Journal: Conspectus
Volume: CONSPECTUS 34:1 (Oct 2022)
Article: The Contemporary "Missio Dei" Paradigm And Its Expression In The Global South
Author: Richard Otiso

Conspectus 34:1 (October 2022) p. 20

The Contemporary Missio Dei Paradigm And Its Expression In The Global South

Richard Otiso

Lutheran Evangelical Association of Finland

About The Author

Rev. Richard Otiso is currently working as a church minister at the international Lutheran congregation of Luther in Helsinki, Finland under the Lutheran Evangelical Association of Finland. He is also pursuing a doctorate degree in theology at the South African Theological Seminary. He completed his master’s degree in Sociology from the University of Eastern Finland and a bachelor’s degree in Divinity from Tumaini University in Tanzania. He has worked in Finland as a missionary to immigrants for almost a decade. Additionally, he has planted three international congregations in Finland. Otiso has authored four peer-reviewed papers on the subject of migration, religion, and social integration in Kenya and Finland. He is married with children and his family lives together with him in Helsinki, Finland. [email protected]

This article: https://doi.org/10.54725/conspectus.2022.2.2

Abstract

For a long time, the Global South has been unprepared for the ecclesiastical responsibility of mission work that has been naturally part of Christianity in the Global North. This could be so because, traditionally, Christianity has been introduced in the Global South through mission work. This article examines the contemporary Missio Dei paradigm and its expression in the Global South. It begins by explaining the development of the concept of Missio Dei and proceeds to elaborate its expression and reception in the Global South. It is generally considered that to understand the paradigm of Missio Dei in the Global South, it has to be viewed through ecclesiological structures native to the Global South. Concurrently, I seek to answer this question: what is the theological implication of Covid-19 for the African Church, and which strategies are being employed to mitigate the condition within the Global South? This paper undertakes a qualitative methodology in which a systematic literature review is conducted from the available scholarly sources that leads to both theological and missiological inferences. Additionally, an extensive analysis of the concept of Missio Dei will be conducted as it relates to the Global South, demonstrating that the Missio Dei paradigm has shifted very significantly in the Global South, transforming the region from traditionally receivers of mission work to active participants in mission work. The Global South is now ready for both home and diaspora mission work. Findings and recommendations from this paper will be beneficial for current and future scholars in both theological and missiological fields.

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