The Significance of Alister McGrath’s Scientific Theology for Lesslie Newbigin’s Missionary Encounter with Western Culture
As a returning missionary, Lesslie Newbigin found that his homeland in the West had become more resistant to the gospel than the culture he had left behind. To address the issues this raised, Newbigin developed his missionary encounter with Western culture. His project can be understood to be a uniq...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
2025
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| In: |
European journal of theology
Year: 2025, Volume: 34, Issue: 2, Pages: 271-293 |
| IxTheo Classification: | CH Christianity and Society KAH Church history 1648-1913; modern history KAJ Church history 1914-; recent history KBF British Isles RJ Mission; missiology VA Philosophy |
| Further subjects: | B
Epistemology
B Methodology B public truth B Alister McGrath B Lesslie Newbigin B scientific theology B Missiology |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | As a returning missionary, Lesslie Newbigin found that his homeland in the West had become more resistant to the gospel than the culture he had left behind. To address the issues this raised, Newbigin developed his missionary encounter with Western culture. His project can be understood to be a unique formulation, but it does contain methodological and epistemological weaknesses where Newbigin has been understood to articulate a form of fideism. This article argues that these shortcomings can be addressed by the intellectual structure of Alister McGrath’s scientific theology. Methodologically, McGrath offers an approach that affirms key elements of Newbigin’s approach, namely, a fiduciary approach to knowledge and the missiological significance of Christian doctrine, especially that of the Trinity as public truth. McGrath’s work also provides a critical realist epistemology that suits the requirements of Newbigin’s project and addresses the issue of Newbigin’s perceived fideism. It will be argued that Newbigin’s and McGrath’s projects are mutually supportive. |
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| ISSN: | 2666-9730 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: European journal of theology
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.5117/EJT2025.2.005.ARMS |
