The In-Between People

by Girma Bekele

Overview

In the midst of partial, competing, and often hostile forms of human solidarity, David Bosch challenged the church to be the Alternative Community called to live in the in-between of various opposing socio-political, economic, and ecclesiastical polarities. Girma Bekele explores and renews that call in the context of Ethiopia. Acute poverty and the lingering question of the balance between ethnic distinctiveness and national unity, together constitute a two-edged challenge to Christian identity. Constructive dialogue that fosters unity is intrinsic to effective response to the plight of the poor. This means a turning away from institutional self-preservation towards a contextually relevant mission that crosses all human-made frontiers. Taking Ethiopia as the immediate context, Dr. Bekele offers important insight to the church in the majority world and beyond.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781608992690
Publisher:	Pickwick Publications
Publication date:	03/29/2011
Pages:	460
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Girma Bekele, Adjunct Professor of Missions and Development Studies at Wycliffe College in the University of Toronto, is a Missions and Church Leadership Consultant.

Table of Contents

Foreword Jonathan J. Bonk xi

Acknowledgments xiii

Abbreviations xv

Introduction 1

Part 1 Bosch's Personal Paradigm Shifts-From the Prison of History to the Prison of Hope

1 Bosch's World 19

An Excursion into the Rise of Afrikanerdom: The Legitimatization of Apartheid 19

Bosch's Religious Heritage: The Ecclesiological Self-Understanding of DRC 31

2 Biographical Sketch 45

Early Life and Influences 45

Missionary: A Decade of Theological Formation 49

Bosch the Academician (1972-1992) 53

Conclusion 56

Part 2 Bosch's Theological Framework-A Background to his View of the Church as the Alternative Community

Introduction 60

3 Bosch's Theological Development: From Witness to the World to Transforming Mission 61

4 Introduction to Bosch's Analysis of Paradigm Shifts in the History of Mission 77

5 Mission, Evangelism, and Theology: Setting the Horizon for the Identity of the In-Between People 96

Introduction 96

Mission 97

Evangelism 113

Theology 128

Conclusion 135

Part 3 Paradigm Shifts in Ethiopia's Mission History

Introduction 140

6 Crown and Clergy: An Excursion to the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church 146

Beginnings, and the Shaping of Ecclesiological Identity-Under the Aksumite Kingdom (325-650) 146

The Dark Age and Restoration under the Zagwé Dynasty-Mission through Architectural Art (700-1200) 157

Solomonic Dynasty: Expansion through Monastic Revival, the Challenge of Islamic Invasion, the Portuguese Interlude, and Theological Controversies (1270-1800) 161

Modern Era, Persecution under Italy, Autocephaly, and the Great Divorce of State and Church (1855-1974) 171

7 Some Remarks on Crown-Clergy Dynamics and Ethiopianism as Paradoxical Ideology 185

8 Protestantism in Ethiopia: A Paradigm Shift or Proselytism Gone Wrong? 198

Introduction 198

The Catholic Missionary Paradigms-De Jacobis' Indigenization Vs Massaja's Latinization 200

The Protestant Mission: Heyling's Missionary Paradigm and the Birth of EECMY 204

The Protestant Mission-Lambie's Missionary Paradigm and the Birth of EKHC 212

The Ecumenical Movement and the Role of Ethiopian Pentecostal Movement 221

The Great Controversy: Evangelizing the Evangelized 228

Conclusion 241

Part 4 The Missionary Task of the Church as the Alternative Community

Introduction 246

9 The New Testament Foundation of Mission 248

Missional Hermeneutics: An Ecumenical Task 248

Jesus' Self-understanding: The Bridge between Two Testaments 260

NT Missionary Paradigms: Bosch's Deduction of Major Missiological Motifs 266

10 The In-Between People and the Quest for Social Justice 281

Mission as Contextualization 281

The Development of Contextual Theologies: Introductory Context and Main Presuppositions 286

Black Theologies: African, African American, and Southern African 289

The Alternative Paradigm-The In-Between People as a Counter Community 297

Sub Conclusion 324

Part 5 Listening Together: Towards a Contemporary Mission Praxis in Ethiopia

Introduction 328

11 The Cry of the Poor: The Sociological Context 331

The Failed Marxist Utopia 331

Natural Disaster: Drought and the Politics of Famine 347

12 Post-Derge Challenges and Opportunities for Contemporary Churches 350

The Fragility of Ethno-Linguistic Based Federalism 350

From Facelessness to Visibility: Religious Freedom as Paradox 357

The Effects of Globalization 367

13 A Move towards Contemporary Mission Praxis: the Emerging Collaborative Ecumenical Diakonia 381

Churches' Response to the Realities of Acute Poverty-Evaluation 388

Conclusion 402

Glossary 421

Bibliography 423

Index 445

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"This is a remarkable book, vast in scope and rich in content. It offers a developed model of the interaction of the general and the particular. On the one hand, it is a comprehensive study of the great encyclopedic mission theologian of the twentieth century, David Bosch; on the other, a sensitive interpretation of Ethiopian Christianity, past and present, in both its Orthodox and Protestant-Evangelical expressions, and of what Bosch would have called their paradigm shifts. These two themes are kept in constant and illuminating dialogue, and their wide relevance for today's worldwide church is made evident. A book not to be missed."
—Andrew F Walls
University of Edinburgh and Liverpool Hope University


"In this thought provoking and courageous work, Dr. Bekele critically and creatively reads David Bosch and his socio-political and ecclesiastical context to address pressing missiological issues, particularly in Ethiopia. It persuasively calls Christians everywhere to be the in-between people. Well presented!"
—Kevin Livingston
Associate Professor of Pastoral Ministry
Tyndale Seminar

"Girma Bekele's work combines the commitments and sensitivities of an evangelist, an ecumenist, and a social activist. His theology is missiological holism at its best, and I warmly commend it."
George Sumner, Principal and Helliwell Professor of World Mission, Wycliffe College, University of Toronto

"If you have a heart for Africa and its suffering people this book will inspire you with Christian hope . . . Dr. Bekele understands the history and the tremendous challenge for the Ethiopian church in the twenty-first century well, and he engages it with Christian hope and practical experience. This is how theology should grow out of a real and living context!"
Charles J. Fensham, Associate Professor of Systematic Theology, Knox College, University of Toronto

"This book offers a startling glimpse into a world alien to most Western Christians: the suffering church of Christ in Ethiopia . . . Employing the missional theology of David Bosch, Grima Bekele lays out an eloquent vision of the church as witness to Christ and agent of reconciliation. A fascinating and important work!"
Joseph Mangina, Associate Professor of Systematic Theology, Wycliffe College, University of Toronto

Editorial Reviews

"This is a remarkable book, vast in scope and rich in content. It offers a developed model of the interaction of the general and the particular. On the one hand, it is a comprehensive study of the great encyclopedic mission theologian of the twentieth century, David Bosch; on the other, a sensitive interpretation of Ethiopian Christianity, past and present, in both its Orthodox and Protestant-Evangelical expressions, and of what Bosch would have called their paradigm shifts. These two themes are kept in constant and illuminating dialogue, and their wide relevance for today's worldwide church is made evident. A book not to be missed."
—Andrew F Walls
University of Edinburgh and Liverpool Hope University


"In this thought provoking and courageous work, Dr. Bekele critically and creatively reads David Bosch and his socio-political and ecclesiastical context to address pressing missiological issues, particularly in Ethiopia. It persuasively calls Christians everywhere to be the in-between people. Well presented!"
—Kevin Livingston
Associate Professor of Pastoral Ministry
Tyndale Seminar

"Girma Bekele's work combines the commitments and sensitivities of an evangelist, an ecumenist, and a social activist. His theology is missiological holism at its best, and I warmly commend it."
George Sumner, Principal and Helliwell Professor of World Mission, Wycliffe College, University of Toronto

"If you have a heart for Africa and its suffering people this book will inspire you with Christian hope . . . Dr. Bekele understands the history and the tremendous challenge for the Ethiopian church in the twenty-first century well, and he engages it with Christian hope and practical experience. This is how theology should grow out of a real and living context!"
Charles J. Fensham, Associate Professor of Systematic Theology, Knox College, University of Toronto

"This book offers a startling glimpse into a world alien to most Western Christians: the suffering church of Christ in Ethiopia . . . Employing the missional theology of David Bosch, Grima Bekele lays out an eloquent vision of the church as witness to Christ and agent of reconciliation. A fascinating and important work!"
Joseph Mangina, Associate Professor of Systematic Theology, Wycliffe College, University of Toronto

From the Publisher