In the midst of a rapidly shifting landscape of faith, the Canadian Church faces the task of communicating the unchanging message of the gospel in a changing culture. This challenge requires bringing the gospel into conversation with the questions, needs, and existential cries of our day—in a word, contextualizing our faith.
Contextualization refers to the process of communicating in ways that are clear and compelling in a given social and cultural setting.[1] Whereas our tendency in evangelism is to focus on explaining what the gospel is, contextualization requires that we also explain how and why the gospel is good news for the particular culture or people we are addressing.
A Masterclass from Paul
Paul’s ministry in Athens (Acts 17) is a masterclass in this practice. It offers a helpful framework that we can still use to contextualize the gospel today.
- Examine
Luke tells us that while Paul was in Athens, “his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols” (v.16). Later, Paul addresses a group of Athenians, saying, “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘To the unknown god’” (vv.22–23). Notice the key verbs in these verses. Paul saw, perceived, found—in other words, he was intentional about examining the world around him.
At the cultural level, contextualization begins when we give attention to the news, media, politics, art, traditions, celebrations, and customs in a given setting. At a personal level, it starts with curiosity about the person in front of us. What are they passionate about? What excites them? What burdens them? How do they spend their time, money, and other resources?
As with Paul’s ministry in Athens, this examination is ultimately aimed at uncovering the core values, beliefs, and assumptions of a given culture or person. In short, we are looking for idols—the objects of worship.
Despite recent trends in religious disaffiliation, we can be confident that Canadians are every bit as “religious” today as the Greeks Paul spoke to in the first century. Each of us anchors our security and significance in something— money, success, relationships—and we build our lives around it. Underneath this experience is a deep longing—for meaning, identity, etc. In the words of Bruce Marshall’s Father Smith: “the young man who rings the bell at the brothel is unconsciously looking for God.”[2]
Instead of seeing the idols around us as nothing more than condemning evidence for the sinfulness of our culture or our neighbour, we ought instead to recognize these as entryways for the gospel.
- Enter
Rather than examining Athens at a distance or waiting for people to come to him, Paul entered into his context by meeting people where they already were—whether in the synagogue or the marketplace (v.17)—and sought to reason with those he encountered.
Though he sought to persuade, Paul’s evangelism was marked by genuine dialogue and mutual exchange. In this respect, Paul followed the example of Jesus, who was known not only for preaching but also for the conversations he entered and, notably, the questions he asked people.
Too often the Church’s outreach has invited people to enter our world—namely, by coming to church services and programs—rather than entered theirs. While church gatherings should be a place of hospitality and welcome, faithful witness requires us to meet people where they are with a willingness to ask questions, listen, and mutually engage.
- Engage
When Paul is given the opportunity to formally present the gospel in the Areopagus (vv.19–21), he begins within their context, and moves outwards to the uniqueness of Jesus.
By erecting an altar “To the unknown God,” the Greeks betray their concern that, despite worshipping a pantheon of gods, they might be missing something. It’s here that Paul anchors his presentation of the gospel: “What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you” (v.23b). With this approach, Paul affirms the existential cries behind idol worship in Athens—namely, the desire to avoid judgment and find security and significance through knowledge of the divine—while tapping into the Athenians’ admission of ignorance.
As his message unfolds, Paul affirms and challenges the beliefs of Greek culture by connecting and contrasting them with the biblical story. In one instance, he contrasts the false gods of Athens with the true Creator God who “being Lord of heaven and of earth, does not live in temples made by human hands” (v.24). In another, he contends for God’s nearness and humanity’s identity as his offspring by quoting well-known Greek poets to support his point (vv.27–28).
Evangelism, as Paul models it, isn’t always about proving people wrong. Instead, we can affirm aspects of truth that appear in a culture’s or person’s beliefs, while helping people recognize inconsistencies and find the fulfillment of their intuitions in the biblical story.
- Explain
After describing how the true God created people to seek him (vv.26–27a) and is close to us (v.24) despite not being confined to temples and idols made by human hands (v.27b, 29), Paul turns his attention to Jesus.
“The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead” (vv.30–31).
Here, Paul is explaining how and why the gospel is good news for his listeners. In light of what he has already described, we might summarize his message as: “The unknown God wants to be known, he created you to know him, he wants you to seek and honour him, and he has revealed himself to you in Jesus, who rose from the dead.”
In other words, the gospel fulfills the Athenians’ deepest longings. Their desires for transcendence and to avoid divine judgment are realized through the resurrection of Jesus Christ who reveals the Creator God and makes it possible for all people to know Him. Instead of groping for the divine amid the uncertainty of idol worship, the Athenians can turn to worship their Creator and be assured in their knowledge of him.
- Entrust
Contextualization ends not with persuasion, but with entrusting the results to God. I am so grateful that Luke records a variety of responses to Paul’s message: some mocked, others were curious, and some believed (vv.32–34).
As we seek to bear faithful witness to Jesus in our own context, we will encounter rejection. Yet when the gospel is made clear and compelling, some will want to hear more—and ultimately give their allegiance to Jesus. Despite the challenges of communicating eternal truth to a changing culture, by leaning into this practice, we will come to see more of the gospel’s goodness, beauty, and relevance to all of life.
For Reflection
- As you look at the culture around you, what values/themes/idols do you observe?
- Do you see different themes in various subcultures you are in contact with? For example, what values do you see for specific age groups (e.g., Boomer, Gen X, Millennial, Gen Z, Gen Alpha)?
- How could you start with one of these values or themes and explain the Good News of Jesus?
[1] See Elliot Clark’s helpful article “Faithful Contextualization in Missions” https://rtim.org/faithful-contextualization-in-missions/
[2] Marshall, Bruce. The World, The Flesh, and Fr. Smith, 108.
