‘Idolatry’ can be understood both literally and metaphorically, but with the same effect.   Literally, it is the worship of human-made deities—crafted idols.   From the perspective of religions that state that there is only One God, Creator of heaven and earth, things visible and invisible, idolatry involves not only turning to other deities but also inventing religion to suit cultural tastes and human needs.   Metaphorically, idolatry involves placing anything above God—or replacing God with something else. The history of Christianity in many parts of the world has involved a Christian challenge to other religions over the centuries.   In the 8 th century, St. Boniface chopped down the sacred oak of the god Donar of Germanic tribes in the Frankish Empire.   As the story goes, a wind came up and helped to topple the tree.   With no challenge from Donar, the tribes turned to Jesus Christ instead.   Such encounters with pagan religions have often been repeated.   Christians do not b

From St. Patrick's  Confessio  (or  Declaration ), the following words describe his understanding of evangelistic mission.  Patrick, an Englishman, lived sometime between the mid 4th-mid 5th c. AD.  He was captured and enslaved in Ireland for six years.  Having returned to England, he was called by God back to Ireland as a missionary.  Through his work, thousands of Irish came to faith.  Here is his understanding of the Biblical basis for missions.  The understandings that Scripture calls for a mission to foreign lands and all people, that the essence of missions is evangelistic, that the mission is first and foremost God's mission, and Christian mission is a call to unbelievers to leave behind their 'cherished idols and unclean things' all need to challenge the Church again and again, including in our day. ... so that I might come to the Irish people to preach the Gospel and endure insults from unbelievers; that I might hear scandal of my travels, and endure many perse