1. Missiology is more than a theological discipline.

It is a wide field of study  Traditional Religion have oral tradition

and research in the field of social sciences (such as Anthropology and  Traditional Religion: Animism, Shamanism, and the Ancestor
Sociology), the world’s great religions (Traditional Religion and Classical worship
Religions), and theology. Because mission is never carried out in a vacuum  Classical Religion have written scriptures
but in a concrete cultural situation, different paradigms (typologies) of  Classical Religion: Hinduism, Judaism, Christianity,
mission emerged. Confucianism, Taoism, Islam, Bahai
Why we study traditional religion? Because it is the oldest and the mother of all
Answer: Missiology is a theological discipline however, it is also a wide field of religion.
study and research. Hence, many missiologists emerged because of different context PARADIGMS OF MISSION EMERGED
where mission is carried out.
 Mission and Globalization
MISSIOLOGY - Etymologically: mission & logos = Scientific study  Theology of Science and Technology
 Field of Research and study of Social Sciences  Mission in the City
ANTHROPOLOGY and SOCIOLOGY  Mission and Post-modernity
A. It is a way of life of a particular people today it expresses what people
think, Feel, and do.
B. Every culture is considered a “heritage” from the ancestors, the founder of
the different tribes in the world, including my own tribe.
C. As such culture is the “not paradigm” (the basic foundation) of a people’s
way of life.
D. Why Dialogue with Culture?
1. In the past culture was ignored. The early missionaries destroyed many
elements of the local culture, while imposing their own language and
culture. Local cultures: Savage, barbaric, uncivilized.
2. Today (since Vat. II, Gaudium Et Spes #58 pls. double check acc. to Fr. J.)
A. Culture today is recognized as the context of mission through dialogue.
(Paul VI, 1964, FABC, 1974). Why mission does not take place in a
vacuum, it takes place in a concrete context/concrete people with their
own culture, history, and even social changes that are taking place.
B. Today culture is the space to discover the “seed of the word” Jesus
Christ in the values of the people. Today we are going back to the
“theology of the logos” (Word) (of the church Fathers, of the 3 rd & 4th
centuries).
C. Cultures are spices dialogue to show as the good, the truth, and the
beautiful in the values of people
GOOD - Is the reflection of the “summum Bonum” Highest good.
- (God, the absolute, the ultimate reality).
TRUE - Is the reflection of the “Sophia perennis” Eternal Wisdom.
BEAUTIFUL – Reflection of divine beauty “Philocalia”
D. We dialogue with culture in order to have mutual respect and
appreciation with other cultures.
For us Catholics we dialogue with cultures toward doing inculturation of the gospel
in a given culture.
TRADITIONAL RELIGION AND CLASSICAL RELIGIONS