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Crossing Cultures with the Gospel: Anthropological Wisdom for Effective Christian Witness
Drawing on forty years of teaching and mission experience, leading missiological anthropologist Darrell Whiteman brings a wealth of insight to bear on cross-cultural ministry.
After explaining the nature and function of culture and the importance of understanding culture for ministry, Whiteman addresses the most common challenges of ministering across cultures. He then provides practical solutions based on lived experience, helping readers develop healthy patterns so they can communicate the gospel effectively. Issues addressed include negotiating differences in worldview, the problem of nonverbal communication, understanding cultural forms and their meanings, and the challenge of overcoming culture shock.
Professors, students, and anyone ministering cross-culturally will benefit from this informed yet accessible guide. Foreword by Miriam Adeney.
After explaining the nature and function of culture and the importance of understanding culture for ministry, Whiteman addresses the most common challenges of ministering across cultures. He then provides practical solutions based on lived experience, helping readers develop healthy patterns so they can communicate the gospel effectively. Issues addressed include negotiating differences in worldview, the problem of nonverbal communication, understanding cultural forms and their meanings, and the challenge of overcoming culture shock.
Professors, students, and anyone ministering cross-culturally will benefit from this informed yet accessible guide. Foreword by Miriam Adeney.
272 pages, Paperback
Published February 27, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
March 29, 2024
The goal of this book is to encourage and empower cross-cultural workers from any region or background to become more effective, serve longer, and thrive in their cross-cultural ministries.
The author, a leading professor and missiologist, draws on decades of training experience to explain the concept of culture, incarnational ministry, common communication problems, culture shock, and how to learn from and engage with people in other cultures despite the cultural baggage we all tend to carry.
I loved this book. Whiteman’s singing my song. He references many seminal works, old and new, and gives the reader plenty of jumping off places for learning more about topics like cross-cultural communication, participant observation, bonding, and becoming bicultural.
Ultimately, just reading a book falls short of what you can learn from practical pre-field training or on-site coaching, but this one could be a great complement to either.
The author, a leading professor and missiologist, draws on decades of training experience to explain the concept of culture, incarnational ministry, common communication problems, culture shock, and how to learn from and engage with people in other cultures despite the cultural baggage we all tend to carry.
I loved this book. Whiteman’s singing my song. He references many seminal works, old and new, and gives the reader plenty of jumping off places for learning more about topics like cross-cultural communication, participant observation, bonding, and becoming bicultural.
Ultimately, just reading a book falls short of what you can learn from practical pre-field training or on-site coaching, but this one could be a great complement to either.
January 1, 2026
Excellent wisdom and examples to promote understanding and effective cross-cultural relationships and engagement. I appreciated his examples that spanned many countries and situations and made the principles easy to relate to. I have worked cross-culturally for many years, but it felt like this book was a helpful reminder of the need to always be humble and intentional in our cross-cultural interactions - it is so easy to assume that we know how to interpret certain actions or words, and we end up failing to connect meaningfully because of those assumptions.
October 24, 2025
this was EXTREMELY insightful and helped me see my own culture in me too. very eye opening on the topic of cross cultural relationships and ministry.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews