Class notes
2/18/16
Christianity as a Missionizing Movement
I. Gospel v. gospel
1. gospel =
stories of Jesus (text), good news (literal translation)
2. Gospel =
Christian message, missionizing
3. Greek
words: evangellion gospel = evangelization
4.
Christianity is a proselytizing tradition, unlike Judaism
II. The Great Commission
1. Matthew
28
2. “Go
therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of
the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything
that I have commanded you.”
3. Biblical
justification for missionizing
III. Paul and Peter
1. Paul is
associated with spreading the word to the gentiles, but Peter contradicts in Acts
2.
Regardless, it spreads quickly by the end of the century all around the Mediterranean
IV. Patrick in Ireland (400s)
1. Gets
captured by pirates as a teenager, where he is taken to Ireland to be an animal keeper
2. He
escapes from Ireland and goes back to England to become a cleric
3. In a
vision, he is told to go back to Ireland to proselytize
4. Now
considered a patron Saint of Ireland
a.
usually the first to take a message to a region becomes the patron saint, whose job is to
protect/keep their city before god
b.
St. Patrick one of three Saints of Ireland
5. Columba
(563), another Patron Saint of Ireland, established monastery on Iona
6. St.
Bridget is the third Patron Saint of Ireland
V. 716: Boniface
missionizes Germanic tribes
1.
Eventually made archbishop over Germany, an important country in Christian history
2. baptized
thousands
VI. 781: Nestorian Christians
1. believe
Christ has a dual nature—Jesus (human nature), and Christ (spiritual
nature)
2. Evidence
that Christianity has been present in Xi-an China for 150 years
3. Popular
in Persia, east of Turkey, and China
4.
language=seriac
5. Stele
found in China describes Christianity as the “illustrious religion”
a.
written in both chinese and seriac
b.
lots of artwork from the period blends artistic style of the region
w/ Christian iconography
VII. Pattern of Evangelization
1.
Evangelization moves East along the spice route between Europe and China
2. Does not
occur in a linear fashion
3. People
went to great lengths to travel!
4. 900s
Christianity spreads into Poland, Russia, Iceland
5. 1300s:
Franciscan and Dominican missionaries go to India, Chia, Java, Borneo
6. 1400s:
conversion of Jews and Muslims in Italy and Spain
a.
Were they given the choice, or were they forced?
7. 1496:
First Christians baptized on Hispaniola (Haiti/DR)
8. 1504:
Francis Xavier (Jesuit) lands in Goa, India
9. 1500s:
missionizing of much of central and southern north america and japan, where there is resistance
10.
1600s-1900s: Global missionizing with an emphasis on translating the NT into every language (1700s)
VIII. John Wycliff
1. 1382
translates new testament into English
2.
catholic, part of the Lollards (precursor to the reformation)
3. deemed a
heretic after he died
4. Figure
symbolic of the bible translation for missionizing movement
5.
emphasizes importance of using the vernacular in preaching
IX. 1492: First Baptized Christians in the Americas
1. Santa
Domingo founded by Bartoleme
2.
Dominican Republic and modern day Haiti “the new world”
X. Columbus Discussion
1.Reasons
for voyage: Evangelization, glory, money, competition for land, etc.
2. Events
linked to voyage: Spanish Armada
3. Natives’
Response: negative
XI. Story of Conversion
1.
Different perspectives of the story—Converted Taino Christian, 2nd
hand accounts, etc.
2. Causes
complex, cultural conflict
3. Pane
converted a few of the Taino people, but once he left, perpetrators came and destroyed the relics of the Taino Christians
a.
A vine then grows in the shape of a cross over the broken relics
b.
matter of servant vs. Lord?
XII. Mar Thoma Church (India)
1. Present
when the Portuguese arrive in India, but forced to follow the Roman church
2. They
declare their independence and associate w/ Syrian Orthodox (another branch of Christianity)
tradition
3. Earliest
Christian Church in India
4. Traces
itself back to St. Thomas in the first century
5. Early
tradition of Christianity presence in India (1st century)
*Thanks for posting!
ReplyDelete