EMQ » April–June 2019 » Volume 55 Issue 3
By Evelyn and Richard Hibbert
William Carey Library, Littleton, CO, 2018
18 pages
USD $19.99
Reviewed by Hoon Jung, Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, CA, USA
This volume is designed to help missionaries serve and make disciples in cross-cultural contexts. Evelyn and Richard Hibbert, former church planters in the Middle East and Bulgaria and now professors at Sydney Missionary & Bible College, believe that missionaries are often unprepared to carry out a cross-cultural discipleship ministry. The authors’ thesis is that intercultural discipling “is a mutual exploration of what it means to be an authentic follower of Jesus in the various contexts we find ourselves in. The Holy Spirit is the teacher. We walk together alongside him” (9). As the title Walking Together on the Jesus Road implies, the emphasis is on “mutuality” in cross-cultural contexts.
There are two principal strengths in this book. First, the book examines aspects of discipleship from both practical and academic perspectives. To be specific, from a practical perspective, the authors explore topics such as sharing life (Section 1), listening closely (Section 2), and respecting disciples (Section 3). From an academic perspective, the authors address the topic of contextualization, a major theme of contemporary missiology. Thus, the book appeals to those who are interested in both the practical and academic aspects of disciple making.
The second strength is that the authors’ thesis is timely and proper for contemporary Western missionaries and missiologists in the post-Western and post-colonial era. People in the majority world are more aware of culture, especially their own culture, than ever before. This means that respect for indigenous cultures and a willingness to learn from indigenous people are essential for contemporary missionaries. In this regard, the main topic of this book, mutuality, is an essential value for today’s missionaries from the West.
The fourth section “Contextualize” may be a bit confusing. The meaning and definition of the term “contextualization” varies in contemporary missiology. Here, the term is not explicitly defined. The authors argue, for example, that missionaries should contextualize the way that they explain sin. They imply that contextualization means that the gospel should be presented in a way that is comprehensible in the indigenous culture (138). But many missiologists use “contextualization” to describe self-theologizing. For example, Minjung Theology has emerged in South Korea as the contextualized form of the Latin American liberation theology. Whenever authors discuss contextualization, they need to define what they mean by it to avoid unnecessary confusion.
This book will be helpful for missionaries and students of missiology who are seeking to serve in a cross-cultural context and to focus on a disciple-making ministry.
For Further Reading
Bevans, Stephen B. Models of Contextual Theology. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2002.
Hull, Bill. The Complete Book of Discipleship: On Being and Making Followers of Christ. Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2006.
Wrogemann, Henning. Intercultural Theology: Intercultural Hermeneutics. Translated by Karl E. Böhmer. Vol. 1. Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2016.
