Context Could Be Only in Our Heads : Theological And Missiological Implications Of Contextualization

Everything depends on context! We hear this expression nearly every day. But has anybody seen the context, touched it, or measured it? What if context is just a construction of our mind? This book addresses the issue of context from interdisciplinary point of view as it relates to Christian mission and theology. The derivatives of the notion "context," such as "contextualization" and "contextual theologies", are perceived as an integral part of missiology and theology by the vast majority of authors. However, a thorough analyses of what "context" means and what consequences are there if one invokes the notion in the mentioned academic fields is missing. Context is found to be a virtually indefinable notion subjected to nearly unlimited kinds of interpretations as well as manipulations. In the light of research findings on the use of context, a return to orthodoxy as the forming paradigm of missional thinking is offered. Instead of introducing contextual theologies, a return to traditional or classical theologies and liturgies is suggested. This eases the tension between the desire to be relevant to particular settings and the concern that the very core of Christianity is not lost.