Cultural Intelligence: Improving Your CQ to Engage Our Multicultural World. By David A. Livermore. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2009. 287 pages. ISBN: 978-0801035890

Cultural Intelligence: Improving your CQ to Engage our Multicultural World is the second in the Youth, Family and Series, edited by Chap Clark. The series seeks to provide a theological basis for contextual youth and family ministry that adds to the emerging literature defining and framing our field of academic and practical ministry. David Livermore is the Executive Director of the Global Learning Center at Grand Rapids Theological Seminary, which aims to prepare and resource missional leaders for worldwide mission. Although the series locates its focus on the area of youth ministry, as a discipline of practical theology, Livermore’s focus is far broader. Instead he explores both the motivation and practice of engaging with the Other, in missional and relational terms, with the express intention of helping the reader move from a desire to love those from a different cultural background, to the ability to do so. A key feature of the book is its focus on the affective dimension of inter-cultural engagement, as the foundational basis for effective and sustainable loving interaction. Livermore suggests that literature on cross- and engagement has tended to be skills based, or cognitive in its focus - teaching people about different . This book seeks to offer a corrective, bringing the affective, behavioral and cognitive dimensions of inter-personal relations together, to form a more solid base of missional engagement across cultural divides, be they generational, social, ethnic, religious etc. that can be applied to any cross-cultural encounter. As such the book is aimed at all those involved in, or preparing to be involved in, any form of cross-cultural ministry. Whilst the target audience is North American Christians, throughout the text Livermore makes it clear that in today’s world, cross-cultural encounters are as likely to happen in your local store as they are were you to go on a short term mission trip beyond your national borders. As such he encourages us to prepare for these encounters, so we will be better able to love, in ways that can be understood. Throughout the book various lenses are used to explore what makes up the cultural intelligence [CQ] map. These lenses include Knowledge CQ and Interpretive CQ that support the development of cultural strategic thinking. These then relate to Perseverance CQ and Behavioral CQ. Central to the map however is the focus on moving

118 - Journal of Youth and Theology (2010) vol. 9 no. 2 from the desire to love towards the ability to love, which may only take place after the vital process of interpretation has occurred. The book is helpfully divided into four sections, each exploring different elements of cultural intelligence [CQ]. The first section explores the motivation or affective dimension by which we might seek to develop our CQ, namely the desire to love the Other, as part of our missional mandate. Section two explores the nature of culture and some of the different ways in which culture may be expressed. This section includes chapters on understanding ones own culture, including ‘The Average American’ culture as well as chapters on cultural domains, language and cultural values. Section three goes deeper into the processes involved in interpreting culture, exploring areas such as awareness, empathy, and labeling the world. Section four suggests some of the practical ways we can engage in cross-cultural relationships with a high degree of CQ. This section includes some very simple and practical guidance on how to go about improving your CQ. Included towards the end of the book is a self-assessment test that helps the reader ascertain their perception of their level of CQ within the different lenses, as well as a total score. This is a helpful exercise that adds to the practical use of this significant text. It would be particularly helpful for a team preparing for any form of cross-cultural mission. Whilst simple and accessible, Livermore brings some profound thoughts and challenges to such a vital element of general ministry. Throughout he brings together sound theory and theology to form a solid basis for the sustainable practice of ministry in and beyond the church. Of particular significance was his focus on the need for those engaged in cross-cultural ministry not only to understand their own culture, but to be able to go through, as Paulo Freire would articulate, a process of conscientization in order to be better able to name the world. In a summery of Freire’s understanding of praxis, Livermore almost states again the aim of the book as a critical feature of developing CQ: “Praxis is the practice of becoming critically aware of how the values and assumptions of our cultural background shape the way we perceive, understand, and feel about our world” (p.193). Although I am not from North America I found the book honest and engaging and even inspiring at times. Whilst based in sound academic theory and research, Livermore never looses sight of the personal nature of his own journey in this area, sharing numerous stories of his own experience - both positive and negative, some of which relate to youth ministry settings. Throughout he raises important questions for

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