Encountering New Religious Movements: A Holistic Approach

by Irving Hexham, Stephen Rost and John W., eds.

“At last apologetics and missiology meet,” wrote the late Ken Mulholland, former president of the Evangelical Missiological Society. This and other outstanding affirmations make this a book to consider for your library.

Kregel Publications, P.O. Box 2607, Grand Rapids, MI 49501, 2004, 322 pages, $17.99.

—Reviewed by Stanley M. Conrad, church planter (Japan), church consultant/EFCA-IM.

“At last apologetics and missiology meet,” wrote the late Ken Mulholland, former president of the Evangelical Missiological Society. This and other outstanding affirmations make this a book to consider for your library.

First, consider its contributors: thirteen people with sound qualifications, as well as international and ministry diversity.

Second, consider its content. In addition to a helpful introduction and conclusion, the book is divided into three parts.

Part one, the “Biblical & Historical Perspective,” is centered on the incarnational ministry of Jesus juxtaposed by the traditional apologetic in reaching new religious movement (NRM) followers (Neumann). This section also examines the efforts of the Celtic church and the mission to the Muslim world by such people as Assisi, Lull and Zwemer (Taylor).

Part two covers four “Methodolog-ical Issues,” including the use of “History of Religion” (Muck), recognizing new religions as global cultures and not revitalizations of old religions (Hexham and Hexham), Paul’s Areo-pagus speech in Acts 17 as a model of contextual mission and the use of traditional apologetics (Rost), and the process of communicating Christ to NRM followers with five excellent guidelines (Hesselgrave).

Part three deals with “Practical Applications,” including missions to Latter Day Saints (Mulholland), “Christadelphians” (Johnson), “New Spirituality” (Clifford), “Wiccan and Mother Goddess Devotees” (Johnson & Smulo), “New Age and Do it Yourself Seekers” (Johnson), “LaVeyan Satanism” (Smulo) and “Alternative Healers” (Pollard).

A third consideration is the book’s significance. One of its main efforts is to show that the traditional apologetic approach has failed to reach NRM followers effectively because of its confrontational method (use of the word “cult,” etc.). This failure is underscored by the evident lack of success in evangelism. It also points to the need for more research and our need to know more than just the facts. We need to understand background and culture as well.

Check these titles:
Hesselgrave, David J. 1991. Communicating Christ Cross-Culturally. 2d ed. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan.

Netland, Harold A. 1991. Dissonant Voices: Religious Pluralism and the Question of Truth. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans.

Copyright © 2004 Evangelism and Missions Information Service (EMIS). All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced or copied in any form without written permission from EMIS.

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