Theological School of Caution - Missiometrics

      Yesterday I posted on a couple of theologians who throw their support behind the use of statistics for the development of missiological strategies. Here are a couple of well-known theologians who caution against the potential misuse of the science.

Edward Rommen

Edward Rommen correctly argues that missiology is more than just one aspect of its qualities or

disciplines. However, he believes “we must pay attention to the propositions that we are importing into the exercise.”[1] Rommen warns against over-sophistication in our approach to integrating missiology with the social sciences in particular. He suggests that the church has become comfortable in its successful applications of social science for missions, but he whimsically admits “it is amazing what can be accomplished without the Holy Spirit.”[2] His approach is one of caution. And he believes that it can only be remedies through a proper dependence upon the Holy Spirit’s work instead of organizational management.

David Bosch

David Bosch is also cautious in his opinions about the use of statistical analysis in missions. This appears to be partly because of how some have made extreme applications as they integrate statistics and theology or eschatology. He seems to suggest that a strong adherence to an imminent parousia or second coming of Christ has led some to their greatest motive for mission, more so than a love for people. Admittedly, Hudson Taylor was motivated by this premillennial belief, and it did result in his own employment of statistical study. But many missiologists in the twentieth century began to see Matthew 24:14 as an eschatological proof text for doing missions. If the gospel could just get preached to all nations, then the Lord’s return could be hastened. “Some have even borrowed huge amounts of money and mortgaged their homes to invest in evangelization for the purpose of bringing back the King.”[3] A. T. Pierson “estimated the number of pennies and the number of right-hearted evangelists required to bring the millennium.”[4] Thus, statistical analysis became crucial for completing the task of hastening the end. Bosch believes this is dangerous.

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[1] Edward Rommen, 2009. Lecture presented for MIS 9950 PhD class at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Wake Forest, North Carolina, January 7.

[2] Edward Rommen, 2009. Lecture. 

[3] Frank Caleb Jansen, “When Theology, Missiology and Futurology Clash,” International Journal of Frontier Missions 12:1 (January/February 1995), 3. Cited on 19 February 2009. Online: http://www.ijfm.org/PDFs_IJFM/12_1_PDFs/Jansen.pdf.

[4] David J. Bosch, Transforming Mission: Paradigm Shifts in Theology of Mission (Maryknoll, New York: Orbis, 2007), 316–317.