Erblast \"Mission\"

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Mission has been a central task throughout the history of Christianity, legitimized by New Testament writings. Various religious communities and orders dedicated themselves to missionary work in distant lands. However, the history of mission reveals numerous transformations that often led to distortions of the Christian message: the good news became a message of fear; the freedom of Christians was restricted by coercion; and instead of love for one’s neighbor, intolerance and power often prevailed. The intertwining of politics, economic interests, and missionary activities frequently resulted in the misuse of Jesus' command to "go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation" (Mk 16:15). Given this ambivalent history, one must question whether the missions of churches and the work of missionary orders and communities represent a burden for the true message of Christianity in the 21st century that must be addressed. Esteemed scholars from various disciplines explored these questions during a lecture series at Goethe University in Frankfurt am Main in the winter semester of 2020/2021. The contributions published in this volume exemplify, question, and clarify the weight of this burden, identifying the challenges and tasks for science, society, and the church in the present and future.