How can the proclamation of the gospel circumvent the requirements and pressure of ethnic identity and in what ways can we respond with the gospel to those who have been affected by 9/11 and the consequent war on terrorism?
The expected outcomes of the work done on this issue were:
- We need to find ways of helping those unreached people groups who believe that by becoming Christian they will cease to belong to their ethnic group. (e.g., Shintoism is regarded as an essential element of being Japanese, and increasingly Hindus in India have developed the nationalistic concept of Hindutva and thereby insist that a real Indian will be committed to Hinduism. In countries with a traditional Buddhist tradition, there is also an increasing expectation that to be committed to one’s nation one must also follow the traditional religious inheritance.)
- Outline ways in which the Christian community can respond as a gospel announcing people following the impact of the 9/11 event in New York and the consequent war on terrorism.
Leadership
Convener:
Joseph D’Souza, India
President, All India Christian Council
Co-conveners:
Minoru Okuyama,
Japan
Pastor and Bible Teacher
Tan Kang San, Singapore
Ernest Chew, Singapore
Vice Chairman, Evangelical Fellowship of Singapore
Facilitator:
Seree Longunpai,
Thailand
General Secretary of the Bible Society of Thailand
Read the Lausanne Occasional Paper (LOP) produced by this Issue Group:
LOP 50: The Impact on Global Mission of Religious Nationalism and 9/11 Realities
(.pdf format; 275 KB)