The Gospel in a Pluralist Society

Lesslie Newbigin offers an insightful look at Christianity today in his book, Gospel in a Pluralist Society. Serving as a Christian missionary in India for almost 40 years has given this author a unique and authoritative perspective on the Christian's response to a society full of so many different faith systems. He is ready and willing to ask the tough questions that Christians are afraid to ask. He turns the reader to the logic of mission and election, the authority of the gospel, the difference between knowing and believing, and finally the call of the church to be the vessel of the Christian mission. Understanding that Christians today have lost their confidence to boldly proclaim the uniqueness and authority of Christ, he calls the Church to remember its calling in light of a pluralistic culture. Rather than focusing on apologetics or forcing adherents of other faiths to "see the light," Newbigin calls for open dialogue between Christians and people who work within other faith systems or have no religion at all. The focus, then, is not on evangelism, but on developing open, trusting conversation where the Christian can boldly and lovingly proclaim the gospel. Once engaged in such conversation, the Christian can follow Newbigin's example of looking at Christianity in history. On the premise that God exists, He has revealed himself through creation and history. Christ is the unique revelation of God in history, and it is faith in this revelation, which lays the foundation for Christianity. This is a book, which requires slow and steady reading to grasp the depth and insight within it. But, even in a quick reading, it is both challenging and encouraging for the Christian living in a society full of so many other religions.

The Gospel in a Pluralistic Society is a highly relevant book for any modern student of missions. Newbigin's numerous theological and sociological insights have made this a work of frequent citation in missiological texts by other authors. In the first five chapters of his book Newbigin draws from Michael Polanyi's Personal Knowledge to critique many of the fallacies of a rationalistic worldview - a worldview which is steadily losing ground to postmodern systems of thought in the present era. He unapologetically asserts that "dogma," long critiqued by proponents of rationalism and positivism as a backward and inferior belief system which characterizes religion, is just as much a part of the modern scientific worldview. All cultures adhere to certain "plausibility structures" or ways of thinking which are unanimously accepted by the members of society. Truth claims are then tested against these plausibility structures to determine their validity. But the plausibility structures themselves are based on unproven, dogmatic assumptions. Newbigin asserts that Christians adhere to a different plausibility structure than society at large - one which is no less certain than the prevalent worldview which so esteems reason and scientific knowledge. He believes Christians should not feel compelled to defend their beliefs according to a popular secular plausibility structure. Newbigin believes that the Bible is unique in that it relates a universal history of mankind. Although the context of this history lies within a particular group of people in a particular part of the world, its message is applicable to all peoples. This history offers a unique message of hope for all peoples, something which is lacking in many cultures, especially in the modern West. Many Europeans and Americans have no hope at all in the future and therefore have lost all incentive to invest in it. Christ is the center of this history, and his story, as related in the New Testament ultimately envisions a goal which we can work toward - the creation of a better society as we progress in our lives and await the hereafter. Newbigin does not limit Christ's message to a this-worldly social gospel, but nevertheless believes that Christians who focus exclusively on saving souls are missing an important dimension of his teaching. He gives an insightful interpretation of Biblical passages such as Ephesians 3:10 and Colossians 1:15-17, claiming that the "principalities and powers" mentioned in these texts are not demonic beings but rather unjust social structures which can become demonic. Christians have a responsibility to change these structures for the good of all. Newbigin addresses the issue of how Christians should view those who practice other religions by emphasizing that in the past people have frequently been asking the wrong question, "Who can be saved?" He believes that Christians should approach adherents of other faiths with respect, acknowledging the wa

When I initially picked up this book, I thought, "oh, another one of these books." There seems to be a new book on pluralism and postmodernism coming out every day. I had read bits of Newbiggin before, and knew that a missionary in India for forty years would have something to say worthwhile. I was not mistaken. Newbiggin's clear voice and wise, yet succinct, observations make this an extremely valuable book to read. I was greatly influenced by this book, and found new insights and confirmation of my own undeveloped thoughts which encouraged and challenged my thinking. Newbiggin develops his thoughts by showing why and how a Christian message can be conveyed and understood in a pluralist society. He first shows how a pluralistic understanding views religion in general. Coming from an Indian perspective he has an excellent understanding of this. Pluralist societies tend to be religious, accepting the transcendent as something which is greater than one single philosophy can grasp hold of. Yet, Newbiggin approaches this directly, asking "why?" What makes a person know that the transcendent is greater than one religion? He challenges the view by showing that those who claim this are asserting a source of knowledge on their own, establishing for themselves a point of reference which they deny to others. In addition, Newbiggin shows the now common fallacies which are involved in a true pluralistic view. A person can not be a pluralist in a math class. Thus, there are accepted areas in which Truth can be established. The role now before us is to show, and proclaim, that religion can be this area, and that Christianity is this truth.Along with the claims of truth that must be continually asserted, Newbiggin has several chapters on missions and evangelism which I found very interesting. He points out that the New Testament epistles are virtually devoid of references, exhortations, or instructions to evangelism and missions. This is an unusual observation in respect to the modern emphasis on such activities. Newbiggin points out that these were not referred to for one main reason. It is that the role of evangelism was never thought of as the responsibility for the believer. Rather, evangelism was a result of the power of the Holy Spirit acting in such a way that people were drawn to see and inquire what this new power was. "The mission of the Church in the pages of the New Testament is more like the fallout from a vast explosion, a radioactive fallout which is not lethal but life-giving." Thus, we understand why Paul exhorted his churches to mature, growing in their faith and understanding of the Triune God. It would be through this maturity that the Spirit would naturally move in the lives of believers to reach out to the community around them. When a church loses this focus, ministry becomes difficult and impossible, especially in an age of pluralism.Overall this is a tremendously valuable book, which continues to spark new thought

Lesslie Newbigin has written a penetrating analysis of the gospel in our western, pluralistic society. Although this book is over a decade old, it will remain a standard on issues of gospel, culture, contextualization, and postmodernism for quite some time. Newbigin presents with such clarity the pitfalls of many assumptions from Enlightenment and contemporary postmodern thought. With a "baptized" postmodern approach, Newbigin urges for the harmony of private and public life and thought. The church's application of this in faith and practice will be her most effective apologetic for the 21st century. The author makes a strong case that no one (including scientists or historians) can completely stand outside the influences of their particular culture and tradition. All understanding,whether religious/moral values or scientific information, involves faith and tradition. Other helpful aspects of the book reveal that we need a more wholistic approach to understand ourselves and the goal of history. Christ is the Truth embodied who is the universal clue for all men and women from every culture and age to break through this subjectivity to find their destiny and hope in this life and beyond. Newbigin beckons the church to continually reshape the unchanging gospel message in a culturally relevant way in order to most effectively impact the unreached locally and globally. We must clear away all stumbling blocks to Christ, except for one. The stumbling block of the cross. This attitude demands a willingness to reform traditions to connect with changing perspectives in society. My copy of this book is well marked and is an oft used resource for my ministry.

This is an incisive response to the problems we feel when trying to evangelise. How can I claim to know the truth? Why should I make a stand? I have been going to Church all my life (and am now 18) and I have found this book very helpful in explaining my feelings when trying to evangelise in terms of the culture I have been brought up in. This book allows you to grasp the arguments behind the practical steps that we as Christians should take to spread the word. This is in fact (contrary to the shallow one star review) a very 'change the world' book. Absolutely brilliant