Abstract This thesis critically evaluates the experiential missionary practice of Breakthrough International (BCI), an African charismatic Church, from a perspective of Missio Dei, a modern paradigm of mission conceptualized by...
moreAbstract
This thesis critically evaluates the experiential missionary practice of Breakthrough International (BCI), an African charismatic Church, from a perspective of Missio Dei, a modern paradigm of mission conceptualized by ecumenical missiology.
BCI, within its African world view, where the spiritual is tangibly real, has grown out of its experience of the Spirit, the divine principle of origin and normal experience of faith. Theological academic discourse, bound to an enlightenment concept of truth within a modern Cartesian world view, can reasonably access and evaluate BCI’s experience of the divine as proper source for theological discourse through BCI’s narrative.
Missio Dei, a response to the old church centered paradigm of mission, redefines mission as an activity of God, in which the mission centered church participates. God’s mission unfolds in (post)modern history transformed through Christ’s coming to an eschatological reality. It is realized as such by the local congregation in (post)secular times, acknowledging God’s preferential option for the poor and aims to humanize and liberate the world. God’s mission is mediated through culture, and through contextualization creates a polycentric cultural identity of the gospel modeled after Christ’s incarnation. It is in as much contextual as it is culture critical.
BCI resembles Missio Dei in a very limited fashion. The difference in world views, and its focus on personal experience, creates an uncritical paradigm of mission aiming to save the believer not the world. With little regard for the history of mission BCI wants to rewrite personal (hi)story without involving itself in world history imposing a spiritual agenda upon the world from the perspective of those who are victimized by history. Though it represents the poor it doesn’t grasp Christ’s incarnation and its implications for an understanding of the struggle of the poor as an issue of theology proper. Poverty is spiritualized to a matter of personal piety. BCI does not appreciate the contextuality of the gospel but understands it as above culture. It creates a Christian subculture in limited communion with the church universal, very reluctant to involve itself in the public domain.
Our dialogue with BCI’s narrative form of theology acknowledges that modern, ecumenical missiology needs to rediscover the experience of the Spirit as source of mission; yet BCI needs to develop a theology which makes use of scripture, tradition, and reason in order to find a broader and sustainable understanding of its experience of the divine.
