Zhiqiu Xu

Becoming Native to Win the Natives

Evangelism & Missions

“It is one thing to know these post-colonial principles as head knowledge, it is another thing to concretely live them out in the mission field. Mr. Laughlin has purged even the last bit of condescending demeanor, and become 'one among us.' As a theological educator who grew up in mainland China, I recommend this book to anyone who's interested in cross-cultural mission.”

Reading Romans with Eastern Eyes

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“The epistle to the Romans stands for Paul's efforts in reaching out to communities in Rome, a city epitomized by the ideology of law and justice. That explains the reason why the epistle appears to be dominated by the theme of law and guilt. However, Paul, a former Pharisee, was indoctrinated and saturated with an Eastern heritage—namely, the Jewish culture. Furthermore, the community to which Paul was addressing consisted mainly of diaspora Jews, a group of easterners sojourning in a western city. Hence, the epistle to the Romans was like an archeological site loaded with multiple layers of cultures. In this book, Brad Vaughn digs deeper into the cultural roots of this epistle. The lens through which he reinterprets should be considered legitimate and ought to be taken seriously. As a theologian trained in the West, Brad—just like Paul—makes all efforts of rendering the gospel relevant to the honor-shame type of Asian cultures. By doing this, he restores the original cultural nuances of both the author and the audiences of this powerful text.”