The charm of the gift (The relationship between gift and exchange)

The relationship between gift and exchange continues to be a controversial issue in the missiological, anthropological and philosophical debate. The author's pastoral experience and phenomenological observation are placed within the framework of such discourses and related to the basic rationale of Luther's Reformation: The gratuity of faith interrupts both the logic and the practice of reciprocity. This thought throws some light on the networking of the churches in terms of development aid as well as on the field of intercultural missionary communication. In conclusion, the author discusses options for churches to be advocates for a culture of giving. He argues that in cultural settings shaped by a logic and practice of reciprocity Christian witness to the pure gratuity of faith is not rendered irrelevant or ineffective but rather proves itself.