Modernity and the Everlasting Gospel: Assessing the Newbigin Thesis

Modernity and the Everlasting Gospel: Assessing the Newbigin Thesis I n March 1984 Bishop Lesslie Newbigin, in his Warfield Lectures at Princeton Theological Seminary, proposed a thesis that continues to challenge mission thinkers. The forces of modernity, Newbigin declares, have produced in the West one of the most pressing mission situations of all. What was once known as Christendom has become "a pagan society whose public life is ruled by beliefs which are false." (See "Can the West Be Converted?" International Bulletin of Missionary Research, January 1987.) In this issue, David M. Stowe keys his critique of the New bigin thesis to the question, "What interpretation of the ever lasting gospel communicates most effectively" in modern West ern culture? The Newbigin thesis, Stowe writes, fails to credit the work of God's Spirit in producing the "humanist consensus" and the "democratic consensus." These developments enable modern societies to deal with problems in a much better way than, for instance, resorting to the establishment of an authori tative religion, such as Newbigin apparently advocates. In his response to Stowe's article, Newbigin states that Stowe has misread him in regard to the roles of both religion and science. Furthermore, Newbigin points out, the humanist and democratic movements have not produced the benefits promised but, rather, an unprecendented era of violence. "I stand by my statement," Newbigin declares, "that our culture is-in its central thrust governed by a false creed, namely, that human beings are made for self-fulfillment apart from God, for 'happiness' on terms that they are free to decide for themselves and apart from any con sideration of what may be the ends for which God created us." Charles C. West, invited by the editors to respond. to both writers, maintains that "Their debate at heart is about Chris tology," how God works in the world to bring about the kingdom. He chides Stowe for being too optimistic about the values of modern Western society and of scientific inquiry. At the same time, he observes that Newbigin's polemical vigor may mislead some of his readers; and he is compelled to say, "One would like to see more clearly how biblical reference and the person of Christ inform his analysis." Still, he affirms that Newbigin, "coming with a fresh perspective from a lifetime in India, . . . has done for us a remarkable service. We who live in the Western world are always reading cultural self-analyses. . . . Newbigin has come with the insight of an outsider." Two highly practical articles follow-on the use of computers in mission research, and on the need for precautionary prepa ration by mission communities to cope with threats of terrorism. Christian G. Baeta offers his personal story in our "Pil grimage in Mission" series; and Paul Rowntree Clifford in our "Legacy" series highlights the pervasive influence of Norman Goodall in the London Missionary Society, the International Mis sionary Council, and the wider ecumenical movement. It remains profoundly true that mission issues are never fi nally solved, but must be reassessed by each generation. Dia logues such as found in the opening pages of this issue can help restate for our day the essential relation between the claims of the gospel and the worlds of culture.