Identificationalism vs. Extractionalism

Rheenen, Gailyn Van. Missions: Biblical Foundations and Contemporary Strategies. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1996. pp. 211-232.

A Unit 1 reaction paper on the reading above.

Identificationalism and Extractionalism are two different methodologies to doing missions with those who belong to a different culture. Extractionalism involves moving the person or people being witnessed into the culture of the missionary. Identificationalism, on the other hand, occurs when the missionary or missionaries immerse themselves into an unfamiliar culture in order to witness to the people of that culture. The method of Extractionalism can be extremely difficult on the one being torn away from their culture or facets of it, while the method of Identificationalism makes the missionaries job more difficult. However, God’s people are called to fulfill the Great Commission no matter how hard or complicated it may be, and, therefore, Identificational missions are better and more effective than Extractional missions.

When Christians immerse themselves and identify with a different culture, the opportunity to share the Gospel message becomes more genuine because the missionary begins to empathize with the new, unfamiliar culture. Gailyn Van Rheenen states that “Missionaries therefore feel the struggles of people as they grapple with Christian teachings, and rejoice with them as they make Jesus a part of their culture” (p. 213). Extractionalism is more difficult in terms of the two parties empathizing with one another because one of them is already struggling to adapt to a new culture. On top of the adaptation that is required, the extractional missionary hopes for the person to wrestle with God and doctrine, which is already a difficult task for them.

This inward familiarity and identification called empathy is accompanied by an outward identification. For example, Rheenen shares that when his family brought a rug for their living room and the people of that culture did not walk on it, they removed it in order to identify and care for those they shared the Gospel with (p. 214).

Identificational missions is a better method for missions as it places the missionary in the shoes of those who are being witnessed to. They begin to identify both inwardly and outwardly with the new culture and are able to empathize with it in order for the Gospel to be preached.