Foolishness to the Greeks: The Gospel and Western Culture (Paperback)

by Lesslie Newbigin (Author) "My purpose in these chapters is to consider what would be involved in a genuinely missionary encounter between the gospel and the culture that is..." (more)
Key Phrases: genuinely missionary encounter, plausibility structure, heretical imperative, New Testament, Jesus Christ, Old Testament (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
How can biblical authority be a reality for those shaped by the modern world? This book treats the First World as a mission field, offering a unique perspective on the relationship between the gospel and current society by presenting an outsider's view of contemporary Western culture.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company (April 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802801765
• ISBN-13: 978-0802801760
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 4.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #208,829 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Solid and creative thinking, October 24, 2005

By	Peter L. Edman (Virginia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is an excellent resource that presents a fresh approach to its topics and offers a creative and effective presentation of the role of theology in public life and discourse. I would say that its minor weakness would be an incomplete understanding of economics and an (understandable, given the time of its writing) preoccupation with the polarity between capitalism and communism. The result is that Newbigin's economic critique is a bit off-target. There are legitimate critiques of capitalism to make from his perspective but they require a better appreciation of the virtues of capitalism than he demonstrates. One hopes a latter day disciple will issue a fresh edition with a new foreword that could address this minor shortcoming in an otherwise superb small volume.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Searching honesty, August 10, 2005

By	John Pittard (New York, NY) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

In this work, Newbigin explores the relationship of Christianity to power with a searching honesty that few others have matched. While appreciative of Christendom's accomplishments, Newbigin suggests that the power granted the church in Christendom overestimates Christians' grasp of the truth and underestimates the tendency for power to corrupt the church. But the failures of Christendom do not thereby justify completely abandoning the attempt to influence the powers of secular society. Newbigin forcefully argues that Christians cannot simply set aside efforts to influence worldly powers in favor of "sectarian protest" against those powers. Society and it institutions will be guided by some vision of the good life (they cannot be neutral in this regard), and if that vision is the wrong one, much needless harm and spiritual suffering will result. In service to the world, then, Christians must offer their vision of the good life as the truth which should guide individuals and their institutions. Newbigin attempts to articulate an intermediate position (along the lines suggested by Abraham Kuyper) that falls somewhere between Christendom and sectarian protest. Serious questions may be raised about Newbigin's proposal, but his unwillingness to settle for the extremes makes this work a wonderful launching point for further reflection. Whatever model one adopts for Christian activity in the secular sphere, Newbigin suggests that for any engagement with secular culture to be successful Christians will have to first grapple with postmodern pessimism towards the concepts of truth and knowledge. Newbigin considers postmodernity's legitimate insights into the relationship between knowledge and power but moves beyond postmodern skepticism to sketch an epistemology that is appropriately humble yet also hopeful about the possibility of gaining insight into the truth.

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful book to challenge your perspective on Christianity and Culture, April 6, 2009

By	Timothy D. Balow "Tbalow" (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

There is an emerging awakening to look at how Christianity/Gospel dialogues and influences public life and culture. Lesslie Newbigin is a voice that needs to be considered in this dialogue. It's truly unfortunate that more leaders are not reading Newbigin. However, if you desire to have a deep, pastoral response to the changes that we are experiencing in a Post-Christendom society, then read Foolishness to the Greeks.