Dissertation
Notices
From Princeton
Theological Seminary
Carino, Feliciano.
"Theology, Modernization, and
Ideological Politics: A Study in
Christian Participation in
Contemporary Asian Politics."
Ph.D., 1975.
Foreman, Kenneth Joseph, Jr.
"The Debate on the Administration of
Missions Led by James Henley
Thomwell in the Presbyterian Church,
1839-1861."
Ph.D., 1977.
Frase, Ronald.
A Sociological Analysis of the
Development of Brazilian
Protestantism: A Study in Social
Change."
Ph.D., 1975.
II
Gomez, Hilario Molijon.
liThe Muslim Filipino Rebellion:
Meaning and Challenge to the Mission
of the Church in the Philippines."
Ph.D., 1977.
Kim, Yang-Bock.
"Historic Transformation, People's
Movement and Messianic Koinonia."
Ph.D., 1976.
Rah, Halk-Jin.
"The Political Relevance of Jen in
Early China and Agape in the
Theology of Reinhold Niebuhr."
Ph.D., 1975.
Seunarine, James F.
"Reconversion to Hinduism through
Suddhi."
Ph.D., 1975.
ing Ritual," such aspects as "A Man's
Church," the influence of ancestral and
alien spirits, voluntary polygamy, etc.,
are considered. Many established
churches in Africa are "Women's
Churches," but independent Chris­
tianity does not have this problem. In
Chapter 7, entitled "The Apostles'
Journey," the author deals with the
background history of this church. The
first Passover ceremony was held on
August 24, 1934. In 1953 the church
was introduced into Katanga from
Rhodesia, but it was dissolved in
November 1956 because of the Belgian
Ordinance of 1926 (No. 14), forbidding
"indigenous associations" if they were
considered to be against the civilizing
process of "natives" or to constitute a
"menace" to public order. (Simon
Kimbangu, the founder of the largest
independent Church in Africa, spent
over 30 years in jail in Zaire.)
In Chapter 8 the author discusses
her return with her husband to the
United States and their problems in
adjusting away from the community.
This church with its "autonomy of
leadership at the local level," its flexi­
bility in ritual and belief, related to the
African" soil" but rooted in Christ, has
grown into a strong movement. Chris­
tianity has found expression in the Af­
rican context. Africa has its own ways
and means of Christianizing itself.
This is indeed a valuable contribution
to the fast-growing literature on the
independent churches.
-Gerhardus C. Oosthuizen
Mission in a New World.
By Edgar R. Trexler. Philadelphia:
Fortress Press, 1977. Pp. ix, 86.
Paperback $2.95.
Written by an associate editor of The
Lutheran, this brief survey of main
themes in world mission today should
be useful for lay people and pastors in
all denominations seeking an intro­
duction to the subject.
An initial chapter stresses the de­
velopment of a global village. As
Trexler points out, in spite of all the
talk about First, Second, Third, and
even Fourth Worlds, it is really just one
world. Developing commonalities con­
tinue to move us away from the old
radical differences among societies.
For this very reason missions today
seem less "exotic" and thus less in­
teresting to many. To overcome such
apathy is one of the reasons he wrote
the book, utilizing a wealth of concrete
examples and a number of effective
photographs.
Mutuality and interdependence in .
mission is obviously imperative in
such a world. "Missionary morato­
rium" is discussed briefly, with
reasons for its proposal and the sensi­
ble conclusion that it was intended to
foster" an enlightened sense of inter­
dependence. "
Ecumenical sharing is stressed in a
third chapter, where refreshingly can­
did note is taken of nontheological bar­
riers to unity. Consider this quotation
from Bishop Sundar Clarke of Madras:
"If you ask me when Lutherans will
join the Church of South India, I would
answer, when American dollars stop
coming to India."
A chapter on missionary person­
nel emphasizes. the growing role of lay
people, mostly in terms of service
within established mission programs.
The dramatic decrease in the number
of missionaries supported by "main­
line churches" is properly linked with
tremendous inflation in mission costs
over the last fifteen years, coupled with
static or actually declining income for
mission agencies. The implicit shift
from world to homeland mission is not
analyzed nor explained, nor is the vast
increase in the personnel of indepen­
dent mission agencies.
A chapter on church growth
rightly indicates that the experience of
declining churches in the North Atlan­
tic world too easily hides the realities
of dynamic and expanding Christian­
ityelsewhere.
Very few errors were noticed by
this reviewer. Many more than eight
countries were represented at the
Amsterdam Assembly of the World
Council of Churches, and Ndabaningi
Sithole, the Rhodesian nationalist
leader, is not Methodist but United
Church of Christ.
At times the cascade of illustra­
tions is a bit overwhelming and one
wonders just what they are proving.
David M. Stowe, Executive Vice President of
But as a lively primer on contemporary
the United Church Boardfor World Ministries,
world mission, this book should be
New York City, was a missionary in China
widely read and heeded.
1947 -1950, in Lebanon 1962 -1963, and for­
-David M. Stowe
merly Associate General Secretary for overseas
ministries of the National Council of Churches.
34
Occasional Bulletin