In this episode of As In Heaven, hosts Jim Davis and Mike Aitcheson welcome Soong Chan-Rah to discuss reclaiming the church from cultural captivity and the specific ways that Western attitudes of individualism have crept into our modern ministry philosophies. Rah shares insights regarding the ethics of the kingdom and paints a picture of hopes and dreams for the future. Rah focuses on the positive gospel opportunities in addressing race and justice with kingdom ethics.

• An introduction to Soong Chan-Rah (:58)
• Cultural shifts in objections to the gospel (2:54)
• The significance of minority leadership in this shift (9:43)
• The Next Evangelicalism: Freeing the Church From Western Cultural Captivity (13:27)
• “Captivity” in the conversation (17:11)
• Advice for church leadership in these conversations (21:14)
• “Aren’t we pas this now?” (28:10)
• How important it is for the church to get this cultural moment right (33:55)
• What happens when churches dismiss these cultural conversations (37:59)
• The church’s two minute drill (42:44)
• Hopeful realism (49:21)

Explore more from TGC on the topic of race.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. What are some biblical truths that the church stands by that you see the church as failing to live into?
2. What does it mean that we should embrace “the full biblical narrative”? In the arc of that narrative, which parts of the narrative do you see yourself latching on to more easily?
3. What are ways that the church has gone into “captivity” to western values? What are ways you have seen this in our bible reading? In our community life? In Christian engagements with social issues?
4. What are ways that we can remember the sins of our past corporately in regard to how the church has engaged with minority racial groups? What gospel hope does Jesus offer in our remembering?
5. What are your hopes for the future of the Western Church? How do you hope to see the church embrace values that are biblical, rather than cultural? What would that look like for your local church?