Can We Talk?: Sharing Your Faith in a Pre-Christian World

by Robert G. Tuttle Jr.

Book Overview

Those who serve on mission fields in areas where Christian faith is not the dominant religion quickly come to understand a central truth: when one is sharing the gospel, one must have a place to start the conversation. If the person being addressed is unfamiliar with Christian concepts and terms, one must pick up on things with which he or she is familiar and relate these to the Christian message. Without this middle ground, there can be no effective...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0687084164
• ISBN13: 9780687084166
• Release Date: November 1999
• Publisher: Abingdon Press
• Length: 110 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Yes, We Can!

Dr. Tuttle, in this book, attempts to give readers guidance in developing strategies for effective sharing of the gospel with people from vastly different cultures than our own. While he appears to fail in his search for a transcultural gospel (p.11), he does succeed in his search for phenomena that are fairly transcultural. He discusses those phenomena that can be used as analogies to help explain the gospel concepts, or at least to soften the heart of the non-believer to make the person ready to hear the evangelist's message. He indicates that these analogies are necessary to begin the process of evangelism with a person who has little in common with the evangelizer or has insufficient awareness or appreciation for gospel figures and their relationships. Dr. Tuttle uses many true stories to demonstrate the effectiveness of his transcultural tools, and, in the course of doing so, gives readers an ample supply of examples from which to learn. The author's generous uses of evangelistic vignettes are advantageous to the reader. One cannot only learn about the tools he has discovered, but also identify the context in which they were used successfully. The book is easily read and understood. Most readers will enjoy reading the testimonies, situations and successes of Dr. Tuttle's experiences. He identifies several transcultural phenomena, which can be compelling in their use with people, especially from non-Western cultures. These include sports, music, a high regard for children, the desire to measure up, the need for community, the need to overcome, and the quest for understanding our origin. Throughout the book, and especially in chapter seven, he demonstrates the effective use of these transcultural phenomena in short stories of his interactions involving people from around the globe and from vastly different backgrounds. He evangelizes in airports, train stations, planes, trains, and automobiles, on various parts of every continent, saving Antarctica. The strength of this book lies in its efforts to sensitize the reader to various cultural differences and how those differences can impede the gospel message. Dr. Tuttle gives us tools to use which he has demonstrated with his life to be helpful in beginning and sustaining an evangelistic interaction.

An excellent cross-cultural evangelism primer

Tuttle's best contribution in this book is the way he identifies felt needs, regardless of a person's culture, that make him or her open to the gospel. Excellent book to teach intelligent active listening as a way to open doors for the gospel.

Talking about Christ across the table or across the world

"Can We Talk" reminds us that sharing our faith in Jesus Christ continually seeks relevance. Anyone who is familiar with Robert Tuttle will be delighted with his numerous illustrations and concepts with regard to sharing the gospel. The book will edify you personally and could also be useful as a small group study guide. To discover that the gospel is "Transcultural" is vital for our sharing of the faith in the present culture. Read Tuttle for a joyful trip around the world of sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ in relevant ways.