A call for a new understanding of apologetics, moving away from appeals to tran-cultural rationality, arguing for a new form of cross-cultural dialogue

A call for a new understanding of apologetics, moving away from appeals to tran-cultural rationality, arguing for a new form of cross-cultural dialogue.

In our increasing multicultural world, Christian missionaries struggle to give an answer concerning their faith: most are trained just to communicate the gospel across cultures. Likewise, many trained apologists never gain a hearing for their defense because of cultural differences and barriers they were never prepared to recognize or overcome. Wayne Detzler, a professor of missions and experienced missionary on three continents (Europe, Africa and Asia) for over 20 years along with Doug Potter an educator in Christian theology and apologetics for 10 years move these two needed areas, apologetics and cross-cultural communication, closer together by providing a theory and then apply it to adherents of various worldviews and their religious expressions. Interactive case studies provide a real world feel to this subject that is often left out of the classroom. This book is especially suited for Westerners who need help developing an answer for those they come in contact with from distant cultures.

Today's cosmopolitan, multicultural, and multifaith environments call for new approaches to apologetics. The world still needs the good news of Jesus Christ, but to relate the transcultural gospel to diverse and ever-changing contexts, we must free Christian apologetics from dominant Western habits of mind ill-suited to interreligious dialogue. We must listen and speak with both humility and confidence. Benno van den Toren and Kang-San Tan provide a global, intercultural introduction to Christian apologetics. They present a model of apologetics as crosscultural dialogue and accountable witness, then explore how it plays out in relation to specific contexts and the major world religions—including primal religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, secularism, and late-modern spiritualities. Building on recent developments in apologetics and missiology, as well as their experience teaching internationally in Europe, Asia, and Africa, Van den Toren and Tan offer an approach that is conversational, patient, holistic, and embodied. Filled with examples from Scripture and real-world experiences, Humble Confidence gives readers a travel guide to help find the most effective avenues for true dialogue in their own settings.

In the post-Christian world, we find sincere efforts in traditional Christian apologetics repeatedly running into invisible walls. These blocks happen when cultural issues are neglected. With mere rational arguments presented as a defense of Christianity, logical answers alone are not attracting the nonbelievers nor resolving their skepticism. People today have different obstacles in coming to the Christian faith, particularly their own cultural presuppositions. How do we present, defend, and commend Christianity to people whose culture gives them a frame of mind--the one that cares very little about how rational the arguments are? Cultural Contextualization of Apologetics explores the world of the New Testament and the ministry of the apostle Paul to excavate a fresh model for apologetics with cultural engagement to present an answer. Matt W. Lee analyzes the dynamics involved in Paul's cultural connection with his audience and how it relates to their receptivity, uncovering a scheme of apologetics engagement patterned in his apologetics speeches. From the background of Paul's world to the forefront of contemporary apologetics preaching, Cultural Contextualization of Apologetics offers a vision of apologetics communication that is both biblical and practical.

2019 Outreach Magazine Resource of the Year: Apologetics • 2018 The Gospel Coalition Book Award: Evangelism & Apologetics Apologetics at the Cross describes a much-needed approach to defending Christianity that uses Jesus as a model and the letter of 1 Peter as a guiding text. This is a guidebook for how to defend Christianity with Christ-like gentleness and respect toward those who persecute the faith, making you a stronger witness to the good news of the gospel than many other apologetics books that focus on crafting unbreachable arguments. Joshua D. Chatraw and Mark D. Allen first provide an introduction to the rich field of apologetics and Christian witness, acquainting students and lay learners with the rich history, biblical foundation, and ongoing relevance of apologetics. Unique in its approach, Apologetics at the Cross: Presents the biblical and historical foundations for apologetics. Explores various contemporary methods for approaching apologetics. Gives practical guidance in "how to" chapters that feature many real-life illustrations. But their approach pays special attention to the attitude and posture of the apologist, outlining instructions for the Christian community centered on reasoned answers, a humble spirit, and joy; rather than anger, arrogance, and aggression. Chatraw and Allen equip Christians to engage skeptics with the heart as well as the mind. Conversational in tone and balanced in approach, Apologetics at the Cross provides a readable introduction to the field of apologetics. You'll be informed and equipped for engaging a wide range of contemporary challenges with the best in Christian thought.

The gospel is directed to people in the concreteness of their lives. For this reason the understanding of the gospel is always of a contextual nature, i.e., is at all times related to the situations in which people live and is therefore influenced by various cultures. The one gospel is understood in and shaped by many cultures. In One Gospel—Many Cultures authors from various parts of the world describe examples of such contextual understandings of the gospel message. The volume contains accounts of Jesus as rice in a Korean and as guru in a South-Indian setting; churches in secular and individualistic societies on both sides of the Atlantic struggling to understand the gospel anew; Christians in East Asian megalopolises trying to inculturate faith in their local cultures; poverty stricken people in massive urban areas in Latin America who cannot read eating fragments of the Psalms; women in African countries suffering poverty and threatened by the spread of diseases, raising the question whether the churches should stick to monogamy or make room for polygamy? These examples entail serious questions for the churches. In what does the unity of the worldwide church consist and how strong is its witness if various contexts yield different interpretations of the gospel? Is cross-cultural understanding in the church possible? Is the World's Day of Women's Prayer perhaps a better example of cross-cultural sharing and unity, women listening to women from parts of the world other than their own, praying together, sharing songs and, if needed, money, and thereby demonstrating one faith, one gospel, one God. And to take another completely different case, was apartheid not a cruel form of contextualization, a parody of the gospel of liberation, a negation of the gospel that calls for and makes possible the breaking down of existing walls of separation between people of different races, colours, nations and genders? The contributors to the work in hand do not merely present case studies of attempts to bring the gospel into rapport with diverse cultural and human situations but also discuss the pro's and con's of the examples of contextualization they describe. The papers included in the present work are the fruit of a study project which forms part of the larger long-standing and ongoing program of theological reflection undertaken by the World Alliance of Reformed Churches. With its fascinating cases studies and thorough discussions of the problems and issues involved in contextualization, this volume will be recognized as an important textbook for academic courses in intercultural theology, ecumenical studies and theological hermeneutics. Contributors: Marcella Althaus-Reid, Russell Botman, Heup Young Kim, Christine Lienemann-Perrin, Mercy Amba Oduyoye, Joseph Small, M. Thomas Thangaraj, Hendrik M. Vroom, and Choo-Lak Yeow