General information

• Study points: 4.00
• Language: English
• Category: lecture - interactive lecture
• Duration: 26.0 hours 
• Periodicity: Taught this academic year in the second semester
• POC: POC Theology and Religious Studies

Taught by

Brosse Richard
Moerschbacher Marco Maria (cooperator)

Aims

The first three lectures will present the cornerstones in the development of the theology of mission with the appearance of a new discipline “Missiology”, with special attention to the major documents of the Second Vatican Council II. This introduction will end with an attempt to situate the main challenges to mission in our time.
After having studied the situation in Africa and Asia, we will turn to the European context in which the “old” European Churches that have coined the missiological movement in the 19th Century are now facing a serious crisis. To what extent is a new evangelisation conceivable?
The second part of the course focuses on the history and theology of mission in Africa, beginning with general considerations and covering the following: an overview of some salient features of mission history in Africa based on the example David Bosch’s Transforming mission, an African approach to Missiology; from the church of the missions to a missionary church – the example of the Catholic Church of Congo: the context of the DR Congo is presented as an example of how a church in Africa, evangelized by European missionaries, reacts at different historical developments of the 20th Century in an attempt to establish a genuine African local church; the pastoral renewal of Cardinal Malula (Kinshasa) – Implementation of the Church’s mission. The lecture presents the reception of the Second Vatican Council in the Archdiocese of Kinshasa (DR Congo), exemplified by the Basic Christian Communities and Lay ministries in the pastoral renewal process of Cardinal Malula.
Evangelization – a challenge for the Church in Africa from one Synod to another:
The missiological challenge of an in depth evangelization as faced by the local churches in Africa is outlined by following the reception of the 1st African Synod (1994) and discussing the Lineamenta for the forthcoming 2nd Synod.
The following lectures present case studies from Asia will start with an overview of the situation of Asian Churches in general by presenting the challenges these Churches are facing today. This will be followed by outlining the contributions Asian theologians have made in the field of developing a specific Asian theological method.
The history of the encounter of Christianity with China its culture and religions will then be presented as an example of the challenges and “missed opportunities” of the Christian mission in Asia in general.
In the present discussion, the image of Islam is often presented rather one-sidedly by focussing on the violent groups that claim to speak and act for all Muslims. To counter this negative image the specific forms Islam has developed on the Indian Sub-Continent and in Indonesia will be presented.
The last lecture will focus on the problem of ecumenism in Asia, which is trying to cope with the legacy of a mission history where different groups of missionaries were presenting a divided Christianity, often obscuring rather than clarifying the message of the Gospel. 

Content

Lectures 2010. “Developments in Theology and Practice of Mission – Case studies in Asia, Africa and Europe.” (Total: 26 hours)

• 09.02.2010, 2:00-4:00 p.m.: Dr. Georg Evers, The problem of mission with focus on mission in Asia
• 16.02.2010, 2:00-4:00 p.m.: Dr. Richard Brosse, Theological Developments in the line of the Council Vatican II
• 23.02.2010, 2:00-4:00 p.m.: Dr. Richard Brosse, Framing Mission today
• 02.03.2010, 2:00-4:00 p.m.: Dr. Marco Moerschbacher, History and Theology of Mission in Africa – General considerations
• 09.03.2010, 2:00-4:00 p.m.: Dr. Marco Moerschbacher, From the church of the missions to a missionary church – the example of the Catholic Church of Congo
• 16.03.2010, 2:00-4:00 p.m.: Dr. Marco Moerschbacher, The pastoral renewal of Cardinal Malula (Kinshasa) – Implementation of the Church’s mission
• 23.03.2010, 2:00-4:00 p.m.: Dr. Marco Moerschbacher, Justice and peace – challenges for the African Church in the Synodal process
• 30.03.2010, 2:00-4:00 p.m.: Dr. Georg Evers, Challenges to the Churches in Asia Today
• 20.04.2010, 2:00-4:00 p.m.: Dr. Georg Evers, Developments in Asian Theology: Towards an Asian Theological Method
• 27.04.2010, 2:00-4:00 p.m.: Dr. Georg Evers, The Encounter of Christianity with China in Mission History
• 04.05.2010, 2:00-4:00 p.m.: Dr. Moerschbacher & Dr. Hadwig Müller, A missionary Church – experiences of the church in Poitiers (France)
• 11.05.2010, 2:00-4:00 p.m.: Dr. Georg Evers, Interreligious Dialogue and Theology of Mission
• 18.05.2010, 2:00-4:00 p.m.: Dr. Georg Evers, Ecumenism in Asia and the Legacy of a divided Christian Mission in Asia

Course Material

This is suggested reading on the topics concerned and not required.

Literature on Asia:
Documentation on the work of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC) can be found in:

• For all the Peoples of Asia. Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences from 1970-1991, G. Rosales/C.G. Arévalo (eds) Manila, 1992
• For all the Peoples of Asia. Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences from 1992-1996, F.J.Eilers (ed) Manila, 1997
• For all the Peoples of Asia. Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences from 1997-2001, F.J.Eilers (ed) Manila, 2001
• Being Church in Asia. Theological Advisory Commission Documents 1986-1992, J. Gnanapirragasan/F. Wilfred (eds), Manila, 1994
• Methodoloy: Asian Christian Theology. Document of the Office of Theological Concerns. FABC Papers No. 96, Hong Kong, 2000
• G. Evers, The Churches in Asia. New Delhi, 2005
• A. Pieris, An Asian Theology of Liberation. Maryknoll, New York 1988
• A. Pieris, Fire and Water.Basic Themes in Buddhism and Christianity, Maryknoll, New York, 1996
• R.S. Sugirtharajah (ed.),  Frontiers in Asian Christian Theology. Emerging Trends, Maryknoll, New York, 1994
• Ecclesia in Asia, Post-synodal Exhortation, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia, 1999
• E.Tang/J.P.Wiest, The Catholic Church in Modern China. Perspectives, Maryknoll, New York, 1993
• B. Whyte, The Unfinished Encounter. China and Christianity, London, 1988
• F. Wilfred, The Sling of Utopia. Struggles for a Different Society, New Delhi, 2005.

• John Baur, 2000 years of Christianity in Africa. An African history 62-1992, Paulines Publications (Nairobi, 21998).
• David J. Bosch, Transforming mission : Paradigm shifts in theology of mission, Orbis Books (Maryknoll NY, 1991).
• Actes de la VIe Assemblée plénière de l’Épiscopat du Congo, Léopoldville 1961 (20 novembre – 2 décembre), Édition Secrétariat général de l’Épiscopat (Congo-Léopoldville, 1961).
• Œuvres complètes du Cardinal Malula, rassemblées et présentées par Léon de Saint Mou­lin s.j., Documents du Christianisme Africain 1-7, Centre des Archives Ecclésiastiques Abbé Stefano Kaoze, Facultés Catholiques de Kinshasa (Kinshasa 1997), especially: Volume 3: Textes concernant l'inculturation et les abbés; Volume 6: Textes concernant le laïcat et la société
• D'un synode africain à l'autre : Réception synodale et perspectives d'avenir: Église et société en Afrique / ed. par Joseph Ndi Okalla et Antoine Ntalou, Karthala (Paris, 2007).
• "L'Église au Congo et le rôle des Communautés Ecclésiales de Base dans l'éducation civique", Kinshasa, 20.-25.04.2008, Symposium der theologischen Fakultät der F.C.K. in Zusammenarbeit mit dem MWI.
• "Caring and sharing - how does HIV/AIDS change the face of the Church", Expertenkonsultation im Vorfeld der 9. AMECEA-Vollversammlung, Juni 2008, AMECEA General Secretariat in Zusammenarbeit mit dem MWI.

• Ad Gentes, Decree on the missionary activity of the Church, Vatican Council II, 7 Dec. 1965.
• Evangelii Nuntiandi, Apostolic exhortation of Paul VI on evangelization, 8 Dec. 1975.
• Redemptoris Missio, Encyclical letter on the permanent validity of the Church’smissionary Mandate of John Paul II, 7. Dec. 1990. 
• Dialogue and Proclamation, statement of the congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples and the Pontifical Council on inter-religious dialogue, 1991.
• Burrows, William R. (ed.), Redemption and Dialogue. Reading Redemptoris Missio and Dialogue and Proclamation. Orbis Books (Maryknoll NY 1993).
• Collet, Giancarlo, “…bis an die Grenzen der Erde”. Grundfragen heutiger Missionswissenschaft. Herder (Freiburg 2002).Geffré, Claude, D’Evangelii Nuntiandi à Redemptoris Missio: L’évolution de la théologie de la mission in Revue Africaine des Sciences de la Mission. 1, 1994 ; 99-115.

Evaluation description

Examination type:
    written
Evaluation type:
    Open book

Explanation

Students are free to use their study notes during the exam.