David Masters D Min

Ruined for Life David Masters D Min

What happens to missionaries when they return home from the mission field? What do they think and feel? How do their families, friends, neighbors, fellow congregants, pastors, and coworkers treat them? How do they react? How smoothly do they negotiate the transition? How well do they fit back into their land and culture of origin? How much greater is the impact of the culture shock on missionaries who grew up in a materially excessive consumer society such the USA and then suddenly immerse themselves in a place where material indigence abounds and surrounds? Which factors serve to exacerbate their sense of disorientation and distress? Conversely, which post-immersion strategies have proven to aid the returned missionaries in the sustenance of the trajectory of their spiritual conversion, to help them to deepen their commitment to their missionary community, and to facilitate their reintegration into their native family and society? In Ruined for Life, David Masters documents the post-immersion experiences of generations of Amor en Acción missionaries who serve in the Caribbean. He then proceeds to examine these experiences by employing the tools of sociology, of philosophy, as well as of conversion theology and social-moral theology, in order to discern the wisdom that each of these intellectual disciplines can offer. Finally, in light of the insights distilled along this path of reflection, the author generates concrete recommendations that mission-sending communities can apply to help guide the post-immersion conversion and reintegration of their missionaries. Dr. Masters' study follows both the magisterially endorsed foundational method of practical theology, Cardinal Joseph Cardijn's See-Judge-Act process, and Thomas Groome's method of Shared Praxis.