Mangoes or Bananas (Regnum Studies in Mission) [Paperback]

Hwa Yung (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 284 pages
• Publisher: Regnum International (1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1870345258
• ISBN-13: 978-1870345255
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,855,803 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Indigenous Asian Expressions of Christian Faith, June 8, 2005

By 

Orville B. Jenkins "Research Guy" (Arlington, Texas) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mangoes or Bananas (Regnum Studies in Mission) (Paperback)

An excellent critical and constructive analysis of aspects of Asian cultural worldview and society and how various historical and modern writers or movements have attempted to address these to produce an authentic indigenous expression of Christian thought.

Hwa Yung evaluates each on the basis of four criteria he develops to determine the cultural adequacy and appropriateness of a theology. He has provided an extensive bibliography of sources on Asian Christian Theology, Anthropology, Sociology and related topics on Asian Culture and Thought.

I have met several of the authors he cites. He interacts well with other analysts and theorists. The writer expresses himself easily and fluently in terms and standards of high academics, yet his language is engaging and exciting.

The author uses vivid word pictures and life examples to bring alive the concept of the differences and conflicts of worldviews between the traditional expressions of Christian faith in its Western (specifically western European) setting and the new, dynamic mission settings of Asia.

I could well affirm his analyses and recommended approaches, as he affirms the need and efforts to develop an indigenous expression of Christian thought and doctrine in terms of the contexts of the native Asian worldviews. I related strongly with his efforts from my own 25 years in East African church work, plus work in other cross-cultural settings of the world.

While I do not necessarily agree with all the approaches or conclusions Yung has drawn, he certainly has shown a thorough awareness of the actual practices and has investigated the results. From his own cultural background, he has a cultural advantage of an insider's insights to Asian culture.

Eager western mission workers can learn from him the validity of an alternative worldview and see other possibilities for an expression of Christian faith that they themselves have not experienced. If a cross-cultural worker will be a learner, communication can occur. The internal dynamics of the culture will serve as valid parameters and channels for the valid expression of Christian faith.

The guest worker in an Asian culture can savour the thrilling experience of seeing how Asian believers make the Good News their own in an Asian way. The dynamic, vital faith community that develops may look quite different from what the foreigner knows from their home culture. The result will be worth the stress the task-oriented westerner will likely suffer while holding back from making all the decisions and dominating all the forms.

Mutual discovery offers a much greater reward than a foreign control over the new faith community! Yung's insights, analysis and practical suggestions can be a great resource.