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Nov 24, 2024
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Article Critique
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2
The Rise
Summary
The most significant argument that Sam Chan is attempting to make in "Getting Our
Accent Right" is that the gospel is both universal and normative. In order for the gospel to be
acceptable to everyone at all times and in all places, it must eventually become encultured. Sam
Chan contends that the gospel is both generally applicable and structural but that for it to be
accessible to all people, it needs to be enculturated. It is important to note, as he does in support
of this stance, that Jesus himself was enculturated due to his incarnation and that both the
evangelist and the people he or she is attempting to reach are part of a particular culture.
Therefore, cultural hermeneutics are essential if one is to comprehend and successfully preach
the gospel in a manner understandable by a specific culture.
Chan also discusses the possible risks associated with cultural adaptation, which include
syncretism and legalism. According to his point of view, in order for a gospel minister to
maintain a faithful witness, he must continually shift between over-adapting to culture and
under-adapting to culture.
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He suggests that increasing one's understanding of one's cultural
perspective can assist the reader in becoming a better cultural exegete and "getting their accent
right" when it comes to presenting the gospel to people of different cultures.
Chan identifies two potential risks associated with cultural adaptation. The first of these
risks is syncretism, and it arises when there is an overwhelming adaptation of the gospel to
different cultures, which might lead to a more secular outlook. The second issue is the inadequate
contextualization of the gospel to the culture, which leads to the development of legalism. Chan
1 Chan, Sam. “Getting Our Accent Right: Recognizing and Making the Most of an Enculturated Gospel.” Christianity
Today 62, no. 5 (June 2018): 50-56.
3
makes use of Timothy Keller as a source of authority to support his claim that there is no one
flawless method for addressing these issues.
2
. Rather, to effectively sustain a genuine gospel
witness to the world, the gospel minister must continually balance between over-adapting to
culture and under-adapting to culture.
Critique
In this article, Chan strikes a great balance between discussing general ideas and
providing specific instances to show how one's culture might impact their understanding of the
gospel and how Christians should live their lives. He confronts the cultural assumptions of his
audience by utilizing the story of the Samaritan woman as an analogy. This compels his audience
to review their preexisting theological systems and consider how their cultural convictions might
influence how they perceive the biblical text. It is an effective way for establishing his main
claim, which is that culture a priori impacts how people interpret the Bible, the gospel, and the
witness of the gospel. This claim may be proven by using scripture to question cultural
assumptions.
Chan's primary focus on self-awareness of one's cultural perspective as a crucial aspect in
becoming a better cultural exegete and "getting the accent right" when communicating the gospel
across cultures is another strength of Chan's writing. He encourages readers to become more self-
aware of their cultural prejudices and assumptions and how such factors impact how they
perceive and interpret the gospel.
Modifying how Chan utilized a straw man argument is a simple adjustment that
significantly enhances the article's credibility. In the article, Chan narrates the account of an
2 Chan, Sam. “Getting Our Accent Right (June 2018)
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4
Anglican bishop who, at least in the bishop's opinion, considered cultural contextualization to be
unnecessary. The bishop told one of Chan's friends that cultural contextual relevance was
useless.
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It's possible that the use of a straw man argument, in this example with the Anglican
bishop, was redundant and could have been presented better. It would have been possible to
express the bishop's perspective without assigning a name or bringing attention to the differences
between denominations. If this had been done, the key point that culture has an intrinsic impact
on how people comprehend and express the gospel would have been stressed, and an
unnecessary divide would not have been created.
In addition, it is essential to acknowledge that various denominational traditions hold
varying cultural values and perspectives on the contextualization of the gospel, as well as
varying degrees of openness regarding the degree to which they are willing to modify their
liturgy in accordance with local cultural standards. These cultural norms are developed and
inspired by a theological tradition. It would be beneficial to be more generous to friends with
other religious affiliations and ideologies because difference does not always equal wrong.
Chan's writing is well-argued, well-supported, and thought-provoking; as a result, it is an
important and valuable resource for theologians, missiologists, and anyone else seeking to
comprehend the connection between culture and the gospel.
Chan presents a compelling
argument favoring embracing a cultural relativist perspective to help effectively enculturate the
gospel. A strong case supports this argument for adopting a cultural relativist lens.
Chan's article advanced an understanding of cultural anthropology that is essentially
Christian and focuses on cultural adaptation for the benefit of Christian outreach. It is important
not only for missionaries who are preparing to go overseas but also for church leaders in the
3 Chan,
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United States who are attempting to bridge the cultural divide between the greater non-Christian
culture in North America and the Christian church. Because of the rising secularization of
Western society, it is certain that the activity of the local church will become increasingly
intercultural in the coming years. Because of this, Chan's contributions are made to be even more
timely and pertinent.
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Reference
Chan, Sam. “Getting Our Accent Right: Recognizing and Making the Most of an Enculturated
Gospel.” Christianity Today 62, no. 5 (June 2018): 50-56.
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