Cultural Intelligence: Living for God in a Diverse, Pluralistic World

Cultural intelligence requires that we understand the changing world around us, and engage these changes in ways that edify the church and winsomely seek after the lost. InCultural Intelligence, Darrell L. Bock builds a theology of cultural engagement, and equips readers to relate well to their culture with an eye on the example set by Paul in the New Testament. This timely book will highlight the need to center our beliefs and practices around God?s word while interacting well with a culture that is increasingly detached from biblical truth.  Review?Driven by an urgency for the Church fulfilling its mandate to make disciples of all nations, Darrell Bock presents the need for evangelistic engagement that reflects a cultural intelligence characterized by conviction, conscientiousness, compassion, and contextualization. It?s an important read for all who seek missional effectiveness in these changing times.?-Claude Alexander, senior pastor, The Park Church, Charlotte, NC   ?Many Christians today are experiencing a ?cultural concussion.? Frustrated that they?ve lost something from the past and no longer sure of where they are, Christians in the West find themselves grasping to get their bearings and fearful of an uncertain future. Unsure of how to proceed, the temptation for the church is to either ?come out swinging? or retreat to the safe confines of their own communities. Cultural Intelligence offers a different way forward, which includes both a cure and a calling: a gospel that connects us to God and transforms our whole lives-not only what we believe, but also who we are, what we say, and how we say it. Darrell Bock is a world-class New Testament scholar with a pastor?s heart, a doctor with a bedside manner, who helps us not only get our biblical bearings but also shows us how the church can recalibrate our approach to become a field hospital for sinners.?-Joshua D. Chatraw, executive director, Center for Public Christianity, and theologian-in-residence, Holy Trinity Anglican Church   ?Dr. Darrell Bock?s challenge in Cultural Intelligence is a critically needed and gentle course correction for the church in America today if we ever hope to bridge the sacred-secular divide. He convincingly admonishes us from six key New Testament passages to become ambassadors of reconciliation, introducing complicated modern lives to the truth of the Bible, not the other way around, with a gentle and respectful tone. He reminds us that engagement?s purpose is to get a hearing for the gospel which offers a despairing culture a powerful hope. Dr. Bock?s approach to engaging the American culture, minus the Judeo-Christian safety net, resembles the thoughtful and intentional preparation of a cross-cultural foreign missionary serving in a creative access country.?  -Mike Chupp, chief executive officer, Christian Medical & Dental Associations   ?Darrell Bock addresses in readable fashion the ways in which we have engaged as Christians in culture wars, pointing out that there is little evidence to prove we?ve won any of them. I often talk about the most effective approach being one of a firm center and soft edges. Cultural Intelligence takes this thought and goes deep, giving us the big picture and practical advice on staying biblically rooted (firm center) and engaging with charity (soft edges). Darrell provides an antidote to so many of the ineffective ways in which Christians have navigated the complexities and culture wars of our day, such as firm center and harsh edges or spongy center and soft edges. This book strikes the right balance of being full of grace and truth.?-Barry H. Corey, president, Biola University   ?Very few people in public life have given more thought to the way our Christian faith influences the way we think about our world more than Darrell Bock. This is why this book is a must-read for pastors, leaders, and anyone wanting to be faithful in this faithless age. Too often we