Book Critic: Duncan Bell
Introduction
There have been many moments in my life where I have questioned the church. Are they really doing their best to reach people? Is it all about the numbers to the church? Whether these questions are fair or not is a matter of preference and debate, but I then read this book. My questions were not answered in any way that I expected. I was left with a challenge and many aspects for consideration. This book is for the pastor. This book is for the everyday Christian. This book is for anyone interested in evangelism at any level.
Summary of Its Contents
George G. Hunter III, the author of this great book, looks to the ministry of Patrick in Ireland. The book comments on how a young Christian man who made fun of the church, was sold into slavery, but later single-handedly led an entire nation into the Lord’s salvation. The main question that the book addresses is how the principles used by Patrick can be used in the modern century.
The book highlights the role culture can play in the work of evangelism. Patrick used the language of the people, the values of the people, and also the symbolism of the people to communicate the love of God to this people group. The emphasis was not on changing their lifestyles, but on communicating the love of God in a way the people could understand. The book goes on to describe the nature of the community that was formed in the process of reaching out to Irish ‘barbarians’, which were people like me and you.
Lastly, the book closes with drawing applications of the methods, community, and principles in today’s day and age. The main drive comes in where the author points out the parallels of the ‘barbarian age’ and the modern age. Today we have people who don’t feel welcomed by the church, in a sense the church views them as ‘barbaric’, this book suggests a better way to make all welcome in the family of Christ.
Critical Evaluation
To understand the heart of God is to understand the importance of prayer. There is no other action given to man that is as foundational, powerful, or impressive than that of the humble, honest prayer. The book reads very much like a story for the most part, which I find to be very pleasant.
The author begins with a background of who Patrick was and where he came from. This beginning chapter highlights the importance of prayer, God’s calling, and obedience. It speaks about obedience even when other “spiritual” people seem against your calling. Dealing very much with conviction to what God has asked of you.
The next few chapters focus on methodology. Explaining how Patrick ministered to these people he was called to minister to. Hidden between the words it becomes apparent the underlying current of love that must be evident in any form of missions. The author deals with the aspects of belonging and community in this process as well, which leaves one digesting many concepts and thoughts.
The book also deals with aspects of ministry expansion and trying to reach more people at a time. This is dealt with in a fascinating manner, and challenges a person to really think about evangelism with a new set of glasses on. The author also then deals with the idea of perspective. In what way should we view evangelism compared to the way Patrick viewed evangelism.
As the author brings the book to an end, he begins to draw the parallels between the world of the middle ages and the modern era in a clear and concise manner. The author makes a very clear stand on how relevant he believes his book is to the modern way of doing evangelism. The author then also goes forward and suggests practical ways in which this story can be applied and make a real contribution to the work of evangelism.
Conclusion
The Celtic Way of Evangelism is a very engaging and pleasurable read. This is the first book I recommend to anyone thinking about evangelism or even culture in the context of Christianity. The subtitle of the book is “How Christianity Can Reach the West ... Again.” I believe this applies very much to the South African context as well, because as a country we have a very proud Christian heritage. However, many have drifted from that position. This book will really open your eyes to find new ways to extend God’s love to our fellow South Africans. A must-read for anyone who longs to make a difference within the spiritually of this country of ours.
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