When cultural myth takes over Christian faith
In a secular age, when the transcendent and eternal have drifted out of centre view, immanent things like human cultures take on central, hallowed significance. Preserving the tangible customs and traditions of indigenous cultures in this life, therefore, becomes a far greater good than evangelizing indigenous people to preserve their souls for an intangible afterlife. Indeed, the latter is seen as a threat to the former. For sceptics prone to seeing the Christian mission in a “more harm than good” way, it was confirmed when I read two PhDs (Alice Springs Library) regarding ministry in the Outback that confirm this bias.