"Godbearing: Evangelism Reconceived"

Today is the Catholic celebration Mary, Mother of God, honoring the mother of Jesus.The First Council of Ephesis in 431 affirmed Mary with that title, Theotokos, which is important not only to affirm the role of Mary but also to affirm the full divinity of Jesus.

That word means "Godbearer." This past semester, I taught an evening seminary on Evangelism at Eden Theological Seminary. One of the textbooks that the students appreciated was Godbearing: Evangelism Reconceived by Elaine A. Robinson (Pilgrim Press, 2006). Robinson argues that evangelism, traditionally conceived, is not the answer to the problems and challenges of the contemporary church. The focus on "counting noses" (or, as one guest to our class called it, "butts in the pews") is a very human solution, resulting in measurable numbers and demonstrable results. But there are problems with that approach: a sometimes tenuous connection to discipleship, a lack of engagement with modernity, and others (chapter 2).

Robinson uses that term "Godbearer," not to usurp the special theology of Mary, but to describe a new approach to evangelism wherein we are "bearing the renewed image of God within, bearing God to others, and bearing with God the suffering of others"(p. 112). A Godbearer has the Christ-character within, has been transformed by Christ, and is devoted to bearing God to others as a way to serve---as well as to share and live the Good News.

Chapter 1 and 2 describes the spirit of our contemporary time and then argues why traditional aspects of evangelism have strengths and drawbacks. Chapter 3 is the "christology" of Godbearing, with the full humanity and divinity of Christ showing us the "radical relationally of God." Chapter 4 considers five examples of Godbearing: Mary Theotokos, Mary Magdalene, the Apostle Paul, Bartolomé de las Casas, and Rosa Parks. Chapter 5 sums up the book and points us toward the future. She engages a variety of theologians like Karl Barth, Ronald Rolheiser, William Abraham, James Cone, Sallie McFague, Jurgen Moltmann, and others.

If you're interested in issues of evangelism and discipleship, Godbearing is well worth your time and engagement.