Incarnational Ministry: Planting Churches in Band, Tribal, Peasant, and Urban Societies

by Paul G. Hiebert, Eloise Hiebert Meneses, Eloise H. Meneses

Book Overview

A study of four types of societies with characteristics that affect receptivity to evangelism and church planting. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0801020093
• ISBN13: 9780801020094
• Release Date: October 1995
• Publisher: Baker Academic
• Length: 406 Pages
• Weight: 1.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.2" x 8.9"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

A great resource for missions

In Incarnational Ministry, Heibert and Menses "use both theological and scientific insights to examine how we can best plant living churches in different types of societies" (pg. 14). They integrate theology and the social sciences in an effort to provide understanding of human societies and cultures so as to help motivate and guide church planting efforts in various societies. They argue that "response to human cultures must be an ongoing process of critical contextualization...thereby critically examining different areas of culture in the light of God's Word to test what can be kept and what needs to be changed" (pg.19). The book examines four different types of societies and cultures and how their needs and differences affect Christian ministry and church planting efforts. Heibert and Menses assert, "The hindrance to the growth and spiritual maturation of churches is often not the offense of the gospel, but our ignorance of the ways cultures and societies operate" (pg.19). Hence, it is imperative Christian missionaries be aware of structure of various human cultures and societies in order to be culturally sensitive and more effective in their cross-cultural ministry endeavors.