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When I heard about IVP’s release of “The Next Evangelicalism: Freeing the Church from Western Cultural Captivity” by Soong-Chan Rah, I was eager to read it.  The publisher explains the book as follows:

The future is now. Philip Jenkins has chronicled how the next Christendom has shifted away from the Western church toward the global South and East. Likewise, changing demographics mean that North American society will accelerate its diversity in terms of race, ethnicity and culture. But evangelicalism has long been held captive by its predominantly white cultural identity and history.

In this book professor and pastor Soong-Chan Rah calls the North American church to escape its captivity to Western cultural trappings and to embrace a new evangelicalism that is diverse and multiethnic. Rah brings keen analysis to the limitations of American Christianity and shows how captivity to Western individualism and materialism has played itself out in megachurches and emergent churches alike. Many white churches are in crisis and ill-equipped to minister to new cultural realities, but immigrant, ethnic and multiethnic churches are succeeding and flourishing.

This prophetic report casts a vision for a dynamic evangelicalism that fully embodies the cultural realities of the twenty-first century. Spiritual renewal is happening within the North American church, from corners and margins not always noticed by those in the center. Come, discover the vitality of the next evangelicalism.

I had the privilege to engage “Prof Rah” in a brief interview about the book.  I hope you enjoy!

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Jamie Arpin-Ricci: Why did you write this book on this topic?  Why do believe it is so important (especially now)?

Soong-Chan Rah: The book arises out of my experience as a pastor, a professor, and as a participant/observer of American culture and the evangelical subculture.  I also write out of my experience as an immigrant and as someone who has grown up in the context of the immigrant church and also steeped in the evangelical culture. I grew up as an evangelical and my life and identity in North America is shaped by evangelicalism.  My motivation is out of a deep concern and love for Christ’s church and to see the church prepared for the next stage of Christianity in the West.

In the past 100 years, Christianity has shifted rapidly from a Western, white dominant Christianity to a much more global Christianity.  In the same way, American evangelicalism is seeing a change in its demographics – American Christianity is becoming less white and more mutliethnic.  Yet, many of the systems and assumptions of evangelicalism are still rooted in Western, white culture.  A greater awareness of the obstacles to a multiethnic church (an increasingly popular topic of discussion) and a healthy multicultural society is needed.

A few months ago, two different national publications covered the issue of the decline/demise of Christianity in North America.  Neither of those articles took into account the reality of a changing demographics of American evangelicalism.  American Christianity is still seen as a white, middle-class, suburban phenomena.  We need to see more and more examples of American Christianity drawn from the Black Church, from the immigrant church, and from genuinely multi-ethnic communities.

JAR: Issues of diversity & white privilege are slowly gaining center-stage among Christians.  Why do think this is happening now?

SCR: One major reason is the new sociological reality in North America.  My children’s school on the North Side of Chicago has over 50 different languages and over 70 different people groups.  While their school is on the high end of diversity, we are seeing more and more diverse communities.  For example, DuPage County in the western suburbs of Chicago (which historically has been a predominantly white suburban community) has experienced a 94% increase in the immigrant population between 1990 and 2000.  Even some rural communities are experiencing the influx of non-white, oftentimes immigrant residents.  We are experiencing American society becoming truly multi-ethnically, but also culturally.  The church is actually a few decades behind.  We need to be aware that these changes are happening at a rapid rate and be ready to deal with these changes.  I think as we encounter the reality of a rapidly diversifying society and church, it is natural that questions regarding white privilege, power, and racism come up.  I wouldn’t ask the question: Why now?  Instead, I would ask, why didn’t we talk about these issues a long time ago?  We’re actually entering into the conversation pretty late.

JAR: Were there any aspects of the topic that you hoped to address in the book, but were not able to?

SCR: This book focuses on the need for change in American culture and American Christianity.  Much of the book is spent on raising awareness about these changes and some of the barriers (such as white privilege or cultural captivity) that could hinder us from genuinely addressing the changing cultural landscape.  So the book is meant to be an awareness raising book.  While I do present some models of ministry and some ideas about how we can move towards a multi-ethnic future, I don’t spell out in detail how we can move towards that future.  I think we need to know that awareness is an important first step.  I would like to further the dialogue by exploring concrete ways that we can begin to live out this diversity in our local communities.  Part of the goal of the website: www.profrah.com is to provide that venue.

JAR: While a shift clearly needs to happen within the Western (and global) church, are there risks of swinging to the opposite extreme on these issues?  How can we guard against this?

SCR: There is always the danger of over-compensation.  I’m not really seeing that right now.  I think we are seeing entrenchment and defensiveness.  I think we want to hang on to the forms of Christianity that are familiar.  I think when power has been concentrated in a particularly group, that group will not so easily give up power.  At the same time, we are by nature, fallen beings.  And I don’t think it’ll be fair to simply swing the power and concentrate it to a new group.  It is a matter of the entire church working together to reflect the glory of God, who is expressed in the myriad of cultures found in creation, not just in one.  I think the church in the West can provide an example of the sharing of power and the acknowledgement of past sins and a history of cultural captivity.  Through these examples, the church can move forward towards a more positive construction and expression of God at work in the diversity of cultures in the world.

JAR: Which writers have significantly influenced you, especially concerning the topic of this book?

SCR: I’m really grateful to my academic mentors: Doug and Judy Hall (who have an upcoming book about urban ministry).  Their organization: The Emmanuel Gospel Center (www.egc.org) have done a lot of research about the changing face of Christianity in the Boston area.   Eldin Villafane’s work on Latino-American identity was very formative in the shaping of this book.  I especially appreciate: The Liberating Spirit and Seek the Peace of the City.  When it comes to growing in my understanding of other cultures, I find that works of fiction tend to communicate the best insight: Chinua Achebe:, No Longer at Ease / Chang Rae Lee, Native Speaker / Jhumpa Lahiri, The Namesake / Khalid Hosseini, The Kite Runner.  I really appreciate the reflections coming from the more marginalized groups: One Church, Many Tribes by Native American Theologian Richard Twiss and Living in Color by Randy Woodley / Slave Religion by A. Raboteau and Why are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria by Beverly Daniel Tatum.

JAR: Thanks for taking the time to share with us about this important book.