Cross-cultural ministry is at the heart of Cultures of Grace. Training and education in these matters is valuable and advances the Kingdom of God. Here are recommendations for reading. Most of these references will assume some degree of Christian worldview, but can nevertheless be well understood by non-Christians as well.
Please note that these are placed here due to personal positive experience with this material and some of these authors. There is no monetary interest or dependency here.
CROSS-CULTURAL MINISTRY BOOKS
Georges, Jayson. The 3D Gospel: Ministry in Guilt, Shame, and Fear Cultures. Updated and Revised. Time Press, 2016.
Stallter, Thomas M. The Gap Between God and Christianity. The Turbulence of Western Culture. Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2022.
Jank, Davey, and Marie Jank. Messenger in a Bottle. 2nd ed. Piranha Last Line, 2017.
Pilch, John J., and Bruce J. Malina, eds. Handbook of Biblical Social Values. Third edition. Matrix : The Bible in Mediterranean Context. Cascade Books, 2016.
APOLOGETIC BOOKS
Mortenson, Terry, and Thane H. Ury, eds. Coming to Grips with Genesis: Biblical Authority and the Age of the Earth. Second print. Master Books, 2009.
This is a collection of chapters from various authors defending young earth creationism. Not that all chapters are equally well done, some are even written with a rather clear sense of contempt for those thinking differenty, but some are really very well done and help to see especially the OT in a fresh light, even if one is not a proponent of young earth positioning.
Link to a Recommended Bible Translation
Recommended English Standard Version of the Bible, also available as Smartphone App. ESV.org
Why recommend ESV for in-depth study?
Though many good and perfectly fine and truthful Bible translations are available, especially the NT of the ESV is one of the most precise translations from the critical Greek texts.
- It is faithful to nuances that are difficult to translate into English, which some other translation are not as much concerned with.
- It is an excellent study Bible because it does not make excessive use of dynamic equivalents but tries to represent what was said in the original.
- It does not change the text by gender-inclusive adjustments (men and women are equal regarding salvation of course, but for study and text understanding it is of higher value to translate what the Greek says),
- Where possible in English the ESV keeps in with the Greek word order in sentences, so that what the Greek emphasizes stays emphasized in English.
- Because of its use of a more accurate original Greek text. it does not contain mistakes and additions that other English translations have due to their use of the Erasmian Greek text.
There are of course English translations that are easier to read if vocabulary is the limit, and that are better for personal devotional reading.
What if I want to go even deeper…? If You like to study even deeper, try the Net Bible.
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