by Naomy Rono, WCIU student
This “Reflection” is by a WCIU student responding a question about their personal understanding of the term, “international development.”
Read MoreBy Ralph D. Winter with Beth Snodderly
If Winter were living today, he might have asked, Is there is a future in mission for those the world now thinks of as “evangelicals”? Unfortunately, what the public is seeing from so-called evangelicals is not bringing glory to God.
Winter first reviewed the history of the evangelical movement in America that started with a theology combining both personal salvation and social responsibility that glorified God. During the early 20th century, evangelicals largely withdrew from efforts to influence society and focused almost exclusively on salvation and escape from this world to the next. But now, as Winter predicted, the evangelical world has again taken an interest in societal impact, although with mixed results.
Read Moreby Kumar Aryal
Corruption, lack of education, population growth, and natural disasters are the main causes of the persistent poverty in the Philippines. Evangelical Christians are visible in responding to poverty in the Philippines, but the majority of their programs and services meet immediate needs, which has the tendency to create dependency, instead of development, if continued over a long period of time. Evangelicals seem to have a very minimal partnership with the government, instead going directly to the poor to avoid a long government process, and not wanting government officials to pocket the money that should go to the poor. Compounding the inadequate evangelical response is that there seems to be a lack of collaboration among evangelical Christian churches and NGOs in responding to poverty in the Philippines.
This research shows that in addition to the four causes of poverty in Metro Manilla, there are four types of poverty. When economic, psychological, social, and spiritual poverty are addressed in an integrated manner, poor people will experience shalom, which is the goal of holistic development.
Read Moreby Ralph D. Winter
In the 1950s and 60s, Winter served in Guatemala where he encountered conventional thinking related to medical clinics. In this short Reflection he points out the problem with Western funding for development projects.
Read Moreby Maureen Singer, WCIU MA student
In this post, WCIU Student Maureen Singer reflects on the history of International Development and William Carey International University’s contribution to its practical scholarship and philosophy.
Read Moreby Kisongo Mbeleulu, WCIU MA student
The concept of international development is a borrowing of the biblical Hebrew concept of Tohu Wabohu. Though international development may appear corrupted in its practices by yielding to the interest of the powerful, the concept of Tohu Wabohu justifies the presence of the church on the stage of the global development community and compels the church to engage in transformation work, not as an option but as an obligation for the glory of God.
Read More