The Contextual Dynamics of Trump’s MAGA Movement

“This is a movement like nobody's ever seen before and, frankly, this was, I believe, the greatest political movement of all time.”

– President Elect Donald Trump, November 6, 2024

Donald Trump is a movement catalyst, and he knows it. In fact, the MAGA phenomenon offers valuable insights into the contextual nature of movements.

All movements, whether they are religious, social, political, etc., share common characteristics and require certain preconditions. But in explaining a specific movement, the starting point of the narrative is important. There is a reason why the MAGA movement would not have been possible in 1980s America but appealed to many in the 2010s. Let me explain.

Historically, religion played a central role in creating a sense of belonging for Americans. By becoming an active member of an organized group, most likely a church, people learned how to relate to others and become citizens in the process. Imperfectly, attendance in these groups built social capital and contributed towards a sense of cohesion in society.

Because trust between peoples was relatively high, democracy could work reasonably well. Nearly every American President has identified as Christian, with the vast majority specifying their denomination. In “Christian” America, faith was idealized as “love God and love your neighbor,” at least in the public sphere. Character and humility were important and valued for most Americans.

But that was then. MAGA is now. What changed?

The “Great Recession” of 2007-2009 and the related sub-prime mortgage rate scandal created significant societal distrust in America’s governing institutions, especially among the working class. It was an entirely avoidable problem precipitated by corporate greed and poor governmental oversight. The rich were getting richer, but the working class had more reasons to resent being ruled by so-called “elites.” This resentment has continued to fester.

By 2012, social media became ubiquitous. Intended to monetize clicks and likes, the algorithms actually manipulated our sociology which led to the increase in misinformation/disinformation and conspiracy theories. As we are all too aware, social media has normalized vulgarity, slander, and collective bullying. Not to mention, also an epidemic of mental illness.

In truth, a decline in civic engagement has been decreasing since the 1950s: social media simply accelerated it.

Foundational to this decrease in community participation, the Church in America lost 40 million members in the last 25 years, and those claiming no religious affiliation have increased from 14% of US adults in 2000 to 28% in 2024. “Nones” are now the largest religious cohort in the U.S.

These shifts have ushered us into an era referred to as “post-Christian America.” Today, a sense of belonging is felt, not through religious affiliation, but through expressing personal identity. One needs to discover who they truly are in their authentic self, and then communicate that via social media or other similar means. As societal trust once provided by religious affiliation declined and face-to-face interactions diminished, polarization, distrust, and resentment inevitably grew.

With this context in mind, we can now examine the specific dynamics of Trump’s MAGA movement. In her book, The Origins of Totalitarianism (HT: Berkowitz) political philosopher Hannah Arendt described three key mechanics of authoritarian movements (which she distinguished from totalitarianism):

1. Hatred of the State. This highlights the paradoxical nature of authoritarian movements: there can be no movement without animosity towards the current incarnation of the State. Foster discontent in order to control.
2. A Mood of Disruption. Authoritarians are not interested in policy (it’s too complex to motivate the working class) but in what Arendt calls the “mood” of the movement. By tapping into this collective emotional atmosphere, authoritarians use a rhetoric of disruption, resentment, and a desire for unity against perceived threats.
3. A Group to Blame. Authoritarian movements often consolidate power by identifying a scapegoat—a group to blame for societal problems—which helps unify supporters through a shared adversary. They create propaganda to spread this narrative, manipulating information to reinforce the perceived threat and justify actions against the targeted group.

With a good grasp on how religion works in politics, Trump’s 2015 prepower alignment with evangelical leaders emphasized carefully selected “Christian values,” tapping into collective identity and emotions to reinforce loyalty among the “nones” and the nominally Christian working class. The economic hardship following the Great Recession fueled resentment, which Trump capitalized on through his repeated promises to “drain the swamp.”

By framing scapegoats as threats to religious and national values (“they’re eating the pets”), he uses propaganda to create a common enemy (“enemies from within”), uniting his base through shared fears and advancing an authoritarian movement centered on his celebrity status (“I alone can fix it”).

Similar to other successful movements, MAGA operates like an open social network. Importantly, anyone can opt in, as long as they bend the knee to Trump, even if they were once against him. The fall and rise of Marco Rubio within the Trump orbit is evidence, as is V.P. Elect J.D. Vance, who previously referred to Trump as “America’s Hitler.”

Without popular resentment of the ruling “elites,” normalized social vulgarity, and Christian faith on the decline, the MAGA phenomenon would not have the social space necessary to develop into a movement. Trump is an iconic President for a post-Christian America in our post-truth world. He is also the undisputed GOAT of reality/news TV, which has been MAGA’s limitless resource for mass mobilization.

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Exit polls and election analysis reveal two consistent issues explaining Trump’s landslide victory: inflation and immigration. American voters decided that Trump’s impeachments, indictments, and his antics did not matter as much as their personal bank accounts. To a degree, I can relate.

Yet this election is not unique. Every incumbent governing party facing election in a developed country this year lost the vote, which is the first time this has ever happened. This is mainly due to the effects of global inflation (not solely in America), which were as much as Trump’s fault as Biden’s, and also beyond both of their control. Trump however did a masterful job of placing the blame entirely at the feet of the Biden/Harris administration.

Republicans often spoke this year of a mythical migrant crime wave. Trump was able to successfully perpetuate the zero-sum-thinking myth that more immigrants are bad for a country of immigrants. Ironically, the U.S. has a strong economy but actually needs more immigration for our economy to stay that way.

And thus, MAGA’s 2024 election dominance has been called a “triumph of misinformation.” This is not to say that Democrats are simply losers in the battle for reality. They have their own disfunctions and their own policies to blame. For instance, Trump was also able to leverage working class dismay of the progressive Left’s LGBTQ+ ideologies. And then there is Biden’s arrogance in deciding that he was indispensable to the Democratic party after signaling that he was going to be a one-term, transitional president… We could go on about Democrats, but this article is about the MAGA movement.

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Yet more irony – MAGA Republicans are celebrating and Democrats are catastrophizing for the same reason: propaganda. As an authoritarian, Trump expertly plays the game of perception and illusion. And as a showman, he peddles both impossible promises and contrived fears.

Yet Trump has no ideological anchor. We might be grateful that he cares most about his own fame and not a specific ideology. Since the MAGA movement is likely to continue to be loyal to Trump himself, he will be unable to “make America great again” but also unable to take us down into some ideological abyss. Trump is no fascist and no totalitarian. While authoritarian regimes seek to consolidate political power and suppress opposition, totalitarian regimes aim to dominate every aspect of life. This is not something Trump is seeking, nor would it be possible in a “don’t tread on me” individualistic society like the U.S.

Trump’s reelection is not the end of democracy in America. Remember, he was deeply unpopular after his first term. The sky is not falling. Has the MAGA movement peaked? Probably, but it will likely hang around for a while too. Everyone just needs to stop freaking out.

But more to my point, as followers of Christ, we reject the politicization of our faith on both sides of the ideological aisle, and we care about all nations, not simply whatever country we find our temporary citizenship. In Jesus and the Powers: Christian Political Witness in an Age of Totalitarian Terror and Dysfunctional Democracies, N.T. Wright and Michael Bird bring us back to first principles:

The gospel calls us to believe in Jesus Christ, to belong to the Church and to build for the kingdom. If we perform that role properly, we will walk in the way of the cross, and build – right under Caesar’s nose! – things that challenge the edifices of totalitarian regimes, that show forth the beauty of God’s new creation, that demonstrate that there is a different way to be human, liberated from the lusts of pleasure and power, attaining a genuine human life by conforming to the image of the Son of God. (pg. 99)

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Around 4/5 American Evangelicals who voted cast their ballots for Trump. In my view, it is perfectly acceptable to vote Republican or Democrat. Because I am not a fan of either, I can understand why someone is more disillusioned with the Democratic Party than the Republican.

What I personally find most troubling is, specifically, unfettered support for a man with Trump’s pernicious behavior. This cult-like loyalty to Trump is a crisis of discipleship in the Church, but also a crisis of citizenship in America (HT: Jethani).

Finally, not to sound triumphalistic or dismissive, but the greatest movement of all time is not MAGA (sorry, Mr. President), but the Church participating in the motus Dei. Lessons gleaned from reflecting on the MAGA movement are not for our edification, but for our admonition.

On the Side Effects of Polemics

In attending conferences recently, I’ve noticed a trend gaining traction among some ministries to Muslims. I sometimes meet individuals who are part of Muslim Background Believer (MBB) networks claiming to have access to ancient Qur'anic manuscripts that, they argue, differ significantly from the standardized Qur'an.

When I inquire further, it becomes clear that the hope behind these efforts is that new scholarship will expose the Qur'an’s flaws, ultimately undermining the foundation of Islam itself.

This approach raises some critical missiological concerns for me.

Firstly, I do not need Islam to be a priori disproven for Jesus to be Lord. My faith rests in the perfect revelation of Christ — there is no one like Him, and no one has done more for me. Whether or not Islam is polemically dismantled has no bearing on Christ’s Lordship, and it shouldn't for any of us, including Muslims.

I am deeply interested in Islamic studies, and understanding Islam’s emergence is essential for missiology. However, recognizing that many elements of Islam’s traditional narrative are mythological should not make us triumphalistic, but empathetic. We can sympathize with Muslims who are navigating their faith in a complex, real-world context. For example, I sometimes reflect on my own identity as an “Evangelical” — a term that carries its own set of contested meanings! Just as Muslims wrestle with internal questions of faith and identity, so do we as Christians.

Secondly, there has been extensive scholarly work in this area already. I am shocked when leaders in these groups are unfamiliar with key scholars like Gabriel Said Reynolds, Martin Accad, or Daniel Brown, whose work extensively explores the complexities of Qur'anic manuscripts (see also various sections in The Religious Other).

This kind of oversight suggests that such MBB-driven research, while earnest, may not be engaging with the broader academic landscape. Any attempt to dismantle “Islam” through textual criticism needs to reckon with this body of existing scholarship.

Finally, a strong focus on polemics reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of what sustains Islam. Biblical faith is grounded ontologically in the person of Jesus Christ and His Kingdom. Yet Islam, like all other religious traditions, is a socially constructed reality – without Muslims there would be no Islam. Islam does not rest simply on a textual foundation or a reality outside the realm of experience. Instead, it is Muslims themselves who decide what Islam is, and they continue to shape, evolve, and contest its meaning.

Even if one were to discredit the Qur'an academically, Islam as a lived religion would persist. In fact, polemics often have the unintended consequence of solidifying group identities. Though it’s true that some Muslims convert to Christianity through these debates, such conversions are exceptions rather than the norm. The broader impact of polemics on the Muslim ummah (community) often serves to reinforce, not weaken, religious boundaries.

If a medical treatment has severe side effects that make the patient worse than the illness being treated, one might say the treatment is worse than the disease. Let’s be discerning with our use of polemics in ministry to Muslims.

Lausanne 4 Seoul 2024

From September 22-28, 2024, I had the privilege of attending The Fourth Lausanne Congress in South Korea and blogged my thoughts and summaries each day. To make it easier for you to follow along and revisit the key moments, I’ve compiled all my daily posts below. This way, you can explore the insights, reflections, and highlights from each day at your own pace.

• L4 Seoul: Day 1
• L4: Day 2 Monday
• L4: Day 3 Tuesday
• L4: Day 4 Wednesday
• L4: Day 5 Thursday
• L4 Final Post: Days 6-7 Friday & Saturday

L4 Final Post: Days 6-7 Friday & Saturday

Friday’s theme was “Leadership and Servanthood.” The text was Acts 20:13-38. Philip Ryken, President of Wheaton College and a good basketball player (so I hear), was the speaker. “Serving the Way of Jesus” was the title and a much-needed reminder.

A highlight for me was Rula Khoury Mansoura, Palestinian Christian lawyer from Israel, who spoke about living as a second-class citizen in her own land and processed issues of justice and reconciliation though that light. She called the L4 Congress to stand with her for peace-building in Israel-Palestine. Honestly, I don’t think many people even know that Palestinian Christians exist.

Today (Friday) Conference Organizer David Bennett wisely emailed all L4 participants the letter written by Ruth Padilla DeBorst from the controversy of Wednesday. Interestingly, this controversy has really served to highlight the plight of Palestinians and issues surrounding dispensational Zionism within Evangelicalism. Yet there is still a lot of work to do.

After living in the Middle East and working with several Palestinian colleagues and students, this issue has been close to my heart. Even as I write this, the IDF continues their attacks on Lebanon. It is heartbreaking. Pray for the Lebanese Church who is stepping up to serve many internally displaced peoples from the South.

One of my favorite resources for understanding the Israel-Palestinian conflict through a theological lens is Skye Jethani’s interview with Gary Burge on YouTube.

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Saturday’s theme was “The Gospel to the Ends of the Earth Under Christ’s Reign.” The sermon was given by Ronaldo Lidório, a Brazilian church planter in the Amazon. Five waves of reaching the unreached in the first century:

• Wave of Spiritual Power (Acts 1-2)
• Wave of Suffering (Acts 5-8)
• Wave of Sending Out Workers (Acts 13)
• Wave of Church Multiplication (Acts 16-21)
• Wave of Reaching the Ends of the Earth (Acts 27-28)

There was further emphasis on Ralph Winter’s Legacy today in in bringing awareness of unreached peoples. One comment was interesting to me: churches who do not send missionaries have little spirituality to offer the world.

Unfortunately, there has been some unnecessary noise concerning the Seoul Statement. I found this article from CT to be helpful and edifying. The Great Commission belongs to the Global Church.

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Some Final Thoughts on L4

There has been a kaleidoscope of topics this week, as L4 is about “collaboration” (not missiology) and very issue-driven. Previous Lausanne events have been criticized for being all talk and no action.

The overall impetus of L4 leads towards the holistic discipling of all peoples for the exaltation of Jesus. In that sense, both the apostolic and indicative aspects of mission have been addressed, although it is indeed impossible to please everyone. For example, sometimes my kids make fun of me for being old – and I’m upset that the Seoul Statement didn’t address ageism! (Hopefully you get my sarcasm.)

Floating around the congress, at least in my circles, have been a couple petitions of the Seoul Statement. But petitions should really be last resorts when dialogue has failed. I considered linking to them here but decided against it. At the least, people care deeply about the direction of Lausanne as it plays a large role in global Evangelicalism.

I’ll just offer a couple more thoughts and then take a break from blogging for a while.

MBBs. I don’t think there has been a single MBB on stage or leading an interest group. Many Arab CBB Arab leaders are here. I believe the situation in L5 will be different. The Muslim background Church will reach the Muslim world – we have much to learn from them. In my “Islam” gap, conversations were still quite basic.

Pastors. Even though the workplace track was highlighted often, with over 1,500 participants, there is still an emphasis on Pastors and pastoral ministry in context of attractional churches. Even missionaries are envisioned in a pastoral role – preaching to unbelievers. For me, the office of Pastor in a local church is a remnant of Christendom. We need more work on the APEST (Eph 4:11) leadership distribution and vision.

Movements. With the incredible explosion of Christianity in the Majority World there is much to celebrate. I wouldn’t say that movements are the only or even the primary way God is working today. With that being said, there is still an over-emphasis on institutional ecclesiology and even big flashy success stories like revivals. These are important, but we must find ways to increase movemental intelligence in the body of Christ.

Furthermore, the old social justice vs evangelism debate is still happening with different tribes feeling marginalized at different times and in different ways (Lausanne is either seen as too evangelistic or too social justice oriented depending on who you ask – maybe this is the sweet spot?). But I believe movements – especially as they manifest in the Majority World – seem to solve this tension.

The Acts of the Apostles and the Holy Spirit. Immersing in Acts reminds us that the early church’s faith should be our guiding blueprint:

Acts 28:30-31: For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ—with all boldness and without hindrance.

L4: Day 5 Thursday

Today’s focus is on Faith in the Workplace. We watched an inspiring video and sermon by Julia Garschagen, which explored this theme throughout the Book of Acts. It reminded me that historically, ‘ordinary’ people living out their faith in their daily lives, especially those in migration, have played a more significant role in spreading the faith than the missionary movement. One interesting point Julia mentioned is that first-century Rabbis were required to have jobs!

The worship music has been fantastic and my table discussions enriching. This truly is a wonderful picture and experience of the global Church.

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I have heard some criticism about The Seoul Statement and what it includes and doesn’t include. For instance, Ted Esler says:

What surprised me was not what it said, but what it did not say. There is no significant emphasis on evangelism.

Similarly, Ed Stetzer says this:

I’m appealing (and have appealed) to the leadership of Lausanne that we state emphatically that evangelism is “central,” “a priority,” and “indispensable” to our mission. History has shown over and over that a mission that doesn’t prioritize evangelism will quickly lose evangelism.

And another one, Tim Tennent:

I do have a few serious questions about Lausanne 4. First, has it become so “issues” driven that the central emphasis on world evangelization has been buried down to just one emphasis among many? Is the driving purpose of Lausanne still the driving purpose?

After a long dinner with one of the authors of the statement, I think I have some clarity. The Cape Town Commitment from L3 was an incredible document, used all around the globe for training, but not so much in the English-speaking world since we already have so many quality resources. What makes L4 unique is the State of the Great Commission Report, a 500+ page document that:

shares insights from more than 150 global mission experts and sheds light on how we as a global church can be obedient to Jesus’ Great Commission today.

So I do think it is clear that Lausanne is keeping the main thing the main thing. But since The State of the GC Report discusses so many aspects of mission, the Seoul Statement is really less missional in focus and intended more as a theological document for important issues of the day.

Therefore, I’m a bit less concerned than the three missiologists quoted above – actually, what I would prefer to hear more of is a focus on disciple-making.

For instance, when we look at the mission of Christ, our paradigmatic example, where can we discern a difference between discipleship and evangelism? That is my point. The world needs more disciples and not simply converts, and L4’s focus on the Great Commission thoroughly covers holistic disciple-making.

To that end, I don’t see a need to protest the Seoul Statement, especially since it should be read alongside the State of the Great Commission Report.

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Honestly, most everyone I spoke with today was tired (many sore throats), and there are two more days to go! I attempted to take a walk but bumped into too many wonderful colleagues, so I didn’t get a rest. Eventually though, I found my way to the prayer room and spent some time meditating and praying.

I found myself grappling with my own sin and shortcomings. It is so easy for me to be cynical and judgmental, especially after yesterday’s controversy. I repented for any part I have played in the mess. It’s really no wonder that the New Testament letters address so many ugly complexities of our relationships within the body of Christ. It is also too easy to give up.

The Church is indeed messy, and we all need Jesus to wash our dirty feet. This is my soul searching in Seoul - I am committed to seeking reconciliation and striving to be more Christlike in my actions and attitudes.

While it is important to acknowledge the historical and cultural complexities that shape our global evangelical events, I also believe that these gatherings can be opportunities for genuine fellowship and mutual edification. It is crucial to listen to diverse voices and perspectives, ensuring that we do not perpetuate any form of dominance or exclusion.

Ultimately, our focus should be engaging in ways that reflect Christ’s love and humility. Let us strive to build bridges of understanding and unity, rather than walls of division, cynicism, and judgment. “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (Jn. 13:35). The world is watching.

L4: Day 4 Wednesday

Today’s theme is Persecution and Mission. Acts 8:1-4 & 11:19-26 was wonderfully expounded by Patrick Fung. Two key quotes:

• Here is a gospel movement by God’s people, the unknown, unnamed, uncelebrated, ordinary disciples of Christ.
• They lived to be forgotten so that Christ would be remembered.

Many stories this morning of persecution and suffering, from China, India, and Iran primarily. The talk from Iran was particularly engaging and edifying. Although I would nuance the missiology being presented, I appreciate that they are not romanticizing persecution.

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For me, there is not much new information so far. The overall theme of L4 is “collaboration.” In the CP interest group, the theme was “Collaborate to Saturate.” The Lausanne App, which we are all required to use, is being promoted often as a tool for collaboration.

I actually do much collaboration in my ministry, and Motus Dei met today actually where we discussed our upcoming MQ (Movemental Intelligence) Symposium in May 2025.

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I attended an excellent breakout group led well by Cory Hartman of New Generations on Disciple Making Movements. He tried out some unpublished thoughts that were not ready for “prime time.” Here is his definition of DMM:

A DMM is 1) a chain reaction, 2) of ordinary people, 3) multiplying disciples who obey, 4) through their natural social networks, 5) manifesting as generations of gatherings spawning gatherings (gatherings can be DBSs or churches), 6) that maintains its quality without depending on the ones who started it.

A DMM is more specific than a move of God, more specific than a gospel movement, and more specific than a people movement, and is a bit different than a church planting movement.

The meeting was well attended. I find it fascinating that so many people have no idea about movements today. And also that so many people here just continue to operate from within a Protestant micro-Christendom ecclesiology.

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So if you were waiting for some controversy of L4, here is perhaps the first one. At the beginning of the week, Ruth Padilla DeBorst gave a wonderful message on injustice. (Side note: prophets often pay a price for their words.) The point of contention was this statement from her talk:

what makes God’s people such are not superficial expressions of religious piety, ‘Christianese’ jargon, worship jingles, or colonialist theologies that justify and finance oppression under the guise of some dispensational eschatology.

Apparently, that was enough for some to protest to the conference organizers who then offered an apology:

As Congress Director, I would like to offer an apology for a presentation this week which singled out ‘dispensational eschatology’ in a critical tone, implying that it contributed to violence and injustice, and which failed to note that many theologies have been misused and misapplied as justifications for violence. That same presentation referred to the suffering of the Palestinian people, but did not express comparable empathy for the suffering of Israeli people, nor adequately express concern for many other peoples and nations of the world that are currently in the throes of violent conflict.

I have thoughts. The wording of the email apology was quite nuanced. Dispensationalists don't feel their theology is oppressive. Whether we agree or not is beside the point. Lausanne tries hard to be big tent Evangelicalism – not an easy task.

A second thought: is Zionist Dispensational theology inherently oppressive by nature to Palestinians? By way of analogy, is boxing a violent sport? I suppose it depends on your perspective. L4’s ‘apology’ can be seen as silencing Ruth’s prophetic voice. Many here do not feel that an apology was necessary nor consistent because other speakers who have also offered insight which others might find offensive. For example, no one is apologizing for throwing cessationism under the bus on Monday!

Ruth then penned an open letter to L4 (forwarded many times on WhatsApp) that I thought was an important response. The whole controversy has been covered already at the Christian Post where you can read the email from L4 and Ruth’s response in their entirety. (NB: I do not think The Christian Post is a professional or unbiased news source; I only share this link because they are the first to report on this, from what I can tell.)

L4: Day 3 Tuesday

Today is the 50^th birthday of Lausanne(!!!), and the theme for today is “Missional Community.” This morning’s exposition was done by Anne Zaki (a colleague at The Evangelical Seminary of Cairo) who skillfully unpacked a ton of profound insights from Acts 15. A Pakistani woman remarked to me how pleasantly shocked she was to see so many women of color on stage – and preaching at that!

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Yesterday was a very difficult day in Lebanon. Many Lebanese colleagues are here and understandably distracted, as am I.

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From the stage, I do hear the word “revival” a lot in the presentations. By contrast, one highlight for me was Dale Stephenson, a pastor in Australia, gave a simple explanation of DMM without saying DMM: disciple people to faith, look for a person of peace, and discovery bible studies. He hit many of the main points in an engaging way. The fact that he related it to his post-Christian Australian context was perhaps more appropriate for this audience. Yet we do see revivals and awakenings sometimes in the world. Upon reflection, perhaps revivalism is part of the legacy of Billy Graham who was a cofounder of Lausanne. But I am reasonably obsessed about movements.

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I attended a workshop done by Rick Warren entitled, “How to Finish the Task.” He began his talk by claiming that he has never had a scandal and also that Saddleback is the most successful missionary sending church in history. He also said his mentor was Billy Graham. Honestly, Rick gave around 4 sermons in one talk.

Rick wants people to go to places that have no believer, no Bible, and no Body of Christ. (Rick is the king of catchy epithets.) From what I gather, Rick claims if we collaborate and re-evangelize all the nominal Christians in the world, then we can reach the rest of the world if they, in turn, make disciples: the southern hemisphere must re-evangelize the northern hemisphere. (Yes I sensed the disconnect too. Maybe this is what you get when you combine sermons?)

Some quotes from Rick though which I thought were interesting:

The business of Christianity is moving people from “come and see” to “come and die.”

Rabbits don’t have menstrual cycles, they can get pregnant 5 seconds after giving birth. This is the house church. If we are going to finish the Great Commission, we need 10s of millions of rabbit churches. We only need megachurches in megacities.

The moment we start building church buildings, the growth of the church will decline.

The church at its birth is the church at its best. You don’t need a new model; you need the first model.

What God did in the first century, we want him to do it in the 21st century.

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The interest group I attended yesterday was “Church Planting.” They are promoting Saturation Church Planting as a goal (churches everywhere), not a methodology. You can read more about the CP issue network here.

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The “Gap” I attended was Islam. At my table was Keith Swartley, David Garrison, Joshua Lingel, and a couple MBBs. A great question for missiological imagination we discussed:

For significant progress towards fulfilling the Great Commission among Muslims, what needs to happen by 2050?

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Much focus on integrity, spirituality, proclamation evangelism, and reaching the unreached. Michael Oh again mentioned the legacy of Ralph Winter, but not Rene Padilla. I imagine the integral mission crowd is feeling a bit marginalized (I heard a group here wrote a strong negative response to the Seoul Statement). Although I personally have been mostly satisfied with the overall balance. I am trying to learn, listen, and be humble.

L4: Day 2 Monday

In L3 Cape Town 2010 we studied Ephesians – each of the 6 days featured an exposition on one chapter. Here in L4, we have six days though the book of Acts.

There is too much to summarize, but the focus today is the Holy Spirit, and there is a strong Pentecostal flavor. I imagine cessationists would feel a bit awkward at the teaching today.

In three of the talks, there is a focus on revivalism à la Acts 2. Tied to this has been the (unintentional?) featuring of megachurches as a result of revivals. As movements spread primarily through microchurches, I’m personally feeling a bit of a disconnect. And I think Luke’s emphasis on the Holy Spirit is a bit different than revivalism. Yes the HS manifests in sensational ways, and everything in Acts seems to be happening in movements today. Well, except institutional megachurches.

There was also an example from one of the speakers to make sure that by 2033 (2000 years after the resurrection), every person has an opportunity to experience Christ. I think this is laudable, but it also continues the human tendency for goal setting by using prominent dates. I wonder what God thinks of our plans. They seem to motivate and provide a sense of urgency, but…

Today I also had lunch and dinner with Trinity Evangelical Divinity School students, alumni, and faculty. In many ways, the relationship between Trinity and Lausanne is intertwined and the two share a similar ethos.

In the evening session, Vaugh Roberts gave a beautiful defense of traditional views of marriage. Interestingly, the Seoul Statement also includes a strong statement on biblical sexuality as between one man and one woman in marriage. In Cape Town, there was a survey for participants on different theological views, and I remember being shocked at how many American attendees were affirming homosexual practice as normative in God’s design. The American view was in stark contrast with the Majority world view on sexuality which is much more traditional. In many ways, I think the Western promotion same-sex marriage is an example of neocolonialism.

So far, the non-Western flavor of the event has been clear. There is more emphasis on integral mission, reaching the unreached, less cerebral and more experiential faith, and on affirming God’s goodness in human sexuality within traditional marriage. American evangelicalism can sometimes feel a bit odd in the global scene.

L4 Seoul: Day 1

I’m here in Incheon, South Korea for Lausanne 4. The theme this round is is “Let the Church Declare and Display Christ Together.” I’ve decided to blog about each day (Like I did for Lausanne 3 in Cape Town), just offering some unrefined thoughts through the fog of jetlag. Please evaluate my writing and analysis in that light!

This morning I toured the Korean DMZ and went deep inside Tunnel #3. Pretty amazing stuff.

I had a fun dinner with Emanuel Prinz, Ed Stetzer, and David Garrison. Then walked into the main hall for all 5,000 attendees from over 200 countries. The room is very nice with a huge curved screen (80 meters wide) and digitally very impressive with wonderful Korean worship. Interestingly, I have bumped into dozens of friends and colleagues which is really fun for someone who works for home these days.

Of all the main speakers on this first evening, none were Western. One of the thoughts going through my mind was how Lausanne would deal with the word “mission.” For some, it is reductionistic to claim that mission is about “reaching the unreached.” For others, “Fulfilling the Great Commission” is basically the totality of mission.

CEO and Lausanne Executive Director, Michael Oh, is a Korean American. Wearing a traditional Korean robe, he described Incheon as the first place missionaries landed and established churches on the Korean Peninsula, and his mother still attends the first the church established by said missionaries. Importantly, Oh’s focus was on the importance of workplace ministry, meaning that everyone has a role to play in mission. However, he also said that Christians being faithful in their vocations/settings is simply not enough to fulfill the Great Commission; we need to go to the unreached as well. I thought it was a good balance.

I am curious what tomorrow holds after this opening session. There are “Gaps” and “Issue Networks.” The two I have signed up for are Islam and Church Planting, respectively.

You can also watch LIVE: https://congress.lausanne.org/live/

Today, the Seoul Statement was released. I am curious why it is so long, as I thought the Cape Town Committment was still very much a relevant document. I will be interested and seeing some analysis between the two.

The Graying (and Browning) of Frontier Missiology

Last year I wrote a post that received some attention and I offered it for publication with Mission Frontiers. They asked that I expand on it for an issue on “People Group Theory” which was just published.

So here it is:

The Graying (and Browning) of Frontier Missiology

(Here is the PDF on Academia.)

Be sure to check out the whole issue which is filled with brief, diverse missiological takes on the concept of “people groups.”

CPMs Within and Beyond the Oikos

The latest issue of IJFM is out, titled Homogeneity and Hybridity: Does McGavran’s Homogeneous Unit Principle fit the Realities of a Multiethnic World?

Yep, the debate surrounding the infamous HUP remains as lively as ever.

I contributed an article using the phenomenology of CPMs as a conversation partner. Historically, there have been some passionate one-sided takes on the HUP, but I believe every article in this issue of IJFM offers much needed nuance. 

Here is my contribution: The Homophilous Unit Paradox: Church Planting Movements Within and Beyond the Oikos. Pardon the quirky title—it seemed like a good idea at the time! From the intro:

At a fundamental level, the discipline of frontier missiology is based on “crossing difference:” dissimilarities between peoples are significant enough to require an intentional apostolic effort to engage such peoples. By contrast, much of contemporary missiology is based on “uniting difference:” distinctions between peoples are harmful to the unity of Church and a pastoral response requires the ministry of reconciliation. In this regard, Donald McGavran’s infamous Homogeneous Unit Principle (HUP) serves as an inflection point between frontier missiology and contemporary missiology. The apparent contradiction lies between an apostolic function and a pastoral function, both of which are needed, but at different times and in different ways. Phenomenologically, church planting movements (CPMs) highlight this tension. In this lecture, after presenting three short case studies introducing CPM’s intersection with the HUP, I’ll share what I’ve discovered specifically as it relates to the nature of church multiplication within networked oikos churches. Along the way, I’ll make two proposals: 1) that “homophilous” is a more appropriate term than “homogeneous,” and 2) the HUP is better understood as a “paradox” and not a “principle.”

So what is my proposal? The Homophilous Unit Paradox…

…guards against cultural paternalism to promote polyphonic worship from all ethne and yet can also endorse racism and segregation if left unchallenged.

Read the whole thing. Feedback welcomed.

From Missio Dei to Motus Dei: The Recovery of Movement

We tend by a secret law of the soul to move toward our mental image of God. This is true not only of the individual Christian, but of the company of Christians that composes the Church. Always the most revealing thing about the Church is her idea of God.

-A.W. Tozer

I usually feel okay about my appearance when I look in the mirror. But when someone shares a photo of me from a different angle, I realize, “I am clearly an overweight, middle-aged man who needs hair implants.” A slight shift in viewpoint changes a lot. Sometimes painfully so.

Similarly, common ideas we believe to be “okay” can seem very different when we shift our perspective. And some theological concepts become stale over time. Might we be facing that issue now when talking about “mission”?

Keep reading…

Cabbages in the Desert

New book alert: Cabbages in the Desert: How God Transformed a Devout Muslim and Catalyzed Disciple Making Movements among Unreached Peoples by Aila Tasse with Dave Coles:

Are Disciple Making Movements really happening among Muslims? If so, how are they happening? And what do those movements look like? You’ll find answers to these questions and many more in Cabbages in the Desert, where a zealous Muslim teenager meets a kind Christian teacher. Radically transformed then banished from home, Aila receives a vision of unreached peoples coming to Christ. After successfully planting many churches, he hears a challenge to explore a more fruitful approach: Disciple Making Movements. Find out how and why these movements, with many generations of disciples, are spreading in over a dozen countries in East, Horn, and Southern Africa, in a variety of social and religious contexts. Discover the vital role of indigenous leaders, and how movements can take root and grow, even among nomadic peoples and oral learners.

Cabbages in the Desert provides inspiration and insight about the dynamics of Disciple Making Movements. It also goes beyond that, encouraging practical application for all who want to see the Lord do similar work in their life and context. The same God who does amazing things in East, Horn, and Southern Africa, also desires to work in and through you!

I was happy to endorse the book. Here is what I said:

Dr. Aila Tasse, an African follower of Christ from a Muslim background, has witnessed significant success in his decades of ministry. Yet only after undergoing a transformative paradigm shift did he discover a path to even greater fruitfulness among least-reached peoples—an uncommon vision symbolized by "cabbages in the desert." Through compelling stories, Aila and his colleagues urge us to recalibrate mission back to the matchless standards for sprouting disciple-making movements: Jesus Christ and the Bible.

Get it on both paperback and Kindle.

Ramadan 2024: Pray 4 Movement

Ramadan is just around the corner, and if you're interested in interceding for Muslims, you can sign up at https://pray4movement.org/ramadan-2024

As a reminder, you might read “Why We Must Pray for Muslims Around the World” by David Garrison.

A Prophetic Non-Statement on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Today marks day 15 in the current episode of this decades-long conflict, but this time it feels different. The last two weeks have been a never-ending doom-scroll of subtle racisms and misplaced nationalisms. Suddenly, it feels like everyone is an expert on Middle East history and politics. Even my most reserved friends have voiced passionately strong opinions on the conflict.

Maybe this heightened desire for certainty stems from the disorienting and chaotic nature of our current era in world history. This would explain why this present episode has been so globally divisive and also why people feel they need to conform to the ways of the world which demand arbitrary lines of morality be drawn in the sand.

It's particularly unsettling to observe this most prominently within Christian communities. Ignorance reinforces xenophobia. Social media algorithms add to the binary, one-sided thinking. It feels like a Rorschach test where the events reveal more about ourselves than we dare think.

A few people have asked me for guidance and encouraged me to speak up. Honestly, I'm weary and discouraged, finding myself meditating on Amos 5:13,

"‭‭Those who are smart keep their mouths shut, for it is an evil time."

In a world of disinformation and echo chambers, the prophet Amos offers much to ponder. This passage teaches that when there is so much propaganda hurled into the court of public opinion, it can be prudent to just remain silent.

Such is the evil in our time. Sometimes prayerful silence requires a level of prophetic restraint.

For me, at least, I am concentrating on lament, humility, and intercession. Women and children face unimaginable suffering at the hands of self-righteous men and their weapons. One day God will right all wrongs. Until then, only Christ-centered interventions can break the endless cycle of revenge in this intractable conflict. Against the power imbalance of sin and empire, our Lord went to the cross in non-violent, sacrificial love. We stand with him in the resurrected irony of victorious death: pro-peace, pro-justice, and especially pro-Jesus. Ultimately, he answers everything and everyone must answer to him.

The Blockchain Institution as a Metaphor for Movemental Ecclesiology

Previously we looked at the splintering end of “institutional” Evangelicalism and proposed that microchurch movements could be an avenue for refounding (à la Hirsch) the Church on the person of Jesus in its original movemental form which was a decentralized, multiplying community of disciples who existed within and beyond the gathered expression.

There is a lot of talk about the decline of “institutions” these days and the need for counter institutions. I don’t agree with everything here, but Aaron Renn has an interesting article on how a counter mainstream DNA is needed to renew institutions but without a “negative identity” (you are what you are against) that simply adopts the same institutional forces that led to decline in the first place.

Herein, the blockchain metaphor has some value. In other words, if prevailing model ecclesiology is like centralized banking, then movemental-microchurch ecclesiology is like blockchain currency.

Metaphors function on the level of hermeneutics. When we read “in the church at Antioch…” (Acts 13:1), Christendom ecclesiology (centralized “bank” metaphor) is often imported, eisegetically, into the text. Instead, the blockchain institution more closely resembles the nature of the Church in the NT context. The Bible serves as our source in demonstrating movement principles, but sometimes we need to first unlearn concepts/traditions in order to properly exegete the text, and metaphors can help.

In the context of movemental ecclesiology, where the emphasis is on decentralized and grassroots expressions of biblical faith and community, a blockchain institution could be compared to a network of interconnected microchurches. Here's how this metaphor might help us reimagine the nature of the Church (with the help of ChatGPT):

1. Decentralization: Just as a blockchain is decentralized with no single central authority, a movemental ecclesiology encourages the decentralization of the Church. Instead of a hierarchical church structure, there are numerous microchurches with unique expressions.
2. Nodes as Microchurches: In the blockchain, nodes are individual computers that participate in maintaining the ledger. In this metaphor, each microchurch could be seen as a node in the network. Each microchurch operates independently but is connected to the broader movement through shared principles, beliefs, and values.
3. Transactions as Spiritual Connections: In the blockchain, transactions represent the transfer of value between participants. In the context of the Church, these "transactions" could be symbolic of the spiritual connections, relationships, and interactions that occur within and between house churches. These interactions may include sharing of resources, support, and collaboration on various aspects of faith and community life.
4. Consensus as Shared Vision: Just as blockchains use consensus mechanisms to agree on the state of the ledger, microchurches within a movemental ecclesiology may use consensus-building processes to align around a shared vision or set of principles. This type of distributed leadership helps maintain the cohesion of the movement despite its decentralized nature.
5. Immutable Faith and Values: Similar to how data on a blockchain is immutable, the orthodox beliefs of the Church remain unchanged and consistent across the system. These principles serve as the foundation upon which each microchurch builds its unique contextual expression of faith.
6. Transparency and Accountability: Blockchains are known for their transparency, and in the metaphor, this could represent the transparency and accountability that microchurches have with one another and with their members. Open communication and shared values ensure that each microchurch remains aligned with the broader movement's goals.

The blockchain metaphor in this context highlights the decentralized, interconnected, and transparent nature of microchurches within a movemental ecclesiology. Each microchurch operates independently yet contributes to the strength and resilience of the motus Dei, much like nodes in a blockchain network maintain the integrity of the ledger.

This metaphor solves some of the problems inherent in institutional ecclesiology by decentralizing authority, promoting transparency, and enabling adaptability. In this network of interconnected microchurches, power is diffused, relationships are fostered, and the movement remains resilient, effectively addressing issues related to hierarchy, bureaucracy, and rigidity often associated with traditional institutional structures.

At the Splintering End of Institutional Evangelicalism: Christian Nationalism and Theological Progressivism

This brief post contains a bit of my journey in the last year. I’m trying to give a voice to the "politically homeless" and also to those who want to learn what God is doing beyond institutional ecclesiology. The prevailing American Church model (i.e. Protestant micro-Christendom) is often just uncritically imported into other contexts in the Majority World.

At the Splintering End of Institutional Evangelicalism: Christian Nationalism and Theological Progressivism

Reimagining Mission: Honouring Data in Missions (Maynard)

The term “managerial missiology” has been employed much in the past two decades as a blanket term to critique anything “Western” that looks at the results or status of mission.

Of course, there are indeed cases when “management” is misused in mission, and thus the critique becomes valid and prophetic. When Samual Escobar first coined the term “managerial missiology,” the context of his critique was “church marketing” programs in the Church Growth Movement and the Spiritual Warfare Movement which provided “maps and statistics of demons in cities and regions” (2000. “Evangelical Missiology: Peering into the Future at the Turn of the Century.” In Global Missiology for the 21st Century: The Iguassu Dialogue, edited by William D. Taylor, pg. 111.). In these instances, I completely agree with Escobar.

But most often, the “managerial” accusation is too broadly applied and straw men abound. Certain corners of mission today simply dismiss any attempt to be more “efficient” (i.e. fruitful) or to study the world quantitatively. This critique has been leveled at the broader CPM/DMM discourse as well.

The recent article by Chris Maynard is a helpful resource in this conversation: “Reimagining Mission: Honouring Data in Missions.” I’m very happy the WEA is addressing this issue. As the intro says:

“It is well beyond time to address the denigration of missions research, statistics, data and other information that has evolved in some missions circles.”

Read the whole thing.

Six Journal Reviews of Motus Dei

Below is a compilation of all the “official” reviews of Motus Dei: The Movement of God to Disciple the Nations that I have come across to date. If you know of others, please let me know. I’m anticipating a negative review at some point ;-), but for now, we are grateful for how positively our communal effort has been received in diverse circles.

Please continue to share the book with your colleagues and consider leaving a review or a rating of Motus Dei on Amazon. (Remember, the digital version can be purchased here.)

Additionally, Ephesiology Master Classes has an online, affordable, and accredited MA in a Missiology of Movements. This includes a course called Foundations for a Missiology of Movements (can be taken as a stand-alone course as well) which uses Motus Dei as a core text along with a 15-minute video presentation of each chapter in the book – this really is a great resource. (There is a DMin and a PhD in movements as well!)

Here are some snippets of the reviews:

Jeyaraj, Dasan. 2022. “Book Review of Motus Dei.” Global Missiology 19 (4). http://ojs.globalmissiology.org/index.php/english/article/view/2697:

Motus Dei: The Movement of God to Disciple the Nations is a great read. I find this book extremely useful both for my teaching and missional practices. It is an instructive tool for anyone interested in knowing the way God works, and it is a great tool and resource for churches, foundations, and missiologists who want to know about “Motus Dei.”

Kelley, Karry. 2023. “What Factors Contribute to DMMs? Review of Motus Dei.” Evangelical Missions Quarterly 59 (2). https://missionexus.org/what-factors-contribute-to-dmms/:

Motus Dei (movement of God in Latin) is a useful introduction to church planting movements (CPMs) and disciple-making movements (DMMs). Editor Warrick Farah and the other missiologists who contributed chapters aim to answer the question “What factors are contributing to the increase of discipleship movements in the world today?” (xv). The book explains the theological and theoretical underpinnings of CPMs, then goes on to describe their practical outworking. There also are abundant examples and recommended applications.

Miller, Dave. 2023. “Motus Dei (Book Review).” Seedbed 34 (1). https://www.seedbedjournal.com/book-reviews/motus-dei:

We are confronted with the reality of gospel movements happening around the world today. As missiologists, theologians, and practitioners study the Scriptures to learn the message, model, and character of gospel movements, Motus Dei: The Movement of God to Disciple the Nations is a tremendous resource. It curates and distills years of practitioner wisdom passed down for generations. It outlines exciting insights into how God is transforming people from every, tribe, tongue and nation in miraculous ways through movements. Thank you to the contributors for sparking more conversation about the movement of God to disciple the nations.

Morton, Chris. 2022. “Book Review: Motus Dei: The Movement of God to Disciple the Nations.” Transformation 39 (3): 216–17. https://doi.org/10.1177/02653788221112747:

Reading Motus Dei feels like going on a year-long course in DMM missiology, and thus makes it ideal for the academic setting. But for mission agencies/leaders who are seeking to keep in step with the Spirit, it will provide a challenge and a guide to seeing DMMs in the context in which they operate. A well-rounded missiology of DMMs was needed, and Motus Dei has provided it in rich detail.

Seckler, Thomas W. 2022. “Review of Motus Dei.” Themelios 47 (2). https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/themelios/review/motus-dei-the-movement-of-god-to-disciple-the-nations/:

Although Motus Dei has weaknesses, it accomplishes its purpose of providing diverse research to further the global conversation on Christian movements. As such, Motus Dei is beneficial for those currently involved in movements as well as those desiring to understand more.

Campbell, David. 2022. “Book Review: Motus Dei.” Great Commission Research Journal 14 (2): 165–69. https://place.asburyseminary.edu/gcrj/vol14/iss2/16/:

Motus Dei is a remarkable achievement as a resource and scholarly work both in its breadth and depth for cutting-edge missiological research.

Congratulations and thank you to the 30 different contributors of Motus Dei for your excellent research and missiology. I am grateful to God to learn so much from you.

Introducing Metanoia: How God Radically Transforms People, Churches, and Organizations from the Inside Out (Hirsch and Kelly 2023)

Morpheus, Gandalf, Yoda, Professor X, Alan Hirsch. Iconic mentor figures who provide guidance, wisdom, and mystical aid to the protagonists in their respective stories. Acting as a compass and a source of inspiration, they help the characters (us!) overcome obstacles and achieve their goals…

My endorsement for Alan’s new book, Metanoia: How God Radically Transforms People, Churches, and Organizations from the Inside Out:

Decades of the “missional” conversation have not led to church-as-movement. Why? Perhaps because we cannot go from unlearning our inherited paradigm to learning anew without wholeheartedly embracing Jesus’ call to metanoia. This book describes that indispensable, painful, and beautiful process of biblical transformation so that we can see and be the church Jesus promised to build: multiplying networks of disciples in communal relationships who exist in and beyond the gathered expression. Take the red pill, and brace yourself for a paradigm-shifting journey.

See more here: https://www.themxplatform.com/onlineshop/p/metanoia-appendices-ebook

Pray4Movement and BibleProject

Ramadan begins March 22 and ends with Eid al-Fitr on April 21. You can sign up to pray for a Muslim city, country, or people group here: https://pray4movement.org/ramadan-2023/

PrayerCast also has excellent resources: https://www.prayercast.com/love-muslims-landing.html

Finally, if you haven’t heard of the BibleProject, you are definitely missing out. Much of the world operates from a “digitoral” (digital + oral) learning preference now (after the Gutenberg Parenthesis), and the resources they are creating capture this phenomenon in theologically robust and faithful ways. The Tree of Life (4:51) and the Visual Commentary on Genesis 1 (7:42) are two of my favorite videos.

I also like their videos on the book of Acts. How many times can you hear them say “movement” in the video on Acts 8-12 (6:00)? :-)

A Scout Mindset versus a Soldier Mindset

I recently read a helpful, brief article that explains why it is so difficult for people to agree on just about anything these days. Using a bit of philosophy and sociology, we can examine how tribalism and cognitive bias impact polarization, divisions, and outrage in society.

For example, the article lists a couple theories explaining how people develop different beliefs from the same information:

The first is called “identity-protective cognition.” This describes how individuals are motivated to adopt the empirical beliefs of groups they identify with in order to signal that they belong.

The second is “cultural cognition”: people tend to say that a behavior has a greater risk of harm if they disapprove of the behavior for other reasons.

Against the background of the conversation on church planting movements, it is not too hard to apply this analysis to missiology in general or to the Motus Dei Network in particular. Who should I trust? How do I make sense of complex and competing data? Why do missiologists with the same Bible have different views?

Unfortunately, people with higher intelligence seem to have an enhanced capacity to construe the existing evidence in support of their desired conclusions: smart people can actually be a liability towards faithful dialogue.

As the article concludes, one ray of hope for our dilemma is adopting the perspective of a “scout” instead of a “soldier.” This is explained in the book, “The Scout Mindset: Why Some People See Things Clearly and Others Don’t” (Galef 2021).

The analogy is that of a battlefield, comprising two distinct categories of people - soldiers and scouts.

“Soldiers” firmly believe in their own perception of the world and are prepared to oppose anything or anyone who contradicts their beliefs. Ultimately, soldiers have a reductionistic view of the terrain because their goal is to win. Successful soldiers are often celebrated by their constituencies but loathed by the other side.

In mission circles, soldiers can weaponize theology as an instrument of division and anger by exaggerating theological differences to produce an “us versus them” dichotomy. This is tragically ironic because a being grounded in Scripture should produce love and humility, not works of the flesh.

In contrast, “scouts” do not harbor these types of competitive tendencies; instead, their task is to examine the terrain, construct an accurate map of the battlefield, and uncover the truth, regardless of whether it aligns with or contradicts their beliefs.

A scout will welcome “theological hospitality” while dealing with diversity. Theological hospitality is not the same as theological neutrality. For sure, error is real and potentially dangerous. But scouts have a posture of humility that, despite strong convictions, they know they haven’t figured everything out and are willing to extend grace to those with different beliefs. And even more to the point, God can use the “other” to expose our blind spots and transform us into Christ-like people.

In light of our fallen, sinful nature, the harsh reality is that each one of us possesses both soldier-like and scout-like traits, except with a varying degree of emphasis on either of them. (We also need to guard against simply being proud scouts!)

As a research network, Motus Dei endeavors to be filled with scouts. Scouts are not afraid of complexity and nuance and diversity. And actually, being wrong at times is an important step to constructing a better map of reality.

Awareness of biases, admitting where we need to grow, and comfort with ambiguity are some of the first steps towards robust missiological inquiry. For the reasons mentioned above, it is essential for scouts to be networked relationally with each other. This builds on the concept of “communal intelligence” to learn from and with each other.

In Motus Dei, we are attempting to weave together biblical theology, sociological realities, and apostolic activities into a map that describes the movement of God to disciple all the nations. I am honored to be a scout with you on this journey.

How God is Moving in Movements | Curtis Sergeant

Motus Dei was recently added as a partner in the Global Alliance for Church Multiplication (a network you should know about!): https://gacx.io/members/motusdei

GACX has a lot of great resources, including an insightful evaluation of the movements discourse by Curtis Sergeant, “How God is Moving in Movements.” From the video description:

During the 2022 GACX Forum, movement catalyst and mobilizer Curtis Sergeant shares some of the global trends he is seeing in disciple-making and church-planting movements around the world. He begins by looking at some of the quantitative data about global population and church growth, then moves into some qualitative observations about what movement practitioners are doing well -- and where we still need to grow.

Watch the 38 min video here: https://gacx.io/videos/how-god-is-moving-in-movements

Missiology with ChatGPT

By now you have heard of generative AI and its ability to explain complex concepts and answer questions in remarkably clear prose. Based on its ability for research, AI is the first real threat to Google’s dominance in the search business.

Theologian Michael Bird demonstrated AI’s ability to discuss theology and even write a poem about the Johannine Prologue. Students are using it to plagiarize essays. My 17-year-old High School senior recently told me about his friend who bragged about turning in an assignment using ChatGPT without getting caught. While there are major ramifications for the future of education and scholarship, some experts predict that 90% of online content will be AI-generated by 2026.

So, how good is it on the topic of missiology? I thought I would mess around and find out. ChatGPT remembers your history and regenerates responses to questions if you don’t like the original response based on the feedback you provide it. (There are many generative AI sites out there, but ChatGPT seems to be one of the leaders.)

I have been honestly blown away by its capabilities. I’m actually starting to wonder now if rule-of-the-machines in The Matrix Trilogy was actually predictive fact and not sci-fi fiction. See for yourself…

Explain the gospel in the language of honor and shame.

The concept of honor and shame is often used to understand the cultural context of the Bible, particularly in the Middle East and the Mediterranean world. In societies where honor and shame are strong values, people's sense of identity is closely tied to their reputation and the way they are perceived by others.

In this cultural context, the gospel can be understood as the message of how God restores honor to those who are shamed and outcasts. According to the Bible, all people are sinful and fall short of God's standard of perfection. As a result, we are all shamed and separated from God. However, God offers us a way to be reconciled to Him through faith in Jesus Christ.

Jesus himself is the perfect example of how God restores honor. He lived a sinless life and willingly died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sin. By rising from the dead, Jesus defeated death and reconciled us to God. Through faith in Jesus, we can have our sins forgiven and receive the honor of being children of God.

Additionally, the Gospel is also a message of shame transfer. Jesus, being fully God and fully human, was shamed, humiliated, and crucified. He took on the shame of humanity so that we could be reconciled to God. The Honor of God is imputed to us, not because we deserve it, but because Jesus took the shame on himself.

In this way, the gospel is not just a message of personal salvation, but also of God restoring honor to those who have been shamed. Christians are called to live out this message by showing honor and respect to all people, regardless of their social status or reputation.

What is the difference between planting a church and starting disciple making movements?

Planting a church generally refers to the process of starting a new Christian church in a specific location, often from scratch. This can involve identifying a need for a church in the community, finding a location, gathering a group of people to attend, and establishing the structure and leadership of the church.

On the other hand, starting a disciple making movement (DMM) refers to a specific approach to evangelism and church planting that focuses on rapidly multiplying disciples and new churches. The goal of a DMM is to create a self-sustaining, exponential process of making disciples who make more disciples, rather than simply planting a single church. This often involves training and equipping people to be leaders and multipliers, and using a variety of strategies to reach and disciple people in a particular region or context.

In missiology, what does the phrase "Motus Dei" refer to?

In missiology, the phrase "Motus Dei" refers to the idea that the spread of Christianity, and specifically the growth and expansion of the Church, is driven by the power and movement of God. This concept emphasizes the role of God's sovereignty and grace in the spread of the faith, rather than human efforts alone. It is often used to describe the idea that God is actively working in the world to bring people to himself, and that the growth of the church is a result of God's work rather than human initiatives.

What has been Warrick Farah's influence on the field of missiology?

I'm sorry, but I don't have any information on Warrick Farah or his influence on missiology.

So, there you have it. It’s not perfect, but pretty remarkable. I also asked it for seminal book suggestions in various fields, to create a syllabus for a master’s level course on church planting movements, and to predict future trends in different countries.

At this point it seems the best way to think of generative AI is like a nearly omniscient, eager-to-please intern who sometimes lies to you. (HT: NK)

Remember, this technology is only in it’s infancy. As it matures it is going to revolutionize many industries and fields of learning. It will play a role in shaping post-literate cultures, who in turn create products and influence rural and pre-digital societies.

Missiologically, generative AI has the potential to write and send personal evangelistic messages to specific people (in an automated process!) and even analyze trends in various cultures which impact how people create meaning in their lives. AI can write sermons, devotionals, and worship songs. It could also fabricate online environments for violent wars but then be used in peace-building and poverty alleviation as well.

We are already behind the curve in how we need to think about AI’s impact on ministry, both biblically and ethically. It seems simultaneously invaluable and dehumanizing.

To return to our Matrix analogy, maybe it’s time to take the red pill. We have already begun our descent down the rabbit hole.

The Maverick Podcast Season 2

https://www.themaverickpodcast.com

I have been listening to Season 2 of the Maverick Podcast and I have to say, it is truly well done. The series delves into movements within Muslim contexts (in different regions of the world) and the challenges they face. Each episode presents a nuanced and balanced portrayal of the individuals and groups involved. I recommend this podcast to anyone looking for an introduction to church planting movements in the Muslim world.