Author Interview: Stephen T. Pardue on Why Evangelical Theology Needs the Global Church
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Leader’s Edge: Missions & Ministry
Why Evangelical Theology Needs the Global Church
By: Stephen T. Pardue
IVP, 2025
248 pages
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Summary
The book “seeks to articulate some of the ways that evangelical theology ought to be influenced by the changing realities of the global church” (page 7). These ways include the embrace of the roles of culture and contextualization in engaging evangelical contextual theologies. Specifically, the author argues for 5 theses: (1) Scripture’s magisterial authority and culture’s crucial ministerial role for the theological task; (2) culture as material theological good, a gift from God designed for the benefit of the church; (3) value of the Christian doctrine of the church in coordinating the once-for-all gospel and diverse expressions of the faith globally; (4) discernment of the riches of Christ through the cultivation of authentic Christian witness in every culture while seeking the unity of the Spirit; and (5) engagement with culture of the church’s Great Tradition (i.e., the body of Christian teaching that the church has generated over the centuries).
Leader’s Edge
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I have listened to the interview of Steve Pardue, but have not read the book or any of its reviews. I am particularly appreciative of Steve’s saying that contextual theology is that which “intentionally seeks to engage the resources of local cultural context” and you can’t avoid contextual theology as it is “something we do when we speak. When we speak we use language, and when we use language we use culture.” Later, 17:20 plus minutes into the interview, Pardue tells us “that the church in Metro-Manilla is also called to listen to the church in New York, or Nairobi, or Delhi”. My question for Stephen is really quite simply: how can the Manilla church listen to cultural expressions of the church in Nairobi if those expressions are in a language, as culture and language are inseparable, yet people in Manilla will know be familiar with language[s] used, say, in Nairobi? (Assuming of course that English will be understood and used differently in Nairobi than in Manilla.) Thanks.