True but Confusing Advice for Missionaries

Last updated on: June 1, 2017 at 10:31 am By Brad Vaughn

Mack Stiles’ recent post on The Gospel Coalition causes unnecessary confusion.[1] Why? It offers advice that is merely true. He suggests “3 Great Missionary Confusions.” In principle, his comments are true enough. But they could be misleading in practice. The Gospel in Context The first “confusion” he mentions begins like this: Don’t we adjust the gospel to fit the context, removing offensive things that would prevent someone from a different background from coming to Jesus? Didn’t Paul say he became... Read more

Reflections on the Reformation 500 and the Gospel Conference

Last updated on: May 27, 2017 at 7:02 am By Brad Vaughn

Over four-thousand Chinese leaders and mission workers from around the world recently met in Hong Kong for the “Reformation 500 and the Gospel” conference. I’ll offer an overview and commentary on the meeting. From the Main Stage Three plenary speakers gave three talks, one-per-day. John Piper Chinese believers were introduced to vintage Piper. His opening message helpfully reminded people of the central (but oft overlooked) promise of the New Covenant––– new hearts. Salvation is more than forgiveness; it causes God’s... Read more

How Metaphors Make Us Moral

Last updated on: May 2, 2017 at 3:48 pm By Brad Vaughn

“Metaphors have a way of holding the most truth in the least space.” Arguably, John Sanders’ Theology in the Flesh from beginning to end attempts to show the significance of this statement by Orson Scott Card. He demonstrates how metaphors both shape moral reasoning and determine meaning. What if the church grasped the subtle yet pervasive ways that metaphors influence our ministry? Metaphors are not like similes. We can easily locate similes. But they are like Chinese water torture…too many... Read more

Online Chinese Christianity Collection

Last updated on: May 18, 2017 at 5:03 pm By Brad Vaughn

I recently found out the Online Chinese Christianity Collection (OCCC) is now accessible. It is chock full of articles, etc. for people interested in China. The online library is searchable. Depending on the resource, you can use English or Chinese. The worldwide largest online library on Chinese Christianity Chinese and multi-lingual full text downloadable for free Over 34,500 documents, weekly growing The site is run by Globethics.net. If you register (for free), you get more access to scholarly material. Enjoy! Read more

What Cognitive Science Teaches about Contextualization

Last updated on: May 2, 2017 at 3:48 pm By Brad Vaughn

“Cognitive science” and “contextualization” –– two things that sound complicated but shape everything we do in ministry. In Theology in the Flesh, John Sanders explains the concept of “framing” with this sentence: “We never open our presents until the morning.” For most Americans, at least, those eight words make complete sense because they evoke a common “frame,” i.e. Christmas. Families have different traditions about when they open their gifts. For more common yet frustrating examples, contrast how MSNBC and Fox... Read more

How do we “embody” theology?

Last updated on: May 2, 2017 at 3:48 pm By Brad Vaughn

John Sanders says all theology is embodied. On the surface, this doesn’t seem noteworthy. People for many years have aspired to “embody the gospel.” However, this is not Sanders’ meaning. His recent book Theology in the Flesh: How Embodiment and Culture Shape the Way We Think about Truth, Morality, and God (2016) will be a game changer for many people. Sanders explains why cognitive linguistics is so significant for biblical interpretation and theological discourse. With terms like “embodiment” and “cognitive... Read more

Are these seminary professors actually racist?

Last updated on: May 5, 2017 at 6:23 pm By Brad Vaughn

The world’s strategy is working. Outsiders are using the church’s desire to love them as a weapon to make the church appear unloving. Read more

Newest “mission and culture” book reviews in Themelios

Last updated on: April 26, 2017 at 12:15 pm By Brad Vaughn

Themelios just published its April 2017 issue. The assortment of book reviews concerning mission and culture are excellent. They touch on a diverse range of topics. Click the links below to read the reviews. Created and Creating: A Biblical Theology of Culture Review by: Marvin J. Newell Making Sense of God: An Invitation to the Skeptical Review by: Kevin Halloran Race and Place: How Urban Geography Shapes the Journey to Reconciliation Review by: John O. Soden Crossing Cultures in Scripture: Biblical Principles for Mission Practice Review by:... Read more

Eastern versus Western Honor & Shame

Last updated on: February 13, 2017 at 2:34 pm By Brad Vaughn

Every human society cares about honor and shame but not all in the same way. Westerners think they are different, but they simply seek to achieve it more than ascribe it. Read more

Reconnecting God’s Story to Scripture and Service

Last updated on: April 20, 2017 at 10:31 am By Brad Vaughn

Tom Steffen has a nice article in the most recent issue of Christian Education Journal. It is titled “Discoveries Made While Reconnecting God’s Story to Scripture and Service.” Here is the article’s abstract: Story was much more nuanced than I had ever anticipated. Cross-cultural experience drove home the need to identify and define the various nuances of story. This resulted in a three-tier classification of stories. I then reevaluated the role of narrative and metanarrative as well. Will these classifications... Read more