Book Review: “Foolishness to the Greeks – The Gospel and Western Culture” By Lesslie Newbigin, Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, MI, 1986, 150pp

Overview—Give a brief overview of the book, including its theme, perspective and approach.

Former missionary to India and cultural observer Lesslie Newbigin probes the question of what would involve a genuinely missionary encounter between the Gospel and "modern western culture". In other words, Newbigin is concerned with the "re-evangelism" of post-Christian western modernity. In "Foolishness to the Greeks", Newbigin analyzes the development of modern culture and then asks what role the Word has in contemporary culture. He then dialogues with science and politics before concluding with a call to the church.

Critique—Offer a brief critique of the book, including elements of strength and weakness.

Newbigin's scholarship is apparent on every page. He interacts with both the scientific community and political/economic thought with equal aplomb. His strength lies in his piercing analysis. I have not read a better overview of modern culture, the loss of a sense of purpose and how we got here than in his chapter on "Profile of a Culture". However, his strength as an observer exposes his weakness in offering plausible alternatives. He chastises the lack of purpose and absolutes in western culture, but his reluctance to embrace a full view of the authority of scripture leaves him on shaky ground as well (p.59). To his credit, Newbigin challenges the church not to try to commandeer the culture and reestablish a politicized Christendom. Nor should we try to recreate a pre-Constantinian innocence (p.103). As if we could do either! Simply let the church be the church.

Application—Offer some specific application to your own ministry— demonstrating the value and relevance of the material in this book.

Newbigin addresses issues so broad that application on the local level is a challenge. I feel I have a better grasp on the roots of secularization of my own culture, but putting that into "parish practice" is another story. His threefold model of communicating the gospel, though, forms a helpful paradigm for evangelism: 1) Make sure you communicate in a language the culture understands; 2) even so, the gospel by nature will contradict the culture, 3) so remember that radical conversion can only be a supernatural work of God. Therefore, be culturally sensitive, but radically gospel-centered and leave the results up to the Lord.

Best Quote—Be sure to include the page number where the quote can be found.

p. 124, "The church is the bearer to all the nations of a gospel that announces the kingdom, the reign, and the sovereignty of God. It calls men and women to repent of their false loyalty to other powers, to become believers in the one true sovereignty, and so to become corporately a sign, instrument, and foretaste of that sovereignty of the one true and living God over all nature, all nations, and all human lives. It is not meant to call men and women out of the world into a safe religious enclave but to call them out in order to send them back as agents of God's kingship."