EMQ » April–June 2020 » Volume 56 Issue 2
By Brian M. Howell and Jenell Paris
Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2019
304 pages
USD $32.99
Reviewed by Michael Hakmin Lee, PhD, ThM, assistant professor of Ministry and Leadership, School of Mission, Ministry, and Leadership, Wheaton College, Wheaton, Illinois.
As the title and subtitle suggest, Introducing Cultural Anthropology is an introductory level textbook on cultural anthropology that is written from “a Christian perspective.” This does not merely disclose the socio-religious location from which the authors write (both of whom earned their PhDs in anthropology and teach at private, evangelically rooted Christian colleges); the book intentionally and demonstrably surveys cultural and lived realities through biblical-theological, anthropological, and ministerial lenses. For example, the chapter on kinship and marriage examines how those constructs and realities vary and function within societies (which you would expect to find in any introductory cultural anthropology textbook) but also briefly explores the variety of family systems described in the Bible while explicitly inviting readers to consider the implications of adoption for personal Christian identity and conduct within the life of the church.
The first two chapters introduce the subdisciplines of anthropology, with a particular focus on the distinctives of cultural anthropology, chart the developments in the understanding of the culture concept within the discipline of anthropology, and explain key concepts like cultural relativism and ethnocentrism. The central chapters are arranged topically according to commonly recognized aspects or dimensions of cultural analysis within the social sciences. Chapter 3 compares and contrasts three fields of linguistics, with a particular emphasis on sociolinguistics, and considers the significance of language for societies and the human experience. Chapter 4 explores social structures and inequalities perpetuated along social categories like race, ethnicity, and class. Chapter 5 covers anthropological perspectives on sex, gender, and sexuality, including a consideration of how such perspectives can help the church address difficult contemporary disagreements related to human sexuality. Subsequent chapters cover economics (six), politics and power (seven), kingship and marriage (eight), religion (nine), and medical anthropology (ten). The last two chapters explain the role of theory in anthropological research along with some key theoretical perspectives (eleven) and offers relevant and potential benefits of anthropology (twelve).
The second edition seems to be far from just a cosmetic makeover of the first edition (2011). The broader topics and chapter breakdowns have remained the same with the exception of the chapter on “Globalization and Culture Change” being replaced with a chapter on “Medical Anthropology,” a subfield of anthropology that has been growing in interest and attention; the exploration of globalization is interwoven throughout the book rather than being a focal point in one chapter. Also, each chapter has been revised, adding helpful features like discussion questions at the end and receiving a refresh in the way of contemporary examples and new materials. In short, for those that are already using the first edition, there are certainly enough worthwhile revisions to adopt the second edition. Suggestions for future revisions include adding a bibliography and suggested readings for deeper exploration, and more substantive missiological engagement in each chapter (e.g., highlighting the work that Christians on mission, informed by their Christian commitments and interdisciplinary understandings of human realities and social structures, are doing in these areas; supplementing each chapter with a case study to consider missiological implications).
Supplementary materials like active learning exercises, a test bank, and PowerPoint slides for each chapter are available for free download on Baker’s website. In my opinion, this continues to be the best textbook currently available for Christian educators who are looking for a thoughtful, interdisciplinary introduction to the culture concept that demonstrates a good balance of breadth and depth as a core undergraduate course text or a supplementary graduate course text.
