7a. Colonial Churches in Transition

Question 1

Lesslie Newbiggin

Answer 1

A missionary in the Church of South India who challenged the western church’s disunity. He basically said, “how can we call people to a Jesus that brings all people to himself when we’re not living that out?”. We have no credibility.

Question 2

comity agreements

Answer 2

Agreements in the 19th and 20th centuries between churches. This gave specific churches the right to specific areas, thereby reducing the likelihood of sheep stealing. But it didn’t work for churches who weren’t invited into the agreements to begin with. These agreements often didn’t take into account tribal distinctions in areas.

Question 3

What is the importance of the World Missionary Conference taking place in 1910?

Answer 3

It took place BEFORE the fall of colonialism and didn’t take into account the “sleeping giants” that were Africa and Asia.

Question 4

John Mott

Answer 4

Chairman of the World Missionary Conference of 1910. He challenged those present to forget about denominational and national lines, and reminded them that Christianity could be a reconciling force if the did.

Question 5

Simon Bolivar

Answer 5

Revolutionary in Venezuela. Bolivar brought independance from Spain to Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Columbia and Bolivia. The region was called the Federation of Gran Columbia. He was influenced by Roussaue, who said that humans were good, but that inequality and injustice came because of science and agriculture. Bolivar believed in a social contract between government and education to address those problems.

Question 6

“El Liberator”

Answer 6

Simon Bolivar

Question 7

Pan-Americanism

Answer 7

Simon Bolivar’s vision to unite Latin American countries.

Question 8

United Provinces of Central America

Answer 8

Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Costa Rica. They gained independence in 1821.

Question 9

neo-colonialism

Answer 9

A new form of colonialism in which countries like the United States, England and Holland began to take over entire industries in other countries. It’s an economic colonialism.

Question 10

concordats

Answer 10

agreements that the Catholic Church made with local governments, usually in partnership with the rich and wealthy, to give it special privileges. This made Protestant expansion harder.

Question 11

What was the most famous concordat?

Answer 11

The San Salvador concordats. This agreement between Rome and El Salvador said that Catholicism would be the State religion of the country. The state would provide salaries for the clergy, and in return would have freedom in appointing people to the church. The Church had the right to purchase property, and the state could not take it away. In return, the state could tax the church. This concordat is famous because many other ones followed that were modeled after it.

Question 12

What was the result of concordats on Protestant churches?

Answer 12

They could not own land, obtain building permits, and conduct worship services.

Question 13

Ewe

Answer 13

A people group that was created by the German Bremen Missionaries out of 120 tribes. The Bremen were interned during WWI and replaced by the English and the French (Protestants and Catholics).

Question 14

What were some of the issues that Mugabe raise with the World Council of Churches?

Answer 14

1. The church “ceded” out God to colonialism in Africa. He begins to talk about the messed up things of colonialism.
2. He was evicting white families, and giving the land to those who were rightful owners. His argument was that a few whites owned most of the land, when the poor blacks had nothing. He didn’t think it was right. He asked the churches to back up his land reform.
3. Forgiveness and National Debt. Other countries are charging high interest rates, widows are still going on without food.
4. International conflict within the African conflict. Asked for churches to help.
5. Acknowledged the HIV/AIDS epidemic. 21% of the adult population had the virus in 2001.

ended with a call for greater cooperation between denominations and the church and the state.

Question 15

East India Company

Answer 15

The British, itself extremely antagonistic to missionary intrusion into the region, began working in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka during the 18th Century. By the middle of the 19th Century, it had become so powerful that it completely dominated the area. In 1858, the British Parliament intervened, and through a simple legislative act, wrested control of the region from “the company and placed it directly under the British crown.”

Question 16

Robert Mugabe

Answer 16

President of Zimbabwe

Question 17

Essay 2. The colonial era came and went in Latin America, Asia, and Africa. Please discuss the three most significant similarities and the three most significant differences in these the colonial encounters within these three contexts in such a way that you could explain it to your church’s mission board.

Answer 17

Look at answers on paper.

Question 18

Essay 3. The post-colonial era has produced many challenges for Christians in the regions of the world previously viewed as colonies of Western governments. What do you consider to be the three most pressing challenges facing the churches in these regions today? Why do you view them as “pressing”? What do you consider to be the three most hopeful opportunities facing the churches in these regions today? Why do you view them as “hopeful”?

Answer 18

Look at answers on paper.

Question 19

Essay 4. Given what you have read from President Robert Mugabe’s address to the 8th Assembly of the World Council of Churches in 1998, what would be your analysis of it? Describe it in the words that you would use if you were to tell your congregation about it. In what ways were his appeals for cooperation between Church and State different and in what ways were they the same as you would have found under the former Colonial government in Rhodesia / Zimbabwe?

Answer 19

1. The church “ceded” out God to colonialism in Africa. He begins to talk about the messed up things of colonialism.
2. He was evicting white families, and giving the land to those who were rightful owners. His argument was that a few whites owned most of the land, when the poor blacks had nothing. He didn’t think it was right. He asked the churches to back up his land reform.
3. Forgiveness and National Debt. Other countries are charging high interest rates, widows are still going on without food.
4. International conflict within the African conflict. Asked for churches to help.
5. Acknowledged the HIV/AIDS epidemic. 21% of the adult population had the virus in 2001.

ended with a call for greater cooperation between denominations and the church and the state.

It’s different in that it’s on this end of colonialism, but he’s still going back to asking the Europeans for help. He criticizes the way that the church and the state worked together in colonialism, and now he’s asking them both for help. In a sense he’s asking them to take responsibility, but you can’t trash people that you’re asking help for. Also, he’s very prophetic. What he’s saying is true, but you probably aren’t going to be heard.

Question 20

Essay 1. Based upon your reading as well as the material covered in this lecture, you should be able to identify at least three contributions that colonial churches made in different regions around the world. You should also be able to identify how these contributions continued or were transformed with the decline of colonialism and the emergence of newly independent governments. Identify the items mentioned and discuss the relative merit, of the changes that have occurred since independence (1) for the churches themselves, and (2) for the projects they initiated under colonial rule.

Answer 20

NEED info from the readings:

Pg. 166. Education.

2. Concerned for the oppressed. You have Liberation theology and a mixed bag of people taking sides all throughout history. Issues of humanity are always being asked, even from the beginning. You have De Las Casas on one side, and Sepulveda on the other. But that’s one example of the mixed bag. You also have a Catholic Church who pimped itself to the State with concordats, and a Protestant church that felt the consequences.

Question 21

Oligarchy

Answer 21

An oligarchy is a government in which a select few, generally wealthy landowners and/or those with business interests, dominate the rest of the people.