Anvil vol 36 issue 3, October 2020
Faultlines in mission: reflections on race and colonialism
Edited by Lusa Nsenga-Ngoy, Harvey Kwiyani and Shemil Mathew
Download the complete issue as a pdf
DOWNLOADEditorial: Faultlines in mission
Exploring the legacy of empire as we look towards a future in which racial justice and reconciliation are an achievable reality.
Mission after George Floyd
A crystal-clear view of how white privilege and white supremacy have made mission in their own image
Hope reimagined
Lusa explores how the murder of George Floyd offers a critical vantage point from which to rethink and redefine mission in ways that lead towards transformed structures and restored relationships.
Racial tension in mission
Bishop Emmanuel Egbunu provides a clear overview of the shameful humiliation of Bishop Ajayi Crowther by European colleagues and the far reaching impact this has had.
Colonialism, missions and the imagination
A critical overview of the legacy of CMS’s mission with a particular focus on Ugandan experience.
When the poisonous tree attempts to produce an antidote
Colonialism, colonial CMS missions and the caste system in Kerala by Rev Shemil Mathew and Rev Dr Anderson Jeremiah
Home is where the heart is
Gilberto Da Silva Afonso reminds us that there is no theology that is not at its heart biography. Through the complex historical and socio-political landscape of his heritage, Gilberto illustrates both the tension and opportunity of hybridised identity.
“How rich the Kingdom of God is!”
Pastor Dupe Adefala recounts the experience of planting a church in the UK, the challenges of minoritised living, the painful reminder of racial fault lines in British society and everyday experiences of racism in her interview with James Butler.
Fault lines and factions
Eleasah raises a number of pertinent questions about normative whiteness as the frame of theological reflection and missional development, and its failure to imaginatively engage with the experience of oppression and liberative aspirations of many black Christians in their quest for God.
Racism: dishonouring the image of God
An exploration of the expression of racism in the Church’s mission and ministry through various interpretative lenses
Let me breathe!
Let Me Breathe by Natasha Godfrey is a visceral responses to the murder of George Floyd: a protest, a plea, and a prayer. Above all, it is a lament, a prophetic complaint appealing to the heart of God, and whatever humanity is still present in those listening.
An afterword from Paul Thaxter, CMS Director of International Mission
Paul Thaxter reflects and responds on his reading of this edition of ANVIL.
YouTube review: “We Need to Talk about Race”
Ann-Marie Wilson is rallied to action by two timely pieces of media
YouTube review: Body Language
Emily Roux responds to a heart-provoking and honest conversation between two champions of our faith, Christine Caine and Dr Anita Phillips
