A Case Study in Contextualization
The History of the German Church Growth Association 1985–2003
- Evangelism & Missions
- Publisher: Wipf and Stock
- Published: 2014
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Publisher's Description
The content of the gospel never changes; however, communicating it constantly fluctuates. Conveying the gospel to a homeless, hungry woman may include providing a hot bowl of chili, while an agnostic co-worker might be open after several rounds of golf. The message is the same, but the method of communicating it is as wide and varied as life itself. Finding the correct method is like hitting the "sweet spot" on a tennis racket or golf club. It takes time, study, and practice, but once you find it you have more success. The "sweet spot" in missions is called contextualization and involves much more than learning a new language. It means knowing a country's religious, political, and social conditions. Correct theology, financial backing, and language acquisition are meaningless without contextualization. This book tells the story of a German organization struggling to contextualize the gospel in a very hostile environment. Its mission was to revive a dying church, characterized by centuries-old religious pride and pluralism. This study details the challenges of faithfully communicating the gospel in a post-Christian culture and serves as a study to enable missionaries to recognize and respond to cultural issues affecting the contextualization process.
Endorsements (4)
“Today in post-Christian Europe, Germany ranks at the top of those countries in need of the saving grace of the gospel. Although the soil is hard, Fred McRae skillfully draws upon his many years of field expertise and careful research to show how missions contextualization, in this spiritually and emotionally torn culture, may be used . . . to build the church not only in Germany, but in all parts of the world!”
“"During my forty years of service to the Volkskirche, I met many American missionaries, most of whom had difficulty understanding our church and recognizing the unique challenges of the German culture. McRae's work on contextualization is a must-read for anyone considering working as a missionary in Germany, and will offer much-needed insight into navigating Germany's unique culture and spiritual climate.”
“This book is a must-read for anyone wanting to understand the struggles of the German Protestant Church since World War II. Readers will find the intersection of German history, Hitler, and the emergence of the Church Growth Movement fascinating. . . . I am confident that it will provide invaluable information for anyone who aims to work in Germany in the future.”
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