Missiological Implications of Epistemological Shifts: Affirming Truth in a Modern/Postmodern World (Christian Mission & Modern Culture) [Paperback]

Paul G. Hiebert (Author)

Book Description

Series: Christian Mission & Modern Culture | Publication Date: January 1, 1999

This book explores the question of epistemology, or theory of knowledge, and its impact upon how we view and do missions in today’s world. What must a new convert know or believe? How do they know? How can we translate and communicate Christian teachings interculturally without distorting the message? How should we do missions in an anti-colonial, postmodern era characterized by religious relativism and accusations of Christian imperialism? In struggling with these questions, Paul Hiebert focuses on the epistemological foundations that underlay them. He examines three specific theories of knowledge—positivism, instrumentalism/idealism, and critical realism. In the end he sides with the latter because it avoids the arrogance and colonialism implicit in positivism and the relativism of instrumentalism/idealism. Critical realism, Hiebert argues, strikes a kind of middle ground between the emphasis upon objective truth and the subjective nature of human knowledge. It allows for a real world that exists independently from human perceptions and opinions of it, restores emotions and moral judgments as essential parts of knowing, and creates the conditions for knowing persons intimately and as fully human—all of the which have important implications for Christian mission in the modern world. Paul G. Hiebert is Professor of Anthropology and Mission, chair of the Department of Mission and Evangelism, and Associate Dean of Academic Doctorates at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He is the author of seven books, including Incarnational Ministries: Church Planting in Tribal, Peasant, and Urban Societies.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

This book explores the question of epistemology, or theory of knowledge, and its impact upon how we view and do missions in today's world.

What must a new convert know or believe? How do they know? How can we translate and communicate Christian teachings interculturally without distorting the message? How should we do missions in an anti-colonial, postmodern era characterized by religious relativism and accusations of Christian imperialism?

In struggling with these questions, Paul Hiebert focuses on the epistemological foundations that underlay them. He examines three specific theories of knowledge--positivism, instrumentalism/idealism, and critical realism. In the end he sides with the latter because it avoids the arrogance and colonialism implicit in positivism and the relativism of instrumentalism/idealism.

Critical realism, Hiebert argues, strikes a kind of middle ground between the emphasis upon objective truth and the subjective nature of human knowledge. It allows for a real world that exists independently from human perceptions and opinions of it, restores emotions and moral judgments as essential parts of knowing, and creates the conditions for knowing persons intimately and as fully human--all of the which have important implications for Christian mission in the modern world.

Paul G. Hiebert is Professor of Anthropology and Mission, chair of the Department of Mission and Evangelism, and Associate Dean of Academic Doctorates at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He is the author of seven books, including Incarnational Ministries: Church Planting in Tribal, Peasant, and Urban Societies.

About the Author

Paul G. Hiebert is Professor of Anthropology and Mission, chair of the Department of Mission and Evangelism, and Associate Dean of Academic Doctorates at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He is the author of seven books, including Incarnational Ministries: Church Planting in Tribal, Peasant, and Urban Societies.

Product Details

• Paperback: 152 pages
• Publisher: Trinity Press Int'l; 1 edition (January 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1563382598
• ISBN-13: 978-1563382598
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 4.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,208,847 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A pleasant Surprise, October 29, 2003

By 

Bror Erickson "Your Brother in Christ" (Tooele Utah) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Missiological Implications of Epistemological Shifts: Affirming Truth in a Modern/Postmodern World (Christian Mission & Modern Culture) (Paperback)

I enjoyed Hiebert's willingness to examine the epistemological underpinnings of Cultural Anthropology, and in turn reflect on how this might help mission work. It is rather refreshing to see a missionary, and anthropologist examine this subject.

The book is a great introduction to the study of Epistemology.
Hiebert shows himself to be well read in the area, recognizing the strengths and weaknesses of many different epistemological approaches. His understanding and embrace of critical realism
shows his willingness to engage culture as a missionary with truth, and to ask questions as an anthropologist that many are not willing to ask today.

Hiebert has renewed my interest in anthropology.

8 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing..., September 24, 2000

By 

Peter Rohloff (Champaign, IL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Missiological Implications of Epistemological Shifts: Affirming Truth in a Modern/Postmodern World (Christian Mission & Modern Culture) (Paperback)

As a crash course in epistemology, this book functions very well for those with little familiarity with the subject.

But the book fails to ask any provocative questions or give any useful answers.

Hiebert masquerades as a 'progressive'; he presents critical realism as the great epistemological synthesis--accepting, rejecting, and finally transcending both modernism and postmodernism.

But he deals rather harshly with postmodernism. By dressing up his arguments in vocabulary of the subjective, he feels that he has adequately 'dealt with' the postmodern problem.

But he misses the point. Epistemological progress in theology and missiology will not occur until postmodernism is accepted and validated as an emerging world-view and not merely 'dealt with.'

Critical realism may in fact be a viable epistemological alternative. But Hiebert is not fundamentally a critical realist; rather, he is yet another modern too afraid of doing irreparable damage to the Absolute to engage the issues at hand with much more than half-hearted sincerity.