Cross-Cultural Formation of Future Missionaries in the Context of the Society of African Missions
Date
1999-02-12
Authors
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Publisher
Tangaza University College
Abstract
In this long-essay I will try to present my views on cross-cultural formation of future
missionaries. Because the topic is very broad, I would not be able to exhaust it, so I will be rather
selective. Also, I was encouraged by my tutor to narrow the topic to the formation of future
missionaries in the context of the Society of African Missions. By doing that I was to contribute
to the future formation of students within my own missionary institute. Nevertheless, I hope that
the key issues in the areas of cross-cultural formation highlighted here are universal and can be
applied, understood and read in the broader context of any missionary congregation.
In the first Chapter I intend to show the need and novelty of cross-cultural missionary
formation as well as existing Church documents regarding this topic.
In the following Chapters I will try to follow the methodology called SEE-JUDGE-ACT.
Therefore, in Chapter Two I will briefly describe the present developments regarding
cross-cultural formation in the SMA context, presenting what has been done so far and how the
formation is carried out in practice.
In the Chapter Three I will evaluate critically the present recruitment system and things
the formation system lacks in preparing well-formed candidates to missionary priesthood. Also,
I will take into account such things as inculturation of formation; preparation for being witnesses
to the people; preparation for a collaborative ministry and formation within the Charism of
missionary institutes.
In the last chapter I want to point out some general guidelines for future adaptation and
implementation of new changes in different SMA houses of missionary formation. The purpose
of this paper would be rather to encourage existing international houses of formation to look for
their own solutions to their particular needs and ways of improvement.
Description
Keywords
Missionaries, African Missions, Cross-Cultural, Society, Formation of a Global Church, Formation, Recruitment