Research Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

  • Year: 2025
  • Volume: 16
  • Issue: 3

Beyond Boundaries: Exploring New Paradigms of Mission in an Interconnected World

Associate Professor, University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines

Abstract

The advent of digital communications technologies within a short period has rapidly increased the degree of connectedness. The ability to access, share, and contribute to the flow of information is continually expanding. This complex and increased connectedness will continue to rise in the coming years and revolutionize how we interact with others and the world. This paper contributes to reimagining mission given this context, it argues that in the current milieu it should be oriented towards interconnectivity, exacerbated by the era of globalization that contributed to an increased of connections that has exponentially accelerated cultural exchanges. Using a qualitative method of contextual analysis, this study seeks to understand how the complexities of contemporary realities shape mission. This paper explores the crucial shifts in paradigms in missiology, a perspective change from Church-centered (missio ecclesiae) to God-centered (Missio Dei). The paradigm shift has important implications for understanding mission and, more importantly, the nature, purpose, and modality of mission. This study discusses the agents and instruments of mission in a God-centered framework. Thus, delving into the theological aspects of mission today emphasizes the Holy Spirit’s significant role as the principal agent of mission. Furthermore, this study identifies emerging spaces of mission that seek interconnectivity in the global world. Given that these spaces of mission are continuously shaped by globalization, the Church is called to adapt to new directions and challenges.

Keywords

Mission, Communio, Interconnectivity, Missio Dei, Paradigm Shifts