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Contextualization

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September 2018

September 26, 2018

How Cognitive Biases Produce Theological Syncretism

Two things usually escape our notice: cognitive biases and theological syncretism. This is not surprising....

September 12, 2018

Adam, Israel, and Union with Christ in Romans

Wendel Sun says “union with Christ” is central to New Testament theology. To make that...

September 05, 2018

Union with Christ creates a new people in Christ

whenever I heard phrases like “union with Christ,” I inwardly rolled my eyes. I thought...

July 2018

July 18, 2018

7 Dangers for Missionaries from Guilt-Innocence Cultures

A recent post on TGC warns against the dangers of becoming imbalanced when serving in...

June 2018

June 27, 2018

Integrating Symbol, Story, and Ritual (by Tom Steffen)

If one’s worldview is constructed through the integration of symbol and story rehearsed through ritual...

March 2018

March 21, 2018

Recent ChinaSource Quarterly focuses on contextualization in China

This most recent issue of ChinaSource Quarterly is dedicated to the topic of contextualization. I...

March 07, 2018

There is More to the Story

This guest post by Robert Strauss is Part 3 of 3 in the series introducing...

March 01, 2018

Effectiveness does not define contextualization

Over at Radius International, Sam Trumball rightly observes how people incorrectly define contextualization. Trumball begins...

February 2018

February 27, 2018

Awaken to the Cross-Cultural Context (by Robert Strauss)

This guest post by Robert Strauss is Part 2 of 3 in the series introducing...

February 21, 2018

Introducing Story-Strategic Methods (Part 1)

This guest post from Robert Strauss is part 1 of 3 in the series. Reza...

February 09, 2018

Why Jen Hatmaker Apparently Thinks I’m Going to Hell

Jen Hatmaker's arguments are flawed because of an increasingly popular but superficial way of interpreting...

February 08, 2018

Why Jen Hatmaker Gets Contextualization Wrong

Sadly, people like Jen Hatmaker give us poor examples of contextualization. She cast aside nearly...

October 2017

October 11, 2017

How Rhetoric Ruins Missions

"Whoever uses the best rhetorical rules" .... Missionary rhetorical results in multiples problems. It silences...

August 2017

August 23, 2017

A Practical Approach to Biblical Contextualization (Session 4 Training Video)

Here is SESSION FOUR of 4 training videos I've released over the summer. This final...

August 16, 2017

A Balanced Critique of Popular Missiological Methods

Few recent missiological articles are as practical and pleasurable as is George Terry’s “A Missiology...

August 02, 2017

How does the Bible explain the gospel? (Session 3 Training Video)

There is one gospel yet many ways to present this message. Accordingly, in addition to...

July 2017

July 26, 2017

Chiasm, Oral Peoples, and the Grand Biblical Story

Chiasm is one of the most common memory devices in history and across the world....

July 11, 2017

How does the Bible contextualize the gospel? (Session 2 Training Video)

Here is SESSION TWO of 4 training videos I will release this summer. Below, you'll find...

July 05, 2017

Saving Us from Me: Cultivating Honor and Shame in a Collectivist Church

Today, I'm releasing my recent conference talk "Saving Us from Me: Cultivating Honor and Shame...

June 2017

June 27, 2017

The Bible Tells a Dystopian Story

Dystopian stories contextualize the anxieties of Western culture. If so, how might the Bible address...

June 20, 2017

Is Western Culture Dystopian?

Dystopia is a distinctly Western genre. It also is one of the most popular story...

June 14, 2017

Reinterpreting Contextualization (Session 1 Training Video)

In the coming weeks, I will release 4 full length training videos. The audio comes...

June 01, 2017

True but Confusing Advice for Missionaries

Mack Stiles’ recent post on The Gospel Coalition causes unnecessary confusion.[1] Why? It offers advice...

May 2017

May 24, 2017

How Metaphors Make Us Moral

“Metaphors have a way of holding the most truth in the least space.” Arguably, John...

May 17, 2017

What Cognitive Science Teaches about Contextualization

“Cognitive science” and “contextualization” –– two things that sound complicated but shape everything we do...

May 10, 2017

How do we “embody” theology?

John Sanders says all theology is embodied. On the surface, this doesn't seem noteworthy. People...

April 2017

April 20, 2017

Reconnecting God’s Story to Scripture and Service

Tom Steffen has a nice article in the most recent issue of Christian Education Journal....

March 2017

March 23, 2017

Is the Chinese Church a Test-Case for “The Benedict Option”?

If you’ve been on the web but haven’t heard of Rod Dreher’s The Benedict Option,...

March 01, 2017

Individualism with “Chinese Characteristics”?

“Traditional” views of Chinese culture as so Qing dynasty. That’s what Danny Hsu argues in...

February 2017

February 15, 2017

Contextualize. Don’t Merely Theologize.

I was a math major. But it was my college soccer class that made me...