Evangelism and the culture in and around you

Over the years I have worked with several groups of young people, who were about to step out in evangelism in the Netherlands (and other countries), mainly to be in contact with other youth. One of the areas we workedRead more…

Speak their Language; Expect Results

There are over 6,900 known living languages.  This is something of a socio-political evaluation, but in any case there are many different languages that Christians would need to know in order to spread the gospel.  I would like to addRead more…

A Great Misconception-Music the Universal Language – Part 2 of 3

[continued from Part 1] We Went, We Sang, We Conquered… During the 19th and 20th centuries, as Western and European Christians went out around the world, they were influenced by the prevalent philosophies of their home cultures, such as culturalRead more…

You Say Up, I Say Yesterday

This link is to an interesting article on research about the connection between language and thought/worldview.  The findings certainly have implications for translation, interpretation and cross-cultural communication.

Ducking Missionary Conflict – in Africa and beyond

This article first appeared in the July 2009 issue of Evangelical Missions Quarterly (EMQ). Inter-personal conflicts frequently trouble missionary endeavours. Solutions advocated often emphasise the importance of missionary relationships. Without discrediting those ‘solutions’, I want to ask whether Western missionRead more…

A Great Misconception-Music the Universal Language

“Ethno-what?” People always say that when they hear what I do. I sigh, knowing the familiar script that will unfold, like one I recently had: “I’m an ethnodoxologist.” Eyebrows raised, the quizzical look ensues. “What in the world is that?”Read more…