.
2.
Globalized Concept of Ecclesia
Church
is the fruit of Jesus’ mission on the earth. God’s purpose was to make a
universal church in which all nations, tribes and languages come together and
establish a community of heaven. Today
the universal church seems to be fulfilling the eternal plan of God about his
eternal kingdom which actually began by the ministry of Jesus Christ. So that
is the phenomenon of globalization does, which in effect also seeks to connect
the people groups of various strata and language. And as we have witnessed that
the globalization to a large extent has made the world a global village in the
process of connecting people who actually share many things in common.
3.
Globalized Concept of the Gospel Message
When
examined closely one can find nowhere in the bible the message of the gospel is
individualized. The message of the Gospel, as from the beginning, always
carries a worldwide significance. It is for every race and tribe. However, in
the beginning Jesus’ mission was among Jews but it also had underpinning
message for entire humanity. And with the apostleship of the Paul and other
disciples the gospel indeed becomes globalized. So that is the case with
phenomena of globalization. Globalization, at this point, tends to be the nerve
of every organ of human activity. It has a universal significance; no man is
out of the effect and gear of this process. Globalization has been a catalyst
for the gospel message to a greater extent.
XI. CHRISTIAN’S RESPONSE TO
GLOBALIZATION
Christian response to globalization
has to be compromising in a sense it an unavoidable idea. At this point after
having looked into ups and downs and does and don’ts of globalization, we
actually got to reconcile with its wave to make Christian message accessible to
all. Because doing this can only be the blessed hope for the groaning humanity.
Otherwise in contrast staying aloof and condemning it from outside would be
utterly pathetic and unlike Christ. In fact the world today is in desperate
need of Christ’s incarnation which only church can begin up to do. And this
begins where we are with respect to our own societies (our class, ethnicity,
gender, etc.). Christians are called to embody the true Israel, the true
Humanity found only in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In
this new Humanity there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor freeman, male nor
female, only the full, complete, Body of Christ in its glorious diversity, one
in the Spirit of God. This is the Christocentric imperative behind a
biblically-grounded global world.
We must judge the “pattern of this world” and decide under the counsel of the
Holy Spirit what is good and what is not good about it. The key principle for
Christians looking at globalization, then, is to refuse to be lured, intimated,
or pressured by it. At the same time we cannot ignore the very real
opportunities and strengths of globalization for International Mission.
XII. CHRISTIAN MISSIONS IN A
GLOBALIZED WORLD
An apparent hike in opportunities for mission and evangelism in the global era
are obvious and huge. Christians are by definition great communicators, and the
global era is by definition the great age of communication, so the potential
for outreach in the global world can hardly be overstated. With the destruction
of traditions, the collapse of traditional certainties, and the melting down of
traditional roles and allegiances, there is greater political liberty, greater
social fluidity, greater religious diversity and greater psychological
vulnerability than ever before in history. As a result, human beings in the
global era have been described as “conversion prone,” and more open than ever
to consider new faiths. We therefore face the prospect of spreading the Gospel
in a manner that is “freer, faster, and farther” than ever before in the
church’s history, a prospect that must be seized with faith and courage.
According to Hiebert, “Critical contextualization is an ongoing response that
sees the gospel as outside culture…. It comes as the message of salvation, not
from West to East, but from God to people in all cultures.” He proposed the
critical contextualization approach, which is borne out of his evangelical
conviction. Critical contextualization involves a four step process,
phenomenological analysis, ontological reflection, critical evaluation, and
missional transformation. Phenomenological analysis is to understand the
phenomena of the beliefs and practices of people. Ontological analysis is to
test the truth claims of these against scripture and objective reality.
Critical evaluation is to evaluate biblically the beliefs and practices.
XIII.
GLOBALIZATION AND THEOLOGY OF MISSION
Globalization
affects the way theologians reflect about theology of mission. The church is
actually mission oriented in its basic nature. It means if Christianity or the
Christian mission is to be thoughtful or relevant it ought to address the
predicament affecting the society and ecclesia. Theology always has its context
to function on. As per the study is concerned we found out
that globalization has both positive and negative impact on humanity and it
also differs from context to context. So the main task of theology is to build
a bridge between gospel of Christ and so called globalized world.
XIV.
THE URGENCY OF MISSION
Bible
time and time again reminds us that Christ is same forever. If he were to be
born today in our context he would what he went on doing when he was on the
earth. As bible also reminds us that we, believer are his mouth piece on the
earth who actually echo what he did and meant through his life and ministry.
We do also come to know, when looked from biblical optics that no culture
at this point can claim to be sacred, all need purging of it from inside.
Scholar G. Lohfink, John Fuellenbach opines that “the church doesn’t see
herself as ‘counter to’ or ‘against’
society as such a ‘counter’ or a ‘protest’ against a society that doesn’t live
up to what it is supposed to be in the eyes of God.” So at this we have a great
urgency to communicate the message of Christ in a mess brought about by
globalization by using its own popular methods of communication as seen earlier.
XV. DESIDERATUM OF
CHRISTIAN APOLOGETICS
Here researcher would like to show that how an
efficacious apologetics works in such Globalized context.
According to Craig first,
apologetics is vital in shaping culture (By maintaining the canons of logic, rationality, and exclusivity of
truth in order to exemplify bible based culture).
Second, its
vital in evangelizing unbelievers.( When apologetics is persuasively presented
and sensitively combined with a Gospel presentation and a personal testimony,
the Spirit of God condescends to use it in bringing certain people to Himself),
specially, with the careful use of Contextual apologetics.
Third, it’s also useful in strengthening believers (Emotions will carry you only so far, and
then you’re going to need something more substantive. Apologetics provides some
of those substances).
Toren in his book Christian Apologetics as Cross-Cultural
Dialogue explores well about the significant role apologetics can play in
this globalized world. He goes on to suggest that it will be vital to give some
indication of how cultural diversity presents itself in our contemporary world
characterized simultaneously by pluralization and globalization. He also
affirms that it can exploit the tension in the contemporary world: between
modernism and postmodernism, individualism and collectivism, naturalism and
creative antirealism, between a sense of Western superiority and cultural
relativism, secularism and the new quest for the sacred, between capitalism and
environmentalism, the art and the science, between value of family and
pan-economism, and between sexuality and intimacy. This examples given by
him mostly reflects those sectors of our globalized world.
Beilby goes beyond him and
opines that if Christians at this point if fails to acknowledge the
significance of Apologetics, they will restrict a great contribution to Kingdom
of God. Thus, we can conclude
that Christian apologetics is not only an efficacious to cope up with the
rampant predicaments of globalization but also desideratum to make gospel
message relevant to the given context.
Above mention comments
and beside them many others inform us about the desideratum of Christian
apologetics in a globalized culture. Because, as above mentioned, the tension
between modernism and postmodernism, individualism and collectivism, naturalism
and creative antirealism, between a sense of Western superiority and cultural
relativism, secularism and the new quest for the sacred, between capitalism and
environmentalism, the art and the science, between value of family and
pan-economism, and between sexuality and intimacy are in the core of
globalization, which stands in contrast to Gospel of Christ as a lethal weapons
against it.
Thus, so called Globalization, a Gargantuan Goliath of our day, can only be
surmounted by the efficacious utilization of Christian Apologetics with proper
seasoning of meekness and respect towards all.
CONCLUSION
As
we have analyzed, so it can be concluded that Globalization is a phenomenon
which is unavoidable. While globalization
reduces barriers of distance and funding to the benefit of the spread of the
Gospel, it also proved itself to be detrimental in the increased speed of the
spread of things contrary to the message and mission of Christ.
However,
Bible states in Act 1:8 “…be witness of Christ to the ends of the earth.”
Globalization in positive sense, with its increased communication strategies,
has made it possible for Christian missionaries to accomplish what they are
for. As a mission oriented Christians, leaving behind negative impinges; we
should make use of the various opportunities provided by globalization for the
spread of the Gospel of Christ in the every nook and corner of the world.
Globalization and Christian missions at their core are related to one another
as both of them has global perspective. While
the Lord can certainly use an article on a website to lead someone to Christ,
He is more likely to use a personal contact. Christians should use the
power of globalization to further the cause of Christ. The emphasis of
Christian missions should be on an incarnational or contextual apologetical
approach, which begins with learning to comprehend people and their context
deeply, identifying with them, building relationships of love and trust, and
communicating the gospel to them in ways that can help them to analyze their
old religious ways, and to think what Christ got to offer them uniquely.
Paul states in Colossians 4:4-6, “Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I
should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every
opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt,
so that you may know how to answer everyone.” We long to see greater commitment
to the hard work of robust apologetics, because the desperate need of
apologetics becomes inevitable in the context of globalization.
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