Christian mission among other faiths - Blog

Click here to find updated versions of the papers previously posted on this blog It takes you to a separate page of this website, http://www.edinburgh2010.org/en/study-themes/1-foundations-for-mission/hamburg-consultation.html

Knud Jorgensen, secretary to Theme 2, reports:

The core group on "Christian Mission among Other Faiths" met in Hamburg on 17-19 August to bring together their sections for the chapter for the Edinburgh 2010 pre-conference book. The chapter will deal with the main issues in theologies of religion from 1910 to 2010. Against a broad background of contemporary scenarios (especially the implications of globalization) the chapter will reflect hermeneutically on perspectives such as the uniqueness of Christ, salvation, conversion, power encounter, relations to other living faith and a pneumatological view of theology of religion. In addition the group has been collecting a broad selection of cases and position papers relevant for the discussion. These position papers have been placed on the Edinburgh 2010 website and will hopefully be published.

A photo of Rev. Dr Lalsangkima Pachaua, Convener, and Rev. Dr John Azumah in debate at the meeting is attached here.

The Report cum Statement of the conference on inter faith relations which took place at the United Theological Seminary, Bangalore in July is now available and is attached here, with thanks to the organisers, especially Dr Marina Behara.

Papers from the Pre-Centenary Edinburgh 2010 Conference at the United Theological College, Bangalore, India are now available to view or download here, with kind permission of the presenters and organisers.

The Edinburgh 2010 study process for ASEAN and Sri Lanka successfully held its conference at STM in Malaysia on 8-11 June 2009. Delegates from Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore and Sri Lanka were joined by friends from Germany, New Zealand, the USA and the UK.

The conference statement on 'Mission as reconciliation in pluralistic contexts' is attached here, together with a photograph of the participants. 

45 participants from across India and from overseas are gathering at the United Theological College in Bangalore, India for a major Edinburgh 2010 consultation starting tomorrow (17 July). 16 papers have so far been received - details are attached - and more are expected on the issue of 'Christian Approaches to People of Other Faiths'. Speakers include K.P. Aleaz, P.S. Jacob, James Massey, David Emmanuel Singh and Andrew Wingate.

'Things have been very busy here with the college preparing for the inaugural celebrations for its centennial year as well as co-ordinating the nittiy-gritties of the Consultation!' says Dr Marina Ngursangzeli Behera of UTC. Theme 2 Christian Mission Among Other Faiths is one of the most contentious of the Edinburgh 2010 issues and the Bangalore event is expected to make a very important contribution.  

EMS is an international fellowship of 28 churches and mission societies in Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East committed to worldwide mission and cooperation of churches. In June in Accra it launched its Focus Programme 2009-2012 with the theme, 'Giving account of our hope - Christian witness in a pluralistic world'. EMS hopes this will contribute to the Edinburgh 2010 study process, especially to study theme 2.

The international activities which make up the programme include 'reading the Bible through the eyes of another', a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, 'theological training in the presence of the other' and networking migrants' centres within the EMS fellowship.

Details of the programme are attached.

Pre-centenary Edinburgh 2010 Study Conference, United Theological Seminary, Bangalore, India, 17-19 July 2009

Inter-religious relations is the theme of this conference at an institution (UTC Bangalore) which shares its centenary with Edinburgh 2010. Christian inter-religious relations will be considered from Islamic, Hindu, Sikh, Jewish, subaltern, feminist and primal perspectives, and there will also be discussion of Christian relations with Marxist, humanist and secular ideologies and of perspectives and issues in mission and inter-faith dialogue. Scholars in the field will be drawn from India and several other countries.

Mission as Reconciliation in Pluralistic Contexts, Seminari Theoloji Malaysia, Seramban, Malaysia, 8-11 June 2009

This event will draw theological educators, church leaders and mission agency leaders from Sri Lanka and 10 ASEAN countries and link with the Edinburgh 2010 study theme on Christian Mission Among Other Faiths and the transversal on Healing and Reconciliation. For details see the seminary website here.