A study of language, theology and praxis from the UK and Ireland perspective

John Clark, Martin Lee, Philip Knights, Janice Price, Paul Rolph,

Anne Richards, Nigel Rooms

The Task

The task of this study group is to explore how a Trinitarian understanding of God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit relates to the theory and practice of mission; how the confession that God has a missionary identity impacts Christian witness; how a discernment of the Trinitarian God´s inner relationships and love impacts ecclesiology, community life and society.

Hypothesis

Academic and theological task Hypothesis is that what is said

publicly about the theology of mission by UK and Ireland churches, agencies and institutions does not necessarily match up with the mission practice, understanding and outworking of those same bodies.

Research in Three phases

Website search for public language about mission; NVIVO analysis of that language and semiotic analysis of sites

Survey using theological statements In depth interviews with participants

about their responses

National churches and agencies (GMN/GC/BIAMS)

Local churches in Nottinghamshire BIAMS conference members

Websites – NVIVO analysis ‘Transformation’ ‘Sharing’ ‘Equipping’ ‘Community’ ‘Fellowship’ ‘Supporting’ ‘Creation’ .

Some Website straplines

Sharing Jesus, Changing Lives Christian Care for Families A Community Centred on Christ for the New Evangelisation For People and Community Informing, promoting and inviting all Christians to respond to today’s mission Where a little goes a long way Growing leaders, growing churches

Websites (Semiotic analysis)

Websites Theological language not so important Pictures, stories, welcome, portal

devices send important messages More attention needed concerning

underlying meanings of images and web constituents

Some emphasis on the committed rather than the casual visitor

Can public language about mission be upheld in practice?

Survey

Statements about mission

Origin and Purpose of God’s Mission

Kingdom, Mission and Church

Who best does mission?

Evangelism and Mission

Mission and Development

Mission and Improving Lives

Mission and Other Faiths

God at work through….

Mission and Proclamation

Mission and Sin

Mission and Salvation (two statements)

Mission and Church (essence of the Church)

Mission and Church (function of the Church)

Mission and Partnership

Mission Outcomes

Mission Priorities page

Survey

Strongly agree Agree Neither agree nor disagree Disagree Strongly disagree

Challenging process but fruitful because the statements had to be addressed.

Survey results– emerging themes Desire to agree with ‘mission’; resist disagree ‘Good’ language (transformation, reconciliation,

hospitality, love) strongly affirmed Negative language (confront, condemn) resisted ‘Justice’ – deeply problematic Reflection on complex issues causes some shift Theology is weak driver The Church is missionary, but mission is not ‘to’

or ‘into’ church

‘positive’language

‘Negative’ language

Theologically difficult statements

Justice

Survey process- emerging themes Process helps people start to think about

the complexity and messiness of mission

Need to contextualise, root ideas in story

‘It depends what you mean…’ Is and ought Struggle to respond Leadership questions – does the team

think?

BIAMS

Mission as missio dei Mission as transformation Mission as proclamation

Interview process

Exploring: 13 Questions overall Experience of filling in the survey:

agreement and disagreement ‘Don’t know’ Problem of Justice

Authority, Trinity, Understanding of God Theological ‘position’: (Bevans and Schroeder)

Proclamation Missio Dei Justice

Comparison of theology and mission priorities

The Interviewees

Local 9 Anglicans, 2 Baptists, 1

each of Methodist, URC, Salvation Army, RC and Pentecostal.

13M 3F – 1 non-white British

Local Clergy in the main with some with denominational roles.

National 11 in total – 3 Churches, 8

Mission Agencies 4 Mission agencies in

Global Connections Network

Rest from GMN network Some issues with

interviewee not being the survey respondent

In-depth interviews –local headlines Clergy universally convinced of the

local missionary task as core purpose of the church

Some evidence of receptivity of Missio Dei, but only some – an “adoption distribution curve”?

Many want to hold to a holistic approach while a majority when pressed will prioritise proclamation of Christ

In-depth interviews: national headlines

Leadership tensions & representation: difference between churches and agencies

Awareness of Missio Dei (esp. agencies) but not foremost driver

Desire to root things in theological reflections and story

‘justice’ as problematic word ‘holistic’ emerges again

Further Analysis –mission drivers Wide range of understandings

of mission Congregations lag behind Authority for mission – Mt.

28:19-20 Institution as a drag as well as

driver

Further Analysis: Justice

In local churches not much enthusiasm part of the whole Justice as simple charity In national interviews Justice as a means

to an end ‘’holistic’ – a “get out jail free” card?

Further Analysis: God of Mission

In Local Churches one third very clear only two give a fully Trinitarian answer one third thrown by the question –

silenced for some time and then talk about mission in general

spirituality of mission is missing here Nationally little evidence of spirituality in

mission

Conclusions

Public mission language does not match mission reality

Websites have hidden potential that is probably not realised

‘Mission’ has common assent but prioritising action in mission is difficult

Most response to relational language and themes

Resistance to negative, separating language Theology is a weak driver, mostly Matthew 28.19 ‘Justice’ is a problem Need to contextualise what mission is in

experience Gap between leadership and ordinary Christians

Outcomes

Process just as important as results and felt to be useful so production of:

Tool for web analysis and thinking about design for mission messages

Adaptations of the survey for different constituencies to do mission audit

Template of questions for discussion or interview for mission reflection