Approaching us in sovereign freedom, God comes alive to us, we come alive to God, and all creation comes alive as a sign pointing to God. In the gospel of Jesus Christ, God gives and discloses himself in this immediate way as our ultimate context and host, within the provisional medium of creation. This life-giving gospel is met by blindness, however, among those who live today in a collapsing Western culture. This is because their imaginative world is shaped by habitual assumptions and practices that lie--largely unacknowledged--deep within that culture, and that preclude openness to the gospel. Moreover, Western Christians themselves widely share these assumptions, betraying the gospel into cultural captivity. God calls for the conversion of Western culture to the living gospel. Crucially this must include, as Lesslie Newbigin recognized, a repentance from modern Western assumptions about knowledge. Part One explores seeking, knowing, and serving God, as providing a true paradigm for understanding all human enquiry, knowledge, and action. Part Two examines ten resulting "hot spots" where conversion from prevailing cultural assumptions is vital for authentic mission to Western culture.

Approaching us in sovereign freedom, God comes alive to us, we come alive to God, and all creation comes alive as a sign pointing to God. In the gospel of Jesus Christ, God gives and discloses himself in this immediate way as our ultimate context and host, within the provisional medium of creation. This life-giving gospel is met by blindness, however, among those who live today in a collapsing Western culture. This is because their imaginative world is shaped by habitual assumptions and practices that lie--largely unacknowledged--deep within that culture, and that preclude openness to the gospel. Moreover, Western Christians themselves widely share these assumptions, betraying the gospel into cultural captivity. God calls for the conversion of Western culture to the living gospel. Crucially this must include, as Lesslie Newbigin recognized, a repentance from modern Western assumptions about knowledge. Part One explores seeking, knowing, and serving God, as providing a true paradigm for understanding all human enquiry, knowledge, and action. Part Two examines ten resulting "hot spots" where conversion from prevailing cultural assumptions is vital for authentic mission to Western culture.

What we fear most has ironically come upon us as Western individualists. We are being controlled by the invisible forces of culture and they have come between God and us. Silent but in the background of all we do and think, its influence cannot be overlooked. We condone and even encourage and champion the very things that create distance between our needs and God's goodness, between our plans and his destiny for us, between our weakness and his strength. We have been deceived. Not only have we created distance between us, but we seldom free God from these cultural and personal expectations and let him speak for himself. We have locked God into our system and, in the end, distracted by our needs for social and personal survival. We must turn our eyes toward him, open our ears to his voice, and let him speak.

The influence of the Bible in Western culture is immeasurable, but these days few of us know much about it. Presenting concise and accessible introductions to the Bible's most important characters, stories and themes, this text encourages better understanding, study and analysis of the Christian element in Western culture. With no prior biblical knowledge required, this clearly presented volume delivers a framework of understanding for those studying Western literature, art, historical events, or for those simply wanting to improve their general knowledge. Filling a gap in the market for an introductory text of this kind, this genuinely multi-disciplinary book provides: * edited extracts from the Bible * explanations of the context and beliefs of each passage * links to related biblical texts * examples of related key works of art and literature * brief biographies of key figures * a comprehensive glossary defining specialist terms * chronology * suggested further reading. Enabling readers to encounter key Bible stories directly, the book also provides useful background information on issues of content, context and influence. Easy to use and follow, it is the essential guide for those wishing to find out more about the Bible and its impact on the world around us.

Many writers and commentators are convinced that Western culture and society are unravelling. Who can blame them! As I write this, violent protests rage across the USA in response to senseless murders. The political sphere has never seemed to virulent, and a deadly epidemic has affected all our lives. Many are agreed that there are serious problems working themselves out in Western society, yet among Christians, there is little agreement over the approach we should take to the West and its problems. This issue, how Christians should approach engagement with culture, is not a new one, nor is it a uniquely Western issue. Christians in every age and in every culture are confronted with this question. In response to many today who see it as the Christian responsibility to save the West, to preserve its unique cultural heritage and achievements, this author argues that our lives in this world need to be governed by three theological themes, ecclesiology, soteriology, and eschatology. That is, we must prioritize the local church, engage with society with the understanding that earthly kingdoms are manifestations of Satan’s kingdom, and live in light of Christ’s imminent return.

How can biblical authority be a reality for those shaped by the modern world? This book treats the First World as a mission field, offering a unique perspective on the relationship between the gospel and current society by presenting an outsider's view of contemporary Western culture.

Who is to be the primary evangelizer of Asia? What Asian forms of worship and prayer are both authentically Christian and culturally appropriate? In Our Own Tongues is reading for anyone interested in the emergence of "world Christianity" and its future in the 21st century.--From publisher's description