James W. Thompson, a senior New Testament scholar and scholar in residence at Abilene Christian University, presents a compelling book on the interplay of Christianity and culture in the New Testament. Beginning with a well-intentioned critique of H. Richard Niebuhr’s opus Christ and Culture, Thompson dialectically responds to the proposition that Christ came to transform culture. Contra Niebuhr, Thompson proposes an alternative view, one that takes into consideration the similarities between New Testament Christian experiences and the experiences of Christians in contemporary societies.

The book begins with a brief discussion on the enduring problem of Christians in society. As Niebuhr, himself, discussed, the enduring problem is the separation of Christ and culture (1). Christians today live in conflict with societal norms. Christians are considered offensive to pluralists. Like the experience of early Christians that were shunned by society, more and more Christians struggle to be in the world, while not of the world. Hence, in this book, Thompson asks the crucial question of how Christians should relate to their surrounding culture (10).

Instead of accommodating or adapting to culture, Thompson believes in the relearning of insights from New Testament writings (6). He favors holding the tension of differentiation and integration, as the New Testament authors have demonstrated (186). Thompson presents his case by examining New Testament writings like that of John and Paul. He also examines the experiences of early Christians during Second Temple Judaism and in a Hellenistic society (13-29). Thompson’s efforts reveal important insights on Christian response to cultures in conflict with Christ’s kingdom culture.

In chapter seven, Thompson studies Johannine literature and uses data from John’s writing to cement his proposition that Christians are called to form alternative communities, one bound by mutual love (140). He moves on to other voices in the New Testament in chapter eight. Thompson then ends his analysis of New Testament writings by exploring the extent of second-generation Christian’s engagement with culture. He ties up the entire book with a powerful conclusion, one that summarizes all insights learned, and stacking them up as warrant for his claim that the early Christian’s engagement and response to culture provide relevant guidance for Christians in contemporary society today.

I highly recommend this book to lifelong learners of Christian theology, mission, and ministry. Christianity is a religion that travels. As it traverses the globe, Christian worldview will have to engage in the culture of its recipient soil. The issues of Christian engagement with society then are not limited to post-Christian Western societies. It holds true for all parts of the world. There remains a call to hold in tension both differentiation and integration—to be in the world but not of the world. Insights from early Christians, and specially anointed people like Paul and John, can guide us in this endeavor.

Reviewed by Lora Angeline E. Timenia

Publisher’s page: https://wipfandstock.com/9781666739466/christ-and-culture-in-the-new-testament/

C. Peter Wagner and Joseph Thompson, eds., Out of Africa: How the Spiritual Explosion Among Nigerians is Impacting the World (Ventura, CA: Regal, 2004), 219 pages, ISBN 9780830732920.

Every once in a while, I get to review a “must read” book and this is one that every sensitive person in Christendom must read. I was challenged from the moment I began to read the introduction, and I did not halt my reading until I had reached the end of the book.

Peter Wagner has partnered with Joseph Thompson, a Nigerian born minister who is part of Ted Haggard’s New Life Church in Colorado Springs, to produce this short book that describes a move of God that most of us in America know little about.

Wagner starts this inspiring book with the introduction that sets forth some numerical statistics that are necessary preparation for what follows. I have been to West Africa, Northern Africa and my engineering firm had a good-sized project in Cape Town, South Africa. I had acquaintances in both construction and missionary efforts in Nigeria including Sam Odunike, who at one time was a local leader in my denomination’s efforts in his country. I have read about the “success” of Christianity in Nigeria and news accounts about the rivalry between the Muslim and Christian populations there. Even with all of that background, I was astonished by what I read.

I did not know that half of Africa’s people live in Nigeria or that one of every five black persons in our world lives there. I learned of the comparison that Nigeria is two and one half times the size of Texas. I knew that Africa is producing Christians every day and that it was a large number. Wagner’s introduction cites David Barrett who believes that each day in Africa 24,500 souls are added to the Kingdom of God. We add 5,000 a day in the United States.

The church in Africa grows at 2.62 percent per year. In Nigeria, half of the population professes Christianity. That means right now that there are 75 million people who claim to follow Jesus and next year there will be 86 million that say so. In ten years, Nigeria will be as Christian as any nation can become. No other nation has achieved the depth of belief that Nigeria possesses today. Peter describes his astonishment at his own experiences during his travels to this country, starting with a pastoral training session ten years ago to which 13,000 pastors came.

Joseph Thompson writes the first chapter which he titled “Rising from the Mediocre to the Miraculous.” Pastor Thompson chronicles the period in his country following the Second World War and the utter despair his people faced not many years ago—despair which can still be found. Corruption and every type of evil were pervasive as Nigerians found themselves without income and without hope. Out of this despair, Christians began gathering for annual and then more frequent prayer gatherings. These gatherings were led by a number of professionals, Nigeria’s lawyers, engineers, doctors, and architects. These leaders quickly became a force for a difference in their country—a prayer force—and our God responded.