Part 3: Christendom and Mission

A. Evangelism has a Bad Name

1. In the last part we explored the legacy of Christendom in the area of biblical interpretation. Here we will examine its legacy in the area of mission - especially the evangelistic dimension of mission. Not that this is the whole of mission, but it is here that the Christendom legacy is most evident and, arguably, most problematic.
   
   
2. Most people, if asked, would not want to be evangelised! Why not? The word is about giving someone good news. What images, fears or expectations are associated with this word? What is the popular view of evangelism and evangelists? Where did this come from?
   
   
3. Brainstorming:
   
   (a) What is an evangelist?
   

   * manipulator
   * dishonest
   * showman
   * American
   * eloquent
   * powerful

   (b) What is evangelism?

   * mass meetings
   * being preached at
   * proselytism
   * being accosted
   * pressurising
   * emotional hysteria
   * open air preaching
   * texts on posters
   * cultural imperialism

4. Why is evangelism seen in this way? There may be various reasons, including the unhelpful antics and methods of some contemporary evangelists, misrepresentation in the media, insensitivity by enthusiastic but unwise church members, spiritual warfare, etc.
   
   
5. But at root the popular perception of evangelism derives from the Christendom era and the Christendom mindset. To justify this claim, we will need to investigate how evangelism was understood in the Christendom centuries and how the Christendom shift impacted evangelism

next - The Reformers and Mission >>