November 12, 2024
Book Reviews, Contextualization

Book Review: Contextualizing the Faith

Last month a new book on contextualization was published by Baker Academic. It is by A. Scott Moreau,  and is entitled Contextualizing the Faith: A Holistic Approach. Dr. Moreau is associate academic dean and professor of intercultural studies at Wheaton College Graduate School. He takes a ‘dimensional’ approach to contextualization, “an approach that deals with the whole life of the church and yet organized in a way that it could be taken in smaller chunks” (preface, ix). Moreau develops an approach to contextualization that goes beyond the intellectual or theological level. In chapter 1, he sets the stage by briefly discussing “What is Contextualization?” He does not give a formal definition but the following quote characterizes his understanding:        … Read the whole post
Cross-Cultural Living, Book Reviews

Book Review: Looming Transitions

Transitions are common in a missionary’s life. My wife and I have been missionaries for 41 years and are now in the middle of our 9th “Home Service.” Saying that transitions are common does not mean they are not difficult or disruptive. Transitions are never easy but there is light beyond them. Amy Young has written a helpful book, Looming Transitions: Starting and Finishing Well in Cross-Cultural Service, published in 2016. She writes from her own twenty-year experience serving in Asia where she helped “hundreds of people adjust to the field and prepare to leave it” (back cover). She writes in an easy conversational style. The Introduction and first two chapters give a clear and honest picture of what transitions look like. The author points out that the stress of transitions stems from the gap between our expectations and the reality along the way. Transitions affect us socially, physically, and… Read the whole post
Disciple-making, Training

Two-sided writing

Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation to you or from you? You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. – 2 Corinthians 3:1–3 I have a grey SEND T-shirt with the words, “Be Disciples, Make Disciples.” It communicates a central idea, key to our calling as missionaries, but also to every Christian. Each of us has been called to be both a disciple and a disciple-maker. We need to be learning and growing disciples of Christ who are multiplying ourselves in the lives of others so that they also become learning and growing disciples of Christ.… Read the whole post
Disciple-making, Book Reviews

How do we disciple those of other cultures?

A book review of Walking together on the Jesus Road: Intercultural Discipling by Evelyn & Richard Hibbert Evelyn and Richard Hibbert believe that core to the missionary task is discipling those of other cultures. But they note that most of the books on disciple-making are written for the Western church context, and even those books which talk about cross-cultural disciple-making seem to assume that the methodology used in the West can also be used in non-Western contexts. I would concur with their observation. Discipling others to maturity in Christ when those disciples are from a different culture than yours is a significant challenge, and many mistakes can be made if one just follows a programmatic approach to disciple-making used in Western churches.  Their new book, “Walking Together on the Jesus Road” is an excellent book helping to address that challenge and showing us how to avoid the mistakes.… Read the whole post
Training

Reflections on Worship

Andrew Peterson’s Resurrection Letters, Vol. 1: Songs that fuel missionary worship If John Piper is right (and he is) that worship is the fuel and goal of missions (Let the Nations Be Glad, 11), then missionaries ought to cultivate their worship. Music is a prime means of expressing our worship. In my personal time with the Lord I often will meditate on the lyrics as I listen to Christian artists. I have especially enjoyed Andrew Peterson’s lyrics for their imagery and biblical content. This past Easter at our church we sang Peterson’s new song, “Is He Worthy” drawn from Revelation chapter five. I was overwhelmed. I could not speak for a while. A friend of mine said to me “that song took me by surprise.” He was likewise moved. When I got home I downloaded the Resurrection Letters, vol. 1 album and started listening. The whole album is a delightful… Read the whole post
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