Providentia Missio Dei amid Adverse Global Conflicts
Jonas Sello Thinane 
Issue: Vol.10 No. 10 October 2024 Issue Article 2 pp.340-351
DOI : https://doi.org/10.38159/erats.202410102 | Published online 16th October, 2024.
© 2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Since its reinterpretation in the second half of the 20th century, the Missio Dei has become a primary missiological framework that embraces human redemption as the direct work or by-product of God’s intervention. Accordingly, or under the premise of divina providentia (divine providence), the Missio Dei then emphasizes God’s absolute stewardship and preservation of all of His creation, which includes but is not limited to human creation. Although the idea of divine providence may understandably at times be questioned, it may equally be invoked by those in desperate search of divine salvific intervention or protection in the face of tragedy and adversity. That is to say, faith in divine providence may be relied upon perhaps to reinforce the much-desired salvivic hope amid hardships such as destructive conflicts of the world. That being said, or to the extent that global conflicts not only damage the very nature of human societies but also worsen a crisis of faith in divine existence, constant theological justification of the divine providential plan encompassing salvation remains an absolute necessity. Consequently, this paper combines both missio Dei and divine providence to form the providentia missio Dei as a systematic framework in missiology redefining divine salvific acts amid global chaos. Accordingly, both the systematic and integrative literature research methods are utilized to reconcile Divine Providence and the missio Dei into Providentia missio Dei.
Keywords: Missio Dei, Missionary God, Active Presence, Divine Providence, Providentia Missio Dei, Global Conflicts
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Dr. Jonas Sello Thinane is a researcher at the University of South Africa (UNISA), College of Human Sciences (CHS) within the Research Institute for Theology and Religion (RITR). With a PhD in Theology, specializing in Missiology, he has dedicated his entire career to the study and research of missionary work. Since then, he has published numerous scholarly articles in prestigious journals, covering a wide range of theological topics, but particularly Missiology topics. In addition to his publications, Dr. Thinane continues to actively participate in local and international conferences, seminars, and webinars. As such, his academic contributions continue to make a mark both in South Africa and internationally.
Thinane, Jonas Sello. “Providentia Missio Dei amid Adverse Global Conflicts ,” E-Journal of Religious and Theological Studies, 10 no.10 (2024): 340-351. https://doi.org/10.38159/erats.202410102
© 2024 The Author(s). Published and Maintained by Noyam Journals. This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
