Nature, Grace, and Missions: What's at Stake?

Missiologists have been debating the following scenario for centuries. A missionary finds him or herself in a foreign context with foreign religions and pagan practices. How does he/she present the gospel to the people, their culture, and their worldview? The answer depends on how foreign religions are viewed and understood. Are there truths hidden and buried in those religions that need to be uncovered, highlighted and celebrated in order to find common ground that will open the door for the gospel? Or is the foreign religion to be rejected on all levels and understood as a threat to the purity of the gospel of Jesus Christ? Or perhaps it is more nuanced, and the answer lies somewhere in between? Regardless of how this question is answered, what is important to note is that the response reveals one's convictions concerning the relationship between nature and grace, and those convictions determine our missiology. How so?

For a Roman Catholic response to this important question, Pope Pius XII's 1951 encyclical Evangelii Praecones is extremely insightful. While it predates the Second Vatican Council by more than a decade (1962-1965), it accurately represents traditional Thomist Roman Catholic theology concerning this matter. Evangelii Praecones concerns the promotion of Catholic missions throughout the world and was written when the Church was adjusting to the post World War II reality and addressing new threats in Asia, namely the rise of Communism in China. In this new reality and considering the new challenges, how were Catholic missionaries to present the gospel? Pius XII was very clear on this point. "The Church from the beginning down to our own time has always followed this wise practice: let not the gospel on being introduced into any new land destroy or extinguish whatever its people possess that is naturally good, just or beautiful. For the Church, when she calls people to a higher culture and a better way of life, under the inspiration of the Christian religion, does not act like one who recklessly cuts down and uproots a thriving forest. No, she grafts a good scion upon the wild stock that it may bear a crop of more delicious fruit (EP, 56)." 

That is a significant statement with tremendous missiological and theological implications. Two paragraphs later Pius XII underscores the natural outflow of such missiology. "This is the reason why the Catholic Church has neither scorned nor rejected the pagan philosophies. Instead, after freeing them from error and all contamination she has perfected and completed them by Christian revelation" (EP, 58). These are interesting concepts that merit further investigation. It must be noted that this approach is based on the conviction that pagan cultures naturally possess aspects that are good and just and beautiful. Those aspects must not be touched. Afterall, the Church doesn't recklessly cut down and uproot thriving forests. It grafts its teachings into that which is naturally good, in order to make more delicious fruit. The main idea is that pagan cultures (nature) only need to be “elevated” by grace, which is brought about by the Roman Catholic Church.

The Pope's words reveal key Roman Catholic theological convictions, in this case concerning nature and grace. Pius XII makes this perfectly clear in his own words. "Although owing to Adam's fall, human nature is tainted with original sin, yet it has in itself something that is naturally Christian; and this, if illumined by divine delight and nourished by God's grace, can eventually be changed into true and supernatural virtue" (EP, 57). If sin has only tainted human nature, then good still remains, and that good can be found in all of humanity, especially in other religions. There is something in them that is “naturally Christian”. The Church, then, must discover what is naturally good in those religions and convictions and further illuminate them with the gospel, producing even more "delicious fruit." 

The Bible, however, teaches that the good creation of God was and is subject to the depravity brought about by sin. Contrary to what Pius XII said (and with him the whole Thomist tradition), nature was not only tainted by sin, it was devastated and entirely corrupted by sin. Only through the redemption of Jesus Christ can the broken covenant be restored. Grace does not elevate nature as if nature were still intrinsically good. Grace redeems sinful nature. Among other things, this means that the Church should not attempt to create a hybrid religion, grafting various religious components together in order to produce a more "delicious fruit." Instead it should proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ in words and deeds so that the whole of reality might be redeemed by Him in the power of the Holy Spirit. 

Furthermore, it should be noted that the theology of common grace allows a disciple of Jesus Christ to enter into a new context and culture and be appreciative of many aspects it offers. In Rome, Italy, for example, it is impossible not to appreciate the phenomenal architecture, cuisine, music, art, and history. While these cultural aspects are appreciated, it is understood that they (along with all cultures) are at their core idolatrous in one way or another and are never neutral to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Grace, then, does not seek to elevate culture, but instead renews it through a process of reformation and through deconstruction and reconstruction. To the Corinthians Paul wrote, "We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ..." (2 Corinthians 10:5). And the missionary is by no means exempt from this refining process. The culture that he/she brings with him/her must be constantly deconstructed and reconstructed. It must be continually reformed so that the gospel is not hindered or corrupted in any way.

Indeed, the gospel of Jesus Christ is all together different from the mere elevation of nature. It does not "graft" in the sense encouraged by Pope Pius XII. Rather, it does something entirely different than what the Pope suggested. The gospel undermines sinful cultural patterns and reveals the depravity of sin in order to re-build culture under the lordship of Christ. The gospel does not absorb, and it does not assimilate. Instead, it exposes idols and demands their destruction. It makes all things new in Jesus Christ. Again, this by no means suggests that culture is not important. Indeed, it must be carefully considered and closely studied, and at times appreciated. Paul's missionary journeys make this abundantly clear (Acts 17 for example). But Paul never studied and engaged culture and context in order to form a hybrid of religions. He did so in order to make the gospel relevant and to demonstrate how it is far better than the false religions and the false hopes they propagate.

It is worth noting that in his letter to the Galatians Paul is addressing people who claim to be Christians and who profess faith in Christ. However, they were being led astray by false prophets who did not ask them to renounce their faith in Christ, but instead demanded that practices be added to their faith (observance of the Mosaic law and circumcision) in order to be true Christians. Their teachings were a hybrid of Judaism and Christianity. Paul, however, made no attempt to point out the good aspects of their beliefs and graft together a better Christianity. He called them out for being led astray by a false and different gospel, one that had to be completely abandoned and renounced in order to be a true disciple of Christ (Galatians 1). 

Missions is about boldly proclaiming and faithfully embodying the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is about tearing down idols. It is about deconstructing and reconstructing. It is reforming. It is about the devastating consequences of sin and the condemnation it demands. It is about the cross of Jesus Christ. It is about repentance and redemption. It is about forgiveness and salvation. It is about reforming flawed patterns. That is all unique to the message of the Bible, and therefore cannot in some way be grafted into other religious systems. This is because of the relationship between nature and grace. We are in no way naturally good. We have not been merely tainted by sin. We are dead in our trespasses until God, by means of his merciful and gracious initiative alone opens our eyes through the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts and saves us through the cross of Jesus Christ. This is the gospel. It is radical and its radical nature must be preserved. The mission of the church is to boldly preach the gospel, being constantly engaged in a process of personal and cultural reformation according to the gospel, and preserve its purity at all costs, for it alone is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes (Romans 1:16).