May 4, 2004

An Intrusive Gospel?

I am currently reading the book An Intrusive Gospel? by C. Norman Kraus. It is about "Christian missions in the post-modern world".

I am finding it to be very engaging reading. In the first chapter (which I am still reading) the author makes the following observation:

The great missionary movement of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries...was the historical counterpart of Western modernization, and the gospel we have preached from our position of power has contained more promise of upward mobility through technology and democracy than we may have intended.

This brings up some interesting questions. To what extent does the Gospel transform culture? How can missionaries avoid preaching "upward mobility"?

Any thoughts?

(I think I will start a discussion about this at the forum)

Posted by Andrew on May 4, 2004 9:03 AM.

Comments

Posted by: Joseph at May 5, 2004 12:33 AM