The Ministry of Women in the Chinese Church
A reader responds to the spring issue of CSQ with insightful observations and questions.
Brad Vaughn (formerly known by the pseudonym Jackson Wu; PhD, Southeastern Baptist) is the theologian in residence with Global Training Network. He previously lived and worked in East Asia for almost two decades, teaching theology and missiology for Chinese pastors. He serves on the Asian/Asian-American theology steering committee of the Evangelical Theological Society and is the author of Saving God's Face, One Gospel for All Nations, Reading Romans with Eastern Eyes, Seeking God's Face, and The Cross in Context. You can find his articles and resources at savinggodsface.com.
A reader responds to the spring issue of CSQ with insightful observations and questions.
We know contextualization is important, but not everyone comes at it in the same way.
Mandarin students spend years learning the basics of daily language and only scratch the surface when it comes to spiritual and theological vocabulary. Here's a resource to help.
How might Christians from one honor-shame culture effectively serve cross-culturally in another honor-shame culture?
Food for thought for churches and sending agencies.
Combining research from Asian scholars with his many years of experience living and working in East Asia, Jackson directs our attention to Paul's letter to the Romans. He argues that some traditional East Asian cultural values are closer to those of the first-century biblical world than common Western cultural values. In addition, he adds his voice to the scholarship engaging the values of honor and shame in particular and their influence on biblical interpretation.
A tool for understanding the need to contextualize ministry in light of different types of cultures.
Isn't this just propaganda, empty threats, or show. Haven’t we seen similar programs rolled out in the past?
Could this happen in the West?
The Bible tells us what to believe—the gospel. It also shows how to contextualize the gospel? In One Gospel for All Nations, Jackson Wu explains practically why we must not choose between the Bible and culture highlights implications for both missionaries and theologians. Contextualization should be practical, not pragmatic; theological, not theoretical.
Years ago, the author had a startling realization. Theologians and pastors have long taught on the glory of God and its central importance in the Bible. However, because he was living in East Asia, it also dawned on the author that this sort of talk about God’s glory, praising Him, and magnifying His name was simply another way of talking about honor and shame.
The guest editor interviews a pastor from eastern China on the topic of contextualization.