Bearing the Witness of the Spirit: Lesslie Newbigin's Theology of Cultural Plurality (Our Gospel and 0ur Culture)

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Summary: Review of Hunsberger's "Bearing the Witness"
Review: Any serious researcher of Lesslie Newbigin's missiological writings cannot go around George Hunsberger's keen analysis in the book, "Bearing the Witness of the Spirit." You must go through it. It is essential reading. Hunsberger, a noted and respected scholar of the highest calibre, argues in this book that the doctrine of election is the key through which Newbigin's "theology of cultural plurality" (the subtitle) is best understood. The ground-breaking work in this book, which competently interprets Newbigin's philosophy and theology, has been well-received and highly regarded within British academics and universities. If you are serious about understanding Newbigin, then this book will be an indispensable part of your library as Hunsberger ably and masterfully takes his reader through the plethora of Newbigin's writings. I highly recommend this book and its author.

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Summary: Newbigin, Neo-Kuperianism, and Hunsberger
Review: As a committed neo-Kuyperian (hired to teach more than 150 university students the neo-Kuyperian worldview each year), whose doctoral dissertation is on Lesslie Newbigin, and who organized a colloquium for discussion between Newbigin and 25 of the leading neo-Kuyperian scholars in the world, in the interest of fairness and justice (not to say Christian charity), I must protest the book review of Gregory Turner. George Hunsberger's book is an able treatment of Newbigin's thought. I quote a sentence from my (invited and refereed!) review of Newbigin's book in the 'International Bulletin of Missionary Research': "[Hunsberger's] book is clearly written, highly nuanced, and brimming with insight into the structure of Newbigin's theology and into a number of significant issues discussed in missiology today" (IBMR. 23, 2, April 1999, p.80). And, by the way, Bavinck's book 'Between Temple and Mosque' is an outstanding book as well! It, however, does not deal with cultural pluralism but with religious pluralism.

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Summary: Firm foundations for a missional view of cultural plurality
Review: Hunsberger provides an excellent summary of the complex, provocative, and important missiological writings of Lesslie Newbigin. The thesis is that Newbigin broke new ground biblically and missionally by founding his view of cultural plurality within the election of God. I found this thesis to be both informative and convincing as an important starting place for conversations about the diversity of cultures and religious viewpoints we encounter within our world. This book weaves together materials from the numerous writings of Newbigin and provides the reader with a helpful guide for understanding this important author and his unique point of view. Anyone serious about addressing the issue of cultural plurality needs to include this book as a must read.