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The Gospel in Human Contexts: Anthropological Explorations for Contemporary Missions
While the gospel is timeless truth, it enters into ever-changing and widely varied human contexts. In order to meaningfully communicate the gospel to particular humans, those involved in cross-cultural ministry need to understand people and the particular influences--social, cultural, psychological, and ecological--that shape them. Further, we must understand ourselves and the influences that have shaped us, since our own contexts influence how we understand and transmit the gospel message. Therefore, we must master not only the skill of biblical interpretation but also the skill of human interpretation. That task is the topic of this book, the summation of a lifetime of experience and thinking by a world-renowned missiologist and anthropologist, the late Paul Hiebert.
218 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
April 21, 2025
This was for school! Hiebert’s main point was that to effectively share the gospel with people in other cultures, we need to know people and their cultures just as well as we know theology! He goes through the importance of contextualization in evangelism, history of anthropology, and missions as intercultural mediation.
“Unity in the church that breaks down walls of ethnicity, gender, and class is a sign of the kingdom of God now invading the earth. It takes place whoever Christ is Lord of our lives.”
“The church can be missionary only if its being-in-the-world is, at the same time, a being-different-from-the-world.”
“Unity in the church that breaks down walls of ethnicity, gender, and class is a sign of the kingdom of God now invading the earth. It takes place whoever Christ is Lord of our lives.”
“The church can be missionary only if its being-in-the-world is, at the same time, a being-different-from-the-world.”
April 21, 2022
Excellent book on the importance of contextualizing the gospel into human contexts in history. For me, it began the process of breaking my Western conceptions of truth and ways of thinking I take for granted. This book will have me thinking about its content for years to come. I think it is a must-read.
May 8, 2021
A nice primer. Not as dated as I would have expected.
April 29, 2021
A great book on how to preach the Gospel in any culture and the importance of contextualization
June 8, 2015
I really wished this book focused on greater depth to the scriptures. At length, hiebert brings forth current anthropological discourse, which is helpful in some cases - yet he doesn't take much time to sift through how some of these ideas may have been birthed from sociological/psychological studies conflicting with the word of God. At points, he presented some very compelling arguments (from scripture) to support the book's claims - but overall, this was not the case. Basically a secular work with some scripture sprinkled in sporadically to keep it fresh for Christians.
July 27, 2020
I'm a human I understand that societies exist. This book would be great for aliens.
March 1, 2023
Most pastors and theologians will acknowledge that there is a gulf between academia and pastoral ministry. For some, this is not a concern. Let each side pursue their ends and “never the twain shall meet.” However, most acknowledge that this gap needs to be bridged. The knowledge and advances in academia need to be grasped and applied by those doing pastoral ministry, and the needs and application of pastoral ministry need to ground academic studies. In the book, The Gospel in Human Contexts, Hiebert proposes that there is an even greater gulf that needs to be bridged. This is the gulf between the God we serve and the people we are called to serve. Missional theology attempts to bridge this gap by exegeting not just scripture but also people so that the gospel can be effectively communicated in any cultural context.
Hiebert opens his book with a definition of Missional Theology as an attempt “to translate and communicate the gospel in the language and culture of real people in the particularities of their lives so that it may transform them, their societies, and their cultures into what God intends for them to be.” He contrasts the practical aspects of missional theology with the more theoretical Biblical and systematic theologies. Heibert also writes about the need for contextualization and how missional theology relates to anthropology and history.
The second and largest part of his book is called “Exegeting Humans.” In this part, Hiebert begins with an examination of how Western civilization historically has understood its own identity as well as that of “Others.” This is contrasted with a Christian view that acknowledges the oneness of humanity in general and all Christians in specific and in which racism has no place.
Hiebert then has two chapters each on anthropology and on how missional theologians need to apply anthropological principles in their attempt to exegete humans. First, he gives a historical glimpse at the development of anthropology. Then he talks about where anthropology stands today. Finally, he demonstrates how missional theologians can use modern anthropological ideas and methodology in our attempt to better understand both society and the individuals we are called to serve.
The final section talks about how missional theologians are to be mediators. First, we are between those we are called to serve and the ever more intrusive (for good and for ill) globalized world. Second, we are called to be mediators between God and those we are called to serve. “We are our Other’s Keepers.”
The Gospel in Human Contexts is a book about bridging gaps. As has been shown, the greatest gap that must be bridged is to gap between God and the lost. This gap is bridged not only through studying and understanding the gospel, but also by studying and understanding the cultural context of the people to whom the gospel must be presented. Another gap that must be bridged is that between global society and the culture into which a missionary has come to serve. This book has done an excellent job of demonstrating how modern anthropological theories and methods can be used to bridge this gap.
Unfortunately, there is one gap Hiebert failed to bridge. That is the gap between academia and the man on the street. There is plenty of gold in this text that would be of great worth for every missionary, Christian anthropologist, and even every believer who might need to serve within a cross-cultural context (which in our day is nearly all of us). However, this gold is buried under a mountain of technical terms and a writing style that will cause most who try to dig to give up in despair. While this makes a great textbook, I doubt I will ever turn to it again. It is said a smart man can understand and convey complex ideas, but a brilliant man can take those same complex ideas and present them in a way anyone can understand. Hiebert is smart. This book is not brilliant.
Hiebert opens his book with a definition of Missional Theology as an attempt “to translate and communicate the gospel in the language and culture of real people in the particularities of their lives so that it may transform them, their societies, and their cultures into what God intends for them to be.” He contrasts the practical aspects of missional theology with the more theoretical Biblical and systematic theologies. Heibert also writes about the need for contextualization and how missional theology relates to anthropology and history.
The second and largest part of his book is called “Exegeting Humans.” In this part, Hiebert begins with an examination of how Western civilization historically has understood its own identity as well as that of “Others.” This is contrasted with a Christian view that acknowledges the oneness of humanity in general and all Christians in specific and in which racism has no place.
Hiebert then has two chapters each on anthropology and on how missional theologians need to apply anthropological principles in their attempt to exegete humans. First, he gives a historical glimpse at the development of anthropology. Then he talks about where anthropology stands today. Finally, he demonstrates how missional theologians can use modern anthropological ideas and methodology in our attempt to better understand both society and the individuals we are called to serve.
The final section talks about how missional theologians are to be mediators. First, we are between those we are called to serve and the ever more intrusive (for good and for ill) globalized world. Second, we are called to be mediators between God and those we are called to serve. “We are our Other’s Keepers.”
The Gospel in Human Contexts is a book about bridging gaps. As has been shown, the greatest gap that must be bridged is to gap between God and the lost. This gap is bridged not only through studying and understanding the gospel, but also by studying and understanding the cultural context of the people to whom the gospel must be presented. Another gap that must be bridged is that between global society and the culture into which a missionary has come to serve. This book has done an excellent job of demonstrating how modern anthropological theories and methods can be used to bridge this gap.
Unfortunately, there is one gap Hiebert failed to bridge. That is the gap between academia and the man on the street. There is plenty of gold in this text that would be of great worth for every missionary, Christian anthropologist, and even every believer who might need to serve within a cross-cultural context (which in our day is nearly all of us). However, this gold is buried under a mountain of technical terms and a writing style that will cause most who try to dig to give up in despair. While this makes a great textbook, I doubt I will ever turn to it again. It is said a smart man can understand and convey complex ideas, but a brilliant man can take those same complex ideas and present them in a way anyone can understand. Hiebert is smart. This book is not brilliant.
November 8, 2018
Excellent and a good summary of many good things he published earlier. Makes a sting case for the place of missiology in a full understanding/application of Scripture. Good on mediating/bridging role of missionaries.
June 7, 2017
this was dense and difficult to get through, but extremely informative and insightful. this book transformed my views on intercultural missions!
April 27, 2024
Great perspectives on intercultural interpretation. Some sections are fairly academic.
September 13, 2015
A good theological book that discusses the importance of having an anthropological perspective in missions to reach the unreached cross-culturally. Some of the content are replicated from Hiebert's other book "Anthropological Insights for Missionaries", which also has more applied and practical tips on how to minister cross-culturally (for example, how to cope with cultural stresses and shocks). This book is more theoretical.
This book is essentially arguing for the usefulness of anthropology as a discipline and research methods to approach missions work. I like Part 2 of the book on 'Exegeting Humans' which traces the history of anthropology and eventually recognises that there is a "great lack of systematic, theoretically based research in missions" and suggests the research methods that can be used in missions. I also like the part where Hiebert mentions that mission can be a mediator between the academic and the mission movement where we need more careful research and reflection on the Word, an area which has not been given much attention.
This book is essentially arguing for the usefulness of anthropology as a discipline and research methods to approach missions work. I like Part 2 of the book on 'Exegeting Humans' which traces the history of anthropology and eventually recognises that there is a "great lack of systematic, theoretically based research in missions" and suggests the research methods that can be used in missions. I also like the part where Hiebert mentions that mission can be a mediator between the academic and the mission movement where we need more careful research and reflection on the Word, an area which has not been given much attention.
September 11, 2009
This looks to be a really good book for missionaries. It simplifies quite a bit of the work he has done in previous books. There is a pretty good section dealing with how to share the gospel in a way that helps to transform a world view.
Good Book.
Good Book.
February 6, 2021
Good synthesis of human sciences and theology for missiology
Puts together missiology and the human sciences from a historical and theoretical frameworks perspective. First half is heavier on the theory and the second on more tangible missional implications.
Puts together missiology and the human sciences from a historical and theoretical frameworks perspective. First half is heavier on the theory and the second on more tangible missional implications.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews