Many Colors: Cultural Intelligence for a Changing Church [Paperback]

Soong-Chan Rah (Author)

Book Description

Release date: August 24, 2010

The United States is currently undergoing the most rapid demographic shift in its history. By 2050, white Americans will no longer comprise a majority of the population. Instead, they'll be the largest minority group in a country made up entirely of minorities, followed by Hispanic Americans, African Americans, and Asian Americans. Past shifts in America's demographics always reshaped the county's religious landscape. This shift will be no different. Soong-Chan Rah's book is intended to equip evangelicals for ministry and outreach in our changing nation. Borrowing from the business concept of "cultural intelligence," he explores how God's people can become more multiculturally adept. From discussions about cultural and racial histories, to reviews of case-study churches and Christian groups that are succeeding in bridging ethnic divides, Rah provides a practical and hopeful guidebook for Christians wanting to minister more effectively in diverse settings.

Without guilt trips or browbeating, the book will spur individuals, churches, and parachurch ministries toward more effectively bearing witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Good News for people of every racial and cultural background. Its message is positive; its potential impact, transformative.

Editorial Reviews

Review

INSIDE PAGES

In the past decade something new and important has emerged: Readers are now able to wade through a huge pool of books on multiethnicity/multiculturalism and the church. If you have been waiting for the handbook needed to navigate these new waters, this is it! Soong-Chan Rah's Many Colors will become the standard for Christians who want to understand and practice cross-cultural intelligence. The church desperately needed a book reflecting the depth and breadth of this defining work. Soong-Chan has delivered!

Randy Woodley,distinguished associate professor of faith and culture, George Fox University, and author of Living in Color: Embracing God's Passion for Ethnic Diversity

Many Colors is a must-read for those who are serious about being the church in practice and not just theory. Dr. Rah skillfully integrates theological, psychological, sociological, and practical information concerning cultural understanding needed for a church that is increasingly becoming multiethnic and multicultural. Finally, a book on cultural understanding for the church that is not sociology sprinkled with some Scriptures, but is solidly built first on the  foundation of Scripture which reveals God's priorities for our relationships.

Rodney Cooper, professor of discipleship and leadership development, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary

This is a must-read for anyone in cross-cultural ministry, as well as all who wish to engage the new multiethnic America.  Rah challenges us to pursue culturally intelligent leadership, while providing a convincing biblical-theological framework and practical suggestions to help us move forward in this most important journey.

Tom Lin, vice president of missions, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, and director of the Urbana student missions conference


BACK COVER

"From experiential knowledge and with anthropological precision, Soong-Chan Rah has provided a thorough explanationof cross-cultural competence, one of the core commitments required for effective multi-ethnic ministry. Many Colors will accelerate the coming integration of the local church and is therefore a much-welcomed, greatly needed resource for those of us pursuing the dream."

Dr. Mark DeYmaz, Founding pastor of Mosaic Church (AR) and author of Ethnic Blends: Mixing Diversity into Your Local Church

"Many Colors is a desperately needed resource for those of us who love Christ and are engaged as agents of change and justice in our society, where a new mestizo reality is becoming the norm and not an exception."

Noel Castellanos
CEO, Christian Community Development Association

"In recent years, many leaders have been inspired with a vision for multiethnic ministry. But while their spirits may be willing, their flesh is often weak. Many simply lack the knowledge and 'cultural intelligence' to cultivate multiethnic Christian communities, and the results are churches with a veneer of diversity without any real change. This is why Dr. Rah's book is so vital. He offers a framework for understanding culture that is rooted in Scripture, history, and the practical realities of pastoral ministry. Many Colors is a must-read for anyone sensing a call into multiethnic ministry."

Skye Jethani, author of The Divine Commodity: Discovering a Faith Beyond Consumer Christianity


EXTRAS

"Dr. Rah has the ability to stretch your faith while stretching your mind. Gratefully, this book offers no simplistic answers but in being honest about the challenges also gives us honest hope. Society questions whether real unity is possible. In Christ, the Church can show that it is; this book helps point the way with insight, dimensionality, and challenge."

Gary Walter, president of the Evangelical Covenant Church

"Using the incredible power of story, Dr. Soong-Chan Rah weaves together a tapestry that gives a clear picture of what "cultural intelligence" requires. This book takes you on a reconciliation journey that will move you from simplistic formulas to substantive solutions that produce lasting systemic and social change."

Rev. Dr. Brenda Salter McNeil, President, Salter McNeil & Associates, LLC

About the Author

Soong-Chan Rah is Milton B. Engebretson Associate Professor of Church Growth and Evangelism at North Park Theological Seminary in Chicago, IL. He is the author of The Next Evangelicalism (IVP Books, 2009). Prior to coming to North Park, Soong-Chan was the founding and senior pastor of Cambridge Community Fellowship Church, a multi-ethnic, urban church in Cambridge, MA. Soong-Chan has a B.A. from Columbia University, a M.Div. from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, a Th.M. from Harvard University, and a D.Min. from Gordon-Conwell. Soong-Chan serves on the boards of Sojourners, the Christian Community Development Association, World Vision, and the Catalyst Leadership Center. He lives in Chicago with his wife Sue, a special educator and his two children, Annah and Elijah.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Moody Publishers; New Edition edition (August 24, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802450482
• ISBN-13: 978-0802450487
• Product Dimensions: 5.4 x 0.6 x 8.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #144,153 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #42 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Other Religions, Practices & Sacred Texts > Tribal & Ethnic

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Many Colors; The perfect follow-up to The Next Evangelicalism January 26, 2011

By Rodney Thomas

Format:Paperback

I anticipated and had hope that Dr Rah would do a follow-up to his The Next Evangelicalism which I also did a review for. TNE, I would say was more of a prophetic critique of 21st centuryWestern Christianity, and there were many quotes I could use in the future that I believe ring so true, particularly Rah's analysis of the emerging church. In comparison, Many Colors: Cultural Intelligence for a Changing Church was filled less so with observation and much more so with scholar/pastoral instruction.

The text is divided into three sections, and since I do not want to give any spoilers, since I would highly recommend this book for anyone interested in doing multi-cultural & cross-cultural ministry, I will go through a few sections I found interesting.

In part 1, Rah goes over traditional Christian approaches to culture, even mentioning Niebuhr`s classic Christ & Culture (page 21). He then sets forth to argue the importance of remembering all of history, and not just the triumphant good stories that we like to hear, but also the narratives of sadness and oppression. In chapter 3, Rah articulates a theological vision of culture, where God's mission in the world is taken seriously and redeems even the "pagan" traditions of Christmas. Rah argues that one cannot appropriately appreciate culture as something that is just a human construct; we need to see both the sociological and theological merits of each culture, which in his view starts with the doctrine of the Imago Dei. This I believe is a necessary statement to differentiate Rah's approach to culture and an anthropologist's or a sociologist's. Without the notion of God gifting all of humanity to be creators of culture, equally and beautifully, we will fall into the trap of sayings like West is Best, East is least.... Racism, Orientalism, and ethnocentrism begin with an anthropomorphic & androcentric view of culture, to the exclusion of the creator. What makes MLK Jr. a culture creator is that he firmly believed in the divine image in everyone, even his enemies.

In part 2, Rah discusses what a multicultural worldview looks like, as well as what it means to examine power relations between cultural majorities and minorities. Chapter 5 gives insight into the possible paradigms that churches fall into. Churches have their own culture, and it is up to the congregation to discern what type of culture it has.

Lastly, in part 3, Rah gives some practical advice about ow to achieve a church sensitive to the biblical vision of multi-cultural cooperation and racial reconciliation. Read more ›

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Many Colors is a Must-Read for American Christians January 26, 2011

By T. C. Moore

Format:Paperback

Many Colors: Cultural Intelligence for a Changing Church is an excellent follow-up to The Next Evangelicalism: Freeing the Church from Western Cultural Captivity (TNE) and a welcomed companion. The two books make up a invaluable resource for contemporary disciples of Jesus Christ in the West. While TNE exposes the areas in which Western evangelicalism has been co-opted by Western cultural forces in contrast to biblical imperatives, Many Colors reveals God's beautiful kingdom, with its diverse cultural makeup. Many Colors answers the questions "What is culture and how should contemporary Western evangelicals engage it?" Many Colors also applies the disciple of cultural intelligence, now common among international businesses, to the church in the West--a much-needed improvement. Rah's work is vitally important to the American church and I am personally thankful for this book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars a must read for cross-cultural ministry December 12, 2012

By Books4You!

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Soong-Chan Rah writes in a language that is understandable and he shares his own personal experiences with sincerity. This is a keeper.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Many Colors Culteral Intelligence for a changing church April 26, 2012

By labcat

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Very well written and easy to read and comprehend authors
theories and instructions. I like the questions at the end of the
chapters.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Many Colors: red and yellow, black and white January 15, 2012

By David M. Gustafson

Format:Paperback

Although I grew up singing "Jesus loves the little children, red and yellow, black and white" I can't say that my context gave me much opportunity to practice this same love for the "other." Or perhaps the problem was that I didn't see the opportunities. If you suffer such "color blindness," this book by Soong-Chan Rah can help correct your vision. Framed within a kingdom-driven-, holistic gospel-, missional perspective, the author explores culture in its good and fallen aspects with a call to engage it responsibly. He provides a chapter on understanding our current North American cultural landscape in light of political, social, and ecclesial histories, answering how we got to where we are. His chapter on the spectrum of expressions within a culture is quite helpful as he examines differences such as: individual vs. group, guilt vs. shame, equality vs. hierarchy, direct vs. indirect, and task vs. relationship. Whether you aspire to plant a multi-ethnic church, or minister cross-culturally within a North American context or abroad, this book challenges you to examine aspects of power, dominant-culture privilege, and systems with new lenses. The books gives practical means too for hospitality and storytelling (under-the-radar evangelism) that easly translate from culture to culture. In contrast to McGavran's application of the homogeneous unit principle, Soong-Chan Rah advocates that despite numerous obstacles in society and human nature, God calls local churches to be a diverse community that truly represents the kingdom of God. I am glad to have required this book for my course Evangelism and Missions in an Urban Setting.

5.0 out of 5 stars great reading January 30, 2013

By rosemary slaughter

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I can't say enough about this book and it a must read and in the church we need to be opened to all races and this book answer the question on how the chruch need to change The chruch needs to read this book

2 of 16 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Disappointed February 11, 2011

By Lifetime Alaskan

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Rah seems, from my reading of this text, to see the world through the lens of skin color. I didn't find one positive comment about "white" and not one negative about "color," even though culture isn't about the pigment in the skin. I expected a more scholarly approach. As long as cultural conversations are anchored in skin color, little progress can be made. The author tells about a very difficult experience with a man named Jack. Clearly, Jack is a troubled and misguided soul. Why make the color of Jack's skin a main point in the story?