Darrell L. Whiteman, former missionary and professor, writes Crossing Cultures with the Gospel: Anthropological Wisdom for Effective Christian Witness. Divided into five parts, each with fourteen chapters, averaging about fifteen pages each, this work is an introductory-level textbook for cross-cultural communication classes. Influenced by renowned Christian anthropologists Charles Kraft, Alan Tippett, and Paul Hiebert, Whiteman desires to pass along his nearly half-century of ministry experience to others. The main point Whiteman wants to convey is that the truth of the gospel must be spread in a contextually appropriate manner (p. xv).

One of the most critical observations Whiteman makes is that evangelism and discipleship are most effective when they happen in a relationship. While simple and obvious, this reflection is more complex than realized. For cross-cultural workers, being in a relationship with those outside of their culture occurs when they understand that different culture. When this happens, the interpretation of thoughts, actions, and experiences is filtered with less restraint through the lens of the Bible over preconceived notions and prejudices (pp. 14–16).

Nevertheless, understanding another’s culture is taxing. Culture is not innate (one is not born with a specific culture); instead, it is learned, shared, and acquired by being a member of society (pp. 19–30). Two of the more important obstacles to learning culture are ethnocentrism and culture shock. Ethnocentrism, believing that one culture is superior to another, hinders the spread of the gospel and blinds one to the beauties of other societies. Ethnocentrism is more than just nationalism. Ethnocentrism is the negative and incorrect thoughts, actions, and attitudes—known or unknown—toward another culture. The most obvious example Whiteman uses of ethnocentrism is the apostle Peter, a Jew, who had to undergo a “second conversion” before he could share Christ with Cornelius, a Gentile, in Acts 10 (pp. 1–2).

Among other matters, ethnocentrism is conveyed implicitly through “paramessages,” or unconscious nonverbal forms of communication (p. 107). Cross-cultural workers’ thoughts and actions surface in paramessages and can contradict what they say. Being certain that God is impartial and that believers from other societies are co-heirs in the kingdom of God is central to missionary work. If cross-cultural workers do not believe this, cultural biases can emerge. Whiteman writes, “Unless we believe at the deepest level of our being that we are equal with others as children of God and that we are equal as sinners who have been redeemed by God’s grace, then we are going to send paramessages that say, ‘You are inferior to me. I am better than you’” (p. 109). This type of ethnocentrism is often personified when a missionary experiences culture shock. Missionaries carry “culture baggage” (p. 201), such as actions, attitudes, values, and beliefs that differ from the host culture. Fear, anxiety, fatigue, isolation, and frustration result. Manifestations of culture shock can be mild to severe and are common for anyone from any culture entering a new one (p. 131).

One of the cures for culture shock and ethnocentrism that Whiteman mentions is learning the local language. He recommends that a missionary study the host language full-time for the first two years of living in a culture (p. 114). While two years is inadequate, it should be the beginning of a lifetime of language and culture learning. Another cure for culture shock is dying to self (p. 64). This sounds cliché, but dying to self is essential for any missionary. While the analogy between dying to self and the incarnation of Christ is overblown, the missionary being vulnerable and willing to learn and serve the host culture is key.

Whiteman’s work is helpful for those preparing to serve overseas as cross-cultural workers. He writes in a readable and lucid manner. Chapters are short, giving the reader manageable, easy-to-digest content. There are few footnotes to obscure the reading. Because the topics he addresses are challenging to understand, he helps readers appreciate them by beginning each chapter with stories that illustrate the concepts. He also provides bullet points, graphs, and charts of some of the more abstract or demanding themes. The summaries at the end of each chapter are especially helpful. However, in simplifying ideas, Whiteman makes the cross-cultural communication of the gospel seem formulaic, which can give missionaries in training a false sense of security and confidence. Perhaps this is warranted as the work is an introductory-level textbook, but the lack of nuance leaves the reader wanting more in-depth analysis.

Whiteman’s work provides a suitable foundation for those interested in understanding the basic themes of cross-cultural communication of the gospel. Subtleties can be learned and experienced later in the mission field and in other, more specific courses. More importantly, Whiteman assures the reader that with hard work, humility, and patience, the truth of the gospel can be spread to all societies in a contextually appropriate manner.