The Motives of Mission (Introduction to Missiology)

In this presentation, “The Motives of Mission,” we explore the deep reasons why the Church engages in mission. Mission is not just an activity or program—it flows from the very heart of God and the love of Christ that compels believers to share the Gospel. By understanding the true motives of mission—rooted in divine love, obedience to Christ’s command, and concern for human salvation—we discover that evangelization is not optional but essential to Christian life. This session invites us to see mission as a response to God’s initiative and a participation in His saving plan for all humanity.

1. 1.2 Motives of Mission (The “Why” of Mission)

2. 1.2.1 Classical Motives of Mission Basic questions: “Why did mission- a ries go the missions”? What were t he motives or theories of mission t hat brought them to far flung m ission territories? What gave them c ourage to take many risks?

3. The traditional or classical motives of m ission: s alus animarum (“saving souls”) or conversio animarum (“ conver - sion of souls”) Endorsed by Benedict XV in his Apostolic Letter on Spreading the Catholic Faith through the World Maximum Illud (30 November 1919)

4. Benedict XV 1854-1922 Papacy: 1914-1922

5. m aintains the Church remains the universal sacrament of salvation t hese motives still serve their purpose today

6. Mission was zealously and faithfully carried out by countless men and women missionaries to convert or save souls and to geographically expand the Church. Saving souls was inspired by the old dictum: “There is no salvation outside the Church” (“extra eccle - siam nulla salus est ” )

7. The dictum, however, was used exclusively as a warning to Christians who had separated themselves from the catholica through adherence to a hereti - cal or schismatic sect.

8. The converts to Christianity be- came believers in Jesus Christ. They formed the nucleus of the church, the new People of God wherever the Gospel was pro- claimed.

9. Through the missionary activities of the missionaries, the Church expanded in two senses or ways, i.e., geographically and institu - tionally . Thus, the Church became the locus of encounter with God, and the sign of salvation that per- petuates the mission of Christ and the Holy Spirit.

10. 1.2.2 Reframing the Classical Motives of Mission The motives of mission served the Church well in her missionary acti - vity as missionaries went out to convert and save souls and expan - ded the Church.

11. “Saving souls,” however, was re- framed and expanded by Paul VI who taught that “the Gospel must be brought to all strata of society” ( Evangelii Nuntiandi , 18) so that salvation can become integral. Mission goes beyond saving souls. Thus, “integral salvation” was introduced by Paul VI.

12. Papacy: 1963-1978 Paul VI: 1897-1978

13. In a later development, the under- standing of “planting the church” was expanded by John Paul II. According to him, mission is build- ing the local Church. Thus, he introduced the term “ inculturation ” or “localization” in the official language of the Church ( Catechesi Tradendae ).

14. John Paul II: 1920-2005 Papacy: 1978-2005

15. Why were those motives reframed or refined? … The world has changed. Logic- ally, the state of mission has also to change. … In a different world and time, the modality of mission is dialogue not imposition .

16. … Regarding the classical motives of Mission, Peter Phan has this to say: “Saving souls” tend to individualize s alvation, belittling the other as- p ects of the Church’s mission. “Church planting” tends to eccle - s iasticize salvation, identifying the church with the kingdom of God and fomenting rivalries among Christian denominations.

17. The state of mission today is dif - ferent from the past. So we ask, What about those billions of non- Christians who do not belong to the Church? Will they be saved?

18. It should be clear that mission is God’s attribute (Vatican II Ad Gentes , no. 2). It belongs to him. It follows that salvation is also God’s work. It means that it is only God who saves. Plainly said, it is by the grace of God that one is saved. Thus, missionaries can- not save anyone.

19. The Church cannot also save any- one. The same could be said about religion. Religion does not and cannot save anyone; rather, it (religion) is a part of him of her who is saved by the grace of God (Vatican II, Lumen Gentium , no. 16)

20. Religions are ways to God who alone saves through Jesus Christ in the Spirit. In the work of salvation, the Father, and the Son, and the Spirit are involved. The Tripersonal God is inseparable in their life ( koinonia ) and mission ( missio ).

21. Conversion and salvation are gifts of and from God . It is God who converts and saves in ways known to him alone. In other words, “salvation is linked to faith, and this, in turn, to a revelation that comes from God.

22. The possibility of salvation outside the visible church from Otto Semmelroth : The possibility of obtaining salvation is recognized, not only for people who do not live in the community of the visible Church, but also for those who not live in the Chris-tian community of faith. The possibility of salvation is not ruled out even for those who, though no fault of their own, have not arrived at a knowledge of a personal God (LG 15-16).

23. Thus, the Church is not the King- dom of God. Rather, the Church is at the service of the Kingdom. It is the Church that proclaims, anticipates and realizes the King- dom of God in all places at all times.

24. The missionary activity of the Church is to proclaim, anticipate and realize the Kingdom of God in the here and now ( hic et nunc ) through its various ministries or apostolates. There is only one mission and that is God’s mission ( missio Dei/ missio Trinitatis ). There is only one missionary activity ( mission ecclesiae ) to concretize God’s mission of love.

25. 1.2.3 Vatican II and Post Vatican II Motives of Mission The traditional motives of mission were expanded by the theologies (or theories) that emerged during and after the Second Vatican Coun - cil (1962-1965), namely:

26. t he proclamation of Jesus Christ , “the mediator of the new cove- nant ,” as the unique and univer - sal savior, and, (2) the proclamation of the Kingdom of God that was inaugurated by Jesus Christ in his person and ministry.

27. Basis/Rationale: The Kingdom/Reign of God was the heart of Jesus’ preaching. More- over, Jesus embodied in his person the reign of God (Isaiah 61:1-2)

28. The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted , to proclaim liberty to the cap- tives , and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord , and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn.. (Isaiah 61:1-2)

29. The proclamation of Jesus Christ as the “unique and universal savior,” however, needs a new pedagogy that will introduce people the full appreciation of the mystery. John Paul II suggested the strategies of the pedagogy. namely: stories, parables, symbols, contact and inculturation .

30. Here are the arguments of John Paul II: “Asians are more persuaded by h oliness of life than by intellectual a rgument.” ( Ecclesia in Asia , 42)

31. “Christian life is proclamation that is marked by prayer, fasting and various forms of asceticism, renun - ciation , detachment, humility, simplicity, and silence.” ( Ecclesia in Asia , 23)

32. “The silent witness of life still remains the only way of proclaiming God’s Kingdom.” ( Ecclesia in Asia , 23)

33. To concretize the why (or motive) of mission, the how or paths or ways of doing mission were pro- posed, namely: proclamation, inculturation , dialogue and libera - tion .

34. Let us explain: Proclamation remains the perma - nent priority of the evangelizing mission of the Church. Proclamation takes the form of inculturation in the context of evangelizing mission.

35. In the context of the other religions and secularization , proclamation takes the form of interreligious dialogue. Among Christians , proclamation takes the form of ecumenical dia - logue .

36. Finally, in the context of the poor people in the world, proclamation takes the form of liberation and human development .

37. In the context of Asian realities, mission is spelled out by the Fe- deration of Asian Bishops’ Con- ferences (FABC) as “triple dia - logue ” with cultures, religious traditions, and the poor in the continent. In contemporary times, the how (or ways) of doing mission is described as “crossing new borders or frontiers.”

38. John Paul II describes these boun - daries as (1) geographical and (2) the new forms of the Areopagus . During the Synod of Bishops in 2012, the borders were described as the new sectors or situations of new evangelization .

39. Today, border crossing is proposed as the new form of the spirituality for mission. The new arenas and situations identified by John Paul II ( Redemptoris Missio ) require new forms of spirituality such as (1) spirituality of presence , (2) ke - notic spirituality , (3) spirituality of reconciliation and harmony and a (4) holistic spirituality.