Introduction

The instructor’s manual is designed to be a useful tool to accompany Sam Chan’s “Evangelism in a Skeptical World.” It can be integrated into the class context and customized to your particular needs.

As seen in the Table of Contents, this manual offers:

1. Websites related to evangelism 2. Chapter summaries (including key terms, key points, lesson plan ideas, suggested

essay questions, and reflection questions)3. Student learning objectives by chapter4. Chapter quizzes and answers including 10 true/false and 10 multiple choice questions5. Mid-term and final exams6. Sample syllabus

Additional resources include:1. PowerPoints corresponding to each chapter of the book 2. Online flash cards for students 3. Online student self quizzes4. Mid-term and final exam study guides

Chan’s book offers great wisdom for equipping us to be evangelists in whatever culture we find ourselves in. Together with this manual, I hope it has a gospel impact in your life and the lives of your students.

Heather PierisSydney Missionary and Bible College 2011/2012

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Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................................2

SUGGESTED WEBSITES...................................................................................................................4

CHAPTER SUMMARIES....................................................................................................................5CHAPTER 1 - A THEOLOGY OF EVANGELISM......................................................................................5CHAPTER 2 - EVERYDAY EVANGELISM...............................................................................................8CHAPTER 3 - HOW TO CRAFT A GOSPEL PRESENTATION..................................................................11CHAPTER 4 - EVANGELISM TO POSTMODERNS..................................................................................14CHAPTER 5 - CONTEXTUALIZATION FOR EVANGELISM.....................................................................17CHAPTER 6 - GOSPEL-CULTURAL HERMENEUTICS............................................................................20CHAPTER 7 - STORYTELLING THE GOSPEL........................................................................................23CHAPTER 8 - HOW TO GIVE EVANGELISTIC TOPICAL TALKS...........................................................25CHAPTER 9 - HOW TO GIVE EVANGELISTIC EXPOSITORY TALKS.....................................................27CHAPTER 10 - RELIGIOUS EPISTEMOLOGY, APOLOGETICS, AND DEFEATER BELIEFS.......................30

STUDENT LEARNING OBJECTIVES............................................................................................33CHAPTER 1 - A THEOLOGY OF EVANGELISM....................................................................................33CHAPTER 2 - EVERYDAY EVANGELISM.............................................................................................33CHAPTER 3 - HOW TO CRAFT A GOSPEL PRESENTATION..................................................................33CHAPTER 4 - EVANGELISM TO POSTMODERNS..................................................................................33CHAPTER 5 - CONTEXTUALIZATION FOR EVANGELISM.....................................................................33CHAPTER 6 - GOSPEL-CULTURAL HERMENEUTICS............................................................................33CHAPTER 7 - STORYTELLING THE GOSPEL........................................................................................34CHAPTER 8 - HOW TO GIVE EVANGELISTIC TOPICAL TALKS...........................................................34CHAPTER 9 - HOW TO GIVE EVANGELISTIC EXPOSITORY TALKS.....................................................34CHAPTER 10 - RELIGIOUS EPISTEMOLOGY, APOLOGETICS, AND DEFEATER BELIEFS.......................34

CHAPTER QUIZZES.........................................................................................................................35CHAPTER 1 - A THEOLOGY OF EVANGELISM....................................................................................35CHAPTER 2 - EVERYDAY EVANGELISM.............................................................................................37CHAPTER 3 - HOW TO CRAFT A GOSPEL PRESENTATION..................................................................39CHAPTER 4 - EVANGELISM TO POSTMODERNS..................................................................................41CHAPTER 5 - CONTEXTUALIZATION FOR EVANGELISM.....................................................................43CHAPTER 6 - GOSPEL-CULTURAL HERMENEUTICS............................................................................45CHAPTER 7 - STORYTELLING THE GOSPEL........................................................................................47CHAPTER 8 - HOW TO GIVE EVANGELISTIC TOPICAL TALKS...........................................................49CHAPTER 9 - HOW TO GIVE EVANGELISTIC EXPOSITORY TALKS.....................................................51CHAPTER 10 - RELIGIOUS EPISTEMOLOGY, APOLOGETICS, AND DEFEATER BELIEFS.......................53

SAMPLE SYLLABUS.........................................................................................................................55

MIDTERM AND FINAL EXAMS.....................................................................................................58

Suggested Websites

Evangelism tools http://evangelismexplosion.org Bridge to Life gospel https://www.navigators.org/resource/the-bridge-to-life / Four Spiritual Laws http://crustore.org/fourlawseng.htm Two Ways to Live www.twowaystolive.com Espresso Theology offers examples of performing cultural hermeneutics on a variety of

cultural texts. www.espressotheology.com storyingthescriptures.com orality.net

Articles http://www.matthiasmedia.com/ebriefing-343 see Broughton Knox, “What is the

Gospel?” Timothy Keller’s sermon titled “Changed Lives,”

http://www.sermoncloud.com/redeemer-presbyterian/changed-lives . Claire Smith, “Broken Bad,” http://gotherefor.com/offer.php?intid=29295. David Brooks, “The Shame Culture,” in The New York Times.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/15/opinion/the-shame-culture.html. Andy Crouch, “The Return of Shame,” in Christianity Today.

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2015/march/andy-crouch-gospel-in-age-of-public-shame.html.

Warrick Farah and Kyle Meeker, “The W-Spectrum: Worker Paradigms in Muslim Contexts,” Evangelical Missions Quarterly (Vol. 51, No. 4, October 2015): 366-75. https://www.emqonline.com/node/3387.

Talks Tim Keller’s talk “Dwelling in the Gospel”  https://vimeo.com/8977644 .

Chapter Summaries

Chapter 1 - A Theology of Evangelism

Key Termsevangelismgospelelectionatonementexternal callinternal callillumination instrument locutionillocution

perlocutionregeneration metanoiaepistrophēfaithpropositional knowingassent (assensus)personal trust (fiduaia)conversiondiscipleship

cognitive thinkersintuitive thinkersconcrete-relational

thinkersGod’s sovereigntyhuman responsibilitycasual-linkdialogical-link

Key Points Evangelism is where humans communicate the good news of Jesus to unbelievers,

trusting God can effect internal changes. The gospel can be explained in different ways, but is always centered around the

Good news of Jesus. There are many distinct roles in evangelism, but this book focuses on the believers’

part and how to do it well. Becoming a Christian can be understood from two perspectives: God’s story of

regeneration and the human story of conversion. The Bible contains many conversion models: the rebel, the zealot, and the believer-

since-infancy. The Bible contains many evangelism models: the cognitive thinker, the intuitive

thinker, and the concrete-relational thinker.

Chapter SummaryEvangelism broadly refers to people communicating the gospel. This book narrows in

on the aspect of Christians communicating the gospel to non-believers in the hope that they may believe in Jesus. The gospel refers to the significant story focused around Jesus. Evangelism is primarily determined by its message, not its method, medium, occasion, or audience.

The New Testament refers to the gospel as God’s good news (Romans 1:1), but also Paul’s good news (Romans 16:25). Hence this gospel is God’s and also ours, told to us in a variety of ways and belonging to us within our culture. The gospel can be described by systematic theologians in terms of creation, sin, salvation, and conversion. Storytellers may communicate the gospel as one big story. So, there are many ways of explaining the gospel according to who is listening.

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First Thessalonians 1:4-10 gives an example of the various roles in evangelism. It is important to note the differences God, Jesus, the evangelist, the hearers, and the Holy Spirit play. As evangelists, we are to focus on communicating the gospel well and not trying to fulfill other roles ourselves. The human responsibility is to communicate the gospel as best we can, whilst relying on God who chooses his elect. We are to offer the external call to non-believers, which is open to all, but resistible. The internal call is private and the work of the Holy Spirit. God, in his sovereignty, chooses to use human evangelism as the natural and instrumental means of bringing people to faith in Jesus.

Conversion of a non-believer has two perspectives, God’s and ours. God causes regeneration, but hearing the gospel from another person is the instrumental means. God communicates with us using words, which is known as a dialogical-link. Conversion from a human perspective involves repentance (metanoia and epistrophē) and faith. Metanoia refers to the positive change in heart, character, and disposition. Epistrophē refers to the turning away from the negative and turning toward the positive. Biblical faith is more than just propositional knowing and assent; it must be paired with personal trust for a saving faith. This faith requires high-risk action. Conversion is the start of the faith journey while discipleship is the continuation of the faith journey each day afterwards.

There are three models of conversion: the rebel, the zealot, and the believer-since-infancy. Timothy Keller refers to Acts 16 for three models of evangelism; the cognitive thinker, the intuitive thinker, and the concrete-relationship thinker. These models help us to remember there is not one method of evangelism. Our chosen method will differ according to the audience.

Evangelism can be done in many ways and God will use these natural means for his supernatural regenerating purposes.

Pedagogical Suggestions/Lesson Plan Ideas In small groups, ask students to briefly share their conversion story. Ask them to reflect

on which model best describes them: the rebel, the zealot, or the believer-since-infancy? They could further discuss any other categories of conversion.

Ask students to discuss what model/s of evangelism appealed to them: a reasoned discussion, a power encounter, or the example of a believer? Ask them to reflect on their most commonly used method of evangelism.

Ask students to compare and contrast different gospel explanations like Evangelism Explosion, The Four Spiritual Laws, Bridge to Life, and Two Ways to Live. Discuss what kind of person each one appeals to.

Ask students to read 1 Thessalonians 1:4-10 and discuss the different roles involved in the conversion process.

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Other Media Sources/Websites http://www.matthiasmedia.com/ebriefing-343 see Broughton Knox, “What is the

Gospel?” http://evangelismexplosion.org . Bridge to Life gospel https://www.navigators.org/resource/the-bridge-to-life / . Four Spiritual Laws http://crustore.org/fourlawseng.htm . Two Ways to Live www.twowaystolive.com . Timothy Keller’s sermon titled “Changed Lives.”

http://www.sermoncloud.com/redeemer-presbyterian/changed-lives .

Suggested Essay Questions What is evangelism? Explain how there are at least three models of evangelism in the New

Testament and discuss their effectiveness today.

How has evangelism been misunderstood in the past? Include short personal examples to justify your answer.

What is the gospel? Explain why explanations may differ according to your perspective. Give reference to NT writers, theologians, and story-tellers.

With reference to 1 Thessalonians 1:4-10, discuss the different roles in evangelism. Justify the importance of Christians focusing on proclaiming the gospel well.

How does someone become a Christian? Compare and contrast God’s eternal perspective with our human perspective.

Open-Ended Reflection Questions1. What is the gospel in its most simplistic outline?2. In your experience, when has evangelism been unhelpfully linked to a certain

method? 3. What methods of evangelism do you tend most towards?4. What methods of evangelism do you neglect? Why?5. What comfort do you find as you think about different roles in evangelism? (1 Thess

1:4-10)6. When thinking of evangelism in relation to human responsibility and God’s

sovereignty, do you tend toward guilt or laziness?7. How did you become a Christian?8. What model of conversion have you experienced?9. What models of evangelism have you disagreed with but then seen effective?10. What models of evangelism have you attempted but then felt didn’t work well?

Chapter 2 - Everyday Evangelism

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Key Termsplausibility structuresbelievability statusunbelievablebelievable

ontologyepistemologyKantian noumenal-

phenomenal divide

noumenal realmphenomenal realmsacred-secular dividede-facto closed country

Key Points Telling your friends about Jesus will probably involve some lifestyle changes. Everyone has plausibility structures that influence whether we accept truth claims.

These primarily come from community, but also from experience and facts/evidence. Here are six useful strategies for evangelism:

1. Get our friends to become their friends.2. Go to them before they come to you.3. coffee, dinner, gospel4. Listen to their story.5. Tell our story as a story.6. Tell a story about Jesus.

Chapter SummaryThis Chapter seeks to be a practical guide to evangelism. It offers ideas to help with the

often-intimidating task of actually talking about Jesus. These observations are not mandatory or exhaustive but they are strategies that have helped in the past.

Strategy 1: Get our friends to become their friendsOur plausibility structures determine what we see as believable or not. These structures

are made up of community, experience, and facts, evidence, and data. Community, however, is the strongest, since it impacts how we interpret our experiences or facts, evidence, and data. Hence the gospel will be more believable to people who interact with trusted Christians in their life. The more trusted Christian relationships someone has, the more believable the gospel becomes.

Sadly, Christians can often gravitate to Christian friends leaving a separation between their Christian and non-Christian friends. This first strategy is therefore a lifestyle change that may take years as we seek to merge our social worlds.

Strategy 2: Go to them before they come to youAgain, evangelism is a lifestyle change in which we seek to spend more time with our

non-Christian friends. As we repeatedly say ‘yes’ to their life activities it will be natural for them to say ‘yes’ to our invitation to church or Christian event.

Strategy 3: Coffee, dinner, gospelThis strategy involves increasing the depth of conversation with your friends. Over

coffee, conversation is usually limited to the phenomenal realm of indisputable facts. Once we are comfortable in this zone we can go deeper over dinner. Over dinner and as a closer relationship forms conversations enter into the Noumenal realm of ethics and values, allowing for more gospel-focused discussions. The topics discussed in this realm are more likely to cause argument as opinions differ.

The Western world has a strong sense of this sacred-secular divide. Western nations can be referred to as “de-facto closed countries”, meaning it is socially unacceptable to talk about our religion in public. Slowly as we engage with our un-believing friends we can move from

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interests to values to worldviews. In these discussions we need to listen well and be alert so as to not miss opportunities.

Strategy 4: Listen to their storyInstead of feeling the need to project our beliefs, we can listen to theirs. Taking a

genuine interest in the views of others allows for deeper understanding and empathy with their faith perspective. After having listened to their story, the polite response would be for them to listen to your story. However, be patient in waiting for such opportunities to arise over time.

Strategy 5: Tell our story as a storyShare your faith in terms of personal events that have shaped your beliefs today, rather

than only expressing formal doctrinal statements. Use a simple model of a story: Introduction, Body, Conclusion. The introduction expresses our core beliefs, what fulfills us, and drives us. The body shows our struggle to find that fulfillment and the conclusion/climax is when we show how Jesus is the ultimate solution to our initial longings. By telling our story, we are sharing the gospel in a way that is personal, practical, and relatable.

Strategy 6: Tell a story about JesusThis is best achieved without reading the text but by paraphrasing a meaningful story

from the Gospels that resonates with your testimony. Asking the listener what they think about the story or what they like/dislike about the story is helpful for generating discussion and curiosity.

Pedagogical Suggestions/Lesson Plan Ideas Spend time reflecting on your personal mission in life, what drives you, and how this has

led you to Jesus. Ask students to share their personal testimony using a story format: Introduction,

Definition of mission, Body, Bridge, Conclusion/Climax, and Denouncement structure. After listening to each other’s testimonies, discuss which biblical stories from the

Gospels might relate to their story. Brainstorm helpful and non-threatening questions that will encourage others to share

their beliefs with you. Brainstorm factors that stop us from evangelising and suggest counter-strategies for each

one. Ask students to calculate the number of hours they have spent with non-Christians over

the past week. Consider ways to increase this.

Suggested Essay Questions Discuss three evangelism strategies that may be effective today. Write a personal testimony to be shared as a means of evangelism to a non-Christian.

Communicate the gospel message; use concrete, real-life examples from your life; and make your message coherent and interesting. Include a paraphrased biblical story about Jesus to complement your testimony.

With reference to Sam Chan’s strategies, discuss the role of churches in evangelism. Explain how evangelism is a lifestyle change.

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Open-Ended Reflection Questions

1. Do you have a personal strategy of evangelism?2. Are your friendship groups mixed with Christian/non-Christian people?3. How is evangelism incorporated into your lifestyle?4. What lifestyle change could you make in the next six months to better incorporate

evangelism?5. How does your church encourage evangelism? Is it effective?6. How can you improve your listening skills to better understand the story of those

around you?7. How do you normally share your testimony?8. How can you share your testimony more like a story?9. What Bible stories about Jesus link to your testimony?10. Practice sharing your testimony story as part of a conversation.

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Chapter 3 - How to Craft a Gospel Presentation

Key Termsaudiencecontextualizefalling shortgospel metaphorhorizontal sin

iniquityinternal sinprivation of goodpunishment

separationsintransgressionvertical sin

Key Points The New Testament reveals a variety of methods for explaining the gospel to different

audiences. There are many gospel metaphors that articulate the gospel message clearly and

capture different audiences. A gospel presentation is a summary of who Jesus is, what blessings are promised to

us, and what our response must be. Sin has three main metaphors: transgression, falling short, and iniquity. Judgment has three main components: privation of good, separation, and punishment. There are three main biblical concepts of sin that different cultures gravitate towards:

breaking the law, defilement, or breaking relationships. There are many different biblical metaphors for sin: shame and dishonor, defilement,

brokenness, self-righteousness, idolatry, and falling short.

Chapter SummaryThis chapter explores the need to examine multiple gospel metaphors to express the

gospel effectively according to your audience. As exemplified in the Gospels and Acts, the message was expressed differently according to each person’s worldview. The Apostles and Jesus thought about their audience and the common ground they shared, leading to many different gospel presentations.

While effective gospel presentations may vary in terms of the chosen genre, metaphors, style, and tone, they should all mention Jesus, the blessings he brings, the correct response, the incorrect response, and the condemnation for remaining in sin.

Choosing the metaphor for God which corresponds best with each metaphor for sin, blessing or response helps us form a logical gospel presentation (see tables).

The chief metaphors for sin in the Bible are transgression, falling short, and iniquity. Combining all three provides a more complete explanation of sin. We also need to consider the internal, horizontal, and vertical components of sin to understand the breadth of its ramifications. Without a full understanding of sin, we will struggle to properly comprehend hell and God’s holiness.

There are three main components of judgment: privation of good, separation, and punishment.

Each culture tends to resonate with a different concept of sin, depending on their intellectual, emotional, and intuitive level. Traditionally, the West has gravitated towards breaking the law and feeling guilty, creating a need for forgiveness. However, this is changing and it appears that Westerners may be connecting more with shame and the need to restore broken relationship. We see this in sports or social media when people are ‘named and shamed,’ as a means to evoking change. Middle Eastern culture predominately views sin in

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terms of defilement, causing people to be unclean and in need of cleansing. There are many different metaphors for salvation: peace, union, regeneration, adoption,

justification, sanctification, reconciliation, freedom, and regeneration. As we seek to present the gospel, we need to be willing to utilize a variety of gospel

metaphors and vary our language. This will enable us to reach a wider range of audiences and promote a more comprehensive understanding of God, sin, judgment, and salvation blessings.

Pedagogical Suggestions/Lesson Plan Ideas Ask students to choose one row from the tables in chapter 3 to create a short paragraph

explaining the gospel. Share the responses and then repeat with different rows. Brainstorm the implications of omitting one theological component of sin: internal,

horizontal, or vertical. Deconstruct a gospel presentation like Four Spiritual Laws, Two Ways to Live, Bridge to

Life, or others and consider the gospel metaphors used. Ask students to explain the gospel avoiding Christian jargon like sin, judgment, grace.

Other Media Sources/Websites Tim Keller’s talk “Dwelling in the Gospel”  https://vimeo.com/8977644 . Article by Claire Smith, “Broken Bad,” http://gotherefor.com/offer.php?intid=29295. David Brooks, “The Shame Culture,” in The New York Times, March 15, 2016.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/15/opinion/the-shame-culture.html. Andy Crouch, “The Return of Shame,” in Christianity Today,

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2015/march/andy-crouch-gospel-in-age-of-public-shame.html.

Suggested Essay Questions Articulate the gospel in a paragraph intended for someone from the Middle East. Explain

why you chose your particular biblical metaphors. Reflect on a time you have shared a gospel presentation with someone and it has not been

successful. Consider what biblical metaphors could have been utilized to create more common ground with the listener.

Choose a specific group (e.g. elderly, teen girls, other religions, bankers) in your society and research their existential cry. Outline which gospel metaphors would appeal to them and explain why.

Analyze two gospel presentations used in the past by comparing and contrasting their strengths and weaknesses.

Open-Ended Reflection Questions

1. Share times the gospel has been presented to you. Why was it effective or ineffective for you?

2. What methods have you used to present the gospel?3. Why does Jesus present the gospel differently to different people? Think of examples. 4. What aspect of the gospel do you find hardest to explain: Jesus, blessings, correct

response, or remaining condemnation?

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5. Can you think of any other metaphor for God or sin that has not already been mentioned in this chapter?

6. Which biblical metaphors speak particularly to you? Why?7. Is your view of God’s holiness too low? 8. What specific challenges and opportunities does the postmodern mantra “be true to

yourself” present as we seek to explain the gospel?9. How can this chapter help you when you explain the gospel?10. Think of two different friends and consider which metaphors might be most effective

as you seek to explain the gospel to them.

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Chapter 4 - Evangelism to Postmoderns

Key Termsappropriationcertainty of knowledgecoherentismcontextepistemology foundational reasoning

hermeneuticshospitalityinter-textualitymetanarrativesmodernitynaturalismnoetic structure

perspectivepostmodernityprovidencesalvation-historytestimonyultimate truthwisdom

Key Points There has been a major shift in thinking and reasoning between the modern and

postmodern ages. Postmodernism conflicts with key aspects of modernism and offers new challenges to

Christianity. Tools for evangelism today include: being authentic, sharing our testimony, being

hospitable, using stories, living out biblical wisdom, preaching significance, using different biblical metaphors, and applying the creative arts.

Chapter SummaryThis chapter compares the changes in thinking and logic from the modern era to the

postmodern era.According to D.A. Carson, the following six essential features to modernity have been

challenged in the age of postmodernity:1. Knowledge in modernism begins with “I”. The individual is able to determine truth

through their own senses, which are objective, neutral, detached, and free from bias. But postmodernity acknowledges bias in the individual. It actually celebrates these differences as part of what defines us as unique.

2.The noetic structure of modernism is foundationalism. All knowledge is based on prior established truth that is provable. The noetic structure of postmodernism is coherentism. Each truth is not based on a prior truth, but rather a matrix of coherent truths as distinct from another’s matrix of coherent truths. While truths differ, there is no hierarchy as it is based on your personal culture or tribe, and you must “be true to yourself.”

3. In modernity, new truths were established if one’s methodology was neutral, detached, unbiased, and reliable. But postmodernity says all methods are biased and subjective. We each begin with presuppositions that drive us to desired outcomes.

4. In the modern era, certainty of knowledge was possible, attainable, and desirable. But postmodernity says certainty of knowledge is impossible because we are limited to our personal experiences and culture. Knowledge is no longer discovered but made personally.

5.Naturalism and science were foundational to the modernist worldview, but in a postmodern age we have come to recognize their inherent bias. Postmodernity is open to non-traditional medicine and alternative ways of thinking.

6. According to modernism, truth is universal for all people, in all times, and in all places.

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But postmodernity says there is no universal truth. When universal truth is proclaimed it is deemed as an abuse of power and should not be trusted.

The age of modernity was optimistic and privileged those in authority, often the Caucasian males in leadership.

Christians need to take note of how postmodernity has impacted our wider culture and therefore should shape our approach to evangelism. Tolerance is now the highest moral good and intolerance is the worst kind of evil. All religions are viewed as valid, but essentially the same. Postmodernists have no absolute truths and are unconvinced by evidence. However, they are open to alternative ways of establishing truth like tradition, feelings, and experience. Postmodernists are open to perspectives from other cultures. Christian ethics have become a major barrier to Christianity as they are perceived as oppressive and hateful.

Chan offers methods of engaging in evangelism in this postmodern age. 1.Be authentic in our faith by practicing what we preach. 2.Be hospitable and model the love of Jesus, while seeking opportunities for gospel

conversations in the context of relationship.3.Share our testimony as it is the personal story of God’s real impact on our life. 4.Share the gospel using stories as they invite the listener to relate to the world through

our eyes. Use stories to answer questions and in preaching to help make truth claims more plausible.

5.Pay attention to the creative arts in aesthetics, beauty, emotions, and feelings.6.Explore biblical metaphors suited to the postmodern person. 7.Use wisdom as an entry point. As we faithfully live out the Christian life, God’s

wisdom should be evident to others.

Pedagogical Suggestions/Lesson Plan Ideas Compare architecture or creative art forms in modern and postmodern eras and discuss

what they imply about each perspective. Ask students to role play a casual conversation with a non-Christian friend where they

try to integrate Bible stories into their situation. Design an evangelistic church event aimed at the postmodernist (e.g. women’s event,

Christmas event, etc.).

Suggested Essay Questions Discuss three evangelism strategies in the postmodern age, which differ from the modern

age. Justify their merits. Explain why hospitality is key to evangelism in the postmodern age and suggest how this

might look practically in the daily life of a Christian. Discuss how churches should adjust their approach to evangelism in the postmodern age. Examine the role of wisdom in evangelism to the postmodernist. Outline the challenges and opportunities postmodernity creates for presenting the

Christian faith.

Open-Ended Reflection Questions

1. In your family, who fits into the postmodern and modern categories? 2. What misunderstandings occur when postmodernists and modernists discuss life? 3. How has the shift towards tolerance impacted Christian ethics in the public sphere?

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4. Which evangelistic tools for a postmodern world are you already utilizing? 5. Which evangelistic tools for a postmodern world could you begin to employ? 6. Why are creatively-minded people increasingly useful for church ministry in a

postmodern age?7. How might you use wisdom as an entry point to sharing the gospel?8. How should Christian hospitality differ from hospitality practiced in the wider

culture?9. Why are stories so useful for communicating Christian beliefs in a postmodern age?10. How can Christians better utilize the creative arts?

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Chapter 5 - Contextualization for Evangelism

Key Termsapplyingcommunicatingcontextualizationculturediachronic

dialogueenculturedexistential cryidiomaticinterpretinglegalism

normativeredemptive analogysyncretismtransculturaluniversal

Key Points As we deconstruct our own culture, and consider its interpretations and applications of

the gospel, we will be more aware of our gospel blind spots. This will help us to more effectively present the gospel to people from other cultures.

If we over- or under-adapt the gospel, as we present it to people from another culture, we will be guilty of syncretism or legalism.

Interpreting culture involves exploring its system of thought, its cultural themes, and its storyline.

The task of contextualization involves: (1) interpreting the gospel, (2) communicating the gospel, and (3) applying the gospel to a particular culture.

Chan justifies contextualization theologically because of the incarnation of God’s Son, general revelation, common grace, our creation in the image of God, and the promise that God has placed eternity in our hearts. The universal need for the gospel because of human sinfulness across all cultures motivates us to find redemptive analogies in each culture we are seeking to reach.

A method of contextualization involves finding a redemptive analogy, linking to the existential cry, and presenting Jesus as the “happy ending” to their storyline.

Chapter SummaryThis chapter encourages the evangelist to contextualize the gospel. In its simplest form,

we do this by speaking English to the English speaker. We can do more than this by carefully considering anything in our appearance and actions that might cause unnecessary offense or the gospel to be misunderstood.

This chapter further explores six aspects of the relationship between the gospel and culture:

1.The gospel is transcultural- it is true for all peoples, all times, and all places.2.The gospel is encultured- Jesus came in a certain period of time, in a certain way of life. 3.Our audience is encultured.4.The gospel teller is enculturated- with our own concerns, interpretations of the gospel,

ways of communicating, and applications.5.There is no universal, decontextualized form of the gospel.6.Every presentation of the gospel will over- or under- adapt. If we over adapt, we are in

danger of syncretism, where we do not challenge enough. If we under-adapt, we are in danger of legalism.

Furthermore, we are given three tools to help us interpret culture:1.Consider the culture’s system of thought or worldview.2.Consider the cultural themes and dominant messages. Do this by answering questions

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like, “Who am I?”, “Where am I?”, “What’s wrong?”, “What’s the solution?” Or investigate their views of certain ideas, such as beauty, gifts, hope, sickness, etc.

3.Consider the culture’s storyline. What is their mission? What stops this from happening? And what helps them achieve the mission?

Next, the chapter explains the task of connecting the gospel with the person’s culture: contextualization. The task is threefold: (1) interpreting the gospel, (2) communicating the gospel, and (3) applying the gospel to a particular culture. To do this we must dialogue between the evangelist’s culture, the culture of the Bible, and the culture of our hearers.

Chan says, “Our theological justification for contextualization is that we can enter any culture because of the incarnation of God’s Son, and because of God’s general revelation, common grace, our creation in the image of God, and the promise that God has placed ‘eternity’ in every human heart. At the same time, we should challenge all cultures with the gospel because all human cultures are affected by sin. And we have the language to enter and challenge because we believe that God has left us a redemptive analogy in every culture, a means for communicating the gospel in a way that the people in that culture can understand.”

The suggested method of contextualization starts with finding a redemptive analogy from within the culture that gives a point of connection to the gospel. This redemptive analogy should link to that particular culture’s God-given existential cry, while also giving a “happy Jesus-centered ending” to the culture’s storyline.

Pedagogical Suggestions/Lesson Plan Ideas Brainstorm experiences local and abroad where well-meaning Christians have over-

adapted the gospel leading to syncretism, or under-adapted the gospel leading to legalism.

Examine personally how the gospel teller is encultured by cultural concerns, gospel interpretations, cultural communication, and cultural application.

Suggested Essay Questions Research a specific sub-culture and analyze their system of thought, themes, and storyline.

Design a piece of material to use for evangelism. This can be in any form: talk, video, drama, song, website, tract, or book. Accompany your evangelism tool with a description of your audience and a justification of your method and strategy.

“Contextualization diminishes the truth of the gospel.” Discuss this statement, providing a theological rationale for your response.

In what ways is an audience encultured? What does an evangelist need to be conscious of when presenting the gospel?

Examine the importance of redemptive analogies, whilst discussing their limitations. Describe and analyze a particular non-Christian cultural group. Compare, critique, and

evaluate different methods of evangelism which have been used or suggested for this cultural group. Explain and justify a method of evangelism you feel would be most suitable for this cultural group.

Open-Ended Reflection Questions

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1.Why can we not assume that if a gospel presentation works in one culture it will work in another?

2.What gospel application might you wrongly apply to someone else’s culture?3. Is contextualization manipulative? Why or why not?4. What cultural errors have you made in the past?5. What Christian words have different meaning in non-Christian contexts?6. Think of your culture and its dominant themes by answering James Sire’s four key

questions. 7. Consider your storyline and articulate your mission, the “bad guys” and the “good

guys.”8. What redemptive analogies could be used in your culture? 9. What evidence is there of contextualization in the Bible?10. What stops you from contextualizing well?

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Chapter 6 - Gospel-Cultural Hermeneutics

Key Termsgospel-cultural hermeneuticsworks of meaningstorylinedissonantcultural texts

chief motifdeconstructdeficientW Spectrumexistential cry

Key Points Gospel-cultural hermeneutics involves finding cultural texts and understanding the

culture’s storyline. There are five suggested steps:1. Read the “text” on its terms and describe it.2. Understand it.3. Empathize with it.4. Deconstruct it.5. How does the gospel answer this existential cry and storyline?6. Speak the gospel.

The W Spectrum approach describes four ways to evangelize people in a different culture:o W1- opposes the cultural storyline and shows how Christ triumphs over their

storyo W2- undermines the cultural storyline and shows how Christ replaces their storyo W3- repurposes the cultural storyline and shows how Christ transforms their storyo W4- invites the cultural storyline and shows how Christ fulfills their story

As we do cultural hermeneutics we need too demonstrate understanding and empathy for the cultural storylineo use language, idioms, and metaphors from that cultureo identify the universal, existential cry for love and belongingo show that Jesus is the true fulfillment of the cultural storyline, but in a

winsome and natural way that doesn’t feel forced

Chapter SummaryThis chapter practically guides the evangelist through the steps of gospel-cultural

hermeneutics. Chan illustrates from Acts 16 that Paul uses a helpful approach to communicate the gospel to the Athenians. Chan further suggests two frameworks for doing this.

Firstly, cultural hermeneutics involves entering the storyline of that culture through analysis of cultural texts.

1.Read the “text” on its terms and describe it. Ask what the chief motif or metaphor is.2.Understand it by researching that culture’s worldview or existential cry.3.Empathize with it. We need to genuinely be interested and see the attractions in the

storyline. Ask what existential cry it fulfills and why people yearn for this to be true.4.Deconstruct it. Here we can challenge the storyline according to what’s lacking or

deficient in the message. How is the message dissonant? What is clashing or

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contradictory?5.How does the gospel answer this existential cry and storyline? The gospel should be the

“happy ending” with Jesus as the hero. Here we demonstrate how Jesus is the only true way of fulfilling their need.

6.Speak the gospel using the same motifs and metaphors. Show how Jesus is a far better ending for their storyline.

Chan illustrates this model by considering cultural texts: Acts 16, James Corden’s car karaoke, Beyoncé, American Idol, The Duff, and mason jars. By entering their storyline and giving an even better ending, audiences should be wanting the gospel to be true.

The second approach to cultural hermeneutics involves the W Spectrum. The W Spectrum approach describes four ways cross-cultural workers seek to evangelize people in a different culture:

o W1- opposes the cultural storyline. Show them it is wrong using a model of sin, like rebellion or transgression. Then show how Christ triumphs over their story.

o W2- undermines the cultural storyline. Tell them to abandon their storyline and to replace it with Jesus. Here their model of sin is idolatry.

o W3- repurposes the cultural storyline by using brokenness as its model of sin. While the culture’s storyline may be good, we show that Christ can make it better by transforming their story.

o W4- invites people to follow Jesus within their cultural storyline. Here the model of sin is falling short because they are heading in the right direction, but need Jesus to fulfill the culture’s storyline. Due to universal human sin, God’s common grace and general revelation there

will be needed for a combination of these approaches. All cultures will need to be entered (W3 and W4), and all cultures will need to be challenged (W1 and W2).

As we seek to do gospel-cultural hermeneutics we need to be humble and empathize with the cultural storyline. Use the culture’s idioms and metaphors. Find the existential cry and show how only Jesus can truly fulfill their cultural storyline. Doing this winsomely and naturally will involve thought and creativity.

Pedagogical Suggestions/Lesson Plan Ideas Ask student to bring a cultural text (TV advertisement, newspaper article, song, product)

to class and discuss its storyline. Apply the five suggested steps of gospel-cultural hermeneutics.

Investigate biblical examples of gospel-cultural hermeneutics (e.g. Acts 17:16-34). Pair up and role play bringing the gospel to a person in a different culture. Create a 60-second cultural exegesis of a cultural text like that modeled on

www.espressotheology.com.

Other Media Sources/Websites Espresso Theology offers examples of performing cultural hermeneutics on a variety of

cultural texts. www.espressotheology.com . Warrick Farah and Kyle Meeker, “The W-Spectrum: Worker Paradigms in Muslim

Contexts,” Evangelical Missions Quarterly (Vol. 51, No. 4, October 2015): 366-75.

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https://www.emqonline.com/node/3387.

Suggested Essay Questions Using Paul’s biblical example of gospel-cultural hermeneutics in Acts 17, give a general

method of presenting the gospel to a culture that is not your own. Choose four cultural storylines to which you can apply each of the four evangelistic

approaches from the W Spectrum. Compare and contrast the different approaches to sharing the gospel with each.

Choose a cultural text (e.g. TV advertisement, movie, song, product). Perform the gospel-cultural hermeneutics, as outlined by Chan, that would allow you to speak the gospel into the storyline of that culture.

Document twenty hours spent with a specific non-Christian group in their non-Christian cultural setting. Apply your gospel-cultural hermeneutics to their storyline by answering the five suggested questions. Then describe how you would present the “happy ending” for their storyline, including what model of sin and salvation you would use.

Why is empathy and humility key to evangelizing other cultures?

Open-Ended Reflection Questions1. Why is it important to find common ground before sharing the gospel?2. What steps of ‘entering the storyline of that culture’ might you be neglecting as you

share the gospel? 3. What does it look like to enter, challenge, and fulfill a cultural storyline?4. When deconstructing a cultural text, why is it important that we have first empathized

with the cultural storyline?5. As you commute home, consider the cultural texts that you encounter and what they

reveal about your culture.6. In light of chapter 6, how can you improve your evangelism?7. What accidental errors have you or your church made in the past as you have entered

new cultures?8. What are some common existential cries in your culture?9. Other than Acts 16, what other examples does the Bible offer of cultural exegesis?10. How was the gospel presented to you and why was it appealing?

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Chapter 7 - Storytelling the Gospel

Key Termstheoreticalpropositionalideationalconcrete-relational learnerabstract

story-tellingliterateoralorthopraxyorthodoxylinear

logicalimplicitexplicitpeer-to-peerdialoguemonologue

Key Points Most cultures and people have a concrete-relational learning style as opposed to an

abstract learning style. Concrete-relational learners better understand through hearing stories rather than

propositional statements. Bible story-telling involves recounting a story from the Bible in an expressive and

lively manner, with the purpose of inspiring conversation about that story. The key concepts are captured through conversation, rather than by explanation.

The Bible story should be kept simple, accurate, and memorable. Use key questions for the group to discuss in pairs, then as a group. This empowers the individual to be less dependent on the leader for knowledge.

Chapter Summary This chapter explores the story-telling method used by missionaries seeking to reach

oral learners in non-Western contexts. Chan argues that while many Westerners were taught as abstract learners, our preferred learning style is actually often concrete-relational.

An abstract learner thrives with explicit explanations, propositions, and theories. They like explanations and are literate learners. Concrete-relational learners, however, are oral learners. They prefer practice before theory and stories over explanations. There is no better or right way of learning, but it is helpful in evangelism to know how best to communicate to our audience.

Stories cater to concrete-relational learners and are effective at communicating concepts without using the words for those concepts. Stories also help the listener to see the world from the narrator’s worldview. As they listen to the story they have to suspend their disbelief and accept the story within its genre. The underlying message is implicit, which suits concrete-relational leaners.

Chan’s method of story-telling suggests the following:1. Read three different translations of the chosen Bible passage.2.“Story-board” the story in cartoon form.3.Practice re-telling the story to someone with the Bible in front of them, who can correct

any errors.The story should be kept simple, accurate, and memorable. The story may be simplified by excluding or altering names to help listeners better understand. However, it is important not to add aspects that embellish the story. The story is more memorable if told in a thoughtful, expressive, and dramatic way.

Story-telling can be used differently depending on how formal the situation is. You may tell it once in a casual conversation to a friend, or three times with discussion questions in a

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formal talk or Bible study. Chan suggests some discussion questions that are designed to have the listener direct the discussion. Their thoughts, questions, concerns, and ideas drive the direction, rather that the “all-knowing leader.” This encourages dialogue and opens up culturally appropriate questions that the leader may not have thought of.

Pedagogical Suggestions/Lesson Plan Ideas Ask students to choose a story from the Bible (see the suggested list in chapter 7) and

follow the process to story-tell it to the class. Start the lesson with a rule written on the board: “Do not be late to my class.” Welcome

everyone with a story: “A student once came late to my class and wasn’t aware that I had already been sharing the possible essay topics for the exam. He missed out and consequently failed the whole course.” Did both methods get the same message across? Which was more effective and why? Then introduce the day’s topic: different types of learners and the story-telling concept.

Suggested Essay Questions 1. Assess the importance of the discussion time following Bible story-telling. Offer three

strategies that foster good discussion.2. “People prefer dialogue rather than a monologue for learning.” Discuss two different

types of learners and the benefits that story-telling brings to most learners.3. Find a group of people to whom you can story-tell and lead in discussion. There must

be at least six of you, preferably a Bible study group. Reflect on your ‘leading’ and the discussion time, evaluating the strengths and weakness of this method. Use specific examples in your response.

4. You have been asked to story-tell Mark 15:1-39. Read at least three different Bible translations. Create and submit a story board of the key scenes in the story. Present a transcript, audio, or video file of you telling the story. Then submit a justification for the details you excluded or altered. The Bible story must be told simply, accurately, and memorably.

5. Some see story-telling as “an attack” on expository preaching. Provide a theological defense for story-telling, explaining why it is a legitimate method of communicating the gospel.

Open-Ended Reflection Questions

1. What are some potential risks of using story-telling as your only evangelistic method?

2. What are the strengths of story-telling for the narrator?3. What are the strengths of story-telling for the listener?4. Why is the discussion of questions so crucial to story-telling?5. Why does the story-teller not answer the questions?6. Does the story-telling method stand in opposition to expository preaching?7. Can all books of the Bible be used in story-telling?8. How have other cultures used story-telling effectively in the past?9. Reflect on Bible study experiences when you have felt like you had to guess the

leader’s answer. How did this make you feel?

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Chapter 8 - How to Give Evangelistic Topical Talks

Key Termstopical preachingexpository preachingprolegomenagrammatic-historical exegesis

inductivedeductivedialogical approachabductive approachsystematic theology

topicissuebiblical theologyresonancedissonance

Key Points The arguments against topical preaching include:

o the need to let the Bible set the agenda through an inductive approach; ando it steers away from grammatic-historical exegesis.

Chan contends that topical preaching is an acceptable approach because:o we cannot escape the presence of subjective interpretations, even when

seeking to exegete a single passage; ando topical preaching relies more on systematic theology, which is a legitimate

tool for biblical interpretation. A method of preparing a topical evangelistic talk:

o Step 1: Move from the topic to a big idea. o Step 2: Outline a bird’s-eye view of the talk.o Step 3: Explore the logical sequence of ideas in the body of the talk.o Step 4: Flesh out the body of the talk.

Chapter Summary This chapter creates an argument for topical preaching, gives a method to follow, and

supplies multiple examples to help.The first argument often presented against topical preaching is that it does not let the

Bible set the agenda, but rather the focus is driven by a human-centered need. This inductive approach however neglects the fact that we are not “blank slates,” and will necessarily approach a set passage with our own traditions and lenses. Since our subjective interpretations will always be present, we need to acknowledge them with both methods.

The second argument against topical preaching relates to its underlying foundation in systematic theology, rather than grammatic-historical exegesis. However this criticism ignores the reality that systematic theology is essential for understanding biblical concepts like Trinity and is thus essential in evangelism. Chan argues that expository and topical preaching both integrate elements of the other, just in a different proportion. Hence to privilege one is to rely on a false dichotomy. It is a question of pedagogy rather than theological orthodoxy.

Another objection to topical preaching relates to the meaning of the “Word of God.”Chan argues that New Testament references to the “Word of God” actually refer to the gospel message, which he suggests can therefore be communicated using either an expository or topical method of preaching.

A method of preparing a topical evangelistic talk is as follows:o Step 1: Move from the topic to a big idea. Start with a topic, define the issue,

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argue for a point. The point is the “big idea.”o Step 2: Outline a bird’s-eye view of the talk, with timings: Introduction, Body,

Bridge, Conclusion.o Step 3: Explore the logical sequence of ideas in the Body of the talk. Move

through a sequence of resonance, dissonance (or deficiency), and the gospel as the answer or fulfilment.

o Step 4: Flesh out the body of the talk. Use the Five Building Blocks of Communication: State the idea, Illustrate it, Explain it, Give an example, Give a payload or application.

The chapter concludes with multiple examples to reflect on.

Pedagogical Suggestions/Lesson Plan Ideas Choose a topic like Health to discuss. Brainstorm as a class different angles from which

to approach this topic towards the “Big Idea.” Discuss which audiences best suit each angle.

Brainstorm the different types of non-Christians that come to church at Easter and Christmas. What are they looking for and how can you use resonance, dissonance, and gospel fulfillment to help reach them with the gospel?

Suggested Essay Questions “Most talk about expository versus topical preaching is based on a false dichotomy.”

Explain this quote and examine the similarities and differences between expository and topical preaching.

You have been asked to give an evangelistic talk at a ladies’ craft night or a mens’ big bacon breakfast. Write a topical talk. Clearly state your “Big Idea” and your intended audience.

Give three alternative “Big Ideas” for an evangelistic topical talk at a community Good Friday event. For each Big Idea clearly state your intended non-Christian audience that you are aiming to evangelize.

Design an evangelistic event for your church. Set the theme, time, and place. Determine how and where it will be advertised, and who the specific non-Christian audience is at which it will be aimed. Then prepare your topical talk outline, including subheadings based on the four steps Chan suggests.

Open-Ended Reflection Questions

1.What concerns do you have with topical preaching?2.What concerns do you have with expository preaching?3.What strengths does topical preaching have?4.What strengths does expository preaching have?5.What types of non-Christians do you know?6.What types of non-Christians come to your church events?7.Reflect on your experience of topical preaching.8.What do you find hard about topical preaching?

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9.Reflect on good topical sermons you have heard.Chapter 9 - How to Give Evangelistic Expository Talks

Key Termstopicalexpositorytheological big ideaexegetical big idea homiletical big ideasinful problembumper sticker big ideagospel solutionexistential question

imagesubjectneedtextpreviewdidacticresonancedissonancegospel fulfillment

grammatic-historical exegesiscontextualizationretellexplainapplymontagebridgeconclusion

Key Points Chan argues that the difference between expository and topical preaching has more to

do with whether we privilege the text or privilege the hearer, thus altering the proportions and sequencing of the talk’s elements.

Chan provides strategies to find the most appropriate “Big Idea” and uses this to determine the existential question, sinful problem, and gospel solution for a Bible talk.

Writing the body of the talk differs according to biblical genre: Epistle or narrative. The points in the body of the talk can be expanded through using the Five Building

Blocks of Communication: Statement of the idea, Illustration, Explanation, Example, Payload or Application.

Chan also offers some suggestions for a “sinner’s prayer” and wedding sermons.

Chapter Summary Chan continues his argument that there is a false dichotomy between expository and

topical preaching. If we value the world of the text, we will favor the tools of exegesis. But if we value the world of the hearer, we will be more likely to utilize the tools of theology. Since these two realms are hard to separate in reality, the main difference between the two styles of preaching is the proportion and sequencing of the various elements in a talk.

Preaching is likened to the screenwriting of a book to a film, where the story is simplified and altered to suit the new medium. In the case of preaching, we are moving from a book (the Bible) to an oral speech/monologue. The art of sermon writing involves making decisions about what to leave in, what to leave out, what to emphasize, and in what order to present the points.

Chan then presents some helpful outlines for writing talks. Macro structure for a 20-25 minute talk:

Introduction (3-5 minutes)Body (10-15 minutes)Bridge (1-3 minutes)Conclusion (3-5 minutes)

The “Big Idea” is the simple, clear, single idea that we are trying to communicate in a talk. There are different categories for “Big Ideas:”

The Exegetical Big Idea - What is the biblical author saying?

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The Theological Big Idea - What timeless truth is the biblical author saying?The Homiletical Big Idea- What is this talk saying?The Bumper Sticker Big Idea- What do I want the audience to remember?

Once you have the “Big Idea,” decide the following: Question What question is this talk answering?Existential Question Why do I want to listen to this talk?Sinful Problem Why do I need to listen to this talk?Gospel Solution What must I do to be saved?

Ready to write:Introduction - set up existential question and needBody – reveal “Big Idea” as the answerBridge - sum up the points as an answer to existential question Conclusion - sinful problem and offer the gospel solution

A helpful checklist for writing an introduction:o tell a story that sets up an imageo introduce the subject that you’re going to talk abouto raise a need for why we need to listen to this subjecto declare the biblical text that you’ll be exploringo give a preview of the outline of your talk

This chapter then suggests different options for the body of the talk if one is preaching from the Epistles or narrative. Choosing which structure depends on our audience’s existential cry, cultural storyline, and sinful problem. Structural options for texts from the Epistles include:

1. Unpack the “Big Idea,” point by point2. Problem, Solution, Application3. Resonance, Dissonance, Gospel Fulfillment

Narrative texts need three elements: Retell the story, Explain the story, and Apply the story. The emphasis varies according to the audience. Options include:

1.RETELL the story, point by point. Explain the story in the Bridge and Apply it in the Conclusion.

2.EXPLAIN the story by unpacking the “Big Idea,” point by point. Retell the story in the Introduction and Apply it in the Conclusion.

3.APPLY the story, point by point. Retell and Explain the story in Introduction.4.The Points are RESONANCE, DISSONANCE, GOSPEL FULFILLMENT. Briefly

Retell in the story in the Introduction.5.STORY-TELLING, three questions, three answers

To fill out the body of the talk we can utilize the Five Building Blocks of Communication: State it, Illustrate it, Explain it, Give an example, and Apply it.

The Bridge summarizes the talk so far, and anticipates the climactic finish. The Conclusion ends with the bumper sticker “Big Idea,” illustrates it, and gives an example.

Chan further comments on leading a “sinner’s prayer” at the conclusion of a sermon, and preaching at weddings.

Pedagogical Suggestions/Lesson Plan Ideas Brainstorm occasions that expository evangelistic sermons are common or necessary. Practice converting an exegetical “Big Idea” into a bumper sticker “Big Idea” by

considering a few passages.

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Suggested Essay Questions Choose a Bible passage and a fictional couple from below. Submit a transcript for an

evangelistic wedding sermon.o 1 Corinthians 13:4-13, 1 John 4:7-12, Colossians 3:14-21, Ephesian 5:22-33o Jack and Jill, Beauty (Belle) and the Beast, Cinderella and Prince Charming,

Homer and Marge Simpson Choose an event style and a gospel narrative passage from below. Write an evangelistic

sermon.o Youth group, Prison chapel service, City workers lunch meeting, Retirement

village serviceo Matt 20:1-16, Mark 4:1-20, Luke 8:22-56, Luke 12:13-21, Luke 14:15-24,

John 4:1-26 How do Bible talks work? Explain Chan’s suggested methodology for an expository

evangelistic talk. Examine the different types of “Big Ideas” and how they are each used to shape a talk.

Choose a Bible passage, different to the examples given in chapter 9, and determine appropriate suggestions for each type of “Big Idea.”

Open-Ended Reflection Questions

1. Reflect on evangelistic sermons that have gone well.2. Reflect on evangelistic sermons that have not gone well.3. Brainstorm dos and don’ts for a funeral sermon. 4. What are the similarities and differences between expository and topical preaching?5. Is there only one “Big Idea” for every given biblical text?6. Determine an appropriate “Big Idea” for John 3:19-21.

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Chapter 10 - Religious Epistemology, Apologetics, and Defeater Beliefs

Key Termsepistemologydefeater beliefsreligious epistemologyapologeticstruth claimslogospathos

ethosontologyexplanation of best fitCumulative Case Methodevidenceevidentialismpresuppositionalismnoetic effects of sin

total depravityresonatedismantledissonancegospelhard theodicysoft theodicyGray Matrix

Key Points Evidence plays a secondary role in convincing someone of the gospel because

evidence can be interpreted or shaped to fit pre-conceived worldviews. Pathos and Ethos play a significant role in shifting worldviews. People can use the same evidence to arrive at two opposite conclusions. Past approaches to apologetics were evidentialism and presuppositionalism. The

Cumulative Case Method seeks to blend both and find an explanation of the best fit. Chan’s modified presuppositional approach to apologetics resonates with their

presuppositions, dismantles their presuppositions by showing their deficiencies or dissonance, and then completes their storyline with the gospel.

Conversion of a non-believer is often a journey that may involve many evangelists along the way. Evangelists should be humbled that God uses us in the process.

Chapter Summary This chapter starts by considering religious epistemology, the reasons why people

believe what they believe. Facts based on logic or science are accepted based on logos. As the facts become hard to prove people rely more on pathos (how the hearer feels) and ethos (the character of the speaker). The implications for evangelism are that it is not enough to transfer the facts, but we need to speak in a way that people from our culture will be able to hear and trust.

Community plays a key role in what we believe because we trust those closest to us. Facts and evidence are usually secondary as they can be explained or manipulated to fit one’s own worldview, consciously or unconsciously. After considering the evidence, trusted opinions, and personal experience, people choose an explanation of best fit.

The process of a person changing their worldview generally happens gradually, as old paradigms are replaced by new paradigms.

There are two dominant approaches to apologetics: evidentialism and presuppositionalism. Evidentialism suggests a clear presentation of the facts will convince the listeners. Presuppositionalism suggests evidence is ineffective. Instead we should assume the Christian presuppositions and present the gospel, while praying the Holy Spirit will be at work in the hearer. The Cumulative Case Method however argues that the Spirit works through natural means, and so utilizes both evidence and Christian presuppositions to provide an explanation of best fit.

Chan’s chooses a Modified Presuppositional Apologetics where he accepts the limited value of evidence. He then suggests the following method:

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1. Resonate- seek to understand where someone is coming from and feel their disdain for the Christian worldview. Restate a stronger version of their objections back to them, both emotionally and intellectually.

2. Dismantle- Show you can’t have it both ways by revealing a deficiency or dissonance of their worldview.

3. Gospel- replace the deficiency or the dissonance with the gospel.Examples to the following defeater beliefs are offered:

1. What about other religions?2. How can a loving God send people to hell?3. Science disproves Christianity4. Christians are judgmental hypocrites5. The Bible is wrong6. How can a loving God allow suffering?

Chan adds some further observations about apologetics: Stories are the best answers because they evoke imagination and engage emotions. Negative apologetics provide a defense for the Christian faith, whereas positive

apologetics promote the gospel by giving reasons to believe. Utilize cultural texts, like the Apostle Paul in Acts 17:23, to help gain common ground

with our audience (e.g. engage with popular books, news, music, movies, etc.). Always be ready to give an answer.

Chan concludes with likening the conversion of a Christian to the conversion of a consumer to “Bumper” gluten-free bread. The transition is a journey and the role of evangelists can be either through the whole journey or by taking them one step closer. Moving a step closer can involve social forces, promotions, accessibility, wisdom, felt needs, crisis, and benefits. Chan suggests people often behave as a Christian first, and then identify as a Christian later. Often the entry point is wisdom, and along the way they find salvation.

There are many different valid methods for evangelism, and so we must be humble and pray. Overall, we should be thankful that God uses our humanity— our relationships, community, hospitality, communication, experiences, emotions, existential cries, and cultural texts—to communicate his gospel.

Pedagogical Suggestions/Lesson Plan Ideas Brainstorm common defeater beliefs for our culture. Group them into general categories,

then discuss possible responses. Divide students into pairs and role play a conversation between a Christian and a non-

Christian who raises a defeater belief. Reverse roles. Find examples where the same evidence can be used to support opposing views. Consider the Obama Heckler- https://youtu.be/9cP-FTX5tVg. Ask the class to discuss

what the heckler wanted to achieve and what was actually achieved.

Other Media Sources/Websites Obama Heckler- https://youtu.be/9cP-FTX5tVg.

Suggested Essay Questions Choose a common objection to Christianity that you have heard. Clearly state the

defeater belief and the target audience. Prepare a response using the method of Resonate, Dismantle, Gospel.

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Harvey and Sarah have recently lost a child and they disagree with your Christian beliefs because, “How can a loving God allow bad things to happen?” Write a response to them in the form of a letter. Write your response with the Resonate, Dismantle, Gospel structure.

Explain why evidence carries limited weight in convincing someone of the gospel. Examine the role of pathos and ethos in evangelism.

Find examples of evangelistic strategies based on logos. Compare and contrast their strengths and weaknesses compared to strategies based on pathos and ethos.

“People behave as a Christian first and then identify as a Christian later. They find belonging first and then believe later. Often the entry point is wisdom, and along the way they find salvation.” Discuss Chan’s quote in relation to what you have learned in this unit.

Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the main approaches to apologetics. Justify your favored position.

Design an evangelism course that is suitable for training your church members/leaders. The course must include the theology behind evangelism, what is the gospel, a method for presenting the gospel, and how to contextualize the gospel message for a culture.

Open-Ended Reflection Questions1. Think of the conversion stories of those around you. Were they a single experience or a

journey?2.Consider examples where the gospel was explained using evidence, but not tactfully

with pathos or ethos. What implications can you draw for evangelism?3.Consider how the church can more effectively become part of the trusted community of

unbelievers.4.How does the same evidence get used to support opposing views?5.What are the weaknesses of an evidentialist approach to apologetics?6.What are the weaknesses of a presuppositionalist approach to apologetics?7.Reflect on the defeater beliefs you once held.8.Reflect on the defeater beliefs that those around you still hold.9.Think of some stories that can help you answer common defeater beliefs.10. What are the pros and cons of negative apologetics and positive apologetics. 11. Reflect on the Bumper gluten-free inspired table of the journey to the Christian faith.12. Reflect on the Gray Matrix and the different approaches to evangelism depending on

the standpoint of the unbeliever.

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Student Learning ObjectivesChapter 1 - A Theology of EvangelismStudents should be able to:

Define evangelism Define the gospel Discuss the different roles in evangelism Discuss models of conversion and evangelism

Chapter 2 - Everyday EvangelismStudents should be able to:

Articulate and apply new evangelism strategies to their life. Discuss the importance of plausibility structures. Define the Kantian Noumenal-Phenomenal divide. Share their testimony as a story. Link a Bible story with their own testimony.

Chapter 3 - How to Craft a Gospel PresentationStudents should be able to:

Present the gospel using coherent biblical metaphors. Discuss various metaphors for sin, salvation, and judgment. Understand which metaphors appeal to which audiences. Analyze other gospel presentations and their use of biblical metaphors.

Chapter 4 - Evangelism to PostmodernsStudents should be able to:

Explain the key differences between the Modern and Post-modern age. Offer strategies for presenting the gospel in the Post-modern age. Communicate difficulties and opportunities of reaching postmodernist with the gospel.

Chapter 5 - Contextualization for EvangelismStudents should be able to:

Interpret their own and other cultures. Connect the gospel to another person’s culture. Theologically justify the need to contextualize the gospel. Define a method of contextualization.

Chapter 6 - Gospel-Cultural HermeneuticsStudents should be able to:

Outline the basic principles of gospel-cultural hermeneutics. Apply these principles to a variety of cultural texts. Exegete cultural storylines. Reflect on their methods of evangelism.

Chapter 7 - Storytelling the GospelStudents should be able to:

Re-tell a Bible story with no notes, keeping it simple, accurate, and memorable. Identify their own learning style and the learning styles of others around them. Articulate the importance and benefits of story-telling. Lead a dialogue discussion of a Bible story.

Chapter 8 - How to Give Evangelistic Topical TalksStudents should be able to:

Articulate reasons for topical preaching. Prepare a topical evangelistic talk. Write a “Big Idea” for any given topic.

Chapter 9 - How to Give Evangelistic Expository TalksStudents should be able to:

Articulate the similarities of expository and topical preaching. Write an expository evangelistic talk from an epistle or narrative using the suggested

methods. Determine multiple “Big Ideas” for a passage including the Bumper Sticker Big Idea.

Chapter 10 - Religious Epistemology, Apologetics, and Defeater BeliefsStudents should be able to:

Define Religious Epistemology. Discuss the importance of evidence and community in belief. Compare and contrast the different approaches to apologetics. Give thoughtful responses to common defeater beliefs.

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Chapter Quizzes

Chapter 1 - A Theology of Evangelism

True/False1. Evangelism refers only to speaking the gospel to non-believers. False2. The gospel, “Good News” belongs to God and us. True3. The act of repentance can be best described as a remorse from the heart. False4. Evangelism includes preaching. True5. An over-emphasis on God’s sovereignty could lead to over reliance on our own gifts.

False6. An over-emphasis on human responsibility could lead to a guilt for not evangelizing

enough. True7. Evangelists are responsible for the internal call of the gospel. False8. All who hear the gospel will believe. False9. Biblical faith involves proportional knowing, assent, and personal trust. True10. Believers all share a common conversion experience. False

Multiple Choice1. Graham Cole suggests three models of conversion. They areA) the rebel, the zealot, and the believer-since-infancyB) the manger, the cross, the kingC) the cognitive thinker, intuitive thinker, or the concrete-relational thinkerD) the individual, the family, and the community

2. A person comes to faith byA) the internal call of GodB) the external call of other peopleC) the hearing of the gospelD) all of the above

3. In 1 Thessalonians 1:4-10, Jesus’ role in the evangelism process isA) electionB) internal callC) atonementD) conversion

4. An over emphasis on God’s sovereignty in evangelism could lead toA) boredomB) despairC) exhaustionD) laziness

5. A saving faith in Jesus encompassesA) propositional knowing and assentB) personal trustC) all of the aboveD) none of the above

Fill in the Blank6. Evangelism is defined by its message, not its methodology, medium, or audience.

7. Conversion is the decision to begin the journey with Jesus and discipleship is the decision to continue on this journey with Jesus each day.

8. The gospel can be communicated through songs, letters, speeches, and miracles.

9. If the emphasis in evangelism in on human responsibility, we will become overburdened with guilt and despair at the lack of response or feel disappointed with our inadequate gifts.

10. God uses our gospel presentations, the external call, to internally call someone to faith.

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Chapter 2 - Everyday Evangelism

True/False1. We can ensure people become Christians by applying multiple evangelism strategies. False2. Evidence is usually the most influential source for shifting someone’s beliefs. False3. Evangelism comes naturally to most people. False4. Discussions in the phenomenal realm are a good starting point over coffee. True5. Your testimony proclaims the gospel. True6. Christians typically have two separate universes of friends—non-Christian and Christian.

True7. The Western world is seen as a de-facto closed country. True8. The sacred-secular divide is a universal phenomenon. False9. As we listen to people’s stories we should think about what objections we have. False10. When sharing a Bible story, it is best to read it from the Bible. False

Multiple Choice1. Plausibility structures are accepted beliefs, convictions, and understandings based on:A) communityB) experienceC) facts, evidence, and dataD) all of the above

2. The Western world’s sacred-secular divide A) encourages helpful theological debateB) allows us to share our faith easily C) leads to de-facto closed countriesD) deteriorates friendships

3. When listening to someone’s story we shouldA) think how to bring in your storyB) critique and judge their worldviewC) listen, understand, empathiseD) find their worldview’s flaws

4. Your testimony should A) be unarrangedB) refrain from too many personal eventsC) include Bible references

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D) be an individualized story

5. Linking a biblical story to your testimony shouldA) entice curiosityB) be deeply challengingC) be memorized word-for-wordD) all of the above

Fill in the Blank6. One strategy for evangelism is to tell your story as a story.

7. Conversations are like layers on an onion starting with interests, values, then progressing to worldviews.

8. The ‘sky is blue’ fits into Immanuel Kant’s phenomenal realm.

9. Plausibility structures are the beliefs and convictions that determine whether we accept or reject truth claims.

10. Our personal story is a practical and concrete way of sharing the gospel.

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Chapter 3 - How to Craft a Gospel Presentation

True/False1. There is always a best way of presenting the gospel. False2. Understanding the holiness of God helps us understand the magnitude of our sins against

God. True3. There are two main components of sin: horizontal and vertical. False4. The word sin has changed its meaning over time so that it is not always helpful to use it in

gospel presentations. True5. Presenting the gospel in a variety of ways broadens our own theological understanding and

vocabulary. True6. We need to begin with Scripture when wanting to find common ground. False7. Without the horizontal component of sin it is hard to explain why God has to punish us.

False8. Hell seems like a disproportionate punishment because we have a low view of God’s

holiness. True9. Sin is often seen as uncleanliness or defilement in Eastern culture. False10. Western culture is associating sin with shame more and more. True

Multiple Choice1. Which of the following is NOT a metaphor for sin:A) transgressionB) falling shortC) sorrowD) iniquity

2. Traditionally the Western world has gravitated to a concept that sin is:A) breaking the lawB) defilement C) breaking relationshipsD) all of the above

3. As a gospel presentation, Four Spiritual LawsA) conveys the corporate nature of the Christian life wellB) uses punishment as its concept of judgmentC) illustrates the Christian life’s purpose and fulfillmentD) clearly portrays salvation-history

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4. A good gospel presentationA) speaks to all audiencesB) connects at an emotional, existential, and cultural levelC) uses multiple concepts of God, sin, and salvation D) explains sin as horizontal, vertical, and internal

5. Which of the following is NOT true:A) We don’t have to begin with Scriptures in a gospel presentation.B) Using only one gospel presentation leads to reductionism in our theology. C) Jesus presented the gospel differently to different people.D) Contextualization distorts the gospel.

Fill in the Blank6. Complete the biblical metaphor: God as Father, sin as broken relationship, response as becoming a child of God.

7. Complete the biblical metaphor: Jesus as Priest, Jesus’ act of reconciliation, sinful state as separated/impure.

8. Every gospel presentation essentially says something about Jesus (or God), blessings, and the correct response.

9. A gospel metaphor for our salvation blessings could be peace/union/regeneration/adoption/justification/sanctification/redemption/reconciliation/freedom/regeneration (accept one).

10. In the gospels, the apostles shared the gospel with gentiles by starting with common ground.

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Chapter 4 - Evangelism to Postmoderns

True/False1. In the modern age, the individual can be neutral, detached, and unbiased. True2. Authenticity is essential to evangelism in the postmodern age. True3. Traditions and rituals are highly valued in the modern age. False4. Postmodernists accept everyone’s truth but there is a hierarchy of higher and lower truths.

False5. Postmodernists believe that all religions are valid and essentially the same. True6. Modernists privileged Caucasian males in leadership. True 7. The subjectivity of the individual is most acknowledged by modernists. False8. Truth is regarded as suspicious in the modern age. False9. Intolerance is the worst kind of evil for postmodernists. True10. Authenticity and stories appeal to a postmodern audience. True

Multiple Choice1. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of the modern age?A) Truth is discovered when our methods are unbiased.B) Truth is universal.C) The noetic structure is foundationalism.D) appropriation and inter-textuality

2. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of postmodernism? A) Certainty of knowledge is possible and attainable.B) The individual is influenced and biased. C) coherentismD) no universal truth

3. In a postmodern age, universal truth is seen as A) suspicious and mistrustedB) esteemed and valued C) sought after and achievable D) empowering and optimistic

4. In the modern age certainty of truth isA) impossibleB) limited by perspectiveC) discoverable

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D) ignorant

5. Postmodernists are least convinced to accept truth by:A) traditionB) feelingsC) proofD) experiences

Fill in the Blank6. In the age of modernity, the scientist was highly valued.

7. Postmodernity suggests that “I,” the knower, am subjective/biased/ influenced.

8. There is a mistrust of organized religion, governments, and other authorities.

9. A helpful sin metaphor for the postmodern person is self-righteousness, shame, idolatry.

10. The postmodernist must see the Christian life as liveable before they see it as believable and true.

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Chapter 5 - Contextualization for Evangelism

True/False1. The gospel is universal and normative for all peoples, all times, and all places. True2. Emotional concerns may consciously or unconsciously impact how we read the Bible.

True3. An evangelist’s choice of clothing is a form of contextualization. True4. Under-adapting the gospel is safer than over-adapting the gospel. False5. The gospel is always in opposition to the culture. False6. Analogies make the gospel more plausible to an audience. True7. When we present the gospel we must challenge the culture but not enter it. False8. The gospel has the same applications in every culture. False9. By considering a culture’s storyline we gain a diachronic reading of their culture. True10. If a gospel presentation works in one culture it will work in another? False

Multiple Choice1. The gospel is NOTA) transculturalB) enculturedC) aculturalD) universal

2. If a gospel presentation appeals to a wide variety of cultures it will likely beA) more effectiveB) too genericC) highly contextualizedD) more engaging

3. Cultural hermeneutics involvesA) exegesis of the BibleB) exegesis of the culture we are reaching C) exegesis of the evangelist’s cultureD) all of the above

4. If a gospel presentation is over-adapted it will be A) offensiveB) inoffensiveC) confusing

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D) precise

5. Redemptive analogiesA) prove the gospel’s truth claimB) make the gospel less plausibleC) are a means not an end to our evangelismD) cannot be found in every culture

Fill in the Blank6. We need to contextualize the gospel so it can be understood and be heard in a culturally appropriately way.

7. When a gospel presentation under-adapts, we end up with legalism/colonialism from our own culture.

8. When a gospel presentation over-adapts we risk syncretism with their culture.

9. If the gospel interpretation is under-adapted the audience is uninformed, but if it is over-adapted the audience is misinformed.

10. When we enter and challenge a culture we have made the gospel understood and necessarily offensive.

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Chapter 6 - Gospel-Cultural Hermeneutics

True/False1. A cultural text communicates something about our values. True2. God’s common grace means every storyline will have elements that can be entered. True3. Due to universal human sinfulness, every culture will have elements of their storyline that need to be challenged. True4. The gospel does not answer the existential cry of all cultures. False5. A combination of the W Spectrum approaches can be used in one culture. True6. Evangelism using W1 and W2 models helps the culture see the freedom following Jesus

offers. False7. Paul immediately tells the Athenians they need to remove their idols. False8. Dissonance involves empathizing with a cultural storyline. False9. We seek to enter and challenge a culture so we can show how the gospel fulfills it. True10. Sharing Jesus as the true fulfillment will come naturally and not require any thought or

creativity. False

Multiple Choice1. Which model of sin would you use for a culture in the W1 Spectrum? A) falling shortB) brokennessC) idolatry D) transgression

2. Which W Spectrum involves abandoning its inferior storyline and replacing it with Jesus?A) W1B) W2 C) W3D) W4

3. Our first step in evangelism is toA) oppose the cultureB) condemn the sin C) challenge the worldview D) find common ground

4. Deconstructing a cultural storyline does not involveA) revealing contradictions

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B) introducing JesusC) finding deficienciesD) explaining dissonance

5. Empathizing with a cultural storyline does not involveA) feeling the emotion behind the storylineB) seeing the attraction of the storylineC) knowing why the audience wants it to be trueD) mock their deficiencies and dissonance

Fill in the Blank6. W3 workers show how Christ transforms people in their culture.

7. W2 workers operate with the idolatry model of sin.

8. Paul effectively modeled how to enter, challenge, and fulfill a cultural storyline.

9. We should speak the gospel using the culture’s motifs/metaphors.

10. In Acts 17, Paul used a cultural artifact/grave to link to their existential cry.

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Chapter 7 - Storytelling the Gospel

True/False1. Most people are abstract learners. False2. Story-telling involves memorizing the Bible passage word for word. False3. Simplifying words in the story to suit the audience would alter the biblical meaning. False4. Adding a comment to the story helps the audience understand the story. False5. Adding expression and actions to the drama helps tell the story. True6. You gain a deeper appreciation for the nuances of the Bible stories as you memorize and

re-tell them. True7. Story-telling encourages people to generate questions from their own context. True8. It is important for everyone to have their Bible open during story-telling. False9. The story-teller should answer all the questions. False10. Stories ask the listener to suspend disbelief. True

Multiple Choice1. Which best describes concrete-relational learners?A) oral learners, practicalB) literal learners, love stories C) theoretical and propositionalD) universal to particular

2. Which is NOT true of story-telling?A) Concepts are explained without terminology.B) The listener suspends judgment.C) It matches the genre of the gospel.D) It encourages monologue.

3. Re-telling the story allows listeners toA) imagine the storyB) remember the story C) retell the story D) all of the above

4. One way to combat fear of answering questions isA) inductive Bible studiesB) peer-to-peer discussion C) talk in monologue

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D) set questions

5. Abstract learnersA) are the majority of the Western worldB) are the majority of the non-Western worldC) feel impatient with stories D) feel patronized by explanations

Fill in the Blank6. An abstract learner prefers propositional, ideational, and theoretical learning.

7. Stories make the listener see the world through the narrator’s worldview.

8. Stories communicate concepts without actually using the complicated associated words.

9. Safe questions are those with no wrong answer.

10. Orthopraxy should not be confused with orthodoxy, form with content, pedagogy with theology.

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Chapter 8 - How to Give Evangelistic Topical Talks

True/False1. The Bible itself is a big topical talk. True2. There is only one effective method in preaching. False3. Expository preaching is more God-centered than topical preaching. False4. Discussion about ‘expository verses topical preaching’ is based on a false dichotomy.

True5. Topical preaching breaks rules of theological orthodoxy. False6. “Word of God” refers only to the written text found in the Bible. False7. We describe the audiences’ cultural storyline when we resonate with them. True8. There will always be a dissonance or deficiency in a worldview. True9. Our talk is more contextualized when we aim our talk at a generic non-Christian.

False10. The more contextualized our talk, the less people it will speak to. True

Multiple Choice1. Which is NOT a helpful technique for evangelistic topical talks?A) alternating between concrete and abstract statementsB) using winsome, self-deprecating storiesC) expose the bad motives that brought people along D) look for a point of resonance

2. The body of a topical talk needs to have a point of dissonance. This goal isA) to destabilize our audiences’ cultural storylineB) to point out a deficiency in the audiences’ worldviewC) to make them feel they have a problemD) all of the above

3. Which is not one of the Five Building Blocks of Communication?A) Illustrate itB) Prove itC) Give an exampleD) State the idea

4. Illustrations should not beA) winsomeB) self-deprecatingC) serious

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D) abstract

5. In the body of a topical talk you should move fromA) Resonance, Dissonance, Gospel fulfillmentB) Resonance, Bridge, Gospel solutionC) Dissonance, Jesus solution, ResonanceD) Resonance, Big idea, Gospel solution

Fill in the Blank6. Expository and topical preaching both have elements of exposition of the text.

7. Choosing between expository or topical preaching is a matter of pedagogy, not orthodoxy.

8. The variation in mood from illustration to example makes the examples even more hard hitting.

9. Step one in writing a topical talk moves like this: topic issue argument.

10. The Bible itself is one big topical talk.

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Chapter 9 - How to Give Evangelistic Expository Talks

True/False1. Christians are not expected to give evangelistic expository talks. False2. In every Bible talk there is a dialectic between the “world of the text” and the “world

of the hearer”. True3. A “hostile” audience may require more time establishing common ground before we

give the gospel message in a talk. True4. There is only one “Big Idea” for a given biblical text. False5. The Bumper Sticker Big Idea uses the tools of contextualization. True6. Evangelistic expository preaching is as much an art as it is a science. True7. Preaching narratives usually includes retelling, explaining, and applying the story.

True.8. The proportion of the elements in an expository narrative talk change according to

time available. False9. Each building block of communication has complementary, but different functions,

genres, and moods. True10. There is no difference between preaching from narrative or Epistles. False

Multiple Choice1. The focus of an evangelistic sermon for working parents on a Friday night should be onA) retelling the storyB) explaining the storyC) applying the storyD) none of the above

2. The theological “Big Idea” is asking:A) What do I want the audience to remember?B) What is this talk saying?C) What timeless truth is the biblical author saying?D) What is the biblical author saying?

3. An existential question addressesA) what the audience must do to be savedB) the need to hear the gospel messageC) the personal desire of the audience to listenD) what the passage is talking about

4. Which is not relevant in a Sinner’s Prayer?

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A) confession of sinB) thankfulness for Jesus and his worksC) asking for salvationD) conclude with the Lord’s Prayer

5. A wedding sermon should avoidA) using stories from the coupleB) being a conventional Bible talkC) an explicitly Christian messageD) affirming the couple wanted a Bible talk

Fill in the Blank6. The Five Building Blocks of Communication include: statement, illustration, explanation,

examples, and payload/application.

7. The Bumper Sticker Big Idea is what we want the audience to remember.

8. The existential question functions as the question which the rest of the talk will answer.

9. The “Big Idea” is the organizing principle for the body of the talk.

10. One possible three-point structure for an expository sermon could be Resonance, Dissonance, Gospel Fulfillment.

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Chapter 10 - Religious Epistemology, Apologetics, and Defeater Beliefs

True/False1. Evidence is crucial for the journey of belief. False2. Claims that are not verifiable by logic or evidence rely on the testimony of others. True3. Pathos refers to the path of belief based on fact. False4. It is enough to transfer information when we evangelize. False5. The same evidence can be used to support opposing views. True6. Our rational minds control and can dictate what is true, not our emotions. False7. Evidence can be interpreted and shaped to fit a preconceived worldview. True8. The Spirit works through natural human means in evangelism. True9. Social forces, promotions, and crisis are levers that help in the evangelistic process. True10. God uses our humanity to communicate His gospel. True

Multiple Choice1. When we lack perfect knowledge or expertise we rarelyA) seek out more evidence/factsB) rely on the testimony of othersC) rely on personal experienceD) judge the Pathos and Ethos of the person telling us a claim

2. Evidence that conflicts with our worldview is rarelyA) assumed to be a mistakeB) needing further evidence before acceptingC) considered a hoaxD) accepted as truth

3. Which is not true about Presuppositionalism?A) The Spirit independently does the work of conversion.B) Evidence is not enough to lead us to a saving belief.C) Apologetics are considered optimistically.D) The Christian worldview is presumed.

4. A soft theodicyA) explains that free-will alone is the reason for sufferingB) gives multiple reasons for suffering in a person’s lifeC) claims we don’t know God’s reasons for sufferingD) is pastorally insensitive

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5. Which is not true about cultural texts?A) They can be books, podcasts, or multimedia.B) Secular texts can borrow from the transcendent Christian worldview.C) They help establish common ground and respect with an audience.D) They can be used to attack the unbeliever’s worldview.

Fill in the Blank6. A hard theodicy tries to specify reasons God has for allowing suffering.

7. Positive apologetics seeks to promote the gospel by giving reasons for believing.

8. Be humble about your own methods of evangelism and generous to those who differ.

9. Christians are divided into two dominant approaches to apologetics: evidentialism and presuppositionalism.

10. We actively shape and interpret evidence to fit our pre-conceived worldview.

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Sample SyllabusCourse description:

Jesus commissions his disciples to “go and make disciples” (Matt 28:19); Peter exhorts, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have” (1 Pet 3:15); and Paul laments, “How can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard?” (Rom 10:14). As Christians, we have a commission, exhortation, and passion to evangelize. This course aims to enable students to become competent evangelists in their specific cultural settings.

At the conclusion of this course students should be able to:

understand the theology of evangelism appreciate the cultural context in which we evangelize evaluate, compare, and critique various models of evangelism develop skills in presenting and defending the gospel, using a variety of methods and

media in ways specifically appropriate for a particular culture

This outline is modeled on fourteen teaching weeks with three contact hours per week. It can be adjusted to suit any seminary. Assessments can be selected and inserted later.

Week 1

1. Course Introduction and Assessment2. What is Evangelism? 3. What Is the Gospel?

Week 2

1. Regeneration and Conversion2. Roles and Models of Evangelism3. Plausibility Structures

Read Chan Chapter 1

Week 3

1. Everyday Evangelism Strategies 1-22. Everyday Evangelism Strategies 3-43. Everyday Evangelism Strategies 5-6

Read Chan Chapter 2Quiz #1 Due

Week 4

1. Gospel Presentations2. Gospel Metaphors3. Critique Common Gospel Presentations

Read Chan Chapter 3Quiz #2 Due

Week 5

1. Modernism vs Postmodernism2. Christianity in a Postmodern Age3. Evangelism to Postmodernists

Read Chan Chapter 4Quiz #3 Due

Week 6

1. Gospel and Culture 2. Gospel Teller as Encultured3. Over-adaption & Under-adaption

Read Chan Chapter 5Quiz #4 Due

Week 7

1. Systems of Thought, Themes, Storyline2. Theological Justification for Contextualization3. Method for Contextualization

Read Chan Chapter 5Quiz #5 Due

Mid-term Assessment

Week 8

1. Gospel-Cultural Hermeneutics2. Enter, Challenge, Fulfill3. The W Spectrum

Read Chan Chapter 6

Week 9

1. Learning Styles2. Tell the Gospel with Story-telling

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3. Leading the DiscussionRead Chan Chapter 7Quiz #6 Due

Week 10

1. Practical: Students Perform Story-Telling to ClassStudents to submit storyboard and present to classQuiz #7 Due

Week 11

1. Arguments For and Against Topical Preaching2. Preparing an Evangelistic Topical Talk3. Five Building Blocks of Communication

Read Chan Chapter 8

Week 12

1. Expository Talk: Big Ideas2. Narrative vs Epistles3. Structure

Read Chan Chapter 9Quiz #8 Due

Week 13

1. Religious Epistemology2. Evidentialism and Presuppositionalism3. Cumulative Case Method and Modified Presuppositionalism

Read Chan Chapter 10Quiz #9 Due

Week 14

1. Defeater Beliefs2. Hostile to Loyal3. Review

Read Chan Chapter 10Quiz #10 Due

Final Assessment

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Midterm and Final Exams

Name: _________________

Evangelism in a Skeptical WorldMidterm exam – with answers

Each question is worth two points

True/False1. Evangelism includes preaching. True

2. An over-emphasis on God’s sovereignty could lead to over-reliance on our own gifts.

False

3. An over-emphasis on human responsibility could lead to a guilt for not evangelizing

enough. True

4. We can ensure people become Christians by applying multiple evangelism strategies.

False

5. Evidence is usually the most influential source for shifting someone’s beliefs. False

6. There are two main components of sin: horizontal and vertical. False

7. The word “sin” has changed its meaning over time so that it is not always helpful to

use it in gospel presentations. True

8. Presenting the gospel in a variety of ways broadens our own theological

understanding and vocabulary. True

9. Traditions, rituals, and tribal identities are most valued by modernists. False

10. Intolerance is the worst kind of evil for postmodernists. True

11. The gospel is universal and normative for all peoples, all times, and all places. True

12. Emotional concerns may consciously or unconsciously impact how we read the Bible.

True

13. An evangelist’s choice of clothing is a form of contextualization. True

14. Due to universal human sinfulness, every culture will have elements of their storyline

that need to be challenged. True

15. The gospel does not answer the existential cry of all cultures. False

16. Evangelists are responsible for the internal call of the gospel. False

17. All who hear the gospel will believe. False

18. Evangelism comes naturally to most people. False

19. Discussions in the phenomenal realm are a good starting point over coffee. True

20. Your testimony proclaims the gospel. True

21. We need to begin with Scripture when wanting to find common ground. False

22. Without the horizontal component of sin it is hard to explain why God has to punish

us. False

23. Traditions and rituals are highly valued in the modern age. False

24. Postmodernists accept everyone’s truth but there is a hierarchy of higher and lower

truths. False

25. Postmodernists believe that all religions are valid and essentially the same. True

26. Under-adapting the gospel is safer than over-adapting the gospel. False

27. The gospel is always in opposition to the culture. False

28. We seek to enter and challenge a culture so we can show how the gospel fulfills it.

True

Multiple Choice

29. Graham Cole suggests three models of conversion. They are:A) the rebel, the zealot, and the believer-since-infancyB) the manger, the cross, the kingC) the cognitive thinker, intuitive thinker, or the concrete-relational thinkerD) the individual, the family, and the community

30. A person comes to faith byA) the internal call of GodB) the external call of other peopleC) the hearing of the gospelD) all of the above

31. When listening to someone’s story we should:A) think how to bring in your storyB) critique and judge their worldviewC) listen, understand, empathizeD) find their worldviews flaws

32. Which of the following is NOT a metaphor for sin?A) transgressionB) falling shortC) sorrowD) iniquity

33. In a postmodern age, universal truth is seen as:

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A) suspicious and mistrustedB) esteemed and valued C) sought after and achievable D) empowering and optimistic

34. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of the modern age?A) Truth is discovered when our methods are unbiased.B) Truth is universal.C) The noetic structure is foundationalism.D) appropriation and inter-textuality

35. The gospel is NOT:A) transculturalB) enculturedC) aculturalD) universal

36. If a gospel presentation appeals to a wide variety of cultures it will likely be:A) more effectiveB) too genericC) highly contextualizedD) more engaging

37. Our first step in evangelism is to:A) oppose the cultureB) condemn the sin C) challenge the worldview D) find common ground

38. An over-emphasis on God’s sovereignty in evangelism could lead to:A) boredomB) despairC) exhaustionD) laziness

39. Plausibility structures are accepted beliefs, convictions, and understandings based on:A) communityB) experienceC) facts, evidence, and dataD) all of the above

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40. The Western worlds sacred-secular divide A) encourages helpful theological debateB) allows us to share our faith easily C) leads to de-facto closed countriesD) deteriorates friendships

Fill in the Blank41. Complete the biblical metaphor: God as Father, sin as broken relationship, response

as becoming a child of God.

42. Evangelism is defined by its message, not its methodology, medium, or audience.

43. Plausibility structures are the beliefs and convictions that determine whether we

accept or reject truth claims.

44. In the age of modernity, the scientist was highly valued.

45. When a gospel presentation over-adapts we risk syncretism with their culture.

46. The “sky is blue” fits into Immanuel Kant’s phenomenal realm.

47. If the emphasis in evangelism in on human responsibility, we will become

overburdened with guilt and despair at the lack of response or feel disappointed with

our inadequate gifts.

48. Every gospel presentation essentially says something about Jesus (or God), blessings,

and the correct response.

49. The postmodernist must see the Christian life as liveable before they see it as believable and true.

50. When a gospel presentation under-adapts, we end up with legalism/colonialism from our own culture.

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Name: _________________

Evangelism in a Skeptical WorldFinal exam – with answers

Each question is worth two points

True/False1. Due to universal human sinfulness, every culture will have elements of their storyline

that need to be challenged. True2. The gospel does not answer the existential cry of all cultures. False3. A combination of the W Spectrum approaches can be used in one culture. True4. We seek to enter and challenge a culture so we can show how the gospel fulfills it.

True5. Sharing Jesus as the true fulfillment will come naturally and not require any thought

or creativity. False6. Most people are abstract learners. False7. Story-telling involves memorizing the Bible passage word for word. False8. Simplifying words in the story to suit the audience would alter the biblical meaning.

False9. Adding expression and actions to the drama helps tell the story. True10. You gain a deeper appreciation for the nuances of the Bible stories as you memorize

and re-tell them. True11. There is only one effective method in preaching. False12. Expository preaching is more God-centered than topical preaching. False13. We describe the audiences’ cultural storyline when we resonate with them. True14. There will always be a dissonance or deficiency in a worldview. True15. Our talk is more contextualized when we aim our talk at a generic non-Christian.

False16. A ‘hostile’ audience may require more time establishing common ground before we

give the gospel message in a talk. True17. There is only one big idea for a given biblical text. False18. The proportion of the elements in an expository narrative talk change according to

time available. False19. There is no difference between preaching from narrative or Epistles. False20. Pathos refers to the path of belief based on fact. False21. It is enough to transfer information when we evangelize. False22. The same evidence can be used to support opposing views. True23. Our rational minds control and can dictate what is true, not our emotions. False24. Evidence can be interpreted and shaped to fit a preconceived worldview. True

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Multiple Choice

25. Which W Spectrum involves abandoning its inferior storyline and replacing it with Jesus?

A) W1B) W2 C) W3D) W4

26. Our first step in evangelism is to:A) oppose the cultureB) condemn the sin C) challenge the worldview D) find common ground

27. Deconstructing a cultural storyline does not involve:A) revealing contradictionsB) introducing JesusC) finding deficienciesD) explaining dissonance

28. Which best describes concrete-relational learners?A) oral learners, practicalB) literal learners, love stories C) theoretical and propositionalD) universal to particular

29. Abstract learners:A) are the majority of the Western worldB) are the majority of the non-Western worldC) feel impatient with stories D) feel patronized by explanations

30. Which is NOT a helpful technique for evangelistic topical talks?A) alternating between concrete and abstract statementsB) using winsome, self-deprecating storiesC) exposing the bad motives that brought people along D) looking for a point of resonance

31. Which is not one of the Five Building Blocks of Communication?A) Illustrate it

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B) Prove itC) Give an exampleD) State the idea

32. Illustrations should not be:A) winsomeB) self-deprecatingC) seriousD) abstract

33. The focus of an evangelistic sermon for working parents on a Friday night should be on:

A) retelling the storyB) explaining the storyC) applying the storyD) none of the above

34. The Theological Big Idea is asking:A) What do I want the audience to remember?B) What is this talk saying?C) What timeless truth is the biblical author saying?D) What is the biblical author saying?

35. When we lack perfect knowledge or expertise we rarely:A) seek out more evidence/factsB) rely on the testimony of othersC) rely on personal experienceD) judge the Pathos and Ethos of the person telling us a claim

36. Evidence that conflicts with our worldview is rarely:A) assumed to be a mistakeB) needs further evidence before acceptingC) considered a hoaxD) accepted as truth

37. A Soft Theodicy:A) explains that free-will alone is the reason for sufferingB) gives multiple reasons for suffering in a person’s lifeC) claims we don’t know God’s reasons for sufferingD) is pastorally insensitive

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Fill in the Blank38. In Acts 17, Paul used a cultural artifact/grave to link to their existential cry.

39. W3 workers show how Christ transforms people in their culture.

40. An abstract learner prefers propositional, ideational, and theoretical learning.

41. Orthopraxy should not be confused with orthodoxy, form with content, pedagogy

with theology.

42. Safe questions are those with no wrong answer.

43. Choosing between expository or topical preaching is a matter of pedagogy, not

orthodoxy.

44. The variation in mood from illustration to example makes the examples even more

hard hitting.

45. The Five Building Blocks of Communication include: statement, illustration,

explanation, examples, and payload/application.

46. The Big Idea is the organizing principle for the body of the talk.

47. A Hard theodicy tries to specify reasons God has for allowing suffering.

48. Christians are divided into two dominant approaches to apologetics: evidentialism and

presuppositionalism.

49. We actively shape and interpret evidence to fit our pre-conceived worldview.

50. The Bible itself is one big topical talk.

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