MISSIONOLOGY. - I. DEFINITION
Missionary studies began in the last century, first through the efforts of Protestants and then of Catholics, in Germany. Various terms were used to denote them in different languages until, in 1915, Fr. van Rijcheversel introduced the neologisms “m.” and “missionologist.” The new term was soon accepted everywhere, but while in Rome and Italy the form “m.” is preferred, in other countries they prefer to say “missionology,” because it is easier to pronounce and shorter. Some Protestant authors have proposed strange terms, but without success.
It is evident that the definition of missions necessarily leads to that of m. The definitions given by J. Schmidlin and G. B. Tragella have been the most comprehensive and have paved the way for the current definition, according to which m., objectively considered, is the body of knowledge concerning the work of planting the Catholic Church in its doctrinal principles, its practical norms, and its historical development.
The study, therefore, of m. has a doctrinal part, which is rooted in theology, and another practical part, which concerns methodology and history and thus has rather the character of a specialization.
II. DIVISION
From the definition of m. one must deduce the criteria for dividing it into its parts, which fundamentally are two: the doctrinal and the descriptive or historical. This division, proposed by Streit, was taken up and expanded by Schmidlin and followed with slight modifications by Tragella, Charles, Pio de Mondreganes, Perbal, Krol, Carminati, Rommerskirchen, and Pageau.
In general, authors agree on these two fundamental divisions, but the criteria are not identical in determining the subdivisions and specifying their object. Almost all, however, divide doctrinal m. into fundamental and general, and practical or normative. The first deals with the general principles of the entire m., first determining the definition and purpose of missions, expounding the Church’s teaching on the work of propagating the faith, and developing the history of Catholic and Protestant missionary literature. The normative part is twofold, juridical and methodological. The juridical aspect is of particular importance because the apostolate is an activity regulated by numerous canonical provisions and first treats the general principles of missionary law and then speaks of the central and peripheral organization, that is, of the missionary hierarchy. Methodology deserves special development because it establishes the practical norms for carrying out effective apostolic work among the various peoples to be converted. First it treats the intellectual and moral formation of missionaries and then deals with the principles of adaptation and the spiritual and natural means of apostolate. Among the latter are generally included preaching, catechumenate, schools, indigenous clergy, and also art and music, and charitable and social works. Thus methodology treats the principal religions and peoples, but only to establish the practical norms of apostolate among them, so as to derive the greatest advantage from all those elements closest to the Catholic religion. Nor should we forget the methodology to be followed in bringing Protestants and heterodox back to the fold.
To the methodological part also belongs the exposition of works of missionary collaboration, and according to some, also the treatment of the missionary duty of the Church and the faithful, which for others should find a place in the fundamental part.
Last comes the descriptive part, which is divided into the history of missions and missionography, with subdivisions of missionary geography and statistics. It is clear that in a general exposition of all m. this part must be limited to fundamental principles and general guidelines, leaving the development of the entire vast subject to special publications.
Some introduce into the general division of m. elements of ethnology and the science of religions, but in the opinion of many the study of these auxiliary sciences, although very useful and often indispensable, can only be treated in an appendix.