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Book Review: The Turn to the Transcendent: The Role of Religion in the Twenty-First Century

The Gospel among the Nations: A Documentary History of Inculturation Robert A. Hunt Maryknoll: New York 2010. 288 pp., papel; $35.00 Reviewed by Amy Mormino The Gospel among the Nations aims high in seeking to present a comprehensive series of documents from all of the major branches of Christianity related to inculturation in mission throughout Christian history. Robert A. Hunt largely succeeds in this task by carefully choosing works that exemplify such key issues in the relationship between mission and culture as imperialism, pluralism, the uses and limits of cultural adaptation, and the roles of evangelism and social action in mission. Hunt is also careful to acknowledge the significant differences of opinion among Christian groups both past and present on many of these subjects. Likely sources such as Bartolome de Las Casas, William Carey, the Vatican, and the World Council of Churches are included, along with more unusual ones like a series of documents exploring the work of Orthodox missionaries in Alaska. Afew areas could have been stronger. The introductions sometimes lack sufficient detail in their description of the author and the issue involved, while a few documents leave out dates. For some works from the 1970s, Hunt relies on contemporary introductory material written by Gerald Anderson and Thomas Stransky. While useful for giving a sense of the time period, these introductions do not provide a sense of historical perspective and, in two cases, give the impression that oppressive regimes in South Africa and South Korea are still in power. In addition, while the presentation of texts from the twentieth century is excellent, more sources from the eighteenth and particularly nineteenth centuries could have enhanced the book’s historic scope. On the whole, The Gospel among the Nations would be a fine resource for both libraries and individuals interested in mission and its changing relationship to culture. It is certainly a book that can be returned to again and again for insight.