Missionary ecclesiology – An orthodox perspective from the margins

In Orthodox theology,  ecclesiology and missiology go together. There is no strict dichotomy between the being and the becoming of the church.  Both are Trinitarian in nature and content. Church is sent to the world as Jesus Christ was sent by the Father and as the Holy Spirit was sent by the Father through the Son. Mission therefore is a process of translating the inter-communion (perichoresis) of the Holy Trinity.  Church’s mission then is to participate with God in the Trinitarian task of enhancing life in all its fullness. “Missio Trinitatis” is life centric. This implies that the church – the reflection of the Holy Trinity – and its mission have to reflect the Trinitarian values of justice, mutual love, sharing and integrity of creation. This has implications in a context of neo-liberal global capitalism which is based on the values of greed, accumulation of profit and privatisation of wealth and exploitation of the poor and nature.

Orthodox ecclesiology and missiology are also rooted in liturgy and worship. “The liturgy after the liturgy” captures this spirit. However,  much of Orthodox mission – liturgy after liturgy- remains at the level of charity and diakonia (Mission at or to the margins). It cannot be considered as “Mission from the margins” as it raises the fundamental issue of the agency of the marginalised in mission. For this to materialise , a radical shift has to happen both in terms of its ecclesiology and missiology. In several Orthodox ecclesial contexts, the poor and the under privileged sections of society do not either constitute the church or they are marginalised in the name of caste, race , class and gender. This can be challenged, as exemplified here in the case study,  only through radical mission or what I call “liturgy before liturgy”.  This will involve a genuine repentance as was the case with Peter‘s encounter with Cornelius (Acts 10). This will radically alter the ecclesiological and missiological landscape of Orthodox churches.