Marsha Lynn
20th September 2008, 11:18 AM (11:18)
My daughter ran across this book at the conference of the Wesleyan Theological Society a few years ago. She recommended it to me and I have found it a valuable resource.
Kallenberg has a long history with evangelism and has watched responsiveness to traditional evangelism techniques drop over the years. He repaints the conversion process and, thus, the evangelism process in this book.
Conversion, in Kallenberg's view consists of three primary changes:
1. The change of one's social identity;
2. The acquisition of a new conceptual language;
3. The shifting of one's paradigm.
Here's my take on how this looks, as described by Kallenberg.
First, the convert-in-process starts to re-identify him- or herself as being part of a different social group -- the followers of Jesus Christ. Second, the convert-in-process starts to pick up the language patterns and vocabulary of this new group. Thirdly, the allegiance of the convert makes a decided shift from former attachments to the community of believers.
This pattern of a gradual, but definite change in one's identity fits with how the first followers of Jesus Christ were "converted." It is Scot McKnight (in his book The Jesus Creed: Loving God, Loving Others) who addresses the question of when Peter was converted. Was it when he first met Jesus in John 1:35-42? Was it when he confessed he was a sinner in Luke 5? Was it when he confessed Jesus as Christ in Mark 8? Is it after the death and resurrection of Jesus? Or is it on the day of Pentecost? At what point was he "born again"? As we look at Peter's life, we can see that he gradually adopted the values of Jesus Christ as he walked with him. He was definitely "converted," but we can't really pinpoint the precise instant that is happened.
When set into this pattern, conversion fits much better with postmodernity than more traditional evangelism patterns. Rather than signing up one day for the message of the gospel as absolute truth, the convert experiences a gradual change in personal alliance and belief. Rather than walking alone with Jesus "on the Jericho road," the convert joins the community of believers. The new believer gradually takes on the language, values, and agenda of that community, which (hopefully) reflect the teachings of Jesus Christ.
I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in doing evangelism in our current societal setting.
Marsha
Kallenberg has a long history with evangelism and has watched responsiveness to traditional evangelism techniques drop over the years. He repaints the conversion process and, thus, the evangelism process in this book.
Conversion, in Kallenberg's view consists of three primary changes:
1. The change of one's social identity;
2. The acquisition of a new conceptual language;
3. The shifting of one's paradigm.
Here's my take on how this looks, as described by Kallenberg.
First, the convert-in-process starts to re-identify him- or herself as being part of a different social group -- the followers of Jesus Christ. Second, the convert-in-process starts to pick up the language patterns and vocabulary of this new group. Thirdly, the allegiance of the convert makes a decided shift from former attachments to the community of believers.
This pattern of a gradual, but definite change in one's identity fits with how the first followers of Jesus Christ were "converted." It is Scot McKnight (in his book The Jesus Creed: Loving God, Loving Others) who addresses the question of when Peter was converted. Was it when he first met Jesus in John 1:35-42? Was it when he confessed he was a sinner in Luke 5? Was it when he confessed Jesus as Christ in Mark 8? Is it after the death and resurrection of Jesus? Or is it on the day of Pentecost? At what point was he "born again"? As we look at Peter's life, we can see that he gradually adopted the values of Jesus Christ as he walked with him. He was definitely "converted," but we can't really pinpoint the precise instant that is happened.
When set into this pattern, conversion fits much better with postmodernity than more traditional evangelism patterns. Rather than signing up one day for the message of the gospel as absolute truth, the convert experiences a gradual change in personal alliance and belief. Rather than walking alone with Jesus "on the Jericho road," the convert joins the community of believers. The new believer gradually takes on the language, values, and agenda of that community, which (hopefully) reflect the teachings of Jesus Christ.
I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in doing evangelism in our current societal setting.
Marsha