Decolonizing 'The Great Commission'  🔗 **Source:** [Decolonizing 'The Great Commission'](https://joashpthomas.substack.com/p/decolonizing-the-great-commission) > [!note]+ Document Notes > tags: [decolonizing-theology, great-commission, colonial-christianity, evangelical-critique, indigenous-christianity] > author: Fr. Joash P. Thomas > source: Masala Chai Theology (Substack) > reference: https://joashpthomas.substack.com/p/decolonizing-the-great-commission > date created: {{date:YYYY-MM-DD}} {{time:HH:mm}} > > # 🏷️ Title: Decolonizing 'The Great Commission' > <!-- deep-read:sections start --> ## 🧭 Table of Contents - [📝 Summary](#-summary) - [📖 Main Content](#-main-content) - [🗒️ Notes](#️-notes) - [📚 References](#-references) - [🗣️ Paraphrase](#️-paraphrase) - [📰 Newsletter](#-newsletter) - [✅ Action Items](#-action-items) - [🧪 Hypotheses](#-hypotheses) - [📊 Methodology](#-methodology) - [❓ Questions](#-questions) - [🔮 Future Research](#-future-research) - [💡 Implications](#-implications) - [🧠 Learning Styles Assessment](#-learning-styles-assessment) - [📊 Accessibility Assessment](#-accessibility-assessment) - [🌍 DEIB Assessment](#-deib-assessment) - [✅ Logical Validity](#-logical-validity) - [🛡️ DARVO Analysis](#-darvo-analysis) - [🎯 Conclusion](#-conclusion) ## 📝 Summary - Fr. Joash P. Thomas argues that "The Great Commission" is a colonial-era theological innovation that didn't exist in church vocabulary for 17 centuries - The doctrine emerged during the age of western colonialism and was used to legitimize missionary work that often accompanied imperial conquest - Historical evidence suggests pre-colonial churches viewed Matthew 28 as specific instructions to Jesus' apostles, not a universal Christian mandate - Western missionaries worked alongside colonial empires to "divide and conquer" indigenous theological imaginations - The author challenges evangelicals to reconsider their foundational assumptions about Christian purpose beyond this colonial framework ## 📖 Main Content Fr. Joash P. Thomas presents a provocative thesis that "The Great Commission" is not an ancient Christian doctrine but a modern colonial invention. As an ordained priest with evangelical roots who has transitioned to more liturgical Christianity, he argues that this foundational evangelical concept actually serves imperial rather than gospel purposes. ### Historical Claims Thomas asserts that no use of the phrase "The Great Commission" can be found in church history before the colonial era. He notes that for 17 centuries, neither the Roman Catholic Church nor Orthodox branches viewed Matthew 28 as an open mandate for all Christians. Instead, they understood it as specific instructions Jesus gave to his apostles, which they fulfilled—with St. Thomas traveling to India as an example. The earliest documented uses of "Great Commission" language appear in post-reformation circles, coinciding with western colonialism. Early proponents included William Carey (British missionary to India, late 1700s) and Hudson Taylor (British missionary to China, late 1800s). ### Colonial Context Thomas situates this theological development within broader patterns of imperial expansion. He cites Yale theologian Dr. Willie James Jennings' framework of three colonial agents: the Merchant, the Mercenary, and the Missionary—with missionaries providing moral legitimacy for conquest. The author provides personal context through his own St. Thomas Christian heritage, describing how Portuguese missionaries at the 1599 Synod of Diamper burned ancient Indian church documents and declared traditional doctrines "heretical" to enforce imperial theological control. ### Contemporary Evidence Thomas includes a recent encounter with a Homalco First Nation guide who described how missionaries accompanied colonizers, bringing disease-bearing blankets, destroying indigenous spiritual sites, forbidding native languages, and operating residential schools. This pattern, he argues, was replicated across Turtle Island and the Global South. The article suggests that "Great Commission" theology reduces Christianity from transformation to transaction, prioritizing verbal proclamation and belief over justice and liberation. ## 🗒️ Notes - The phrase "The Great Commission" appears nowhere in original biblical texts but was added as a heading in English Bibles during the colonial era - Thomas challenges readers to find any pre-colonial use of this terminology in any language - The doctrine's emergence correlates with the expansion of western imperial power - Traditional evangelical emphasis on the Great Commission may inadvertently perpetuate colonial theological frameworks - The author's St. Thomas Christian tradition practiced interfaith hospitality for 1500 years before western missionary contact - Colonial missions functioned as tools for "divide and conquer" strategies targeting indigenous theological imaginations - The Homalco First Nation population dropped from 150,000 to 10,000 due to diseases brought by colonizers - The last residential school in British Columbia closed only decades ago - The article questions whether the purpose of Christianity is verbal proclamation versus embodied transformation ## 📚 References - [Fr. Joash P. Thomas - The Justice of Jesus](https://joashpthomas.substack.com/) - [Dr. Willie James Jennings - The Christian Imagination](reference needed) - [Dr. Holly Berkley Fletcher - The Missionary Kids](reference needed) - [Synod of Diamper (1599)](reference needed) - [Homalco First Nation](reference needed) ## 🗣️ Paraphrase A priest with evangelical background argues that the foundational evangelical doctrine of "The Great Commission" is actually a modern invention that emerged during the colonial period to justify missionary work alongside imperial conquest. He presents historical evidence that this concept didn't exist in church teaching for the first 17 centuries of Christianity, when churches understood Jesus' instructions in Matthew 28 as specific to his apostles rather than a universal mandate. The author contends that western missionaries used this theological framework to legitimize the displacement of indigenous spiritualities and theological traditions, effectively serving as tools for imperial "divide and conquer" strategies. Drawing from his own Indian Christian heritage and encounters with First Nations peoples, he challenges contemporary evangelicals to reconsider whether their faith should prioritize verbal proclamation or embodied justice and transformation. ## 📰 Newsletter **Rethinking Christian Foundations: A Provocative Historical Challenge** This week we're exploring a bold theological argument that might shake some foundational assumptions. Fr. Joash P. Thomas presents compelling historical evidence that "The Great Commission"—a cornerstone of evangelical faith—may actually be a colonial-era innovation rather than an ancient Christian doctrine. His research suggests this concept didn't exist in church vocabulary for 17 centuries and emerged alongside western imperial expansion. For developers and community builders, this raises interesting questions about how foundational assumptions in any field might unconsciously serve power structures rather than stated values. The piece offers valuable insights on recognizing when well-intentioned frameworks might perpetuate harmful systems—a consideration relevant to anyone building inclusive communities or examining the historical context of their tools and practices. Whether you find the argument convincing or challenging, it's a thoughtful examination of how language, power, and historical context shape our understanding of purpose and mission. ## ✅ Action Items #### DevRel - Research: examine how developer advocacy frameworks might unconsciously replicate exclusionary patterns from other fields - Education: develop workshops on inclusive community building that acknowledge historical power dynamics - Community management: create guidelines that center marginalized voices in technical discussions #### Community - Contributors: establish mentorship programs that prioritize underrepresented developers from Global South contexts - Maintainers: audit project governance to ensure decision-making doesn't replicate colonial patterns of "knowing what's best" for communities #### WordPress - Community: develop meetup resources on inclusive leadership that acknowledge diverse cultural contexts - Training: create content on decolonizing technical education and avoiding paternalistic approaches - Documentation: review docs for language that might perpetuate western-centric assumptions about best practices ## 🧪 Hypotheses - The emergence of theological doctrines correlates with political and economic power structures of their historical periods - Modern evangelical emphasis on verbal proclamation over embodied justice reflects colonial theological frameworks - Indigenous Christian traditions practiced more inclusive interfaith approaches before western missionary contact - Contemporary missions work still operates within colonial paradigms despite good intentions - Theological innovations during imperial periods serve to legitimize conquest rather than authentic spiritual development ## 📊 Methodology **Historical analysis approach:** - Textual analysis of pre-colonial church documents for presence/absence of "Great Commission" language - Correlation studies between doctrinal emergence and imperial expansion timelines - Comparative analysis of indigenous Christian practices versus missionary-introduced frameworks - Oral history collection from affected indigenous communities **Verification methods:** - Primary source examination from Roman Catholic and Orthodox traditions - Linguistic analysis of biblical translations across historical periods - Archaeological and documentary evidence from affected communities - Cross-referencing missionary records with colonial administrative documents ## ❓ Questions - What other foundational evangelical doctrines might be colonial innovations rather than ancient Christian teachings? - How did pre-colonial Christian communities understand their relationship to non-Christians? - What theological frameworks did the 1599 Synod of Diamper specifically target as "heretical"? - How do contemporary Global South evangelical leaders navigate inherited colonial theological frameworks? - What would Christianity look like if developed outside of imperial contexts? - How do indigenous Christian traditions differ from missionary-introduced versions? ## 🔮 Future Research - Comprehensive linguistic analysis of "Great Commission" terminology across multiple languages and historical periods - Detailed study of pre-colonial Indian Christian theological documents that survived Portuguese destruction - Comparative analysis of missionary approaches across different imperial contexts (British, Portuguese, Spanish, French) - Contemporary interviews with Global South Christian leaders on decolonizing inherited theological frameworks - Examination of how other major world religions were impacted by colonial theological innovations ## 💡 Implications **For Christian communities:** - Fundamental reconsideration of evangelical identity and purpose beyond verbal proclamation - Need to examine how colonial frameworks continue to shape contemporary Christian practice - Opportunity to recover pre-colonial Christian traditions and interfaith approaches **For mission organizations:** - Requirement to acknowledge historical complicity in imperial projects - Need for new frameworks that center indigenous theological wisdom - Shift from "saving souls" to supporting community liberation and justice **For theological education:** - Integration of decolonizing approaches in seminary curricula - Historical honesty about Christianity's role in imperial expansion - Recovery and preservation of non-western Christian theological traditions **For interfaith relations:** - Recognition that colonial Christianity damaged relationships with other faith traditions - Opportunity for healing and authentic dialogue based on pre-colonial models - Acknowledgment of how imperial theology harmed indigenous spiritualities ## 🧠 Learning Styles Assessment **Reading level**: Graduate level - requires familiarity with theological terminology and historical context. #### 👀 Visual learners - **Present**: Historical timeline showing doctrine emergence alongside colonial expansion - **Improve**: Maps showing missionary routes and colonial territories, infographics comparing pre/post-colonial theological frameworks #### 🔊 Aural learners - **Present**: Podcast conversation references - **Improve**: Audio discussion guides, recorded interviews with affected communities #### 🗣️ Verbal learners - **Present**: Clear definitions of theological terms, historical analogies - **Improve**: Glossary of colonial theological vocabulary, discussion prompts for community processing #### 🧩 Kinesthetic learners - **Present**: Challenge to research and verify claims independently - **Improve**: Interactive timeline creation exercises, document analysis workshops #### 🧠 Logical learners - **Present**: Clear thesis statement, historical evidence sequence, cause-and-effect relationships - **Improve**: Decision trees for evaluating theological claims, systematic methodology for historical verification #### 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Social learners - **Present**: Community discussion invitation, acknowledgment of wrestling with ideas together - **Improve**: Structured dialogue guides, community discernment processes #### 🧘‍♀️ Solitary learners - **Present**: Personal reflection prompts, individual research challenges - **Improve**: Journaling questions for processing challenging ideas, self-guided study materials #### 🌿 Naturalistic learners - **Present**: Connection to land-based indigenous spiritualities and place names - **Improve**: Exploration of how colonial theology disconnected people from creation, land acknowledgments ## 📊 Accessibility Assessment #### Screen reader semantics - **Present**: Clear heading hierarchy, descriptive text - **Improve**: Alt text for any historical images, audio descriptions for referenced videos #### Keyboard navigation - **Present**: Standard web navigation - **Improve**: Skip links for lengthy historical sections, keyboard shortcuts for section navigation #### Contrast and readability - **Present**: Standard Substack formatting - **Improve**: High contrast mode for dense theological content, adjustable text size options #### Text resizing and reflow - **Present**: Responsive Substack design - **Improve**: Ensure theological terminology remains readable at 200% zoom #### Media and captions - **Present**: Referenced podcast conversation - **Improve**: Transcripts for all audio content, captions for video materials #### Forms and interactions - **Present**: Standard subscription interface - **Improve**: Clear error messages for subscription issues, accessible comment threading ## 🌍 DEIB Assessment #### Cultural breadth - **Present**: Global South perspective, indigenous Canadian context, Indian Christian heritage - **Improve**: Multiple indigenous voices, broader representation of affected communities #### Inclusive language - **Present**: Acknowledges colonial harm, uses respectful terminology for indigenous peoples - **Improve**: Land acknowledgments, preferred terminology verification with communities #### Neurodiversity support - **Present**: Clear section breaks, organized argument structure - **Improve**: Executive summaries for complex theological concepts, processing time acknowledgments #### Representation - **Present**: Indigenous women's voice prominently featured, Global South Christian leadership - **Improve**: Multiple perspectives from affected communities, diverse theological voices #### Psychological safety - **Present**: Acknowledges emotional difficulty of challenging foundational beliefs - **Improve**: Trauma-informed approach to discussing colonial violence, support resources ## ✅ Logical Validity #### Strong reasoning - **Historical correlation analysis** (paragraph 6-8): Effectively demonstrates temporal correlation between colonial expansion and doctrinal emergence using specific examples and timeframes. - **Appeals to authority** (throughout): Appropriately cites relevant experts like Willie James Jennings and uses author's own scholarly credentials and cultural background. - **Primary source methodology** (paragraph 4): Sound approach requesting readers find counter-evidence in original languages and historical texts. #### Fallacies - **Hasty generalization** (paragraph 12): "stories of harm caused in Jesus' name globally like this" - uses single Homalco Nation example to represent global pattern without sufficient comparative evidence. - **Genetic fallacy** (implicit throughout): While historical origins matter, the colonial emergence of a doctrine doesn't automatically invalidate its theological merit or contemporary application. - **False dichotomy** (final paragraphs): Presents choice between colonial "Great Commission" framework versus justice-focused Christianity without acknowledging possible synthesis approaches. #### Tone of voice **Prophetic and confrontational** with personal vulnerability. Examples: "brutally honest thoughts," "cancel me or lash out," "I can viscerally feel many of you feeling deeply unsettled." The tone combines scholarly authority with pastoral care while maintaining urgent moral challenge. ## 🛡️ DARVO Analysis **Deny**: The argument doesn't exhibit DARVO patterns. Thomas acknowledges potential validity of opposing views and invites wrestling rather than dismissing criticism. **Attack**: While critical of colonial Christianity, the piece focuses on systems rather than attacking individuals. The challenge to "find one place in church history" is methodological rather than personal attack. **Reverse victim/offender**: No evidence of this pattern. Thomas positions indigenous communities and Global South peoples as victims of colonial theological violence rather than reversing these roles. **Assessment**: The article employs prophetic critique rather than DARVO manipulation, acknowledging the emotional difficulty of challenging foundational beliefs while maintaining focus on systemic rather than personal harm. ## 🎯 Conclusion Fr. Joash P. Thomas presents a compelling historical argument that challenges a foundational evangelical doctrine by situating it within colonial power structures. His thesis that "The Great Commission" is a modern invention rather than ancient Christian teaching deserves serious consideration, particularly given the documented correlation between its emergence and imperial expansion. The strength of this argument lies in its historical methodology and the author's cultural authority as both a former evangelical and inheritor of pre-colonial Christian tradition. However, readers should note the distinction between historical critique of a doctrine's origins and evaluation of its contemporary theological merit. For anyone engaged in community building, mission work, or cross-cultural engagement, this piece offers important questions about how seemingly neutral frameworks might perpetuate harmful power dynamics. The call to examine inherited assumptions and center marginalized voices provides valuable guidance for creating more just and inclusive communities. ## 🔄 Refactor Appendix — Decolonizing 'The Great Commission' ### 📚 Literature Atoms #### Colonial theology emerged alongside imperial expansion patterns > [!quote] > From the best of my research, the doctrine of 'The Great Commission' did not exist in the Global Church's vocabulary (or theology) until the age of western colonialism - for 17 centuries! **Context & use**: - Core thesis of historical correlation between doctrinal innovation and imperial power - Challenges evangelical assumptions about ancient Christian foundations **Tags**: #decolonizing-theology #evangelical-critique #colonial-christianity #### Missionaries functioned as moral legitimizers for colonial conquest > [!quote] > Yale theologian, Dr. Willie James Jennings writes in The Christian Imagination that the colonial powers came with three key agents – the Merchant, the Mercenary, and the Missionary. And the Missionary provided moral legitimacy for the colonial project **Context & use**: - Explains institutional role of missions in imperial expansion - Provides framework for understanding systematic rather than individual complicity **Tags**: #colonial-christianity #missions-critique #### Indigenous Christian traditions practiced interfaith hospitality before missionary contact > [!quote] > my spice cultivating and trading St. Thomas Christian ancestors (who first learned about Jesus in AD 52 from St. Thomas the apostle) followed Jesus in uniquely ancient, ecumenical, and interfaith hospitable ways for 1500 years before the first western missionaries showed up **Context & use**: - Demonstrates alternative Christian models that predate colonial frameworks - Personal authority from author's own cultural heritage **Tags**: #indigenous-christianity #interfaith-dialogue #decolonizing-theology ### 🧠 Permanent Candidates #### Colonial theological frameworks prioritize belief over liberation **Claim**: Theological doctrines that emerge during imperial periods often serve conquest rather than spiritual development by emphasizing cognitive assent over embodied justice. **Evidence pointer**: [[#Colonial theology emerged alongside imperial expansion patterns]] **Scope & conditions**: Applies when examining doctrines that correlate with political expansion; may not invalidate all theological content that emerged during colonial periods **Links**: - [[Missions and empire]] — because evidence-for systematic relationship - [[Indigenous spirituality]] — because contrasts with imposed frameworks - [[Decolonizing education]] — because applies-in broader institutional contexts ### ✏️ Fleeting Queue - Research other evangelical doctrines for colonial-era emergence patterns #fleeting #research - Investigate pre-1600 Christian mission models for alternative frameworks #fleeting #theology - Examine how other colonized communities navigate inherited religious frameworks #fleeting #comparative ### → Things 3 - [ ] Find primary sources on pre-colonial Orthodox and Catholic views of Matthew 28 — research #things - [ ] Connect with indigenous Christian leaders for perspective on decolonizing theology — outreach #things <!-- deep-read:sections end --> ## Highlights - From the best of my research, the doctrine of 'The Great Commission' did not exist in the Global Church's vocabulary (or theology) until the age of western colonialism - for 17 centuries! - Note: 📚 Colonial theology emerged alongside imperial expansion patterns · - Core thesis of historical correlation between doctrinal innovation and imperial power - Challenges evangelical assumptions about ancient Christian foundations · #atom/literature/h1 - Yale theologian, Dr. Willie James Jennings writes in The Christian Imagination that the colonial powers came with three key agents – the Merchant, the Mercenary, and the Missionary. And the Missionary provided moral legitimacy for the colonial project - Note: 📚 Missionaries functioned as moral legitimizers for colonial conquest · - Explains institutional role of missions in imperial expansion - Provides framework for understanding systematic rather than individual complicity · #atom/literature/h2 - my spice cultivating and trading St. Thomas Christian ancestors (who first learned about Jesus in AD 52 from St. Thomas the apostle) followed Jesus in uniquely ancient, ecumenical, and interfaith hospitable ways for 1500 years before the first western missionaries showed up - Note: 📚 Indigenous Christian traditions practiced interfaith hospitality before missionary contact · - Demonstrates alternative Christian models that predate colonial frameworks - Personal authority from author's own cultural heritage · #atom/literature/h3 - Colonial theological frameworks prioritize belief over liberation - Note: [[Missions and empire]] — because evidence-for systematic relationship · - [[Missions and empire]] — because evidence-for systematic relationship · #atom/zettel/z1 - Research other evangelical doctrines for colonial-era emergence patterns #fleeting #research - Note: ✏️ Fleeting capture #atom/fleeting/f1 - Investigate pre-1600 Christian mission models for alternative frameworks #fleeting #theology - Note: ✏️ Fleeting capture #atom/fleeting/f2 - Examine how other colonized communities navigate inherited religious frameworks #fleeting #comparative - Note: ✏️ Fleeting capture #atom/fleeting/f3 - stories of harm caused in Jesus' name globally like this" - uses single Homalco Nation example to represent global pattern without sufficient comparative evidence. - Note: 🔍 Fallacy: Hasty Generalization #fallacy/hasty-generalization ## New Highlights added 2026-06-10 at 3:47 PM - **From the best of my research, the doctrine of ‘The Great Commission’ did not exist in the Global Church’s vocabulary (or theology) until the age of western colonialism - for 17 centuries! So yes, it’s fair to say that ‘The Great Commission’ is a modern, colonial-era innovation.** ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01ktsfdfc2eq45y1rhs5f5krja)) - Note: Core thesis: 'Great Commission' as a colonial-era doctrinal innovation, absent for 17 centuries. - Tags: decolonizing-theology, colonial-christianity, atom/literature/h1 - Yale theologian, Dr. Willie James Jennings writes in *The Christian Imagination* that the colonial powers came with three key agents – the Merchant, the Mercenary, and the Missionary. And the Missionary provided moral legitimacy for the colonial project - both at home and abroad. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01ktsfdhgj8b76gbv4zqexcp0j)) - Note: Jennings' Merchant/Mercenary/Missionary framework — missions as moral legitimizer for conquest. - Tags: atom/literature/h2, missions-critique, colonial-christianity - As I write in my book, *The Justice of Jesus -* my spice cultivating and trading St. Thomas Christian ancestors (who first learned about Jesus in AD 52 from St. Thomas the apostle) followed Jesus in uniquely ancient, ecumenical, and interfaith hospitable ways for 1500 years before the first western missionaries showed up trying to convert us to their narrow, Empire-shaped religion. And to divide and conquer us to steal our resources, they had to first divide and conquer our theological imaginations. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01ktsfdmccesysd00p2qk698sq)) - Note: St. Thomas Christians as a 1500-year pre-colonial model of interfaith hospitality. - Tags: indigenous-christianity, interfaith-dialogue, atom/literature/h2