Papers by Rick Kronk
Themelios, 2022
The task of missions has been at the forefront of the purpose of the Church ever since Jesus’ cla... more The task of missions has been at the forefront of the purpose of the Church ever since Jesus’ clarion call to “make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). Whereas the history of missions reads like a hodge-podge of success (i.e. the Moravians) and failures (i.e. The Crusades), research by groups such as the Joshua Project shed light on the progressive advance of the Gospel. Despite marked difficulties in penetrating certain blocks of the remaining unreached (most notably in India and some Muslim contexts), mission efforts continue to adjust to socio-political opportunities and obstacles in an effort to close the gap on what remains of the task.
Evangelical Missions Quarterly, 2023
The task of making disciples of all nations as given to the Church
by Jesus in Matthew 28:18–20 r... more The task of making disciples of all nations as given to the Church
by Jesus in Matthew 28:18–20 remains unfinished. This is due, in
part, to historic misunderstandings of the gospel (such as during
the Crusades) and fierce opposition to the Christian message
(such as the case in many Muslim contexts today). But there
is another key reason why this has not been completed: the
Church – especially the Church in the West – has exchanged a
simple command to go and make disciples of all nations for a
complex, mystical experience commonly referred to as “calling”
or more specifically, the “call to missionary service."
The phenomenon of dreams and visions in conversion accounts of Muslims is increasingly present in... more The phenomenon of dreams and visions in conversion accounts of Muslims is increasingly present in missionary reports and testimonials. What is perhaps less well known is that the phenomenon of dreams and visions as vehicles of divine communication is well documented in both Old and New Testaments. In the case of Saul of Tarsus and Cornelius (Acts 9/10) dreams/visions serve prominently in the conversion narrative.
" Though people of honor-shame are following Jesus more than ever, the fact remains that most peo... more " Though people of honor-shame are following Jesus more than ever, the fact remains that most people in honor-shame cultures remain unreached for the Gospel " (21). Even a brief consideration of the remaining task of World evangelism makes it clear that if the Church is ever going to see a completion of the Great Commission it must find a way to effectively communicate the Gospel and conceive of the church in such a way that accommodates an honor-shame worldview paradigm. This book by Georges and Baker is an attempt to suggest how the Church could just that. The first two chapters set the stage for an applied practical theology of a redeemed honor-shame paradigm which is detailed in chapter 3. Chapter 1 provides an anthropological explanation and assessment of how honor and shame are expressed in certain cultures in contrast to guilt cultures, which are equated with Western culture(s). Chapter 2 confirms this anthropological foundation by surveying honor-shame as expressed in Old and New Testament examples, with particular emphasis on Jesus' life and ministry. Chapter 3, the bulk of the proposal, provides an extended discussion of how honor-shame applies to the author-defined categories of practical ministry which include: spirituality, relationships, evangelism, conversion, ethics and community. In each case, a redeemed honor-shame paradigm is argued to serve as a legitimate, if not superior vehicle of the Christian faith. Despite the helpful defense of the legitimacy of a redeemed honor-shame paradigm as essential to the future of the Church's global witness and constituted life of faith, the author's attempts to legitimize the paradigm sometime go too far. For example, though the contrast of cultures which are dominated by an honor-shame worldview with Western, guilt cultures is a helpful one, the assumption that a common " Western " culture can be articulated with any sense of precision is debatable and that it can be equated with " guilt " culture, begs the question. Secondly, the suggestion that the ultimate outcome of the missio dei (135) is restored human honor misses the point widely. The objective of the missio dei is restoration of the uninterrupted worship of God. Honor, which is intrinsic to God, is attributed to His creation as a result of its being restored to do that for which it was created. Finally, whereas the authors rightly conclude that " the goal of discipleship is not to pivot people from a shame-based morality to a guilt-based morality, but rather is to transform people's notions of honor and shame so they align with God's " (211) is accurate, they offer little in the way of suggesting how this transformation takes place. Behind honor-shame responses to life are deep-seated values (what is important) and beliefs (why these are important) which need a spiritual overhaul (Romans 12:1-2). The timeliness of this book by Georges and Baker cannot be missed in light of the current global migration crisis which primarily involves those from homelands steeped in honor-shame cultures. As the Church in the West is increasingly exposed to ministry opportunities with those of an honor-shame worldview, it cannot ignore the appeal by the authors to allow a redeemed honor-shame paradigm to serve as an appropriate category for Gospel proclamation as well as a suitable relational pattern for life in the Church.
The phenomenon of dreams and visions as a mode of divine revelation has been documented widely in... more The phenomenon of dreams and visions as a mode of divine revelation has been documented widely in historical Jewish, Christian and Islamic contexts. Despite the effects of Enlightenment rationalism which has relegated the phenomena beyond theological credibility for many in Western Christian circles, Muslims retain an active interest in and expectation of divine communication mediated through dreams and visions.
Conference Presentations by Rick Kronk
Religious conversion is a multi-faceted process complex process which is affected by social, cult... more Religious conversion is a multi-faceted process complex process which is affected by social, cultural and religious elements. Attempts to explain conversion of Christians of Maghrebi Background via active agent and passive agent conversion theories, do not account for the social costs associated with conversion nor for the lack of crisis as a precipitating cause. In contrast, relational-experiential conversion describes an observed pattern of that takes into consideration the critical elements of the conversion process.
Book Reviews by Rick Kronk
Seedbed, 2022
Leading Multicultural Teams provides an honest assessment of the potential benefits and challenge... more Leading Multicultural Teams provides an honest assessment of the potential benefits and challenges associated with serving on and leading multicultural teams. Through a collection of personal anecdotes, cultural theory and team-specific research, the authors weave real-lite experience with both theoretical and biblical principles to establish a framework for successful multicultural teams.
An overview of evangelistic ministry as applied to guilt, shame and fear cultures. The author, Ja... more An overview of evangelistic ministry as applied to guilt, shame and fear cultures. The author, Jayson Georges, makes a compelling case for the need to adjust the evangelistic approach based on the alignment of the audience with its particular relationship to guilt, shame or fear.
The place of the Qur'an in the Islamic experience all but overshadows the means by which the text... more The place of the Qur'an in the Islamic experience all but overshadows the means by which the text is believed to have come to Mohammad over the course of its 23 year revelation: a divine vision. Such an auspicious means of depositing the divine message was not lost on Mohammed who, not long before his death, urged his followers to continue to pay attention to dreams and visions. As a result, elaborate interpretive schemes were developed across the Islamic world in an effort to capture the divine message.
Drafts by Rick Kronk
The biblical notion of calling remains an important aspect of how individuals understand where th... more The biblical notion of calling remains an important aspect of how individuals understand where they fit in the world of ministry and how Churches and NGOs evaluate qualified candidates. Since the time of Calvin, individual calling has been understood as a two-part phenomenon in which the individual first perceives a Divine urge to pursue a particular role (known as the inner or secret call) and, secondly, is invited to fulfill that particular role by a local Church or NGO. Over time, calling has become associated in the West with 1 st world career choice theory which results in the exclusion of members of particular social groups who lack social mobility for one reason or another. Research from prominent evangelical organizations indicate that despite the theoretical equality of all in the eyes of God, mission agencies reflect massive underrepresentation from particular social demographics-especially people of color and the disabled; groups that lack social mobility in Western societal contexts. Reconciliation in missions must consider the impact of the contemporary understanding of calling and how it functions in the vetting of ministry candidates. In particular, Churches and NGOs must consider the implications of what it means to evaluate ministry candidates apart from a definition of calling which is more reflective of Western career theory than the biblical notion would suggest.
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Papers by Rick Kronk
by Jesus in Matthew 28:18–20 remains unfinished. This is due, in
part, to historic misunderstandings of the gospel (such as during
the Crusades) and fierce opposition to the Christian message
(such as the case in many Muslim contexts today). But there
is another key reason why this has not been completed: the
Church – especially the Church in the West – has exchanged a
simple command to go and make disciples of all nations for a
complex, mystical experience commonly referred to as “calling”
or more specifically, the “call to missionary service."
Conference Presentations by Rick Kronk
Book Reviews by Rick Kronk
Drafts by Rick Kronk
by Jesus in Matthew 28:18–20 remains unfinished. This is due, in
part, to historic misunderstandings of the gospel (such as during
the Crusades) and fierce opposition to the Christian message
(such as the case in many Muslim contexts today). But there
is another key reason why this has not been completed: the
Church – especially the Church in the West – has exchanged a
simple command to go and make disciples of all nations for a
complex, mystical experience commonly referred to as “calling”
or more specifically, the “call to missionary service."