Scripture and the Global South: A new perspective.

Michael Nai-Chiu Poon has published a remarkable article on the Global South web pages. Titled, "The Ways of Obedience: Scripture and Global South," Poon's article proposes that, "until the Word grips the imagination and intellect, life is not truly transformed. And unless the present-day Christian communities are able to inherit the theological questions and histories of Biblical interpretation of their forebears and those around the world, they abstract themselves from the God’s purposes for the Communion of Saints."

He ends by challenging the churches of the Global South, and indeed all of us, by asking, "What has the profession “We believe the Holy Scriptures as containing all things necessary for salvation and as being the rule and ultimate standard of faith” produced in our ecclesial and national life? We can do well by asking the Provinces: How has the Word shaped your churches and your nations? Our submission to God’s Word is proved by the fruit: that the Word so shape our communal life that it becomes a new vision of social life for the present world."

This is an important addition to the desire to move the discussion of the understanding of the role of Holy Scripture to a new level, one that takes seriously the transformation that comes from "on the ground" experience of its power in life.

Rather than chop more from the essay, I suggest you read it. It is challenging and inviting.