Public Lecture by The Revd Prof. John Barton

How far translations of the Bible should adjust the original text to the culture it’s being read in, and how far they should challenge that culture by refusing to adjust it? This is the dilemma familiar to all translators of any text: formal equivalence or functional equivalence. But biblical translators have discussed it more than most, because the stakes are so high. Good translations of the Bible are after all a tool for evangelism (thus Eugene Nida, the father of modern Bible translations), and must therefore be very accurate, yet also read very idiomatically – an almost impossible goal to achieve.

Register to join, please email: centre@cccw.cam.ac.uk

Book Launch

“Georgina Gollock was one of the most influential women in the formative period of twentieth-century World Christianity. In this volume by Ian Randall, she finally becomes visible. Hidden in plain sight, her life of service to the expanding Protestant mission put her in the centre of the major historical developments of the era through to the 1930s. She held major leadership roles in organizations dominated by men, including male clerics. In a colonial context of British imperialism, colonialism, and trusteeism, Georgina Gollock offered a counter-narrative by emphasizing the leadership of men and women in what we now call the Global South.”

‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations’. (Matthew 28.18-19a).

Reflection

A few days ago, a business leader told me that, when he began his career working for an international mission organization, he was often prayed for at church. But when he later decided to go into business, those prayers stopped. While his decision was faith-filled, his career change meant his fellow churchgoers lost the motivation to pray for him.

My friend’s story had a familiar ring, from the many similar stories I had heard. The implicit message they carry is that seeking to live out your faith in the contemporary workplace, in a familiar culture, is of less interest to God than you becoming a mission professional in an unfamiliar culture, preferably overseas. Explicit grounds for this notion are often found in Jesus’ words cited above: the so-called Great Commission.

This commission deserves the epithet ‘great’. Its weight is signalled by it coming from the mouth of the resurrected Son of God, as his final words at the climactic end of Matthew’s gospel. It is also signalled by it having inspired Christian mission from the days recounted in the Book of Acts until today.

Yet this final commission echoes the first commission – the charge God gives to human beings at the start of Genesis to use their creative abilities as God’s image-bearers to exercise responsibility and stewardship over the world and its resources (Gen 1.26-28; 2.15; 9.1). Just as the final commission has inspired centuries of global evangelism, the first commission (sometimes called the Cultural Mandate) has inspired centuries of global cultural engagement and transformation.

This evangelism and engagement have, moreover, been most effective when carried out in observance of a third great commission. This is the so-called Great Commandment: to love God with our whole selves, and to love our neighbour as ourselves (Mk 12.30-31).

Through his business career, my friend has had significant spiritual and social impact. This serves as a warning to avoid the trap his fellow churchgoers had fallen into, of allowing our love for the Great Commission to be more evident than our love for the Cultural Mandate and the Great Commandment. We need to love all three.

Response

The spheres that constitute human culture include science, the arts, education, politics, healthcare and business. If these spheres have been radically impacted by individuals and groups responding to the first and final great commissions, in keeping with the great commandment, how will this be reflected in our life decisions, and in our work and leisure this week? 

Prayer

Here I am, Lord, send me. Send me to witness, to engage, and to love. Let me do so amongst my neighbours, both far and near.

Written by Peter Heslam, CCCW Senior Research Associate, and Director of Faith in Business

Published also at Faith in Business

We’re excited to tell you about our flagship module, World Christianity and Global Challenges! It’s a new addition to the Contemporary Faith and Belief in Global Context programme run by CTF. This module is a great opportunity for those looking to expand their knowledge on the complex challenges facing Christianity in our globalized world.

The module ‘World Christianity and Global Challenges’ enhances critical and reflective thinking skills related to mission, interfaith dialogue, and world Christianity. Explore different traditions and engage with others’ ideas while presenting your own positions. Expand your understanding of Christianity and its role in addressing global challenges.

This programme is perfect for individuals who are currently involved in ministry and mission-focused organizations. It provides valuable resources and training to help you excel in your work and make a positive impact on the world. Whether you are a seasoned professional or just starting out, this programme has something to offer for everyone. So why wait? Sign up today and start making a difference in the world of ministry and mission work.

Our programmes primarily consist of distance learning, but there is also an option to attend an in-person workshop. The World Christianity and Global Challenges module is offered in July in Cambridge. If you’re unable to attend in person, don’t worry, as participation online is also an option. We want to make sure that all of our students have access to our courses, no matter where they are located.

Applications are now open. Highly recommend for the 2023/2024 academic year!

Drop us an email at studies@cccw.cam.ac.uk or apply directly at the Anglia Ruskin University website.

*No 4*

Janet Parsons’ background includes many years in Southern Africa but also teaching English for Speakers of Other Languages in Asia and the UK.  In 2009-2011, she trained in South Africa and the U.K. for cross-cultural work in mission.  In 2013, she joined CMS as a self-supporting worker and moved to Africa to teach at Bishop Barham, constituent college of Uganda Christian University. 

Read post *No 1* here.

Read post *No 2* here.

Read post *No 3 here.

Read post *No 5 here.

Dr Kyama Mugambi

Abstract:

Africa is now home to a wide variety of rapidly growing Christian expressions which are rooted in the social and cultural context. A Spirit of Revitalization: Urban Pentecostalism in Kenya offers a localized history highlighting remarkable trends which illustrate the diversity of pneumatic Christianity present on the continent.

READ MORE

Seminar

Speaker

Abstract:

African literature, like African Christianity, is perhaps more vibrant than ever. Mid-twentieth century literary texts, written in the era of political decolonisation, often engage with Christianity in critical, if not negative ways, associating it with European colonialism.

READ MORE

The team at CCCW wish you all a blessed and reflective Easter.

We shall be closed on the two public holidays (Good Friday and Easter Monday)

and look forward to seeing you after that.

“Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him.”  Mark 16: 6

*No 3*

Janet Parsons’ background includes many years in Southern Africa but also teaching English for Speakers of Other Languages in Asia and the UK.  In 2009-2011, she trained in South Africa and the U.K. for cross-cultural work in mission.  In 2013, she joined CMS as a self-supporting worker and moved to Africa to teach at Bishop Barham, constituent college of Uganda Christian University. 

Read post *No 1* here.

Read post *No 2* here.

Read post *No 4* here.