i’ve been thinking about contextualization quite a bit these days, as it’s major theme of the book i’m working on (working title: youth ministry 3.0). andrew jones, a.k.a. tall skinny kiwi, snapped today, and posted his (imho) best post of the year:
i’m breaking my normal two-posts a day routine to add this one immediately, because i just think it’s so stinkin’ good. ooh.
Absolutely! I was actually shocked that some would argue the opposite!
“For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more. To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law; to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some. I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it. 1st Cor. 9:20ff
Doesn’t that mean anything to anyone who doesn’t think anything of contextualization?
remarkable. what a great post. that was stirring.
I think two problems produce thinking against contextualization…
1) it’s done so much without balance (I liked that the post mentioned the need for balance) so people overreact – that’s pretty easy to see
2) some still see our culture as Christian and cannot comprehend it as a mission field no matter what they say to the contrary
Marko I see why you had to throw this out on the table today…great topic.
Wow. That was a great post. I think we evangelicals have a tendency to equate contextualization of the gospel presentation with compromise of the gospel message. I’ve never read any of Andrew’s stuff but I totally agree with his points. Thanks for breaking your rule Marko.
So good. I agree with Greg about gospel presentation vs. gospel message.
That was fantastic. It reminded me of a novel I read recently titled, “The Poisonwood Bible” by Barbara Kingsolver. The whole book deals with the importance of contextualization. If you haven’t read it, you won’t be disappointed.