The Bible on Culture: Belonging or Dissenting? (Faith and Cultures Series)

Rating:
Summary: Difficult Read
Review: This is a very difficult read. The concepts are abstract. The section on the Jewishness of Jesus is valuable to the general reader, yet the sections on the Old Testament are tough. You need to read this book with a dictionary.

Rating:
Summary: An Outstanding Resource
Review: This is a welcome addition to the "Faith and Culture" series published by Orbis and under the general editorship of Robert Schreiter. Legrand does a masterful job of systematically surveying the various subtle and complex ways the biblical authors respond to the challenge of culture. He explores the many-faceted attitudes toward culture that fall within the range of "belonging and dissent."

The book is divided into three major parts. In the first section Legrand discusses the relationship between Israel and the Nations, concluding with an engaging chapter looking at Abraham and Moses as paradigmatic figures who modeled a dual posture of belonging and dissent. In the second part Legrand explores the cultural world of Jesus, offering a particularly insightful discussion regarding the cultural milieu of Galilee. In the third part he examines "Paul and Beyond," offering a look into both the Jewish rootedness and Hellenistic influence on the thought and ministry of Paul. Legrand finds in the New Testament some of the same diversity of attitude toward culture, contrasting, in particular, the openness of Paul and Luke with the separatistic emphasis of Revelation. He concludes with a thought-provoking chapter where he draws out some of the significant missiological implications.

I am very impressed with Legrand's contribution to the ongoing dialogue on inculturation or contextualization. I am using it as a text book in a graduate course on Gospel and Culture. Some students, particularly foreigners, will struggle with the author's use of English. Many phrases sound like direct translations from the French and do not have a natural English flow. One other point of criticism is the lack of a list of references cited. Legrand offers a brief bibliography of "essential sources on inculturation" but does not list the references, apart from their first occurrence in the footnotes. This makes it cumbersome to have to go back through the footnotes to locate the first place a full reference is given.

Despite these minor irritants, the book fills an important gap in the ongoing discussion of one of the most important topics for contemporary missiology.

Rating:
Summary: An Outstanding Resource
Review: This is a welcome addition to the "Faith and Culture" series published by Orbis and under the general editorship of Robert Schreiter. Legrand does a masterful job of systematically surveying the various subtle and complex ways the biblical authors respond to the challenge of culture. He explores the many-faceted attitudes toward culture that fall within the range of "belonging and dissent."

The book is divided into three major parts. In the first section Legrand discusses the relationship between Israel and the Nations, concluding with an engaging chapter looking at Abraham and Moses as paradigmatic figures who modeled a dual posture of belonging and dissent. In the second part Legrand explores the cultural world of Jesus, offering a particularly insightful discussion regarding the cultural milieu of Galilee. In the third part he examines "Paul and Beyond," offering a look into both the Jewish rootedness and Hellenistic influence on the thought and ministry of Paul. Legrand finds in the New Testament some of the same diversity of attitude toward culture, contrasting, in particular, the openness of Paul and Luke with the separatistic emphasis of Revelation. He concludes with a thought-provoking chapter where he draws out some of the significant missiological implications.

I am very impressed with Legrand's contribution to the ongoing dialogue on inculturation or contextualization. I am using it as a text book in a graduate course on Gospel and Culture. Some students, particularly foreigners, will struggle with the author's use of English. Many phrases sound like direct translations from the French and do not have a natural English flow. One other point of criticism is the lack of a list of references cited. Legrand offers a brief bibliography of "essential sources on inculturation" but does not list the references, apart from their first occurrence in the footnotes. This makes it cumbersome to have to go back through the footnotes to locate the first place a full reference is given.

Despite these minor irritants, the book fills an important gap in the ongoing discussion of one of the most important topics for contemporary missiology.