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Rating: 
Summary: Connect with what people really believe!
Review: Don't be misled by the title. Don't be tempted to think this is a book only for missionaries ministering in contexts of tribal societies or among Folk Catholics, Muslims etc. What this book deals with is a plethora of religious ideas and questions that you will confront in any society, urban, rural or tribal. It is concerned with the everyday problems and issues experienced or sensed by ordinary people in any culture, and how they answer them with their folk beliefs (within or outside the stream of organized religion) -- what the writers call the "middle zone" between the high level divine/supernatural realm and the material/tangible world. The book looks at how Christians can address the questions people raise about this middle zone and it deals with four main areas: (1)What is the meaning of life, and how the living must contend with the problems of death; (2) The "good life" of health, prosperity, safety, welfare and progeny/descendents in the face of poverty, ill health, suffering, danger, disaster, infant mortality etc; (3) Concern for knowledge of the past, understanding of the present and insight into the future, in order to know how to live; and (4) Questions of morality, right and wrong. I highly recommend this book. It is comprehensive in scope, theological as well as missiological, and above all it is practical and well illustrated with mini "case studies" and examples from the cultures the three authors are familiar with.
Rating:
Summary: Make sure the Gospel answers THEIR Questions
Review: Don't be misled by the title. Don't be tempted to think this is a book only for missionaries ministering in contexts of tribal societies or among folk religionists. What this book deals with is a plethora of religious ideas and questions that are commont in any society, whether urban, rural or tribal. It is concerned with the everyday problems and issues experienced or sensed by ordinary people in any culture, and how they answer them with their folk beliefs (within or outside the stream of organized religion). The book addresses what the writers call the "middle zone" between the high-level divine/supernatural realm and the material/tangible world. The book looks at how Christians can address the nitty-gritty questions people raise about life and how they seek answers in this middle zone. It deals with four main areas: (1)What is the meaning of life, and how can the living contend with the problems of death; (2) We all desire it, but how can we assure the "good life" of health, prosperity, safety, welfare and progeny/descendents in the face of poverty, ill health, suffering, danger, disaster, infant mortality etc; (3) Everyone is concerned with their past, and wants to understand the present and gain insights into the future, in order to know how to live; and (4) We all have questions of morality, what is right and what is wrong. Understanding Folk Religion gets to grips with these basic questions. It is comprehensive in scope, theological and missiological, but above all it is practical and well illustrated with mini "case studies" and examples from the cultures the three authors are familiar with in Melanesia, Asia, Africa and North America.
Rating:
Summary: Connect with what people really believe!
Review: Don't be misled by the title. Don't be tempted to think this is a book only for missionaries ministering in contexts of tribal societies or among Folk Catholics, Muslims etc. What this book deals with is a plethora of religious ideas and questions that you will confront in any society, urban, rural or tribal. It is concerned with the everyday problems and issues experienced or sensed by ordinary people in any culture, and how they answer them with their folk beliefs (within or outside the stream of organized religion) -- what the writers call the "middle zone" between the high level divine/supernatural realm and the material/tangible world. The book looks at how Christians can address the questions people raise about this middle zone and it deals with four main areas: (1)What is the meaning of life, and how the living must contend with the problems of death; (2) The "good life" of health, prosperity, safety, welfare and progeny/descendents in the face of poverty, ill health, suffering, danger, disaster, infant mortality etc; (3) Concern for knowledge of the past, understanding of the present and insight into the future, in order to know how to live; and (4) Questions of morality, right and wrong. I highly recommend this book. It is comprehensive in scope, theological as well as missiological, and above all it is practical and well illustrated with mini "case studies" and examples from the cultures the three authors are familiar with.
Rating:
Summary: Make sure the Gospel answers THEIR Questions
Review: Don't be misled by the title. Don't be tempted to think this is a book only for missionaries ministering in contexts of tribal societies or among folk religionists. What this book deals with is a plethora of religious ideas and questions that are commont in any society, whether urban, rural or tribal. It is concerned with the everyday problems and issues experienced or sensed by ordinary people in any culture, and how they answer them with their folk beliefs (within or outside the stream of organized religion). The book addresses what the writers call the "middle zone" between the high-level divine/supernatural realm and the material/tangible world. The book looks at how Christians can address the nitty-gritty questions people raise about life and how they seek answers in this middle zone. It deals with four main areas: (1)What is the meaning of life, and how can the living contend with the problems of death; (2) We all desire it, but how can we assure the "good life" of health, prosperity, safety, welfare and progeny/descendents in the face of poverty, ill health, suffering, danger, disaster, infant mortality etc; (3) Everyone is concerned with their past, and wants to understand the present and gain insights into the future, in order to know how to live; and (4) We all have questions of morality, what is right and what is wrong. Understanding Folk Religion gets to grips with these basic questions. It is comprehensive in scope, theological and missiological, but above all it is practical and well illustrated with mini "case studies" and examples from the cultures the three authors are familiar with in Melanesia, Asia, Africa and North America.
Rating:
Summary: needed insights for theologions and missionaries
Review: This book is a great eye opener for those studying religion and missions. Everyone involved in (cross cultural) ministry needs to reflect on his or her own christian worldview and come to the understanding of the influence of western culture on western theology. This book is from an anthropological perspective well documented on folkreligion and from an evangelical theological perspective well balanced in dealing with the occult. In a curriculum for worldreligion this book is included in a christian bible college in the Netherlands, not only for missionstudents; all students in ministry need this subject on how religion from below affects the daily practises of people.
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