One World or Many: The Impact of Globalization on Missions

Sayo Ajiboye
DMin Creating Onramps for Calling
Sept 2007
One World or Many: The Impact of Globalization on Missions

Richard Tiplady

276 pages

Is our world dirty because it has shrunk in size and is now afflicted by the miriads of challenges that faces the small world? Are the impacts of global companies negative or positive? How does this affect Missions? What is the impact of globalization on faith? In fact, how do we define and contextualize globalization within accepted boundaries of culture, faith, economy, nations etc? Is globalization a new process or is it an ancient force? Has Christianity not always been the vanguard for a globalized world? These and many other posers are the opening salvos a reader receives when he picks up this book.

Tiplady infers that it is the end of global bipolarity as represented by the Cold War East-West divide that catalyzed the acceleration of globalization. He affirms that there is not one single factor that serves as a driver of globalization, rather it is a multidirectional deployment of mobile capital and an explosion of influence among players who are not nation states but are strategically located to deploy technology for economic and or ideological reasons in a way that nation states cannot do.

Ruth Valerio chapter focuses on the danger of wholesale transference of hegemonic thinking that surrounds economic globalization into the structuring of the operations of the Christian Church and ministries. The “bigger is better” thinking can redefine how the church engages with mission and it can affect commitment and long term focus. She noted that there is a battle for the hearts and minds of the people targeted by globalized transnational corporations whom she referred to as McWorld and that mission agencies who are working in this context must “partner rather than poach.” Ms. Valerio believes that a transnational tent making construct is a valid way for missions to engage with and use the resources of globalization. Valerio agrees with Cox (1999) who wrote that the “realms of economics, culture, morality and religion are not as separate as we think” [1] Valerio expounded the concept of “beings in relationship.” This concept flows from the idea of the Godhead in relationship. It can affect the way we view globalization which can be characterized either as “a ceaseless interchange of mutual love” (p. 30) or as a veritable tool of mutual destruction. .

Sam George fleshed out the idea surrounding the destructive impact of globalization in a very constructive manner. He looked at globalization from the perspective of cultures and located globalization in the medium of a range that have Terror-Culture (Jihadist Perspective) and Techno-Culture (The MacWorld Transnational corporations) as polar opposites. He affirms these two cultures are representative of global youth and that both cultures are concurrent, subversive, and intersects. The church must form a cross cultural missiological paradigm to engage with both of these cultures as they are inherently imbued with the capacity to “reprogram perception” and “create cross-border civilizations” (p. 38).

Sam George deals further with the concept of terrorculture. He has this insightful thought: “one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter” (p.57). He makes the daring assertion that “terrorists are global citizens” (p.58). This section of the book is very relevant to our course; it identifies reasons why youths from diverse backgrounds give in to the terror culture. This basic reason is that “they seek for something missing” (p.58). He referred to New York Times (2001 Dec 7) who called these young men “an angry generation longing for jobs, more freedom and power.” George quoted Samuel Huntington who defined the concept of the “youth budge” and affirms that terrorism peaks with portions in the history of nations when percentage of the 15 – 24 years old in the population exceeds 20%.[2]

George follows Huntington (1996) in affirming that behind the terror culture is an acute sense of justice and a willingness to take measures to establish fairness in the world (p.61). He listed a need to react against the artificial distinction between neighbors as one of the factors pushing young people into enrolling violence as the ultimate tool of identification. For this group of young people, faith provides a much needed howbeit twisted, philosophical, foundation (p.61).

Terrorist acts are “sacramental acts” often with “a clear theological foundations” (p.61) , it “adds value, purpose and significance to otherwise completely marginalized lives” (p.63). For these young people, death means more than life and “self destruction is used as a tool of ultimate rebellion.” “Martyrdom is a final act of power” that is left for a generation that has been “robbed of broader transcendent meaning” (p. 64). Terror-culture ultimately fulfills the logic of Martin Luther King Jr. that “if a man has not discovered something that he will die for, he isn’t fit to live.” Terrorists are “fragile young men struggling to find a cause worthy enough to live for” (p.65).

I read the remaining 276 pages and nothing impacted me like the Sam George’s writing. It is insightful to note that global culture of all shades is rooted first in urban culture, which is rooted first in familial culture. It is crucial to note with George that identification or shall we say misidentification is at the root of the global cultural shifts.

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[1] Cox H. (1999). In M. Dempster , B. Klaus & D. Petersen (EDs) The globalization of Pentecostalism: A religion made to travel. Oxford UK: Regnum.

[2] Huntington S.P. (1996). Clash of civilization and remaking of the world order. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.