Hosted by Edgar Chan and Kamwende Gatende

Japan has had Christian missionaries for over 150 years. Today, less than 2% of the population is Christian. Most people assume Japan just isn't interested. Dr. Martin Heißwolf says we've been asking the wrong question.

Martin is a German missiologist who spent 26 years living and ministering in Japan — planting churches, counselling, teaching, and listening. His doctoral research examines why Western approaches to evangelism consistently miss the mark in Japan, and what a truly contextualized gospel might look like.

In this conversation, we go deep into the Japanese animistic worldview — the hidden spiritual layer that shapes how Japanese people understand God, identity, peace, and salvation. We talk about why the word for "God" in the Japanese Bible also means raccoon and dead ancestor, why "God loves you" can sound like something else entirely, and how Western missionaries accidentally turned Jesus into the eighth Japanese prosperity god.

Produced by Langham Partnership Australia. Learn more at au.langham.org

Resources:

• Japanese Understanding of Salvation: Soteriology in the Context of Japanese Animism by Dr. Martin Heißwolf — available at langhamliterature.org

In this episode of Out of the Margins,  Dr. Jerry Hwang, a Chinese American scholar and Associate Professor at Singapore Bible College, explains what it means to read and interpret the Old Testament through Asian perspectives.

Drawing from his recent book Exploring the Old Testament in Asia, Dr. Hwang unpacks themes such as kingship, covenant, honor, and shame, and discusses how these biblical concepts take on new richness when viewed through Asian cultural lenses.

The conversation also dives into the Asian roots of Christianity and Judaism, the complexities of Bible translation, and the importance of cultural humility in theological interpretation.

Link to book:

https://langhamliterature.org/books/exploring-the-old-testament-in-asia

In this episode, Francisco introduces us to Pioneers Mexico, a mission organization dedicated to sending well-equipped Latin American missionaries to unreached people groups. He shares how Latin Americans bring unique strengths to cross-cultural missions, and reflects on the growing role of the Latin American church in global outreach.

Link for Edgar’s work in Mexico: https://youtube.com/@edkamission

In this episode,  Dr. Lina Toth, the director of the Langham Scholars Program discusses the complexities of singleness and marriage within the Christian context.

Dr. Toth shares an historical and scholarly perspective on how cultural and biblical views on singleness and marriage have evolved. The conversation delves into the early church, the Reformation, and modern challenges, offering a fresh look at how the church can support both single and married people today. 

Join us as we explore how to foster intentional Christian communities and reassess the traditional views on family and singleness.

In this episode, we sit down with Daniel Salinas, author of Taking Up the Mantle: Latin American Evangelical Theology in the 20th Century, to explore the fascinating journey of Evangelical theology in Latin America.

Originally from Colombia, Salinas traces the movement’s beginnings under the shadow of Spanish colonial Catholicism, the struggles faced by early Protestant missionaries, and the slow but steady growth of Evangelical communities across the region.

We discuss:

• The historical tensions between Catholic dominance and Protestant beginnings.

• How foreign missionary agencies shaped—and at times limited—Latin American churches.

• The rise of contextualized theology and the push for independence.

• Pentecostalism’s explosive growth and its impact on Evangelical identity.

• The challenge of globalization and the importance of maintaining a theology rooted in context.

• The role of conferences, networks, and publications in building a stronger Latin American voice.
  

This conversation offers a rich overview of the past, present, and future of Evangelical thought in Latin America, showing how faith in the region has become both resilient and deeply contextual.

In this episode  Dr. Joanna Feliciano, a Langham scholar from the Philippines, talks about the limitations of Western rubrics in assessing theological education. Joanna discusses her personal academic journey, the challenges faced by majority world students in traditional Western education systems, and the potential benefits of adopting portfolio-based assessments as an alternative to traditional dissertations. The conversation highlights the importance of integrating creative, interdisciplinary, and application-focused methods to make theological education more impactful and relevant to diverse cultural contexts.

In this episode, Barnabé Anzuruni, a theologian born to refugee parents from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) who has lived through displacement in several African countries, discusses his book, 'The Wayfarer.' The conversation combines personal testimony with theological reflection, emphasizing the need for a theology that speaks to the marginalized. Barnabé also addresses the importance of shifting perceptions of refugees from being seen as economic burdens to recognizing their inherent dignity and potential. He outlines the framework for engaging in community development, advocating for the church's role in transformation. Finally, he calls for the global church to move beyond charity to engage deeply with refugees.

In this episode, Johannes van der Bijl, an Anglican pastor and author, shares the importance of narrative style in reaching both scholars and laypeople in the church. Johannes discusses his book 'Breakfast on the Beach,' a narrative synthesis of the gospels from Simon Peter's perspective, and shares insights on the powerful impact of storytelling, particularly in non-Western contexts.

In this episode, Langham Scholar Marcelo Vargas, a Bolivian author, shares about the impact of Neo-Pentecostalism among the indigenous group “the Aimarans.” The conversation also delves into the social and political impact of the Aimaran community and the challenges of integrating indigenous identity with Christian faith. Marcelo emphasizes the importance of recognizing God's presence and influence in every culture.

Marcelo’s insights challenge us to move beyond one-size-fits-all approaches and instead embrace the beauty of faith expressed in the heart language of every people group.

📖 Faith That Indigenizes: https://langhamliterature.org/books/faith-that-indigenizes

In this episode, Edgar sits down with Esteban Amestegui and Nam Vo, to talk about digital discipleship. Both talk about how the digital space has helped to reach a new generation with the Gospel, and how we in the West may be able to continue to employ these strategies as the online world begins to become more and more a distinct culture of its own.