This paper argues that local evangelical churches throughout the world are missionally obligated to bring gospel-centered responses to specific race-ethnic narratives around them. The argument describes why it is important for those responses to be shaped explicitly by the local context in which the church is planted. Further, the argument insists that those responses have both a practical and a prophetic shape.
This world continues to be plagued by fracture and injustice where social spaces contain race-ethnic difference. Insights from the social sciences about the nature of race and ethnicity are useful for the church as it considers its missional vocation amidst those challenges. Therefore, this project begins with a description of how race-ethnic identities work as social constructions through embodied narratives. This description is presented through a synthesis of current social scientific theories of race and ethnicity. This synthesis describes both what race-ethnic identities are and, importantly, what they are not.
A missiological proposal is built from a theological analysis of the social scientific descriptions of race and ethnicity presented. Since race and ethnicity exist, primarily and fundamentally, under concrete social conditions, generalized missiological responses to the challenges created by race-ethnic identities are insufficient. Local churches across contexts can draw from the same biblical resources as they seek to manifest gospel hope around them, but the faithful application of those resources requires highly concrete and contextualized responses.
Accordingly, this project proceeds by suggesting a missiological framework for local church responses to constructed race-ethnic identities in and around their congregations. The missiological perspective is grounded in missio dei. As such, it argues that the unique demands that race and ethnicity make upon the missional obligations of local churches entail both a responsibility to proclaim gospel hope and a responsibility to combat social evils.
In conclusion, this project contributes to contemporary evangelical missiological reflection on race and ethnicity that is practically relevant across contexts. It provides a theoretical framework to enhance the possibility of increased missiological faithfulness for local churches confronted by strife and division amidst race-ethnic difference. This framework provides a starting point for further practical theological research and application.