The Myth of Religious Imperialism?
Mark Noll, in a lecture at Roanoke College, has a tantalizing, but brief, argument concerning the culturally conservative element that follows Christian mission. As Christian missionaries have moved into new cultures, one of the efforts they often make is to translate the Scriptures into the indigenous language. This boon in literature, though, facilitates the writing of indigenous works that otherwise would not have been printed, which maintains space for the culture to survive in a new way. This has mixed results, however, as the translation of the Scriptures also provides material for certain cultural phenomena to continue, like polygamy.
I am not sure what to make of this, but I find it interesting, all the same.
I am not sure what to make of this, but I find it interesting, all the same.
posted by Aaron Perry at
1:27 PM
6 Comments:
SOunds like he is borrowing from the work of Yale theologian, Lamin Sanneh. Sanneh was a Muslim who converted to Christianity after researching the claims about Jesus made in the Qu'ran (!). He then tried to join various churches. ONly the Catholics would baptize him.
Crusty
Noll references Sanneh in the argument. Sanneh is a fascinating character. I heard Vinoth Ramachandra give a lecture on him in which he talked about Sanneh's distinction between Islam and Christianity and the role that each play in preserving the culture they enter. While Christianity has tried to translate the message, Islam's Scriptures can only be read in Arabic.
If reading the Qu'ran and coming to faith in Christ is not evidence of prevenient grace, I don't know what is. ;)
I believe in prevenient grace that is so graciously powerful and resurrecting that it can't be resisted. It's you who doesn't believe. ;)
Crusty Calvin
Ah, but the gift that cannot be rejected is not a gift.
Ah, but a corpse cannot accept or reject a gift. It must first be raised to new life. Only thereafter can it respond in faith.
Ah, Ah, Ah, Ah, I feel this will go on forever bc we both want the last word.
Crusty
I agree that the corpse must be raised. And it is prevenient grace that shows the corpse that it was dead in sin and blind to God, at all. The grace of God restores the ability to choose prior to any participation or consideration by the corpse. This choice itself is always and only enabled by grace and its response is always and only enabled by grace, as well. The difference between some Pelagians who think they are Wesleyan and Wesleyans is that Pelagians think this choice of salvation can come at any point. For Wesley, though, the choice for salvation is presented by God at times he decides.
Is this the last word? I hope not!
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