D
DL82
Guest
I just wanted to get people’s opinions on various Protestant ministries I have heard of that work ‘with’ Catholic and Orthodox Churches in Africa, Asia and the Middle East, ‘helping’ them to distribute Protestant Bibles in the vernacular, providing modern Protestant theological training for their ‘ill-informed’ local priests, encouraging evangelism in dangerous areas where long-standing understandings exist with the Muslim majority, etc.
It seems to me that often the intention is basically to create Protestant churches that happen to pray in a way that looks like the ancient liturgical practice of the region, so that people don’t feel they are ‘converting’ or being ‘Westernized’ in their Christian faith. Of course, from the point of view of many of these ministries, denominations don’t matter, so they don’t see themselves as ‘converting’ anyone either.
I still think this is better than going out to openly prozelytise American Evangelical Protestantism among existing Christian populations, and it might increase genuine understanding on both sides if done sensitively. I just don’t know if the sensitivity or the humility are there in practice to respect local tradition and long-standing credal statements. In practice, this approach could make the ‘Latinizations’ of past Roman Catholic interventions in the Eastern Churches look like a drop in the ocean by comparison.
Wondered if anyone, Catholic, Orthodox or Protestant, had any experience or any views in this area?
It seems to me that often the intention is basically to create Protestant churches that happen to pray in a way that looks like the ancient liturgical practice of the region, so that people don’t feel they are ‘converting’ or being ‘Westernized’ in their Christian faith. Of course, from the point of view of many of these ministries, denominations don’t matter, so they don’t see themselves as ‘converting’ anyone either.
I still think this is better than going out to openly prozelytise American Evangelical Protestantism among existing Christian populations, and it might increase genuine understanding on both sides if done sensitively. I just don’t know if the sensitivity or the humility are there in practice to respect local tradition and long-standing credal statements. In practice, this approach could make the ‘Latinizations’ of past Roman Catholic interventions in the Eastern Churches look like a drop in the ocean by comparison.
Wondered if anyone, Catholic, Orthodox or Protestant, had any experience or any views in this area?