The relevance and suitability of Tim Keller’s contextualization for Reformed evangelical ministry in urban South Africa JN Koning orcid.org/ 0000-0002-4955-742X Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in Missiology at the North-West University Promoter: Prof PJ Buys Graduation: May 2019 Student number: 25832778 DEDICATION AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This PhD is dedicated to my family with immense love and gratitude. I remember my parents, John and Alice, with much affection. They never gave up on the prodigal. Mom prayed; dad paid for my initial Bible training. To my lovely wife, Moekie: your patience, prayers and encouragement helped me stay the course. Thanks for bearing with me and humouring me when at times I was horribly preoccupied, discouraged and excitable. You are a gem! To our beloved children: Nick, our new daughter Sarah, and Mike – what a joy and privilege it is to be your parents. We thank God for you. I thank God for my fathers in the faith. It was under the faithful, wise and winsome ministry of Pastor Brian Stone that God opened my eyes to see the ugliness of my sin and the beauty of Jesus Christ. I am grateful to the faculty and staff of the Bible Institute of South Africa, where I grew under several godly and gracious teachers. It was here, in the ’80 s, under the tutelage of the late Ds. Jan Mostert, that I was exposed to Reformed missiologists such as Hendrik Kraemar and J.H. Bavinck and began to think about the subject under consideration. My study leader, Prof P.J. (Flip) Buys, is an absolute champion. He has been more than a supervisor. His wisdom, grace, correction and friendship have been hugely appreciated. Baie dankie, Prof! Ek waardeer u moeite. Thanks to the finance department of North-West University for the bursary that enabled me to undertake this research. Ms Hester Lombard (Librarian: Theology and Ancient languages, Potchefstroom campus) was so helpful, friendly and efficient. She has made distance learning easier. Thanks to Prof Phil Brouwer (formerly of the University of Fort Hare), a new friend, who helped me get to grips with a Dutch critique of Keller’s Center Church. My friend, Marcus Collins, is a superb editor. I’m so grateful for your keen eye, meticulous attention to detail and your patience. You thought I was joking when I told you I was a technological dinosaur. Now you know! To the members and adherents of Grace Bible Church, East London: in some ways the fruit of this study is being exercised on you. I am especially grateful for the fellowship of my co-elders, Dave Dingle and John Menton. i And, of course, I am very grateful to the one who is the subject of this thesis, Dr Timothy Keller. Through his ministry I have gained new insight into the riches of God’s grace, the depth, scope and profundity of the gospel, as well as an appreciation of my own baggage, and the importance of faithful gospel proclamation and ministry. This thesis is submitted in prayerful hope that it will in some measure stimulate and contribute to faithful gospel ministry in the desperately needy urban centres of South Africa. Nkosi sikelel’ iAfrika “Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples! Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works!” Psalm 105:1-2 ii ABSTRACT Rapid urbanization, postmodernity and African Traditional Religion (ATR) pose significant challenges and opportunities for gospel ministry in South Africa. Reformed churches appear to be struggling to come to terms with these realities. The causes of declining impact and faltering witness could be several; but a sub-biblical, inadequate and superficial understanding of contextualization could be one among them. Contextualization is a vital and essential component of authentic Christian ministry, yet it is fraught with dangers. The issue is how to engage faithfully and meaningfully with contemporary culture while remaining faithful to historic, orthodox Christianity in the Reformed tradition. Conservative pastors and missionaries tend to ignore the inevitability of contextualization, and under-contextualize, which results in a superficial engagement with culture, and thus irrelevance. On the other end of the spectrum are those who over-contextualize in the desire to be relevant, and who employ questionable methods and gimmickry. In this manner the central tenets of the gospel are jeopardized, and this results in syncretism that incorporates elements from other religions into Christian religious faith and practice, resulting in a loss of integrity and ultimately in assimilation to the surrounding culture. Missiologists have long argued that the West should be considered a mission field and that Christian pastors should take the stance of cross-cultural missionaries. Keller’s model of contextualization is worthy of careful consideration in urban South Africa. Keller has the appropriate theological convictions, and he is a practitioner with a proven track record. His value lies not only in his solid biblical-theological basis for his model of contextualization, but also in the fact that he posits a comprehensive, holistic model of contextualization in the Reformed tradition. While many conservative pastors tend to limit contextualization to the verbal proclamation of the gospel, Keller contends that all of ministry should be contextualized. His emphasis on holistic contextualization may dovetail well with the urban South African context, where socioeconomic issues, like the poor, unemployed, immigration, and health and education needs, and growing trends of agnosticism create significant opportunities for ministry. The specifics of Keller’s methodology cannot simply be translocated from New York to urban South Africa – this would represent a colossal failure in terms of contextualization. But in terms of principles, his model of deliberate, biblical, comprehensive contextualization could be utilized with great benefit in the burgeoning cities of South Africa. iii Key terms: Contextualization Timothy Keller Reformed evangelical Urban South Africa Postmodernism Syncretism African Traditional Religion (ATR) iv OPSOMMING Toenemende verstedeliking, postmodernisme en Tradisionele Afrika-Godsdiens bied besondere uitdagings en geleenthede vir die bediening van die evangelie in Suid Afrika. Dit wil voorkom asof gereformeerde kerke sukkel om met hierdie realiteit tred te hou. Daar mag baie redes vir die dalende impak en wankelende getuienis van reformatoriese kerke in Suid-Afrika wees, maar ’n sub-Bybelse, onvoldoende en oppervlakkige begrip van kontekstualisering mag een so ’n rede wees. Kontekstualisering is ’n kritiese en noodsaaklike komponent van ware Christelike bediening van die evangelie. Tog is dit met noemenswaardige gevare belaai. Die uitdaging is hoe om sinvol met die hedendaagse kultuur om te gaan, maar tegelykertyd getrou te bly aan die historiese, ortodokse Christelike geloof van die gereformeerde tradisie. Behoudende leraars en sendelinge is geneig om die onvermydelikheid van kontekstualisering te ignoreer. Die gevolg hiervan is dat hulle onder- kontekstualiseer en dus onsensitief met die kultuur van die ontvangers omgaan, wat tot irrelevantheid lei. Aan die ander kant van die spektrum is daar diegene wat in hulle ywer om relevant te wees oor-kontekstualiseer en dus metodiek en slimmighede aanwend wat bevraagteken kan word. Dan word die sentrale leerstellings van die evangelie op die spel geplaas, wat lei tot sinkretisme wat elemente van ander godsdienste tot die Christelike geloof en praktyk toevoeg. Die uiteinde hiervan is ’n verlies van integriteit en die uniekheid van die evangelie kompromitteer deur assimilering met die omliggende kultuur. Missioloë voer al lank aan dat die Weste as ’n sendingveld beskou moet word en dat Christen- leraars die gesindheid van transkulturele sendelinge behoort in te neem. Met betrekking tot stedelike Suid-Afrika, verdien Keller se model van kontekstualisering deeglike oorweging deur reformatoriese kerke. Keller handhaaf duidelike gereformeerde teologiese oortuigings en het homself oor die jare as ’n praktisyn hiervan bewys. Sy waarde lê nie net in die Bybels-teologiese basis van sy model van kontekstualisering nie, maar ook in die feit dat hy ’n omvattende, holistiese model vir kontekstualisering binne die gereformeerde tradisie nastreef. Alhoewel baie behoudende leraars geneig is om kontekstualisering te beperk tot die verbale verkondiging van die evangelie, voer Keller aan dat alle aspekte van bediening gekontekstualiseer behoort te word. Sy beklemtoning van holistiese kontekstualisering mag goed inpas in die stedelike Suid Afrikaanse konteks, waar sosio-ekonomiese kwessies soos armoede, werkloosheid, interaksie met buitelanders, gesondheids- en opvoedkundige behoeftes, asook die toenemende postmoderne neiging tot agnostisisme, beduidende geleenthede vir bediening van die evangelie bied. v Die spesifieke inslag van Keller se metodiek kan nie bloot eenvoudig vanaf New York na stedelike Suid Afrika oorgedra word nie – dit sou ’n massiewe fout in terme van kontekstualisering wees. Maar wat beginsels betref, kan Keller se model van berekende, Bybelse, holistiese kontekstualisering tot groot voordeel in die ontluikende stede van Suid Afrika aangevul en aangewend word. Sleutel terme: Kontekstualisering Timothy Keller Hervormd Evangelies Stedelike Suid Afrika Postmodernisme Sinkretisme Afrika Tradisionele-Geloof/Godsdiens vi ABBREVIATIONS AIC African Instituted/Independent Churches ANE Ancient Near East