God's Mission Challenges from the Otherness Theological Reflections from the Context of Abya Yala

This article raises relevant aspects of the dialogue missiology regarding Abya Yala religions and cultures. It is based on the concept of missio Dei as critical to the Christian missionary experience in Latin America, and discusses some historical examples, including Bartolome de Las Casas, Jose de Acosta, Felipe Guaman Poma de Ayala and Jorge Benci, in order to arrive at the proposals for inculturation and interculturality, as the present day challenges to innovative missionary action. It declares respect and love for the 'other' as the starting point for a journey responding to the passion of the God of Life for humanity and dignity of all peoples and cultures. It tries to rewrite mission theology as a 'decolonizing' task, at a time and in a world dominated by Western culture. This requires a difficult, but essential, 'intercultural decentering' (Josef Estermann), which is both a rupture and a personal, philosophical, theological and pastoral conversion in this direction. Examples derived from 'critical Pentecostal' theology can help us in this intent.