THE GOSPEL WITH CHINESE CHARACTERISTICS: A CONCRETE EXAMPLE OF CULTURAL CONTEXTUALIZATION

Abstract

In this article I use Chinese culture to demonstrate what it means to do “cultural contextualization.” In order to avoid abstraction, the essay assumes a specific social setting. Each of the major sections considers a different question. How does one understand Chinese culture in view of Scripture? What are the “false gospels” of Chinese society? The article shows one way to share the true gospel in a way that is both faithful to the Bible and meaningful to Chinese people. The essay suggests merely one possible example of cultural contextualization. Therefore, people from different cultures can apply the process it uses to fit their own ministry context.