Missionaries and Culture
Missionaries do their work in a perilous environment. Such has been the rise of ideas such as “multi-culturalism”, that many missionaries now go by a… Read More »Missionaries and Culture
contextualization
Relevance and Importance
When some people speak of “making Christianity relevant”, they are referring to demonstrating Christianity’s importance and applicability. They fret over the fact that unbelievers and… Read More »Relevance and Importance
The “Two Hands” of Ministry
In 2006 an approach to church ministry began to gain popularity. It was called a “two-handed” approach to ministry. One closed hand represented the theology… Read More »The “Two Hands” of Ministry
Gospel impact and the world’s approval
Christians today seem to assume that the best way to have the greatest gospel impact in the world is to gain the world’s approval and acceptance… Read More »Gospel impact and the world’s approval
Acts 17 and cultural contextualization
Acts 17 records Paul’s attempt to evangelize three cities, each of which had very different kinds of people. Paul’s audience in Thessalonica was predominantly Jewish.… Read More »Acts 17 and cultural contextualization
The Mission of Worship: An Assessment of the Missional Church Movement’s Impact Upon Evangelical Worship Philosophy and Practice
The following is the paper I presented yesterday at the national meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society: PDF Audio Version Most church leaders readily recognize… Read More »The Mission of Worship: An Assessment of the Missional Church Movement’s Impact Upon Evangelical Worship Philosophy and Practice
Is culture the same as race?
The issue of culture is always of interest to those involved with worship for one obvious reason–the “cultural” aspects of worship, primarily music, poetry, and… Read More »Is culture the same as race?
The Lord is my . . . cattle-driver?
There is a lot of talk about contextualizing biblical truth these days. Of course, there is always a need for translation from language to language… Read More »The Lord is my . . . cattle-driver?
Relevance is irrelevant (Part 10)
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 I return this week to the series I abruptly left unfinished about a year… Read More »Relevance is irrelevant (Part 10)
Distorting the building blocks of worship
Last week I suggested that the basic building blocks of worship worship established in the creation/fall events: (1) God reveals himself and initiates a relationship with… Read More »Distorting the building blocks of worship
Contextualizing in Blaséburg
Picture being called to live out your Christian life in Blaséburg. Blaséburg is a materialist’s paradise. Food is abundant and cheap, clothing and housing affordable, and labor-saving… Read More »Contextualizing in Blaséburg
Similarities and differences between Hebrew worship and pagan worship
There is no doubt that some of the practices of ancient Hebrew worship bear remarkable resemblance to the worship practices of the pagan nations around… Read More »Similarities and differences between Hebrew worship and pagan worship
The Relationship Between Holy Culture and Unholy Culture Should be One of Witness
The sixth conclusion drawn from the idea that culture is behavior is that the relationship between holy culture essay order and unholy culture should be… Read More »The Relationship Between Holy Culture and Unholy Culture Should be One of Witness
The Missional Approach to Culture
The missional church movement is certainly not a monolithic group; yet characteristics of this movement are strikingly similar to characteristics of the transformationalist approach to… Read More »The Missional Approach to Culture
What has Athens to do with Jerusalem?
“What indeed has Athens to do with Jerusalem?”1 These immortal words from the pen of early church father Tertullian of Carthage illustrate well the tension that… Read More »What has Athens to do with Jerusalem?
Scripturally, “Culture” is Simply the “Behavior” of a People
If there is any concept of the anthropological/missional idea of “culture” in the NT, it is the idea of “way of life.” A people’s culture… Read More »Scripturally, “Culture” is Simply the “Behavior” of a People
The Missional Understanding of “Culture”
Last time I argued that the contemporary idea of “culture” came to being within discussions of modern anthropology It was in this anthropological climate that… Read More »The Missional Understanding of “Culture”
Common Missional Definitions of Culture
Likely the most influential early evangelical definition of culture comes from Lesslie Newbigin who claims that culture is “the sum total of ways of living… Read More »Common Missional Definitions of Culture
The Missional Church and Culture
The missional church movement has significantly influenced the evangelical church in recent years, especially their philosophy of evangelism and worship (see my recent series on… Read More »The Missional Church and Culture
The Good and the Bad of Missional Worship
There is little doubt that the missional church movement has been influential in evangelical churches, and that it continues to grow. Having surveyed the history… Read More »The Good and the Bad of Missional Worship