David Bosch

[Backwoods Presbyterian]

Question for the Missionaries and others on if they know who this guy is and what you know of his "methodology" towards missions. We are reading his book "Transforming Mission" for a class at PTS (which is shaping up to be an excellent course) and wanted to hear some thoughts.

I have read his introduction and it sounds quite good.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Guido's Brother]

Bosch is someone to be reckoned with in missiology, especially his Transforming Mission. Here and there he has some good points, but his doctrine of Scripture is weak (he gives too much emphasis to the human element), his take on the Reformation and the Reformers and mission is shortsighted, and his appropriation and application of Kuhn's paradigm methodology reflects his more subjective and relativistic (non-normative) approach to missiology.

Bosch is good as a sparring partner, but there are better places to go for a normative approach to missiology.

 

[Pergamum]

His section on how the Enlightenment has affected missions is excellent.


The whole book is about paradigm shifts. If you are looking for one way to do things, then Bosch isn't for you - his whole thesis is that different historical periods have viewed missions differently.

It is fascinating from a descriptive point of view, seeing how folks in the past viewed their roles...but it is frustrating if one is trying to gain a normative standard of practice from Bosch.


Bosch is also an advocate of "holistic missions" and his very title has a double meaning. He sees missions is intimately related to social transformation and "kingdom work" as opposed to mere institutionalized "church" work. He mentions social justice a lot.


Bosch, due to his belief in "paradigm shifts" emphasizes the changes in each era of missions history; but it would have been much more profitable to pick another thread by which to sew up the history of missions besides "paradign shifts" - a better over-arching theme would have been God's sovereingty, etc, one that emphasized unity and the continuity of our mission rather than how each successive era has redefind and emphasized certain traits.


His section on postmodern and post-colonial missions is interesting.

-----Added 12/4/2008 at 02:20:07 EST-----

Todd Hiestand » The Church as Sent: Five Important Thoughts from David Bosch » Missional Living in Suburban America

Bosch on the church as sent:



Anyways, Bosch writes on page 376 that when we begin to gain an understanding of the church being “for the sake of the world” there are a few things to keep in mind.

The church should be aware of its provisional character.
The church is not the ground or the goal of mission but instead it is an instrument.

The church is not the kingdom of God but rather a credible sacrament.
This is helpful. There is a temptation to forget that the church is a sign of the kingdom of God. It is not the actual kingdom of God, but rather, something that witnesses to it.

The church’s missionary involvement suggests more than calling individuals into the church as a waiting room for the hereafter.

The Church is to be viewed pneumatologically, as “a dwelling place for the Holy Spirit” as movement of the Spirit toward the world en route to the future.

If the church attempts to sever itself from involvement in the world and if its structures are such that they thwart any possibility of rendering a relevant service to the world, such structures have to be recognized as heretical.

He continues to write,

“The church’s offices, orders, and institutions should be organized in such a manner that they serve society and do not separate the believer from the historical. Its life and work are intimately bound up with God’s cosmic-historical plan for salvation of the world. We are called, therefore, to be “kingdom people”, not “church people.”