Choon Sup Bae

Ancestor Worship: the Challenges It Poses to the Christianity Mission and Ministry Choon Sup Bae

Over centuries a relatively clear articulation developed between the Gospel and traditional Western thought and therefore conveying the Gospel to people who share this view is relatively simple. However, one of the greatest challenges facing th Church is to ensure that the Gospel is heard by people from diverse cultures without having their understanding blocked by the fact that they do not share Western cosmology and worldview. Ancestor Worship and the Challenges it poses to the Christian Mission and Ministry, introduces the phenomenon of ancestor worship in Africa, Japan and Korea and specifically deals with the challenges it poses to Christian missionaries in these contexts. This study acknowledges that identity, culture and religion are inextricably intertwined. Therefore, the analysis is situated in the socio-cultural and religious paradigms of these countries and is examined in theological, missiological and biblical terms. This study shows that irrespective of the socio-cultural dimensions, it is still essentially an act of worship and therefore constitutes a religious phenomenon.