The Great Commission and the Non-Christian Religions: A Renewal Approach to Missions in a World of Many Faiths

With the growth of Christian faith around the world as well as a resurgence of Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism in various regions, some observers have predicted a coming “clash of cultures” or “clash of civilizations.” Certainly, if the fundamentalist elements of each of these traditions were in charge, that might well be the case.

However, what if the Holy Spirit were to lead and Christians were to follow in their encounter with other faiths? Or what if at the vanguard of the global Christianity were pentecostal, charismatic and renewal movements with Spirit-filled people engaged in fulfilling the mission of the church? Would that make any difference, and if so, what difference would that make for the encounter between Christianity and the world religions in the twenty-first century?

Regent University School of Divinity, the home of the only PhD in Renewal Studies program in the world, invites your participation in “The Great Commission and the Non-Christian Religions” symposium. Present will be a panel of scholars of Renewal Christianity who will reflect on a renewal approach to the Christian mission in a world of many faiths. Specific presentations will explore the Christian encounter with Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism as well.

There will be something for everyone:

• Pastors, church leaders, and Christian educations will be engaged in an in-depth theological consideration of what it means to live as renewal Christians in a world of many faiths;
• Missionaries and missiologists (theologians of mission) will be challenged to rethink how the church is to respond to Christ’s Great Commission in a pluralistic world;
• Students and scholars (of Renewal Christianity in particular) will interact with leading theologians, missiologists, and scholars in reflecting on the Christian encounter with the world religions today.

Learn more about this symposium by reading about the papers that will be presented and their authors.