CHAPTER FOUR PRACTICAL THEOLOGY AND SOCIOLOGY

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CHAPTER FOUR

PRACTICAL THEOLOGY AND SOCIOLOGY

The promise of the Kingdom of God is the theological foundation of this DMin project. It is the conviction of this project that, ―The Mission for Social Transformation‖ is based on the Spirit of the Kingdom of God. There are several theological perspectives taken from Jesus’ proclamation of the Kingdom of God. Jesus emphasized that, ―God has dominion over all creatures (both Christian and the world,‖ and ―The kingdom is a new world (both inner spirituality and the external world) under a new order.‖ What people have sought after is the blessing of the Kingdom of God, a new heaven and new earth.1 The Kingdom of God is both, ―making changes in the external, political order of things,‖ and also ―making changes in the spiritual order and in the lives of men and women.‖2

The Kingdom of God is already here, but not quite yet. I have presented a theological understanding of the Kingdom of God in Chapter Three. In this chapter, I will discuss the practical theology of the Kingdom of God. Since the blessing of the Kingdom of God is the promise of God, the churches, as Jesus’ disciples, have the commitment to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to practice its teaching. It is my belief

1Revelation 21:1.

2George E. Ladd, ―The Gospel of the Kingdom,‖ in Perspectives on the World Christian Movement: A Reader, rev. ed., ed. Ralph D. Winter and Steven C. Hawthorne (Pasadena, CA: William Carey Library, 1992).

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that the realization of ―Thy kingdom come‖ will not be through the ministries and activities of the Church. Instead, I believe that when Jesus taught his disciples to pray for the coming of the Kingdom, he was inviting them to react and actualize the Kingdom of God.

In this chapter, I will introduce some theological perspectives and social theories of development. The contents include: 1.) Missiology and Social Transformation, 2.) Human Development and Social Development, 3.) Organizing People for Social Action, and 4.) Making Disciples for Social Transformation.

Missiology and Social Transformation

In this section, I will discuss the mission of theology, because it is the core subject of this project. I deeply believe that mission is the vocation of the Christian and the Church and is an important duty for the Church. ―Go and make disciples of all nations,‖ is the Great Commission in the Gospel of Matthew.3 Mission means to proclaim the good news, to witness the new life in Christ, to share the Gospel, and to proclaim the promise of God.

There are two contradictory states of mission in churches in Taiwan: mountaintop Christianity or the ―Monasterial Christianity,‖ and street Christianity or the ―Social-Resistant Christianity.‖ ―Monasterial Christianity― is mainly concerned with people’s spiritual reformation and encourages retreats and prayers. The ―Social-Resistant Christianity,‖ however, is more concerned about God’s justice and peace being fulfill in this present world. In order to achieve social justice, Christians are willing to protest and walk the streets. Neither of these missions is in good condition: One neglects the

3Matthew 28:19.

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meaning of personal mission and the other the construct of social justice. How does the Church understand the significance of mission through the Bible and the Holy Spirit? What is a God-willed mission? How can the churches learn from each other and proclaim a complete and balanced good news for the Taiwanese society, given such diverse theological states and strategies of mission?

The Biblical Perspective of Mission

We must clarify and construct what we understand about mission when we talk about mission. There is a diversity of beliefs about mission among the churches in Taiwan. In fact, they influence concretely the way that mission is carried out in terms of its role, function, and obligation. For some churches, mission means to proselytize or to help people become Christians. On the other hand, for some churches, mission means to fulfill social justice and is concerned with the care for minority groups rather than personal salvation. The questions are: ―What does the mission in Christ look like? And what are the biblically sound beliefs for wholesome mission?‖

What kind of theological concepts in the Bible are fundamental for a Christian understanding of the meaning of mission? In the following subsection, I will start with the three major perspectives of biblical theology on Missiology, Christology and Ecclesiology, as these inform a discussion of the reformation of society affected by mission.

Missiology

Missiology in this project has a core belief—The mission of the Kingdom of God has its origin in God himself; hence, the Missio Dei is God’s self-fulfillment. ―The Kingdom of God‖ is the core message that Jesus proclaimed and should become the

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message and the goal of mission for Christians. Therefore, ―The fulfillment of the Kingdom of God,‖ becomes the goal and content of doing mission. I truly believe that our society will be changed and inspired when the Spirit of the Kingdom of God is fulfilled just as when light comes to the world and darkness ceases to exist. Society begins to change when churches are baptized by the Kingdom of God and actualize the Spirit of incarnation in the community.

The message of the Kingdom of God is about people’s spiritual needs, about interpersonal relationships, and about justice and peace. The message is about the integrity of persons and families, societies, and all of humanity. Therefore, the Holy Spirit will inspire individuals, families, churches, and societies when Christians proclaim the message of the Kingdom of God.

Therefore, the Church not only needs to do mission, but must actively anticipate the fulfillment of the Kingdom of God in society. All throughout history, it has been human nature for people to pursue and demand a life of fortune. I deeply believe that God’s purpose is to actualize the Kingdom of God in people’s lives. When Christians proclaim and give witness to God’s promise, God’s blessing and change will be done.

Christology: The spirit and theological meaning of incarnation

Christology has been a solemn and basic theological lesson for Christians. Christians and churches come to know the commission and meaning of Jesus’ incarnation through theological reflections on his life, which in turn makes it possible to follow in his steps. Just as Jesus said to his disciples, ―If anyone would be my disciple, he must pick

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up his cross and follow me,‖4 so, for Christians, incarnation is never just a theological concept, but a spirit and an attitude of living.

For Christians, incarnation is when the Son of God is born to save humanity. The Son of Man transforms a godly life into a carnal Jesus, who lives with humanity and becomes the way, the truth, and the life for us. Through incarnation, Jesus shows that the love of God for humanity is the love incarnate or the love of Emmanuel.

The most important meaning of Jesus’ life that the Church has agreed on is to follow the example of Christ. Jesus clearly said that to ―pick up the cross and follow me‖ is the characteristic that disciples need to have. The early church followed Paul’s teaching in this area: ―For whether we be beside ourselves, it is to God: or whether we be sober, it is for your cause. For the love of Christ constraineth us,‖5 to bring truth and life to society. People said that they were a group that turned the world upside down. The event of the Cross is in itself an overturning event, which instills an overturning spirit into the meaning of human existence. Africa has Albert Schweitzer, India has Mother Teresa, and Taiwan has George Leslie Mackay---all of them being representatives of the incarnated Christ. When they proclaimed the salvation and love of God, people not only understood a type of religious belief, but they clearly came to experience the Creator’s love, glory, and authority.

From a Christology rooted in the incarnation, a few important theological claims can be made.

4Matthew 16:24.

52 Corinthians 5:13-14.

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1.) People can experience God: The message of the incarnation places emphasis on ―the presence of God and Truth with us.‖ When Jesus was born, God used the name Emmanuel to declare his will of ―God with us.‖ Those who willingly accept this infant Jesus receive God himself. When people are willing to receive God, they experience God’s authority. Those who draw near to God, God will draw near to them. Those who knock, it will be opened unto them. Experiencing God is an important factor in changing lives. Therefore, helping people experience God is a very important commission in mission.

2.) Christians must carry out the spirit of the faith: Truth is not just found in an abstract belief but also in a concrete life. For some Christians, faith is just an abstract religious belief or moral code. But, for those who really know the incarnated Jesus, faith is truth and life. True mission does not just convey religious thoughts. What is more important is to help people know and experience the legendary God. When Jesus said to his disciples, ―You are the light and the salt of the world,‖ he was emphasizing the essence, the function, and the commission of Christian life. To fulfill one’s own faith is a lifelong endeavor for Christians.

3.) A fulfilled truth or way contains power to transform life and the world: When truth is integrated into life or the world, both life and the world will be changed. Jesus said, ―When light comes into the world, darkness will leave.‖ This is to highlight the fact that when the world experiences truth, it cannot change in regard to people’s beliefs or attitudes, society’s culture or value systems, and its structure and regulations. Truth always has its value and influence. When it is

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being valued and carried out, the world must change. When Martin Luther insisted on presenting his view on truth to the Church, the Church had to change. When Gandhi insisted on presenting his view on truth to the British Regime of the colonized India, the door to change opened.

Taken altogether, the Christology of the incarnation has three assignments that can be fulfilled: 1.) To fulfill the Spirit of the incarnated Christ, 2.) To help society experience the Spirit of truth, and 3.) To participate in God’s plan of changing the world.

Ecclesiology

A church that can assume the responsibility, at the same time carrying out its proper functions, is a church that has a clear self-understanding and claim because having a clear self-understanding has a great impact on the church’s strategy and method of mission. A church’s self-understanding includes its essence, its function, its meaning of existence, and its commission.

Today, the church’s self-understanding comes from two important theological strands, that of the knowledge of biblical theology and that of the early church’s experience of faith and its historical accounts. If the Ecclesiology that the authors of the New Testament emphasized was meditated upon in detail, we would discover that each of the authors had their own understanding. The authors would share part of the same understanding about what it means for the church to be the body of Christ, but would also have their own distinctive claims as well.

In addition, due to differences in perspective when interpreting the Bible and church history, different views about God also arise. For example, different theological understandings would arise from the interpretation of biblical authors, the text, or the

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reader, thus concretely affecting the different claims and emphases that theology has on Christology, the Kingdom of God, and Ecclesiology.6

As we noted earlier, in contemporary (biblical and theological) discussion, there are three different approaches to the Kingdom of God. These approaches are: Kingdom as concept, symbol, and liberation.7 Each one focuses on a particular aspect of the Kingdom depending on the initial point of reference. However, as different as they may be, they are complementary, rather than mutually exclusive.8

Moreover, the first approach of ―Kingdom as concept‖ can be described as author-centered. Its question is: What did the authors of the Bible mean by the concept? The second approach of ―Kingdom as symbol‖ can be described as text-centered. Its question is: What does the text itself mean and say today? And the third approach of ―Kingdom as liberation‖ can be described as reader-centered. Its question is: What does the phrase Kingdom of God have to say to the concrete situation of utter oppression and exploitation in which we now find ourselves?9

For instance, the knowledge that Karl Barth has on biblical theology shows his understanding of the Church’s systematic theology. Also, Dietrich Bonhoeffer addressed his view on the Church when he faced the principle of righteousness in the German Church. During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the American and European churches promoted overseas mission, which stemmed from their sense of mission.

6Fuellenbach, 54-64.

7Ibid., 54, 63.

8Ibid., 54.

9Ibid., 64.

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During the twentieth century Latin American churches promoted a liberated ecclesiology in response to despotism and injustice in their contexts. Other factors that influenced the Church’s self-understanding include the feminist movement and other movements that cared for the HIV positive gays and lesbians, and people’s rights, in general.

Keith A. Russell talks about the different forms of ecclesiology that the New Testament authors pointed out. In his book, In Search of the Church, Russell notes the emphasis that Matthew gave to ―the righteous manager of God;‖ that Mark gave to ―a chosen fellowship;‖ that Luke gave to ―the sign of the Kingdom of God;‖ that the Apostle John gave to ―a defiant fellowship;‖ that Paul gave to ―restored fellowship;‖ and that the Apostle Peter gave to ―the home of the homeless.‖10

Today’s Church has a lesson to learn about doing theological reflection on the Bible and church history so that she can have a whole and correct understanding of what it means to be the body of Christ. The Church is a fellowship that has been called out as well as a group of people who have been sent into the world. There needs to be more reflection on Jesus’ expectations for today’s Church, one that would enable the Church to play a better part in her role and mission and to bring out the best-suited function for her. With this in mind, in November 1985, the PCT drafted a contextualized creed after careful theological reflection. The PCT’s statement on ecclesiology declares the following:

We believe the Church is the ecumenical fellowship of the people of God, called to proclaim salvation in Jesus Christ, to be messengers of peace, to root down locally, to identify with all the residents, and to become a sign of hope through love and suffering.

10Keith A. Russell, In Search of the Church: New Testament Images for Tomorrow’s Congregations (Bethesda, MD: Alban Institute, 1994).

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There are a few important roles and functions that pertain to the Church of Christ today:

1.) The Church is a letter from Christ to modern people: She is Christ’s messenger that proclaims truth and life. This letter of life brings light into darkness. Saint Francis once said, ―Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace . . . where there is darkness, let me sow light.‖ Jesus converses with the soul of the Taiwanese people through the churches and Christians in Taiwan. It is through these dialogues in truth and spirit that the Taiwanese come to know the heart of Jesus. If the Church can bring about blessings to the Taiwanese, it would be the same as introducing the eternal Morning Star who is Christ Jesus to the people.

2.) The Church is Jesus Christ’s messenger of salvation: She shares the benefits of the Gospel. Regardless of our experiences with the Gospel, Christ wants us to receive the benefits of the Gospel. Therefore, another commission of the Church is to share the new life that comes form God. A hundred years ago, missionaries brought western medicine and education to Taiwan. It was through these that the people of Taiwan were able to know Christ and experience transformation in their lives. What would be the Gospel that the Taiwanese need today?

3.) The Church is a life partner from Christ to modern people: Using the concept of the good neighbor, Jesus commands his followers to become good neighbors to the lonely and the troubled. When Jesus told this story of the Good Samaritan, he highlighted interpersonal relationships. In an era that

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values privacy, it is worth examining whether or not the life relationship between people is one based on love. The Church is not just a group of sanctified people; it is on that in order to establish a castle of morality and faith separates itself from the world.

4.) The Church is the first fruits of the Kingdom of God that testified to its promises and blessings: The disciples of Jesus were the first group that experienced the promises and power of the Kingdom of God and were the ones that he sent out to make invitations to attend the heavenly banquet, to testify and to share the Gospel, and to change the world. The Kingdom of God is controlled by God and is a Kingdom that reveals his life. Today’s Church is like the early church where, on the one hand, she partakes in the banquet of Jesus and, on the other, becomes the invitee of the banquet.11 The Church of Taiwan is sensitive to particular socio-political and diplomatic experiences, which makes the Kingdom of God the desired Promised Land for all who are in the dark. That is why when Christians build churches, we aim for a definitive goal, that of ―actualization of God’s Kingdom and building koinonia.‖

In summary, the Church has a few important missions to fulfill. First, she needs to become the messenger of Christ to proclaim truth and life. Second, she needs to assume the role and share the benefits of the Gospel. Third, she needs to become the life partner of contemporary men and women. And lastly, she needs to testify to the promises and blessings of the Kingdom of God.

11Choan-Seng Song, Jesus, the Crucified People (New York: Crossroad, 1990). See especially Chapters 9-10.

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Mission for Social Transformation

Biblical definition

There are a few theological thoughts in the Bible that may help us ponder the meaning of missionary and social revolution. God said to Abraham in the Old Testament, ―All nations will be blessed through you.‖12 Jeremiah prayed for the city.13 Isaiah mentioned the promise of liberation.14 Jesus asked his disciples to be the salt and light of the world, as we have already seen. The Christians in Acts were people who changed society.15 First Peter talks about the role and commission of Christians.16 Revelation talks about the promise of the new heaven and the new earth.17

Moreover, when we pray, ―Thy Kingdom come,‖ and believe what we pray, then we need to believe that God’s sovereignty is real and is part of our Reformed conviction.18 As God’s people are seeking to fulfill God’s purposes, the significance of a transforming agenda lies in recognizing the possibility of the holy commonwealth and organizing the faithful community as the harbinger of the commonwealth. Let us start with the theological thought of Christ who proclaimed the Kingdom of God and make

12Genesis 22:18.

13Jeremiah 29:1-7.

14Isaiah 61:1-3.

15Acts 17:6.

161 Peter 2:9.

17Isaiah 66:22; Revelation 21:1.

18Walter Brueggeman, ―Agenda for Transformation,‖ Church & Society 83, no. 3 (January/February 1993): 3.

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reflections on the value and goal of the core of mission. Let us make the spirit of the Kingdom of God our blueprint for building an ideal society.

Moreover, the theology of the Kingdom of God can encourage Christians to become involved in social transformation. As followers of Jesus, we need to pay attention to what Jesus said, ―Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets. I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.‖19 Jesus actualized the love of God in order to fulfill the law.

Reflection fulfilled

Based on these theological reflections and observations, a few missiological ideas can be emphasized:

1.) The proclamation of the Kingdom of God and the proclamation of truth: Although the evangelist that the Bible talks about makes his or her primary mission the proclamation of the Word of God, the proclamation of ―the Word of God‖ and of ―the message of the Kingdom of God,‖ sometimes means the same thing when speaking about the proclamation of truth. When Christians dedicate themselves to proclaiming the Word of God, they transform the Word into the truth that this age needs. Truth sets people free. Its light shines in the darkness, showing people a way out of it. The proclamation of truth is able to illumine the heart and contribute to the transformation of society.

2.) Missionary and Social Reformation: Transformation is a fact of life. We are born, we age, and we die. Species mutate and evolve. Civilizations rise and

19Matthew 5:17.

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fall. Change is a constant of human existence.20 Transformation is our fate. Ever since the early church, Paul, Peter, and the company have been labeled as agitators in society. The truth is the message that Jesus and the Apostles proclaimed directly impacted Jewish values and traditions. Even though many of them laid down their lives as a result, it was done for the sake of sowing seeds of social revolution. Political agendas typically seek power to change and control future events, but if religious communities wish to contribute to the socio-political agenda, they must learn how to play secular politics like any other competing group. When churches mention the name of God, they cannot help but talk about God’s essence and God’s characteristics. When we talk about God’s love, righteousness, and goodness, in reality we have already proposed a challenge to the value system of today’s society. Repentance and return have been important theological topics discussed in the Bible. If Christians infuse the spirit of repentance and reflection into society and give advice about unrighteous laws and systems, in the end, they may start a social revolution.

For example, a group of Christians who in the eighteenth century opposed slavery in England spent 36 years to successfully abolish the article that condoned slavery in the British constitution. Martin Luther King, Jr., who in the 1960s fought for human rights for African Americans, aroused the spirit of nation and the American people. The Presbyterian Church in Taiwan in the 1970s also proposed solutions for the diplomatic crisis. Even though at the

20Theodore H. Erickson, ―Notes for a Theology of Transformation,‖ Church & Society 83, no. 3 (January/February 1993): 5.

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time it suffered great oppression, in the end the PCT brought great advances to the cause of democracy in Taiwan. Social revolution is not restricted only to politics, but also involves human nature and culture.

3.) Fulfilling the law of love: Jesus brought about social revolution by fulfilling the law and by walking out in love. It is suffering in the manner of Jesus, joining God through incarnational accompaniment of and involvement in creation’s suffering, so as to turn us all toward life rather than death. This compassion is the central disposition of a life-centered ethic for our time. Jesus came to fulfill the law. Therefore, Christians must also walk in faith, hope, and love in order to stand in the gap of the era. There is a popular folk song in Taiwan called, ―Mend the Tear.‖ This song was written as the result of the melancholy history of Taiwan and it emphasizes the spirit of hope and the importance of trying one’s best to mend the brokenness of the world.

4.) The promise of a new heaven and a new earth: New heaven and new earth is an eschatological promise and should be the goal of mission. In God’s Kingdom, there is a new order for things and new life.21 Ched Myers mentioned, ―Mission for the New Social Order,‖ in this book.22 Based on Mark’s socio-political view, Myers talks about Jesus re-establishing the order of society. He also talks about John’s view on mission: a.) Jesus proclaimed the new order of the Kingdom of God through healing illnesses—an order that

21Ecclesiastes 3:1-11, 17; 2 Corinthians 15:23.

22Ched Myers, Binding the Strong Man: A Political Reading of Mark's Story of Jesus (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1988), 444.

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included faith, law, and power and b.) Jesus emphasized the healing and the re-establishing of the new order of society by teaching the message of the Kingdom of God.23

The manner of person in mission

As God’s mission was incarnated in Jesus, so the mission of the Church must come alive both in the life of every believer and in the community. What does this mission mean for the Church, as we consider the integrity and faithfulness of the global mission efforts? In particular, what manner of life is demanded of those who feel called to missionary service? What does the present context in the world and in the Church call missionary servants of the Gospel to be? What biblical images will the Spirit choose to shape and guide those persons who go on mission in the generation? What words and images most adequately convey what God is requiring of the Church’s servants in mission today?

In the earlier years of mission activity, the dominant images were pioneers, explorers, founders, evangelists, teachers, healers, and church leaders. As the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), with its partner churches, struggled toward deeper understandings of their relationship in Christ and Christ’s mission with them, they tried to explore and use new and old biblical images—images, which must reflect those emphases in the Gospel that God is bringing to bear on our churches in this generation. The images must enhance the life and integrity of the receiver as it does the giver. These images are:

23Mortimer Arias and Alan Johnson, The Great Commission (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1992), 41.

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1.) Partner and Partnership—The root meaning of the word ―partner‖ is koinonia, normally translated as ―fellowship‖ or ―communion.‖ The early church to denote believers who shared in the benefits of Christ’s grace adopted it.

2.) Disciple and Discipleship—The word ―disciple‖ need to be re-examined as a missionary word in this generation. In general, it has been used to refer to one personally attached to Christ and growing in faith and Christian behavior; it is equally important in the development of a missionary’s life and work. It will not longer be adequate only to talk of missionaries ―making disciples,‖ but also of being disciples. Missionaries should never cease to learn, not simply of the graces of the Christian life, but also of the purpose of God in the culture and history of the people among whom they live and serve.

3.) Diakonia—The word diakonia, meaning ―service and ministry,‖ is often identified solely with the office of deacon. However, a vast ministry of compassion to those in need has represented it.

4.) Co-Worker—The mission co-worker image is one that resonates with partner, disciple, and diaconate language. This has been a crucial concept in the developing of a true partnership between those who were once described as senders and receivers in mission. To deepen our awareness of the unity of all believers in Christ, it is essential to demonstrate in every possible way that all those in mission are working together with God and with one another.

5.) Compassion—Here is another term, biblical in concept that expresses a vital element in contemporary missionary service. In its root meaning, it refers to those who ―eat bread together.‖ As one of the elemental ways of sharing life,

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eating together can denote the most profound sharing and personal communion. Jesus as the companion was recognized in brokenness. One can retrace Jesus’ story to discover that this is part and parcel of his life and mission from the beginning. Brokenness is a reality that speaks to every person in our world. Its pain and consequence are felt among rich and poor, young and old, oppressed and free.

Human Development and Social Development: Theory and Its Practical Ministry

What is Human Development?

What is authentic human development? How is development defined? What are its goals? And what strategies should be adopted to pursue it?

According to Webster’s Third New International Dictionary, the term ―human‖ means: 1.) of or related to man, characteristic of man, 2.) being a man, consisting of a man, and 3.) characteristic of or relating to man in his essential nature. The term ―development‖ means: 1.) the act, process, or result of developing; the state of being developed; a gradual unfolding by which something (as a plan or method, a living body) is developed, 2a.) the whole process of growth and differentiation by which the potentialities of a zygote, spore, or embryo realized; broadly and b.) the differentiation of an ecological community or a natural group.

―Human development,‖ therefore, can be defined as: 1.) human (individual or corporate) life development (including the body); 2.) the concept of development may have three different levels of meaning—development as improvement, development as growth, and development as change. The idea of ―development‖ was originally synonymous with ―growth,‖ and has been criticized as inadequate to express fully the

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reality of promoting human well-being through social transformation.24 Gordon K. Douglas, a consulting economist, indicated that ―Hope for a Global Future‖ was moving ―toward a Just and Sustainable Human Development.‖ He quoted Denis Goulet’s article and emphasized that ―To be authentic, the goals of sustainable development must reflect each society’s value systems: its traditional beliefs, meaning system, local institutions, and popular practices.‖ This means that the chief elements of sustainable development –economy, society, politics, culture, ecology, and a ―full-life‖ dimension—are likely to differ widely among nations and peoples.25

Development might generate multiple value conflicts.26 The first conflict is over the meaning of a good life. The second conflict bears on the foundations of justice in society. The third set of conflicts center on the criteria a society adopts to frame its stance toward nature. What are the moral norms when sustainable development is the specific goal? A report done by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) on ―Restoring Creation for Ecology and Justice,‖ lists the following norms: participation, sufficiency, equality, accountability, material simplicity and spiritual richness, responsibility, and subsidiary.

What would just and sustainable human development look like from a Reformed faith perspective? The following principles govern human life in community: sufficient production and consumption, full respect for all human rights, just and effective

24―Development,‖ in Dictionary of the Ecumenical Movement, ed. Nicholas Lossky, Jose M. Bonino, John Pobee, Tom Stransky, Geoffrey Wainwright, Pauline Webb (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Publishing, 1991).

25Gordon K. Douglas, ―Hope for a Global Future,‖ Church & Society 83, no. 3 (January/February 1997): 1-10. Also cf. 25-26.

26Denis Goulet, ―Authentic Development: Is it Sustainable?,‖ Church & Society 83, no. 3 (January/February 1997): 25.

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governance, universal and adequate education, population stability, environmental sustainability and food sufficiency, ethical universality with cultural and religious diversity, dismantling warfare and building peace, equitable debt relief, just and sustainable international trade, more and better development assistance.27

As Fowler has mentioned, during the years of transition, a person must complete the tasks of forming a personality, to think and learn, of shaping values and beliefs and preparing for separation for growth.28 No matter what kind of theory, the most important thing is to encourage and help people to develop (prepare and complete) or redevelop their personality and values. Human growth and development is the authoritative human need. God meets each person at the point of our ―growing edge.‖

When we talk about the existence of life, we mean the behavior, attitudes, values, self-image, world-view, and sense of being. From the biblical perspective, human beings were created in the image of God and should live in the Kingdom of God. It would, therefore, be appropriate to hope that mission and ministry should be a process to help people toward recreation and redevelopment of life and to help people recover the image of God.

The following are theories on life and human development examined from different angles.

Dynamics of Faith and Human Development

27Douglas, 4-6. ―A policy statement adopted by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in July 1996.‖

28James F. Fowler, Stages of Faith: The Psychology of Human Development and the Quest for Meaning (San Francisco, CA: Harper Books, 1995), 111.

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Development theories give us a way of claiming that kind of in-between position. Developmental theories, for Fowler, allow us to speak of the dynamics of change and transformation.29 Stage theories, such as Piaget’s, Kohlberg’s, or Erikson’s, gain their great power by describing predictable changes in human thought and adaptation in largely formal terms. That is to say, they present to us the characteristic patterns of knowing, reasoning, and adapting in ways that describe general features of human growth, applicable to all of us, despite the vast differences we recognize in our temperament, our unique experiences, and the contents and details of our particular life stories. From Fowler’s perspective, developmental theories necessarily depict ―every person’s‖ stories, and he seeks to clarify the development dynamics of faith as part of people’s stories.30

Fowler has indicated the power of the particular images, beliefs, symbols, and themes of people’s faith in the shaping of lives. Even he made a distinction between faith and religious beliefs, while also showing some of their relationships. He named the social and relational dimensions of faith, and also indicated the human trusts and loyalties to other people in the community—and to centers of value and power to which they are also loyal. Fowler indicated two influences of faith: One is the ―Structural-Developmental Theories and Faith,‖ and the other one is the ―Psycho-Social Development and Faith.‖ A Structural-Developmental theory of faith is a model for understanding faith as a way of knowing and interpreting. In this theory, ―faith‖ is the ―structured and systematic‖ knowledge or content.31 Secondary to the psychosocial

29Ibid., 89.

30Ibid., 90.

31Ibid., 89-116.

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development theory of faith, Fowler reaffirms Erikson’s ―ego-development theory.‖ He represents Erikson’s perspectives as: 1.) the relation between biological maturation and changes in social role and 2.) to coordinate both with an account of a person’s conscious and unconscious psychic models of adaptation.32

In this project, not all views from scholars who discuss human development will be used. Rather, this project will use the common theme that they all agree on in order to stress, ―the influence that religious belief has on social development.‖ Being a part of a community of faith, Christians can maintain a humble heart by co-living in the same community with those of other religions. Christians can testify through sharing and conversing with others to reveal the Christian faith. Another meaning of the ―Word become flesh‖ is to allow the belief of truth to encourage human development.

Social Development and Social Justice

In a report on human development done by the United Nations in 2003, there was a quote from Mahbub ul Haq on human development that says the primary goal of development is in broadening people’s choices. Usually people value a great right to education, better nutrition and environment, greater safety, good leisure, and greater freedom to participate in politics and culture. The goal of development is in creating an environment for people to enjoy long life, health, and a life capable of creativity.33

According to report HDR 2003, human development is more important than national economic benefits. Human development consists of creating an environment suitable for people to fully develop their potential and capacity in order to create a life

32 Ibid., Chapter 14.

33Mahbub ul Haq, Human Development Reports, available from http://hdr.undp.org/hd/; Internet; accessed January 2006.

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that would meet their own needs and interests. The people are a nation’s true riches. If the goal of development is to broaden people’s chances for choice, then it must look toward a life that people would cherish. Basically, in order to broaden people’s rights for choice, it is imperative to help them increase their ability to create a good life. The very basics of life are longevity, health, knowledge, rights to a normal life, and engagement in social activities.34

When the United Nations mentioned ―human development,‖ it had in mind the needs of the environment. The basic spirit of community or social development is ensuring that people would live a quality life—a life with dignity, where they can life out the self, and where they can respect and be respected. The objective of community development is to establish and maintain a community that is fully functional, to help residents cooperate with each other to improve their own economic situation and social relationship, and to assist residents to participate in the planning and construction of public buildings.35

However, human development can also be done at a smaller scale. The change and growth of individuals affects the change and growth of society. The desire for change and growth is also part of human nature. There are many pathways to changing life. Among them are education and religious belief. The latter has great influence on people’s value systems and on their view of life. If the Church’s mission ministry could include the nurturing of a value system and life views, it would have an effect on the individual, the family, the community, and the country.

34Ibid.

35Ibid.

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There are a few important theological understandings on the human person: 1.) as the Creation of God, 2.) as the image of God, 3.) as a person in relationship, 4.) as a being of gender, and 5.) having three dimensions of being—body, soul, and spirit.36

To begin with, Christians believe that God created the universe and that humankind is the manager. The Garden of Eden represents the perfection of creation to which humanity hopes to return to. Mission is proclaiming the promise and blessing of the coming of the Kingdom of God. It is trying to build a new world—a new heaven and a new earth.

Second, the theological theme that says, ―God made humankind in his own image,‖ encourages persons to consider carefully their own existence and to rebuild their role and characteristics in the relationship between ―I and Thou.‖

Third, through biblical theology, the individual is able to understand that he/she is not alone and does not live alone. Interpersonal relationship is a very important experience in life, whether between husband and wife, parents and children, siblings, relatives, ethnic groups, societies, nations, or humanity in general, even the community of the children of God. Relationship is a very important outward appearance of the survival process in life, which is based on love. In today’s world, rebuilding a peaceful and loving relationship is a common goal for all and is a relatively difficult mission to accomplish.

Fourth, humanity can view gender issues through theology as well. Even though the relationship between man and woman has been carried out in different forms throughout history, the Bible, in its creation story, touched on gender issues in the

36Lecture by Loren Townsend, at the Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, Louisville, KY, on September 10, 1998.

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husband and wife relationship. This theological train of thought leads into deeper reflections on gender issues, such as marital relationships and marital functions and meanings. Regarding gender or marital issues, what does today’s Church suggest and what is her stance? Perhaps, it is to pursue equality, mutual respect, mutual loving care, and the different gifts of the genders.

Last, but not least, humanity can look through the lens of theology to understand the whole life that God has created. The Bible mentions that God created humankind in three dimensions: spirit, soul, and body. Therefore, when we talk about the growth of life, we must also consider growth in these three dimensions. We call this a holistic human growth. The following is a discussion on holistic human development.

The Theory of Holistic or Total Human Development—

Faith, Personality, and Values

Schools cannot optimize academic performance while ignoring the social and emotional lives of the children they serve. In preparing our youth for happy and productive lives, educators must create learning organizations that recognize and develop the whole child, including the physical, emotional, social, moral, and intellectual. Since learning takes place within relationships that occur naturally throughout the day as people live, learn, and work together, all community members play critical roles in the teaching and learning process. It is my conviction that this theory works between the Church and the community in both children and adults.

Due to the fact that the Bible speaks of the person as a being of spirit, soul, and body, a whole life must have a holistic development. Total Human Development (THD) is an integrated philosophy, psychology, and technology of education and provides the foundation for the entire learning organization. Specifically, THD provides a philosophy

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of learning, levels of respect, levels of responsibility, psychology of learning, and technology of learning.

The following principles will form the THD model’s philosophical foundation:

1.) Developing the Whole Person within the Whole Community—Research indicates that developing the whole person includes the physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual. We define our ―whole community‖ in terms of the areas in which we live (residential), learn (classroom), and work (athletics and other co-curricular activities).

2.) Learning Occurs Within the Context of Relationships—Relationships, whether faculties to students, students to students, or faculty to faculty, provide the essential foundation for all learning. Research shows that the relationship of the teacher or coach to the student will impact the child more than any other factor. Research shows that all learning begins with the learner’s frame of reference. Adolescence is a distinct developmental period of growth and change and requires specific pedagogical approaches. Being understood by significant others, including peers, teachers, and coaches, is the most cited concern of adolescents.

3.) Learning Through Modeling: Social Learning Theory—The Social Learning Theory states that one way people learn, more so than through the actual class, sport, team or win/loss record, is through relationships. Thus, a teacher who states that effort, honesty, respect, responsibility, and sportsmanship are important goals must model those goals or risk modeling incongruity. People learn by watching others. Teachers, parents, and coaches provide models for our students. One of the most powerful forms of teaching and learning is through role modeling

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and imitation. Most of our early childhood learning comes form the imitation of significant adults in our life.

4.) Learning Through Rewards and Punishments: Behavioral Learning Theory—The Behavioral Learning Theory states that another way people learn is through constructive reinforcement, which includes rules, rewards, and consequences. Rules support the core values that any community deems important. Young people need structure and boundaries within which to test themselves. The rules of an athletic game are a good example to follow because they are clear, consistent, and, ideally, have immediate consequences. The way our actions are rewarded or punished has the strongest influence on our future behavior. Since influence and shaping can be for better or worse, it is very important that we are guided by values and policies, which reinforce healthy growth and development.

5.) Learning Through Dialogue: Cognitive-Developmental Learning Theory—The Cognitive-Developmental Learning Theory advocates learning through respectful dialogue. Dialogue stimulates thinking by relating facts and concepts that encourage learning. Many psychologists have become interested in how people process information, both about themselves and also the world around them. They consider the manner in which people perceive, remember, think, and make use of information. The ability to communicate or to engage in dialogue provides insight into the distinctive processing capability of each person, thus allowing insight into his or her individual.

Organizing the People for Social Action

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In this rapidly changing and ever more complex world, the Church suffers a crisis of leadership. Ford sees the growing dearth of bold leaders—in the marketplace, religion, and public life. Ford, in his book Transforming Leadership, calls Christians to be transformational leaders.37 Ford presents leaders in a variety of roles: as strategist, seer, seeker, servant, struggler, and sustainer. Maybe one of the primary missions of the Church is to be identified, developed, and networked as the leaders for Christ’s cause around the world. Is it possible that the Church could be a leader or organizer of social transformation and development?

The Church can be the force behind social revolution and people’s organization. The purpose of organizing the people is to gather the strengths of the people to achieve a state where the strong are just and the weak are safe.

The main reason why problems arise is usually due to the violation of the values, feelings, and rights of the people, including freedom, democracy, righteousness, safety, and environmental protection. When those in power purposely avoid these issues, and the public voice supports policy change, organizing the people to take social action is necessary.

In the process of Taiwan becoming a democracy, one can see the power that organizing the people can bring. Whether it is for socio-economic-political issues or for laborers rights, or for community rights, one finds that the Taiwanese people of today recognize more and more the strength and influence that organizations can bring.

37Leighton Ford, Transforming Leadership (Downer’s Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press, 1991).

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During the 1970s, when the Taiwanese longed for liberty, democracy, and justice, a group of overseas Taiwanese and local pastors began to promote Urban Rural Mission (URM) training. The goal was to train organizers of social movements. After 20 years of training, 1,000 pastors and grass root social activists promoted social movements, democratic movements, and people organizations. Some of the trainees later became county majors, senators, national congressmen, and local congressmen. It is evident that the URM training had a certain level of effect on the democratization of Taiwan.

If we agree that the fulfillment of the promises of the Kingdom of God was one of the goals of mission, then we ought to look at the relationship between proclaiming the belief of the Kingdom of God and organizing the people. If fulfilling the Kingdom of God was to include social justice and peace, then we would find that social actions seeking after righteousness and peace and mission are in congruence with the mission of the Kingdom of God. It was recorded in a meeting where the board of the Asia Committee for People’s Organization (ACPO) celebrated their tenth anniversary that, ―The purpose of the association is to provide people organizations for the transformation of the nation, thus giving people an opportunity to influence and make decisions for their own public matters.‖38 Sometimes, Christians can also play the role and mission of organizer, organizing the people to contribute to freedom, democracy, justice, and the making of constructive criticism of society.

Organizing the People

The meaning of becoming an organization

38Felipe E. Maylay, and Kim Yong-Bock, Review of URM Experiences in Asia and Future Challenges to the Asian URM Movement, available from http://www.locoa.net/program/COSchoool/Cohistory1.htm; Internet; accessed January 2006.

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For Paulo Freire, ―organization‖ is a process in which leaders and people together experience true authority and freedom, which they then seek to establish in society by transforming the reality, which mediates them.39 For the dominant elites, organization means organizing themselves. For the revolutionary leaders, organization means organizing themselves with the people.40 Organizing the people is the process in which the revolutionary leaders, who were also prevented from saying their own word, initiate the experience of learning how to name the world. The leaders cannot say their word alone: They must say it to the people.41

Si Kahn indicated that ―organization‖ means that people stay together in order to do things well.42 While it is difficult for one person to release power, many people together are able to release enough power to change the present situation. Through the process of organization, people can learn new things relevant to their lives, regaining dignity where they have been mistreated.43They begin to fully utilize their skills and abilities, working with others to influence, to speak up, and to fight back those who oppress them. Through becoming organized, people begin to discover the self. They become clearer about who they are, where they come from, what their background,

39Paulo Freire, Pedagogy of the Oppressed, rev. ed. (New York, NY: Continuum Books, 1993), 159-160.

40Ibid., 158.

41Ibid., 158-159.

42Si Kahn, Organizing: A Guide for Grassroots Leaders (Silver Spring, MD: National Association of Social Workers, 1991), 1.

43Ibid., 1-4, 6.

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history, and culture are.44 In the process of becoming organized, people discover what the rights are worth fighting for. In this process, people learn the art of cooperation, the mode of group action, the importance of collaboration, and the meaning of mutual support. This knowledge and experience constitute the beginning of obtaining authentic power.45

Power in becoming organized

There is a saying, ―Unity is power.‖ The aim of organizing the people is to gather the strengths of the people to achieve a state where the strong are just and the weak are safe.

Today, power is in the hands of very few well-organized institutions, where the individual within holds an abnormal amount of rights to make decisions that affect an entire community’s life.46 In addition, these minority right holders have a great amount of financial advantage. It is the norm that revolution does not start by itself. When we look at history, we see that most advancements took place due to people’s organizations.47

We believe that through organizing the people, rights are correctly used so that the cooperatives and the enforcers can maintain an agreeable relationship. Organizational

44Ibid.

45Ibid., 1-4, 7.

46Ibid., 3.

47Ibid., 5.

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development (OD) is a response to change that has humanistic assumptions and values.48 To promote organizational health and efficiency, OD seeks to modify the prevailing organizational culture—activities, sentiments, beliefs, and values.49

Although we recognize that power can, and sometimes, is an end goal, its basic use is instrumental.50 Power is a part of all organized behavior. Organizational power politics permeates all organizational action. Using power is valuable to us as a means to achieve some desired future action in others. It is an instrument; that is, people use power as an aid to achieve their intended results.51 Power is a part of life. It is manifestly a part of interpersonal behavior in most social situations. People are always interacting within group settings to secure goals and desired results.52 Power is simply the individual capacity to gain people’s own aim in interrelationship with others, even in the fact of their opposition.53

As with any other tool, we can use power for ―good,‖ that is, for social developmental purposes, or for ―bad,‖ that is, for personal aggrandizement. Adolf Berle (1959) contends that power is refuge from chaos in that it organizes and rationalizes human behavior. All organization members use power to secure their goals, not just by

48Charles R. Milton, Human Behavior in Organization (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1981), 418.

49Ibid.

50Gilbert W. Fairholm, Organizational Power Politics: Tactic in Organizational Leadership (Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers, 1993), xviii.

51Ibid., xvii.

52Ibid., 6.

53Ibid., 7.

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the leaders, supervisors, and managers whom we traditionally view as powerful people. All people control scarce resources of some type in negotiating agreement among related individuals. Effective power use secures both organizational and personal goals in most, if not all, organizational action.54

In recent years, due to the advancement of democracy and the acceptance of freedom of speech, more and more people of Taiwan became willing to join in different organizations. Whether it is a political organization, a union, or an association, people were able to obtain rights through the powers of the organization. For the first time in the year 2000, the Taiwanese people passed legislation authorizing political parties and the people’s organizations and experienced a rotation of political parties, thus changing the political situation under the rule of the Kuo-Ming-Tan (KMT) for more than half a decade. In 1980, the first labor union was established, giving workers an understanding and opportunity to utilize organizational power. In 2000, the residents of Lan-Yu came together in unity to oppose nuclear power byproducts dumped on the island and successfully got Taiwan Electric to remove the waste. In 1990, Taiwan began to promote community development movements, each community establishing their own organization. Although the powers exhibited differ from organization to organization, the Taiwanese people began to have a better understanding of the importance of the powers of organization.

The type of power people are seeking is not one that would do anything to reach its aim but is one that would give them the rights and powers that they deserve. The famous statement by Lord Acton says, ―Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts

54Ibid., xviii.

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absolutely.‖55 I believe that the Church ought to stand by the people and care for the rights of the underrepresented and the vulnerable. The meaning behind organizing the people is in stopping the inappropriate behavior of those in power. The Church can become the enhancer of social revolution and a people organizer; hence a ―Change-Agent‖ or an ―Organizer‖ in order to create a society where the strong are just and the weak are safe.

Making Disciples for Social Transformation

The Church has an educational mission to prepare the member of the koinonia and to nurture them in faith, so that they may grow in their faith and be enabled to function as full members of the community, both for witness and service. I believe that the Church should be called to bear the ―Educational Mission.‖56

The definition of Christian Education is:

a process to achieve his or her full potential as a human being—physically, socially, mentally or psychologically, intellectually, as well as spiritually so that the person will grow into maturity of faith, witness, and service in Jesus Christ, which is manifested in the daily life in the community of faith as well as in the society at large.57

When the Church prays for the coming of the Kingdom of God, she should at the same time teach the people and herself the Christian way of living including the ―value‖ of the Kingdom of God, which is the foundation of koinonia, the new community. The

55Ibid., 5.

56Judo Poerwowidagdo, Towards the 21st Century: Challenges and Opportunities for Theological Education (Geneva, Switzerland: World Council of Churches, 1995), 21-23.

57Ibid., 21.

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educational mission of the Church is part and parcel of the function of the Church as koinonia, and therefore an integral part of the mission and service of the Church.58

If we look at church history, we would see that the existence of the Church is not for the sole purpose of conducting activities and doing mission. The Church exists also for social change. She educates as well as proclaims truth. Even in its early decades, Christianity impacted the Greco-Roman world.59 Not only that, one can see in the history of Christianity its influence to induct and to renew the world. Just as Philippians 2 says, ―And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby; or, in himself. And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.‖ I am convicted that a person who has had firsthand experience of the Gospel, that is, someone who has become set free in truth, would definitely become a medium for good in society.

58Ibid., 23.

59Acts 17:6.

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Kennon L. Callahan emphasized the concept of ―The Minister as Enabler.‖60

A philosophy of life based on developmental stages tends to create an understanding of the nature of leadership that focuses on an enabling and development-process approach.

Moreover, Allen J. Moore provides a social theory or foundations model for religious education. In his book, the reader can take one giant step forward in thinking through both the responsibility and the possibility of the educating for social transformation. The key role of religious education in defining the church’s ministries of social change is powerfully demonstrated in Moore’s book.61

60Kennon L. Callahan, Effective Church Leadership: Building on the Twelve Keys (San Francisco, CA: Harper, 1990), 38, 52.

61Allen J. Moore, ed., Religious Education as Social Transformation (Birmingham, AL: Religious Education Press, 1989).

Process

Theology

of Church

Developmentalism

Philosophy

of Life

Development stages

Culture trends

Enabler

Nature of Leadership

s

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The Educational Role of the Church

Church as educator

The understanding of ―church as educator‖ comes from the concept of ―God as educator,‖62 Jesus as the enlightened teacher, and Holy Spirit as the director or the life-giving Spirit.63 Furthermore, we can recognize that the teaching of Jesus is about the reality and meaning of life, hope for the future, personal relationship, and the judgment of value. Such education shall be offered to serve both the church and society.

Freire indicates three different types of churches in his books.64 They are the traditionalist church, the modernizing church, and the prophetic church. According to Freire’s view, the traditionalist church is still intensely colonialist. It alienates the oppressed social classes by encouraging them to view the world as evil. Moreover, he indicates that the modernizing church alienates the oppressed in a different way, by defending the reforms that maintain the status quo. Finally, the prophetic church is a utopian, prophetic, and hope-filled church. It rejects all static forms of thought and accepts becoming in order to be. Because it thinks critically, this prophetic church cannot think of itself as neutral, nor does it try to hide its choice. The prophetic position demands a critical analysis of the social structures in which the conflicts take place.

62Gerhard Kittel, ed., Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, vol.5 (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1971), 608. ―There is a concept in the Old Testament that Yahweh presented Himself as the educator of His people.‖

63Jurgen Moltmann, Theology of Hope (London, England: SCM Press, 1967), 211.

64Paulo Freire, The Politics of Education: Culture, Power, and Liberation (New York, NY: Bergin & Garvey, 1985), 130.

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First of all, I want to indicate my conviction that Koinonia-Education is a strategy for social transformation.

What is an authentic definition of Koinonia-Education?

Koinonia is a term with no precise Hebrew counterpart in the Old Testament and rare even in the Greek translations of Israel’s scripture.65 There was no Greek concept of, or network for, ―friendship‖ in Israel. The root koinwv- therefore has no exact equivalent in Hebrew; the closest is the root, rbx, to ―join together, bind, unity.‖66 The liguistic meaning of the Greek term Koinonia is ―association, communion, fellowship, close relationship;‖ ―generosity, fellow-feeling;‖ ―sign of fellowship of gift;‖ or ―participation, sharing.‖67 Furthermore, it has several theological understandings in the New Testament:68 1.) Koinonia as ―to share with something;‖ 69 2.) Koinonia as ―to give someone a share in something,‖ and 3.) Koinonia in the absolute, as ―the fellowship.‖

Combining the whole understanding of the concepts, we can say that ―Koinonia-Education is ―Growing up together through Koinonia-Education,‖ ―Hoping for the future through Koinonia-Education,‖ ―Learning how to share and serve through Koinonia -Education,‖ and ―Building up the community/partnership through learning together.‖

65Thomas F. Best and Gunther Gassmann, eds., On the Way to Fuller Koinonia (Geneva: World Council of Churches, 1994), 38.

66 Kittel, vol. 3, 800.

67F. Wilbur Gingrich, Shorter Lexicon of the Greek New Testament, 2d ed. (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1988), 18.

68Kittel, 804-809.

69―The Manner of Persons in Mission: Five Biblical Images for Today’s Mission Servant,‖ Church & Society 84, no. 1 (September/October 1993): 44. ―It was adopted by the early church to denote believers sharing in the benefits of Christ’s grace.‖

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John Dewey summarized his entire educational philosophy this way,

I believe, finally, that the teacher is engaged, not simply in the training of individuals, but in the formation of the proper social life. I believe that every teacher should realize the dignity of [her or his] calling; that [he or she] is a social servant set apart for the maintenance of proper social order and the securing of the right social growth. I believe that in this way the teacher always is the prophet of the true God, and the usherer of the true God.70

If Koinonia-Education is a strategy of social transformation, what is its content? If we expect a social transformation toward a just social order, what should we do through Koinonia-Education? I will discuss these thoughtful questions in the following section.

Educational ministries of the church and liberation

Freire tries to analyze the educational role of the church. He views the fact that it cannot be politically neutral. Christ was no conservative. The prophetic church, like him, must move forward constantly, forever dying and forever being reborn. In order to be, it must always be in a state of becoming. Thus, the educational role of the prophetic church must be totally different from that of the other churches.

Education must be an instrument of transforming action, a political praxis at the service of permanent human liberation. It cannot avoid making a choice. When they insist on the neutrality of the church in relation to the history or to political action, they take political stands that inevitably favor the power elites against the masses.71 In

70Thomas Groome, Educating For Life: A Spiritual Vision for Every Teacher and Parent (Allen, TX: RCL Company, 1998), 192-193.

71Ibid., 122.

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committing themselves to the oppressed, they begin a new period of apprenticeship. We can only experience rebirth at the side of the oppressed by being born again, with them, in the process of liberation. The choice will condition its whole approach to education—its concept, objectives, methods, processes, and all its auxiliary effects.72

Educating for Life

The most wonderful blessing from the teaching of Jesus is support of life and the encouragement of people to be human beings and the children of God. What Jesus has offered to the people is real life. It includes freedom, strength, direction and truth, light, hope, meaning, and eternal life.

Thomas Groome stated his convictions this way. He holds that the substantial aspects of Christianity that could lend themselves to a humanizing philosophy for teachers and parents could nurture their spirituality, and ―the substantial characteristics of Christianity can be woven together into a life-giving philosophy, so, too they can suggest a humanizing approach to education.‖73

Educating the reasonable wisdom—thinking for life

Biblically and philosophically, wisdom that engages the whole person is located in time and place, i.e., in tradition and community, and encourages integrity between knower and knowledge, so as to become wise.74 Wisdom is the realization of knowledge in the life-giving ways—for self, others, and the world.75 Wisdom presents educators the

72Ibid., 130.

73Ibid., 16-21.

74Ibid., 288.

75Ibid.

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task of not only informing, but of forming and transforming learners in who they are and how they live, that is, in their character.

How can teachers and parents educate for wisdom? What are the ways of knowing that encourage becoming wise? A wisdom epistemology invites educators to a deep passion for truth—to pursue it, to live it, and to teach it.76 Thomas Groome indicates fifteen ways that educators can use to weave together a wisdom epistemology.77 They are the following:

1.) Establish persons as ―subjects‖ of knowing.

2.) Prompt people to use all their human capacities.

3.) Help people to learn from their own lives in the world.

4.) In giving access to tradition—the humanities, arts, and sciences—favor wisdom.

5.) Welcome everyone—Wisdom educators welcome every person to participate fully in the teaching/learning process.

6.) Engage the very ―soul‖ of people—Wisdom educators encourage persons to reach deep into themselves.

7.) Encourage relational ways of knowing.

8.) Create a community of conversation.

9.) Mentor learners in critical reflection—to discern what is true and false, good and evil, beautiful and ugly and to consciously make responsible decisions.

10.) Encourage social analysis.

76Ibid., 429.

77Ibid., 289-298.

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11.) Nurture the contemplative.

12.) Promote responsibility and commitment.

13.) Be intentionally political—for freedom.

14.) Foster lifelong learning.

15.) Unite theory and practice.

Educating to do justice: to be the social change-agent

In the Hebrew faith, justice is an absolute mandate because God is just and those in covenant with the God of justice must live justly. God ―is the God of justice‖ (Isaiah 30:18) who ―secures justice and the right of all the oppressed‖ (Psalm 103:6). God delights in the realization of justice (Jeremiah 9:23), loves it (Psalm 99:4), and hates injustice (Isaiah 61:8).

And God relates with humankind, not as a blindfolded judge balancing a scale to measure our legal merits, but with compassion, mercy, and loving-kindness, with largess and munificence. Justice with compassion is a special mandate toward those most in need of it—the ―poor.‖ People of the covenant are to imitate God’s ―option‖ for the poor and oppressed. As God works, so should God’s people. In the Hebrew Scriptures, the consequence of living in a right relationship with God, self, others, and creation is shalom. The Hebrew understanding of Mlv evolved over the centuries to form a sense of personal safety to a social meaning of public harmony marked by the absence of war and by right relationship among humankind and with creation.78 In Jesus’ life and preaching, his central passion was for the reign of God. Likewise, it was the touchstone of his commitment to justice and peace.

78Ibid., 36.

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The church’s social teaching about social justice reflects both the natural law tradition of philosophy and the biblical mandates of peace and justice.79 Social justice pertains to the responsibility of society to create structures that protect the dignity of all and allow each member to participate according to needs, talents, and choices. Social justice condemns every kind of discrimination on any basis (sex, race, ethnicity, class, orientation, religion, or condition) and every structural arrangement (legal, economic, or political) that exploits or excludes anyone from full participation in society.80

To educate for justice invites teachers and parents to a personal passion for justice.81 They are teaching in an environment that should be marked by right relationships. They must teach for justice at every level of human existence that can make a personal option for the poor themselves by special care for learners who need extra help and encouragement.82 Groome suggests that educators need a personal passion for justice, must be just with those they educate, and need to care for ―poor‖ learners.83

79Ibid., 370.

80Ibid., 373.

81Ibid., 429.

82Ibid.

83Ibid., 381-385.