Missions in Southeast Asia: Diversity and Unity in God’s Design

EMQ » Jul – Oct 2024 » Volume 60 Issue 3

Reviewed by Kimberly A. Hildebrant, master of arts in biblical studies student, South Florida Bible College and Theological Seminary, Deerfield Beach, FL.

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The cultural and historical context of a country is of vital importance in missionary work. Those involved in missions should have an understanding of the history, nuances, and worldview of the culture of those to whom they seek to be a witness. Kiem-Kiok Kwa and Samuel Ka-Chieng Law explain the significance of cultural perspective in an individual’s response to Christianity, which can directly impact the success of missionary work.

The authors provide innovative concepts to transform the readers’ view of mission work and to motivate them to think critically about the methods used in missiology. The book commences with a detailed history of each country in Southeast Asia as it relates to missionary work, political and societal changes, and how this has affected the religious landscape and worldview of each country. The book explains why cultural context is so important in missions, the limitations of the traditional mission framework, and why applying a complex adaptive systems framework would be more successful in reaching non-Western cultures.

Kwa and Law’s traditional mission framework applies the same systems and procedures to every culture it encounters without considering each culture’s unique tapestry of history, cultural practices, and worldview. This can result in a disconnect and disengagement with the targeted culture. This book provides examples of the traditional mission framework producing a reliance and dependency on the missionaries, as well as conformity to the missionaries’ culture and way of doing things that can minimize the importance of the host culture.

A complex adaptive systems framework uses a holistic approach to missions, taking into account the political and religious history of a country and the culture’s particular worldview. This book explains that Christianity is synonymous with colonialism in much of Southeast Asia since colonialism is what first brought Christianity. When Christianity is introduced accompanied by Western ideology to non-Western cultures, acceptance of Christianity leads to a loss of cultural identity which is a hindrance to the further acceptance of the gospel. The authors explain how adopting a complex adaptive systems framework would be successful by introducing Christianity in culturally appropriate ways.

The authors emphasize the importance of using complex adaptive systems in mission work and provide several case studies illustrating for the reader how to critically apply a complex adaptive system framework to their missions context.

This book will benefit those preparing for mission work, those actively engaging in missions, and leaders of mission organizations. This book is innovative and useful for international and domestic mission work. It highlights the importance of cultural sensitivity and cultural identity in the teachings of Christ and provides a framework for effectively ministering to other cultures.

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For Further Reading

Revitalizing Missions on the Cusp of Change: Complex Systems Science Mazeways for Mission Theory amid Twenty-First Century Realities by Samuel K. Law (Emeth Press, 2016)

Soul, Self, and Society: A Postmodern Anthropology for Mission in a Postcolonial World by Michael A. Rynkiewich (Cascade, 2011)

Grassroots Asian Theology: Thinking the Faith from the Ground Up by Simon Chan (IVP Academic, 2014)

Public Missiology: How Local Churches Witness to A Complex World by Gregg Okesson (Baker Academic, 2020)

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EMQ, Volume 60, Issue 3. Copyright © 2024 by Missio Nexus. All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced or copied in any form without written permission from Missio Nexus. Email: EMQ@MissioNexus.org.