Book: Anthropology (and More) for Missionaries

Source: Baker Academic

Crossing Cultures With the Gospel: Anthropological Wisdom for Effective Christian Witness, by Darrell L. Whiteman. Baker Academic, 2024. 288 pages.

The goal of this book is to encourage and empower cross-cultural workers from any region or background to become more effective, serve longer, and thrive in their cross-cultural ministries.

The author, a leading professor and missiologist, draws on decades of training experience to explain the concept of culture, incarnational ministry, common communication problems, culture shock, and how to learn from and engage with engage with people in other cultures despite the cultural baggage we all tend to carry.

I loved this book. Whiteman’s singing my song. He references many seminal works, old and new, and gives the reader plenty of jumping off places for learning more about topics like cross-cultural communication, participant observation, bonding, and becoming bicultural.

Ultimately, just reading a book falls short of what you can learn from practical pre-field training or on-site coaching, but this one could be a great complement to either.

Learn more or buy the book, available in hardback, paperback, and Kindle editions. Well worth the read.

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