Professional Documents
Culture Documents
1
Kirsteen Kim, Mission in the Spirit: The Holy Spirit in Indian Christian Theologies (New Delhi: ISPCK, 2003), 16.
2
Kim, Mission in the Spirit, 65-66.
3
Stanley J. Samartha, “The Lordship of Jesus Christ and Religious Pluralism,” in Christ’s Lordship and Religious Pluralism,
edited by Gerald H. Anderson and Thomas E. Stransky, C.S.P. (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1981), 25.
4
Eeuwout Klootwijk, Commitment and Openness: The Interreligious Dialogue and Theology of religions in the Work of Stanley J.
Samartha (Zoetermeer: Uitgeverij Boekeocentrum B.V., 1992), 308.
5
S. J. Samartha, One Christ - Many Religions: Towards a Revised Christology (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1995), 149.
His understanding of mission is also closely tied to his understanding of the Holy Spirit. In explaining
his understanding of Mission, Samartha said, “God‟s mission cannot be limited by temporal factors, and
while the mysterious action of the Holy Spirit cannot be bound by visible communal walls.”6 Samartha calls
for substituting the word “mission” with “witness”. He believes that using this word would help Christians to
proclaim the Lordship of Jesus Christ in their ministry and at the same time help them to convey the message
of hope to people who struggle with diverse issues and situations.7 On this issue he emphasized that in a
world which is religiously plural the mission of the Church is not to convert people to Christianity but to call
them to enter the Kingdom of God.8
6
S. J. Samartha, Courage for Dialogue: Ecumenical Issues in Interreligious Relationships (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1982),
163.
7
Samartha, “The Lordship of Jesus Christ and Religious Pluralism,” 34.
8
P.N. Benjamin, “What‟s Genuine Conversion?”
http://www.christianaggression.org/item_display.php?type=ARTICLES&id=1097604623 (6-7-2010)
9
Samartha, One Christ — Many Religions: Toward a Revised Christology, 148-149.
10
P.N. Benjamin, “What‟s Genuine Conversion?”
11
S. J. Samartha, “Indian Realities and the Wholeness of Christ” Missiology: An International Review, Vol. X, No. 3, July, 1982,
309.
12
Is Samartha‟s Concept Relevant to the Christian Mission in North America?3-4
http://www.oxford-institute.org/docs/2002papers/2002 (8-7-2010)
13
Stanley J. Samartha, “The Lordship of Jesus Christ and Religious Pluralism,” 25.
14
Stanley J. Samartha, “The Lordship of Jesus Christ and Religious Pluralism,” 27.
15
Sebastian Kim, “The Debate on Conversion Initiated by the Sangh Parivar, 1998-1999”
http://www.ocms.ac.uk/docs/Sebastian%20Kim%20lecture20040921.pdf (6-7-2010)
God‟s.16 In his perspective, since the revelation of God is present in all religions, to be in Christ is not the
only way to be in God in a religious plural world.17 He further says that “a religion that defines itself to be
true by excluding others is outmoded…. No particular response to or formulation of Truth can claim to be
unique, final or absolute.”18
4- Conversion as change of religion leads to religious and social disharmony:
Samartha argues that conversion as a change from one religion to another leads to communal and social
disharmony. He says that “it seriously disturbs the political life of the country by influencing the voting
pattern of people. Why should then Christians be surprised when the very word mission and conversion
provoke so much anxiety, suspicion and fear?” 19 According to him it creates disturbance and unrest in the
course of a smooth running of a society and religion. Quoting Samartha, Eeuwout Klootwijk says that
conversion cuts oneself from the heritage of family, society and relationships. It results in discontinuity of
age-old relationships.20 Samartha argues that at present almost all the other major religions too have their
mission, and if they all start converting the people from other religions, the situation will be very pathetic. 21
5- The mission of the Church is not to make other people Christian but to invite them to enter the
Kingdom of God:
For Samartha kingdom of God is the core message of Jesus‟ life and ministry. He spoke about kingdom from
his first public address onwards. He argues that Jesus‟ mission was to usher in the kingdom of God and call
people to enter into it. From synoptics he cites that Jesus never asked anyone to work for kingdom, but He
asked them to pray for its coming.22 For him there are no set boundaries for the kingdom of God, no rules
and rituals and it is not confined to and exclusively for Christianity. By saying that he seems to mean that
God can establish His kingdom with or without Jesus. He further says that the people of other faiths should
not be considered as recruits to the kingdom of God but as equal citizens and partners with Christ, seeking
together the fullness of Christ in his continuing work of reconciliation and renewal. 23 He even goes further
and says that “Christians in mission need not believe that they always have to give. They also are in need of
receiving from their neighbors fresh insights on the profound issues of life and destiny.” 24 So he says that
mission of the church is to point towards the kingdom of God and in doing so there are many things that
church has to learn from other religions and she should always be ready to learn those.
6- Conversion of religion is not necessary to enter into a permanent relationship with God-
Samartha clarified that wherever the people are transformed by Christ and demonstrate the love and self-
sacrifice in doing good to others, there the reign of God is present and those people are in perfect relationship
with God. He explains that there is no need for those people to be converted to Christianity and be baptized,
because by their character the reign of God is present and they are the people of God.25 Regarding baptism,
in an article entitled “The Holy Spirit and People of Other Faiths,” Samartha points out that “the possibility
of the Spirit being present and active among those who are not baptized, and in communities outside the
visible boundaries of the institutional church, should be left open rather than closed.”26 So for him to be in
relationship with God in His Spirit, conversion from one religion to another and baptism are not necessary.
7- Conversion of religion should not be the goal of Evangelism-
Samartha criticizes the traditional understanding of evangelism which aims at converting the people of other
religions to Christianity. In religiously pluralist country like India he saw the need for a new understanding
16
P.N. Benjamin, “What‟s Genuine Conversion?”
17
Kirsteen Kim, Mission in the Spirit 66.
18
Samartha, One Christ — Many Religions, 104.
19
Samartha, One Christ — Many Religions, 149.
20
Eeuwout Klootwijk, Commitment and Openness, 308.
21
Samartha, One Christ — Many Religions, 150.
22
Samartha, One Christ — Many Religions, 134.
23
S.J. Samartha, The Hindu Response to the Unbound Christ (Madras: CLS, 1974), 15.
24
Samartha, “Indian Realities and the Wholeness of Christ,” 309.
25
P.N. Benjamin, “What‟s Genuine Conversion?”
26
Stanley J. Samartha, “The Holy Spirit and the People of Other Faiths,” in To the Wind of God’s Spirit: Reflections on the
Canberra Theme, edited by Emilo Castro, (Geneva: WCC Publication, 1990), 56.
of evangelism. For him evangelism is “retelling of the story of Jesus of Nazareth, sharing with people the
good tidings about him with joy and humility.” 27 He advocates that the church needs to reformulate its
message which should be relevant to Indian context and soil. Emphasizing this aspect, he further says that “if
the message of the gospel has to become challengingly relevant to human needs today both the credibility of
the Savior and the meaning of the salvation he offers have to be stated afresh”28 In his opinion the meaning
of the salvation and the one who offers the salvation has to be restated, in other words it should address the
present needs of the people.
27
S. J. Samartha, Courage for Witness, Sermon preached on Aug. 4, 1985, at the United Theological College. Bangalore, India.
http://www.oxford-institute.org/docs/2002papers/2002-5Devadhar.pdf
28
Samartha, The Hindu Response to the Unbound Christ, 5.
29
S. J. Samartha, “Indian Realities and the Wholeness of Christ,” 309.
30
S. J. Samartha, “Indian Realities and the Wholeness of Christ,” 311.
31
Is Samartha‟s Concept Relevant to the Christian Mission in North America? 4.
32
http://www.directionjournal.org/article/?1172 (8-7-2010)
33
Samartha, “The Lordship of Jesus Christ and Religious Pluralism,” 30.
34
Vinoth Ramchandra, The Recovery of Mission (New Delhi: ISPCK, 1996), 26.
Bibliography
http://www.directionjournal.org/article/?1172 (8-7-2010)
Kim, Kirsteen. Mission in the Spirit: The Holy Spirit in Indian Christian Theologies. New Delhi: ISPCK,
2003.
Kim, Sebastian. “The Debate on Conversion Initiated by the Sangh Parivar, 1998-1999”
http://www.ocms.ac.uk/docs/Sebastian%20Kim%20lecture20040921.pdf (6-7-2010)
Klootwijk, Eeuwout. Commitment and Openness: The Interreligious Dialogue and Theology of Religions in
the Work of Stanley J. Samartha. Zoetermeer: Uitgeverij Boekeocentrum B.V., 1992.
Samartha, S. J. One Christ - Many Religions: Towards a Revised Christology. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books,
1991.
Samartha, S. J. Courage for Dialogue: Ecumenical Issues in Interreligious Relationships. Maryknoll, NY:
Orbis Books, 1982.
Samartha, S. J. “Indian Realities and the Wholeness of Christ” Missiology: An International Review, Vol. X,
No. 3, July, 1982, 301-317.
Samartha, S. J. The Hindu Response to the Unbound Christ. Madras: CLS, 1974.
Samartha, S. J. Courage for Witness, Sermon preached on Aug. 4, 1985, at the United Theological College.
Bangalore, India. http://www.oxford-institute.org/docs/2002papers/2002-5Devadhar.pdf (6-7-2010)
Samartha, Stanley J. “The Lordship of Jesus Christ and Religious Pluralism” in Christ’s Lordship and
Religious Pluralism. Edited by Gerald H. Anderson and Thomas E. Stransky, C.S.P. Maryknoll, NY:
Orbis Books, 1981.
Samartha, Stanley J. “The Holy Spirit and the People of Other Faiths” in To the Wind of God’s Spirit:
Reflections on the Canberra Theme. Edited by Emilio Castro. Geneva: WCC Publication, 1990.