EMQ » July–September 2022 » Volume 58 Issue 3
Effective Intercultural Evangelism: Good News in a Diverse World (find it on Amazon)*
By W. Jay Moon and W. Bud Simon
InterVarsity Press, 2021
224 pages
US$18.00
*As an Amazon Associate Missio Nexus earns from qualifying purchases.
Reviewed by Michael Hakmin Lee, PhD, assistant professor of ministry and leadership, School of Mission, Ministry, and Leadership, Wheaton College.
Effective Intercultural Evangelismis coauthored by Jay Moon and Bud Simon, both of whom have extensive field experience as missionaries and are currently active in teaching and training others in evangelism and cross-cultural ministry. Reflecting their skill and passion for equipping others, this book aspires to help readers become more confident and competent in intercultural evangelism, which the authors define as “the process of putting Christ at the center of someone’s worldview in order to initiate them into Christian discipleship through culturally relevant starting points” (10).
The opening chapter also suggests that, when approaching evangelism and discipleship, one ought to embrace centered-set thinking (though I believe the book mistakenly states that bounded sets are “defined by the distance from the center” when in fact they are just static, intrinsically categorized homogenous sets without a separate center to speak of like centered-sets).
Pointing to demographic shifts toward increasing cultural and religious plurality, driven by globalization and increased migration, the authors advocate for the necessity of “double listening,” or being attentive to both the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit and the varied concerns and assumptions of religious seekers. Such an approach, along with a more full-orbed understanding of the gospel, makes it more likely that we can facilitate a connection between the meaning and significance of what God has done and is doing through Christ’s mediatory work with the deep longings and concerns embedded in those who are operating from worldviews different from ours.
Next, the book explores four dominant worldviews as starting points for evangelism: guilt/justice, shame/honor, fear/power, and indifference/belonging. Moon and Simon argue that any given society will reflect a dynamic blend of these outlooks, though individuals will “tend to favor one particular worldview.” This discussion is followed by a chapter on the importance of pursuing holistic evangelism, which integrates deeds, words, and lifestyle in gospel witness.
The penultimate chapter, which I found to be one of the most interesting chapters in the book, examines the differences in local learning preferences. They note the implications of the mass shift from oral learning to print learning (following the invention of the printing press) to the current rise of digital-oral learning. This current state has been brought on by the proliferation of digital technologies and the cultural phenomenon of mass media consumption. The last chapter surveys some of the current trends related to the four worldviews and offers both specific examples and general guidance in engaging these worldviews.
While much of this book covers well-trodden ground that is explored in more depth elsewhere (e.g., theological works on the nature and scope of the gospel and the atonement, missiological works on contextualization and the gospel), the strength of this book is in how it brings these conversations into present realities (e.g., religious pluralism, digital-oral learning, and concerns expressed by newer generations) and explores it in a highly practical and yet interculturally intelligent and missiological savvy way. I highly recommend this accessible resource for undergraduate and graduate classrooms, as well as a resource for church and parachurch groups seeking evangelism training.
For Further Reading
Evangelism in a Skeptical World by Sam Chan (Zondervan, 2018)
Ministering in Honor-Shame Cultures: Biblical Foundations and Practical Essentials by Jayson Georges and Mark D. Baker (InterVarsity Press, 2016)
EMQ, Volume 58, Issue 3. Copyright © 2022 by Missio Nexus. All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced or copied in any form without written permission from Missio Nexus. Email: EMQ@MissioNexus.org.
