A few years ago, I sat in the lobby of a Thai hotel talking with some friends (all theology nerds like me). Each had lived and worked in cross-cultural contexts for many years. They also struggled to find suitable resources to help their students integrate biblical theology with a focus on missions. Read more
What's the relationship between contextualization and an evangelical doctrine of the Bible? A biblical doctrine of Scripture leads to a biblical view of contextualization. While affirming the importance of contextualization, we identify biblical boundaries for contextualization that stem from a right view of the Bible. Read more
Last week, I have the privilege and thrill of being interviewed by Jonathan Wright, who leads the New Books in Biblical Studies Podcast. He and I discussed my new book Reading Romans with Eastern Eyes. It now posted online wherever you get your podcasts. Read more
“Sinicization” is the name that describes China’s most recent attempts to systematically undermine Christianity in the country. While such nationalism is antithetical to the gospel, we need to ask, “How do we distinguish nationalism from patriotism?” Practically, when does love for country become idolatry? Read more
Join us for the 2020 Honor-Shame Conference at Wheaton College! We will explore how honor and shame influence the gospel, the Church, and various other disciplines, including theology, missiology, pastoral ministry, and counseling. Read more
This post gives a few miscellaneous updates concerning the government’s efforts to “sinicize” the Chinese church. I highlight how one pastor responded with godly discernment to official edicts that would compromise their Christian witness. Finally, we consider the need to distinguish patriotism and nationalism. Read more
What are a few implications and application of tight and loose cultures? How should this distinction influence contextualization, ministry, leadership development, and the like? Read more
How does the distinction between tight and loose cultures affect contextualization, churches, ministry strategy, and the inner workings of a mission organization? This is the first in a series to address this question. Specifically, this post considers the relationship between honor-shame and tight-loose cultures. Read more
You’re familiar with shame, guilt, and fear cultures. You know about collectivism and individualism. But have you heard of what social psychologists call tight and loose cultures? Read more
The most pressing needs of the Chinese church are theological, missiological, and familial. What does Chinese Christians need most? How might outsiders contribute to the well being of the Chinese church? Read more
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