Category Archives: Quotes, articles & books related to cross-cultural partnership

My musings on various authors and their books and articles relative to cross-cultural partnership

The God-centered way that the “concept of face” overlaps with the gospel

atonement, Bible commentary, Contextualization, Gospel of Jesus, Honor and shame, Quotes, articles & books related to cross-cultural partnership, The Global Gospel

This blog post is an excerpt from chapter 3.5 of my book, The Global Gospel, pages 242–244. This constitutes a summary I wrote (admittedly, an exceedingly brief summary) of Jackson Wu’s Saving God’s Face.[1] This excerpt is from Section 3 of The Global Gospel, in which I examine how various honor-shame dynamics overlap and intersect with verses about the atonement of Christ and salvation.

Atonement and the “concept of face”

One may rightly ask: Where does the atonement—the finished work of Christ on the cross, followed by his resurrection—intersect with the concept of face? It is found in the curious phrase, “saving God’s face.” I am indebted to Jackson Wu for the contours of this argument (especially points 4 and 5), which is put forward below.

  1. God’s glory is ultimate. All creation is for the display of his glory (Ps 19:1). The honor and glory of God is both the genesis and final reality of the universe. “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen” (Rom 11:36). 
  2. God’s sorrow in humanity’s sin. The world God made was good, but Adam and Eve were tempted by the dark devious destroyer and sinned (Gen 1–3). Thus, the world was cursed under Adam’s sin, and God was sorrowful (Gen 6:7). Sin is not only the violation of God’s laws. It is ultimately the dishonoring of God’s Person (Rom 1:21–26; 2:23). Sin is falling short of an ethical standard, but much more than that, sin is falling short of the glory and honor of God (Rom 3:23). 
  3. God’s promise through God’s family to bless all peoples. God promised Abraham, “I will bless you and make your name great” (Gen 12:2) and “in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Gen 12:3). This constitutes God’s plan—to reverse the curse of sin and restore his blessing on all humanity through Abraham’s offspring. “Abraham ‘believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness’” (Gal 3:6) apart from the righteous works of the law. 
  4. God’s Son makes good on God’s promise for all peoples. Jesus Christ is the offspring of Abraham (Gal 3:16). He died on the cross to redeem us from our sins (Gal 3:13). Moreover, Jesus Christ became “a curse for us—for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree’—so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith” (Gal 3:13–14). This opened the “door of faith to the Gentiles” (Acts 14:27) so that all peoples—all tribes and tongues and nations—could receive the honor of joining God’s family-on-mission and experience eternal life. 
  5. God’s “face” saved for God’s glory in all creation. In John 12, Jesus was praying to the Father. His soul was filled with fathomless sorrow about enduring the coming events—arrest, mocking, flogging and torture, humiliating crucifixion to bear the sins of the world, separation and rejection from the Father: “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again” (John 12:27–28).

When Jesus prays, “Father, glorify your name,” he is essentially saying, Father, vindicate your honor! Save your “face”! 

Why would the death and resurrection of Christ vindicate God’s honor? Because it is the only way that God’s promise to Abraham to bless all the families of the earth could have come true. God’s credibility hinged on a means for all peoples to be blessed and redeemed. Yes, God gave the law to Moses and his people; yes, the law revealed God’s righteousness and holiness; but the law was lifeless in that it was totally unable to save (Rom 8:2–3). 

There was only one way that God’s plan to bless all families—to reverse the curse among all peoples—could be guaranteed: through a heart-captivating faith that individuals and peoples everywhere would place in the name, honor, and finished work of Jesus Christ, a faith that transcends culture. 

With regard to ethnicity this faith needed to be neutral, accessible to and affirming of all peoples. But with regard to ethics, this faith needed to be superior; that is, it needed to have the ability to truly transform people from the inside out, conforming them to the righteousness of the Son of God. Therefore, this faith would be a fulfillment of the covenant promise God gave to his people through Abraham (Gen 12:1–3), but the faith would be untethered from the works of the law specific to Jewish ethnicity and culture, such as circumcision. Apostle Paul made this clear: 

That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all (Rom 4:16). (Emphasis mine.) 

Jackson Wu explains: 

Christ’s atonement centrally concerns the honor of God and the shame of man. Salvation preserves God’s honor and takes away human shame. God keeps his promises made in the OT, foremost to Abraham. Jesus’ death therefore vindicates God’s name. Therefore, God’s people will not be put to shame. Christ perfectly honored the Father, who then reckons worthy of honor all who, by faith, are united to Christ. … Jesus is a substitute in that he pays the honor-debt and the life-debt owed by sinful creatures.[2] 

Consider this: Thousands of peoples in our world have “saving face” as a vital social dynamic in their culture. How valuable would it be to share with them a gospel framework using the honor-shame language and concept of “face”?

1. Jackson Wu: Saving God’s Face: A Chinese Contextualization of Salvation through Honor and Shame. EMS Dissertation Series (Pasadena, CA: William Carey International University Press, 2012).
2. Ibid., p. 219.

Free new resource—“The Gospel of Purity”

Bible commentary, Bible study, Contextualization, Evangelism, Global Christian mission, Gospel of Jesus, Honor and shame, Quotes, articles & books related to cross-cultural partnership, The Global Gospel

Gospel of purityI’ve got a new article available as a free download. It’s called, “The Gospel of Purity for Oral Learners.” Here’s what this article is all about.

In the Old and New Testament, impurity and uncleanness relegated people as lower-status social ‘outsiders’ in varying levels of shame. The greater the uncleanness, defilement or pollution, the deeper the shame.

Likewise, cleanness, sanctification or holiness identified people as higher-status social ‘insiders’ in varying levels of honor. The greater the cleanness, purity, even holiness, the higher the honor. The Mosaic laws of Leviticus defined for the Hebrew people purity codes and the cycle of sanctification.

Though strange to Western/secular sensibilities, these purity codes are crucial to understanding both God’s covenant with the Hebrews, as well as the radical nature of Christ’s ministry. Jesus transcended Old Testament laws of ritual cleansing—offering his cure for people in shame due to moral failure, disease, disability, disfiguration, or death. The New Testament frequently uses “purity language” to describe what God has done in Christ for humanity.

The gospel is much more than a cure for sin/guilt; it is also a cure for sin as uncleanness/shame. The Western theological default toward judicial language in presenting the gospel should be supplemented by purity language for better contextualization.

The gospel of purity will better resonate with peoples in oral and honor/shame cultures. Many of these peoples are unreached in the Buddhist, Hindu or Muslim blocs—all of whom practice their own distinct cleansing rituals and are honor/shame-oriented in their cultural values. Therefore, developing an awareness of the gospel of purity is a strategic issue.

>> Click here to download the article

It’s not your book!

Contextualization, Cultural intelligence, Global Christian mission, Gospel of Jesus, Honor and shame, Quotes, articles & books related to cross-cultural partnership, The Global Gospel

“We can easily forget that Scripture is a foreign land
and that reading the Bible is a cross-cultural experience.”[1]

Its not your book

If you are a Christian from North America (or Northern Europe and Australia or elsewhere)—and you consider yourself influenced primarily by Western values,  consider this:

Culturally speaking, the Bible does not “belong” to you; it’s not your book.

It was the people of the ancient Middle East—characterized not by the individualistic guilt-based values of contemporary Northern Europe and North America and the West, but by the group-oriented values of honor and shame—to whom this book was originally written.

It was in the culture of the ancient Middle East—characterized not by the equality-oriented values of the West, but by the hierarchical values of honor and shame—that men inspired by the Holy Spirit authored the sixty-six books of the Bible.

It was the ancient Middle East—characterized not by the direct communication style of the USA and Northern Europe, but by the indirect communication style of honor/shame cultures—where God chose to call out for himself a man named Abraham, so that through his descendants all the peoples of the earth would be blessed.

It was into Greco-Roman culture at the height of the Roman Empire—characterized not by the individualistic values of the West, but by the family-based, hierarchical values of honor and shame—that Jesus Christ was born and grew up, worked and lived, proclaimed the gospel of his kingdom, called and taught his disciples, suffered a humiliating death, and victoriously rose again.

It was through the kingdom and story of Israel—characterized not by the fast-paced lifestyle and risk-oriented values of urban America, but by the slow lifestyle, the cautionary traditional values of honor and shame—that Christ called his newly formed people, the church, to extend his gospel of the kingdom to the ends of the earth.

Indeed, “reading the Bible is a cross-cultural experience.”

Excerpted from the forthcoming book, THE GLOBAL GOSPEL: Achieving Missional Impact in Our Multicultural World. If you would like read or review the pre-published manuscript write to Werner Mischke at werner@mission1.org.

1. E. Randolph Richards; Brandon J. O’Brien: Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes: Removing Cultural Blinders to Better Understand the Bible (Kindle Locations 74–75). Kindle Edition.

Article by Jackson Wu concerning honor-shame dynamics in the Chinese church

Cultural intelligence, Honor and shame, Quotes, articles & books related to cross-cultural partnership, Short-term missions, Uncategorized
An article by Jackson Wu about honor and shame in the Chinese church appeared in the October 2011 issue of Global Missiology. (Permission granted for use of image above.)

To what extent does Chinese culture emphasize the value of honor and shame? How does honor and shame affect the beliefs and practices of the church in China? When Westerners visit or serve there, what should they be aware of—concerning themselves and Chinese cultural values?

Here’s an article with many insights and suggestions. “Authority in a Collectivistic Church: Identifying Critical Concerns for a Chinese Ecclesiology” by Jackson Wu (pseudonym), appeared in the October 2011 issue of Global Missiology. The author has graciously given me permission to promote his article on my blog and include it on my Resources page. Don’t be put off by the title. It’s a readable paper about honor-shame dynamics in the Chinese church—born of much research and ministry experience living among the Chinese.

Wu’s article provides an overview of how honor and shame is woven into the beliefs and practices of the church in China. “In particular,” Wu summarizes, “we see that collectivism and an honor-oriented value system are fundamental to Chinese identity. Our examination of Scripture highlights key areas of overlap between a [Chinese] community and biblical conceptions of the Church.”

Wu’s applications include …

  1. “Chinese church leaders can become more conscious of their decisions in light of western influences and their own cultural assumptions.”
  2. “Missionaries can assess their strategies and better serve Chinese churches.”
  3. “The reflections offer a richer reading of the biblical text.”

The article may be downloaded by clicking here.

Similarities and differences of shame and guilt, with implications for Christian ministry

Honor and shame, Quotes, articles & books related to cross-cultural partnership
While there are certainly similarities between shame and guilt, the differences are enormous. There are big implications for how we bless the peoples of our sin-sick world.

I’ve just begun reading Shame and Guilt, by June Price Tangney and Ronda L. Dearing. Shame researcher Brené Brown, Ph.D., says this book is the “most comprehensive review of the current research literature on shame and guilt.”

Here’s a summary. Below is a quote from Shame and Guilt, page 25:

Features shared by shame and guilt

  • Both fall into the class of “moral” emotions
  • Both are “self-conscious”, self-referential emotions
  • Both are negatively valanced emotions
  • Both involve internal attributions of one sort or another
  • Both are typically experienced in interpersonal conflicts
  • The negative events that give rise to shame and guilt are highly similar (frequently involving moral failures or transgressions).

Key dimensions on which shame and guilt differ

Focus of evaluation
  • SHAME: Global self:
 “I did that horrible thing”
  • GUILT: Specific behavior:
 “I did that horrible thing”
Degree of distress
  • SMAME: Generally more painful than guilt
  • GUILT: Generally less painful than shame
Phenomenological experience
  • SHAME: Shrinking, feeling small, feeling worthless, powerless
  • GUILT: Tension, remorse, regret
Operation of “self”
  • SHAME: Self “split” into observing and observed “selves”
  • GUILT: Unified self intact
Impact on “self”
  • SHAME: Self impaired by global devaluation
  • GUILT: Self unimpaired by global devaluation
Concern vis-à-vis the “other”
  • SHAME: Concern for others’ evaluation of self
  • GUILT: Concern with one’s effect on others
Counterfactual processes
  • SHAME: Mentally undoing some aspect of self
  • GUILT: Mentally undoing some aspect of behavior
Motivational features
  • SHAME: Desire to hide, escape, or strike back
  • GUILT: Desire to confess, apologize, or repair

Here is a beginning reflection on the implications for Christian ministry:

Shame tells us: “I did that horrible thing”
, whereas guilt tells us:
 “I did that horrible thing.”

Simply stated, shame is about who I am; guilt is about what I’ve done. It follows, as stated above, that shame is generally more painful than guilt.

Could it be that the cure for guilt is not nearly as urgent and transformative as the cure for shame? Could it be, that when we teach God’s Word with a focus on guilt—while ignoring the pathology of shame common to all of humanity, that we are, by default, withholding that which most deeply heals the human soul?

The data presented by Tangney and Dearing indicate that shame has far more pathological (negative and sick) effects on people than does guilt. Their research found that shame motivates people to “hide, escape, or strike back”. In striking contrast, guilt motivates people to “confess, apologize, or repair.”

Simply stated, shame is more likely to lead to hurtful behavior, whereas guilt is more likely to lead to healing behavior.

Could it be that when we present the gospel of Jesus Christ solely as the cure for our guilt—and ignore the biblically-based truths and principles which address the problem of our shame—we are not just truncating the gospel, we are withholding the most crucial truths necessary for the transformation of the people of God?

Many mission and culture leaders recognize that Majority-World peoples have as their pivotal cultural value—honor and shame. Could it be that when Christians present the gospel of Christ to Majority-World peoples in a way that only addresses humanity’s guilt before God, that resistance to the message of Christ’s Gospel is actually appropriate?

“Appropriate resistance to the Gospel”? I know that sounds weird. But consider what it would be to have as your constant, every-day drama—the avoidance of, or cure for shame, along with the pursuit of honor. This is your very life and identity. Your life is moving in a deep, powerful river whose current is honor and shame.

Would not people living and moving in this river of honor and shame inherently know some things? Wouldn’t they instinctively get it—that the supposed Good News which only solves the problem of guilt—is not really deep enough, powerful enough, good enough—to rescue them from the deepest danger of their heart—that being the anxiety of shame?

Contrast this with the Good News which also solves the problem of shame! Imagine if the Atonement of Jesus Christ was not only presented as the solution to the problem of guilt, but also as—the covering of our shame and the restoration of our honor before God. See Luke 15:11–32. Wouldn’t this be more attractive? Wouldn’t this more likely be a treasure worth dying for?

Presenting the gospel of Christ in such a way that the message includes both the removal of our guilt and the covering of our shame is especially wise—when sharing with people whose pivotal cultural value is honor and shame.

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.
(Matthew 13:44-46 ESV)

Case history and essay about honor and shame in Latin America, by Mark D. Baker

Helping the poor, Honor and shame, Quotes, articles & books related to cross-cultural partnership, ,

I recently read this essay, “The Saving Significance of the Cross in a Honduran Barrio” by Mark D. Baker, Associate Professor of Mission and Theology, at Fresno Pacific University. The essay incorporates a case history which…

  • defines the behaviors of machismo, marianismo, and humilde in the Latin American context of Honduras,
  • describes in compassionate detail how these entrenched behaviors and attitudes in a very poor community are an endless cycle of sin and shame, and
  • explores the ways that the Atonement of Jesus Christ—his work on the Cross—beautifully brings healing from sin and shame to followers of Jesus Christ.

I am grateful that Dr. Baker has given me permission to put this on my blog and include it in my list of resources. This 18-page essay touched my heart—it’s really worth the time. You’ll discover how the saving work of Christ on the cross not only saves people from the guilt of their sin; the cross of Christ can also transform the values and behaviors of people ingrained in a cycle of poverty and shame—into more authentic loving, forgiving, gracious, confident—indeed, honorable—human beings made in the image of God.

I love Dr. Baker’s article because it teaches that when people find both their salvation—and honor—in Jesus Christ, it truly sets them free. I commend this article to you. Click here to read.

Recent Changes in Christian Approaches to Islam

Cultural intelligence, Global Christian mission, Global trends, Quotes, articles & books related to cross-cultural partnership, Stories and reports, World news affecting partnership, ,

This article by Dr. Patrick Sookhdeo provides great insight into the challenges and tensions concerning Christian ministry to Muslims.

Recent Changes in Christian Approaches to Islam

It deals with such things as:

  • The impact of 9/11, and how various governments dealt with the issue of violent Islamic extremists
  • Various efforts concerning Christian-Muslim dialog and the InterFaith movement
  • The Insider Movement in missions and areas of concern

The article is nuanced and is written by a Christian intellectual who is a former Muslim. I recommend it highly. Below the article is “An Assessment of the Insiders’ Principle Paradigms”, by Jay Smith—also a valuable perspective.

Nine critical shifts for world missions, by T.J. Addington

Cross-cultural partnership, Global Christian mission, Global trends, Partnership with national missionaries, Quotes, articles & books related to cross-cultural partnership

At the 2011 North American Mission Leaders Conference in Scottsdale on September 29–October 1 (also known as the RESET conference), T.J. Addington gave a presentation: “Critical Shifts From the Black and White to the Color World.” T.J. Addington is Senior Vice President of Reach Global, Evangelical Free Church of America. The primary participants in this conference were members of the North American evangelical Christian missions community. I am grateful for Mr. Addington’s permission to present his points here.

Shift #1: From being primarily doers—to being primarily equippers

Watchwords: Developing, empowering and releasing.

Shift #2: From being in charge—to equal partnerships

Watchwords: Equal partnerships are the coinage of the color world.

Shift #3: From owning and controlling—to “we own nothing, control nothing and count nothing as ours”

Watchwords: Serving with an open hand.

Shift #4: From Western missionaries—to global missionaries

Watchwords: All people reaching all people.

Shift #5: From dependencies—to self–sufficiency

Watchwords: Promoting dignity.

Shift #6: From addition—to multiplication

Watchwords: Equipping others.

Shift #7: From competition—to cooperation

Watchwords: We are better together than alone.

Shift #8: From an emphasis on my brand—to His brand

Watchwords: Jesus died for His bride, not my brand of the church.

Shift #9: From agency based missions—to church/agency synergy

Watchwords: The vision for missions belongs to the local church.

******************************

My comments: The shifts represented by the points above are largely consistent with our philosophy of ministry and practice at Mission ONE. At the risk of sounding self-promotional, below are some brief comments relative to where we stand as a mission organization.

Shift #1: From being primarily doers—to being primarily equippers. Mission ONE is all about equipping and empowering national missionaries—also known as indigenous Christian workers—to reach their own people, as well as nearby unreached peoples—with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Shift #2: From being in charge—to equal partnerships. As Mission ONE President Bob Schindler says, “Healthy partnerships are not father to son—but rather, brother to brother.

Shift #3: From owning and controlling—to “we own nothing, control nothing and count nothing as ours.” Mission ONE does not control the ministries with which we partner. Our attitude is high trust, rather than high control. Our high-trust partnerships are based on years of serving one another, overcoming trials and obstacles together.

From Bryant Myers: Exploring World Mission: Context & Challenges (Monrovia, CA: World Vision International, 2003) p. 53. Based on information from Operation World by Johnstone & Mandryk (Paternoster, 2001)

Shift #4: From Western missionaries—to global missionaries. The center of gravity of Christianity has shifted from the West to the Global South; this is consistent with the rise of the national missionary movement. The national missionary movement does not “need” the support of the West to thrive; however, we believe that so much can be done for the advance of the the Gospel through healthy cross-cultural partnerships. It is our honor to serve one another in unity. Jesus prayed, “…that they may be one even as we are one … 
so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them 
even as you loved me” (John 17:21–22). Moreover, the global trend of the migration of peoples, refugees and college students to the West (some of them Christian) have made most of its cities home to dozens, if not hundreds, of nationalities; this has resulted in both vibrant new ethnic churches in the West as well as wonderful opportunities for blessing people from other cultures. The opportunities for cross-cultural relationships are across the street and around the world. It truly is a new world of Christian mission that is largely “from everywhere to everyone.”

Shift #5: From dependencies—to self–sufficiency. At Mission ONE, we believe that healthy interdependence is the biblical ideal. Some of our partnerships are healthier than others from the standpoint of healthy interdependence versus unhealthy dependency. We believe that the large majority of our partnerships are on the healthy side of the continuum.

Shift #6: From addition—to multiplication. Mission ONE has invested very significant resources in “multiplication.” That’s what Mission ONE Training Ministries is all about. Operation WorldView and The Beauty of Partnership were created to equip churches, individuals, and mission teams for cross-cultural ministry and healthy cross-cultural partnerships—thus multiplying our impact. This is my passion as Director of Training Ministries for Mission ONE.

Shift #7: From competition—to cooperation. The very nature of healthy cross-cultural partnership is cooperation, so naturally, cooperation is part of the DNA of Mission ONE. Moreover, in the development of both Operation WorldView and The Beauty of Partnership, our attitude has been to cooperate with whomever we can—with several different ministries—sometimes paying significant royalties to do so.

Shift #8: From an emphasis on my brand—to His brand. Ever since Bob Schindler founded Mission ONE, we have never sought to “put our name” on the ministries with which we partner. We insist on organization to organization partnerships by which local accountabilities and indigenous identities remain intact.

Shift 9: From agency based missions—to church/agency synergy. Mission ONE has a high view of the centrality of the local church in the Great Commission. Our current Strategic Mission Partnership with Biltmore Baptist Church and Mission ONE’s partner—National Evangelical Outreach Kenya—is one such example. It is our intention to be “the bridge” for many more such strategic mission partnerships between local churches and indigenous ministries.

The true size of Africa, the fertile continent

Geography, Quotes, articles & books related to cross-cultural partnership

In the fight agains “immappancy”, check out this web site to see the “True size of Africa.”

What does this have to do with cross-cultural partnership? Simply this: Accurate geography can help us with our humility.

For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment… –Romans 12:3 ESV

“Africa, the fertile continent”

The current news about Africa is focused on the liberation of Libya and the famine in the Horn of Africa. But it could it be—that God’s long-term purpose for Africa might be strategic and important to our collective global welfare?

Roger Thurow wrote an article called: “The Fertile Continent: Africa, Agriculture’s Final Frontier” — published in the November /December 2010 issue of Foreign Affairs magazine. Thurow makes a startling point in his summary:

With one billion people already going hungry and the world’s population rising, global food production must urgently be increased. The countries that managed such surges in the past — Brazil, China, India, the United States — cannot do so again. But Africa can — if it finally uses the seeds, fertilizers, and irrigation methods common everywhere else.

Further on in the article Thurow states,

Likewise, future productivity gains in the grain-belt fields of the former Soviet states and in Brazil, China, and India — once hungry countries that turned into agricultural powerhouses thanks to advances made in the 1960s and 1970s, lifting hundreds of millions of people out of poverty — depend on continued investment in infrastructure and research. Under some scenarios, water scarcity in China and India could cut wheat and rice production in these countries by 30-50 percent by 2050, even as demand for these grains there is expected to rise by as much over the same period.

Thus, more and more eyes are turning to Africa, agriculture’s final frontier. Africa was largely left out of the green revolution, the postwar movement to push up crop yields in the hungriest parts of the world by promoting the use of new seeds and new farming technology. And so agricultural production on the continent could jump quickly if farmers there simply used existing seed, fertilizer, and irrigation technology. And if more efficient networks were developed to distribute and sell the harvests, boosting agricultural yields in Africa could be a major step toward feeding not just the continent but also the rest of the world.

It seems counter-intuitive, but one day we could be depending on Africa for the world’s food. It is the continent with the greatest upside for food production on the planet. Is this one aspect of what God has in mind as his kingdom transforms Africa’s tribes and nations through the gospel?

Can cross-cultural partnerships deepen our theology?

Cross-cultural partnership, Global Christian mission, Quotes, articles & books related to cross-cultural partnership
Timothy Tennent book
Timothy Tennent’s book—Theology in the Context of World Christianity: How The Global Church is Influencing the Way We Think About and Discuss Theology—is a tremendously valuable resource for cross-cultural workers

Timothy C. Tennent’s Theology in the Context of World Christianity: How the Global Church Is Influencing the Way We Think about and Discuss Theology (Zondervan, 2007) is tremendously rich. Dr. Tennent’s breadth of knowledge and experience in this arena is just stunning. He brings together the works of a variety Christian theologians from around the world in this one volume. I think it’s a major contribution the work of global Christian mission.

I love the perspective he gives in the preface (page xviii).

We still see the West as the ecclesiastical center of the world, even though the vast majority of Christians in the world today are located elsewhere. What African or Asian Christians are doing and writing seems so marginal to us, and it penetrates our own theological discussions only in a vague, ephemeral way.

We as Westerners continue to vastly overestimate the role of our trained theologians, missionaries, denominations, and mission agencies in the actual task of global evangelism and church planting. We continue to talk about church history in a way that puts Europe in the center, and church history outside the West is reserved for those preparing for the mission field or church historians pursuing specialist studies. We continue to think that our own theological reflections are normative and universally applicable to all people from all cultures. In short, the Western church has not yet fully absorbed how the dramatic shifts in global Christianity are influencing what constitutes normative Christianity. … We must learn to think bigger, listen more, and look at the church from a wider vista.

Dr. Tennent is asking Christian leaders, missionaries, and lay persons from the West to … develop better listening skills … adjust their attitude from assuming a leadership role to a servant-oriented “team player” role … and to broaden their understanding of what God is doing in the world. It’s all very fitting for Christians in the West who are pursuing healthy cross-cultural partnerships.

Could it be that cross-cultural partnerships give us the opportunity to deepen our theology … that is, to deepen our knowledge of God, our ability to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, and our maturity as followers of Christ? Could the pursuit of healthy cross-cultural partnerships be that important?