Originally Published on Missional Outreach Network
March 12, 2010
"For though I am free with respect to all, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though I myself am not under the law) so that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law) so that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, so that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that I might by all means save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings." - 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 NRSV

In times past, when I was more active on Internet religion forums and discussion groups, I would occasionally see an exchange between an atheist and one or more Christians.  Generally the Christian(s) would attempt to show the reasonableness of their faith, pointing to what's been called the "general revelation" of creation.  Others, though, would simply start quoting passage after passage of the Bible.  This was useless, given that the atheist did not accept the authority of the Bible.  When confronted with this evangelistic approach atheists tend to say something like "you may as well quote from the magic book of unicorns."  Without the Bible as an authoritative starting point, wannabe personal evangelists need to look for other common ground to begin.  The same is true when approaching any non-Christian religion, whether Buddhist, Wiccan, Muslim or other.

That brings me to an article I read in the New York Times about a controversy in the Southern Baptist Convention involving the president of Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary and the president of the denominations International Mission Board.  The former reportedly called the latter a liar.  Although an apology later came for the terminology used, the point was left standing.  The objection centered on using the "CAMEL method" to evangelize Muslims.  "CAMEL" stands for "Chosen Angels Miracles Eternal Life" and the approach seeks to utilize what the Koran, the sacred book of Islam, says about Jesus to start Muslims along the path toward conversion to the Christian faith.

So far, this sounds pretty good.  I mean, if people don't accept the Bible as authoritative but another book in its place, and if that book can be used to bring people around to accepting both the authority of the Bible and the Lordship of Christ, that's good!

Some ways of implementing this "contextualization" may cross some lines.  A few years ago a Christian man suggested to me that the best way to evangelize in Muslim nations was to dress like (local) Muslims,  eat like Muslims, pray five times a day like Muslims and gather on Friday evenings like Muslims.  Essentially, he was saying to abandon the Lord's day and in all outward practice be a Muslim, with only the exception of reading the Bible and believing in the triune God revealed in and through Jesus of Nazareth.

What I just described above does not sound like contextualization to me.  It's more along the lines of concession and compromise and looks like a near-complete removal of the "offense" of the Gospel.

If by "CAMEL" the intent is to use shared beliefs as a starting point, I'm all for it.  If, on the other hand, it's an almost complete adoption of the practices of other religions to shroud hidden, Christian beliefs, then it becomes deceitful.  This was the criticism of the seminary president against the strategy endorsed by the mission board president of the Southern Baptists.  Who is right and who is wrong depends entirely upon how evangelistic method is being carried out.

See:
A Christian Overture to Muslims Has Its Critics (NYTimes.com)
 


Comments

Frank

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 10:15:27

Adam, something I really appreciate about your blog and this post in particular: you are thinking theologically not merely in an academic setting, but in the worlds of mission and church work in places like Brazil and the urban Northeast. As I see it, that's where the real action is, so to speak.

J. Gresham Machen, I can't remember where, once wrote along the same lines you are. He said that, yes, conservative Protestantism could (back then) attract a lot of people in the U.S. from the lower socio-economic levels. But, he said, if we speak and reach out to only them and not those with, say, academic credentials, it's the same thing as saying we really don't care about a certain group of people. What I hear you saying is something similar. But you are thinking systemically as well as practically. Keep at it. Continue to write up your experiences and observations. They will help others to be more faithful and effective.

Best wishes, my friend, in all of your good work for our Lord.

 

Frank

Fri, 02 Apr 2010 13:45:29

Oops. Meant this comment to go with the post about preparing ladders.

 

Adam Gonnerman

Fri, 02 Apr 2010 14:50:13

No problem. The comment link is at the top of posts, rather than at the bottom as on most blogs. Not many options with Weebly.

 



Leave a Reply