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Christian Mission in
the 21st Century University
by
Kyaw Than
The calling of the Christian
in the university world has been seen from varying perspectives by different
generations of witnesses serving as watch-persons in God's world.
In the early days of mission expansion the universities were looked upon as strategic for mission and evangelization of the world. After all, did not the universities preach to the preachers, teach the teachers and govern the governors? In our time we are witnessing radical changes in the academic world, both regarding the character and role of the university in society. Some will say the church has no place in today's university. But we believe that there is a continuing challenge for the church as she seeks to fulfil her mission in these communities.
Since the days of Dr. J. R. Mott, concern for mission to the university has developed and there are a significant number of studies into this question. Over the years emphases have included:
• bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
• finding implications of faith for every branch of study (intellectual discipline) and profession;
• relating faith to the challenges students face;
• re-discovering the nature and purpose of the university/ (true civitas academica);
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• forming teams of
laypersons and theologians to help to develop Christian response to the basic
problems of the times; and
• challenging members of the academic community to consider devoting their lives to the mission of the church in a variety of ministries throughout the world.
We will not be starting de
novo in developing the documentation for this consultation but will draw on the
results of past work, particularly John R Mott's addresses, None Other Gods by
Dr. W. Visser't Hooft, The Task of the Christian in the University by John R.
Coleman, The Abuse of Learning by Bishop Han Lilje, The Crisis in the
University by Sir Walter Moberly and The Idea of a Responsible University by a
group of professors from Asia. These and other publications have kept different
generations of concerned Christians aware of the ongoing and basic challenges.
After the early days of mission to the university a number of new concerns were posed by the events of the second world war. Among many Christian intellectuals there was an indictment of the increasingly centrifugal character of higher education, of its growing professionalism, and of its inability to face the fundamental issues of human life and thought. It was no longer enough to engage in mission to members of the university communities to enable the "manning" of the missionary expansion of the church. What was felt to be needed was a basic re-examination of the nature and purpose of higher education and an exposure of the new idolatries in intellectual institutions. This was the core of Dr. Visser't Hooft's work in None Other Gods. At this time the Hazen Foundation supported the exploration of Christian perspectives on the disciplines and the publication of A. J. Coleman's The Task of the Christian in the University.
During the later
period, which may be described as "the third" for purposes of our
reflection, Asian Christian professors meeting in
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the ability to reflect on the "what for" of the
"know-how." They articulated a concern that while the university
should nurture persons for different types of service to the emerging nations,
the temptation of the state to dictate the purpose of higher education was to
be examined and resisted where necessary. This may be referred to, for our
purpose, as the salient emphasis of the third period.
In the 1960s came the period of student protests and widespread dissatisfaction with the character of higher education including protest against the strategy as well as the process of educational formation. This was a period of explosion of enrollments and in the varieties of university institutions. There was a real question about whether it was still possible to conduct education with a business as usual attitude. There was a call for "new universities in a new world." Some said that what was needed was not a new mission to the university but a new understanding of the role of the church in the university. It was suggested that more attention should be given to modem pedagogy, to education for decision, and education for social and political contribution in new settings. There was increased concern for pastoral care for members of university communities. Of particular concern were students who were becoming depersonalized, mere numbers, and the "loneliness" or lostness of the growing numbers of foreign students in the universities of industrialized nations.
It is our proposal that this
planned consultation will examine contemporary challenges which have inklings
for the future. We acknowledge the
challenge of the knowledge explosion and of the "super-highway of
information" that universities travel on today. The approach of the next century and the
globalization of communities have mission implications for Christians. Universities
are under pressures from political, economic and corporate forces. The moral
implications of these pressures on university constituencies require serious
attention and reflection by concerned Christians both individually and by the
churches ecumenically.
We hope this consultation will serve as a "pilot study." We recognize that to be effective it can only be one stage in a continuing process of reflection and action. We believe that it is urgent that some beginning be made even by a limited number of persons who have felt the need to reflect on the current mission of the Christian community and the church in the world of higher education. In this effort the
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consultation, though held for the Asia-Pacific region, will need to
draw on the resources of the World Student Christian Federation family and
churches in all the regions of the world.
Dr. Kyaw Than teaches at
the Mahidol University in Salaya,