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Introduction
Most books regarding the topic of intercultural communication are written for secular
purposes and, understandably, lean toward the business sector. C. Tim Chang and Ashley
Chang’s book, Christian Intercultural Communication: Sharing God’s Love with People of Other
Cultures, is designed to address the need for intercultural communication within the mission
field and the church to communicate the Gospel of Jesus Christ better.
This paper contains a critical review, summary, and analysis. A conclusion provides final
comments regarding Chang and Chang’s work.
Critical Review
The book's opening includes a very personal and heartfelt introduction by Tim Chang, describing
the process of dealing with racism firsthand. He describes his pain and anger and how his faith
helped heal the pain of that intercultural conflict. He provides a secular definition of intercultural
communication and further defines it from a Christian perspective. Tim Chang’s transparency is
a refreshing approach to intercultural communication, making it a very personal experience.
The first three chapters focus on the initial phase of mission work, addressing culture
shock issues, putting God first, and how not to be the “Ugly Foreigner” in a new culture.1
Chapter four deals with leveraging verbal and nonverbal behaviors. Chapter Five discusses how
[1] C. Tim Chang and Ashley Chang, Christian Intercultural Communication: Sharing God’s Love With
People of Other Cultures, (Dubuque, IA: Kendall Hunt Publishing Company, 2021), 23-59.
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cultural values impact how we view Kingdom values through the lens and context of our culture.
However, “as we learn more about God, we learn God’s Kingdom values that take precedence
over the ones we may have thought were more important before.”2 I appreciated the attention
given to God’s Kingdom. It reminded me of Colossians 3:2 and how we are to think of things
above and not of earthly things.
Chapter six details the importance of contextualization in the mission field, while
chapters seven through nine serve as a how-to manual on managing conflict, practicing genuine
love, and leaving the mission field at the appropriate time.
Throughout the book, the authors use story-telling to emphasize their points effectively.
Some of their stories are personal, and others are not. Either way, the stories impact the reader
and are one of the most substantial parts of the book.
Summary and Analysis
I immediately connected with the works contained in this book. I was immediately
touched by Tim Chang’s account of facing prejudice with grace. I found this story to be a
compelling way to open a book on the topic of intercultural communication.
I also found that the issue of culture shock was addressed very well. I appreciated the
author’s candor, especially regarding the difficulty encountered in the moving process and the
associated culture shock that seems to accompany such a move. Chang and Chang state, “For all
[2] Ibid., 95.
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of the years we spend learning to better handle culture shock, sometimes God calls us to dive
even further into that unknown situation which seemed to be so frightening before.”3
I have to do just that- to dive into that unknown situation. I have just taken a position as
Pastor of a local multicultural church in Midwest farm country. The church as a multicultural
entity is relatively recent. Until the construction of a new automobile plant and a data center, the
communities in our rural county were predominantly caucasian. However, the demographic has
rapidly changed. Our county has experienced a rapid influx of Japanese and Hispanic families.
This change has resulted in mass culture shock within the community. The inside of our churches
has experienced culture shock as well. As Pastor, I must address this and help our congregation
understand that such a transition is a blessing, although it is an adjustment. This is an exciting
time for our church, and all cultures may learn something new about our faith and fellowship.
In the next chapter, “Putting God First,” the authors remind those in the mission field
(and all of us) to do just that – put God first. Once again, they utilize storytelling to convey the
constant need to put God first. I was shocked to a certain degree that this chapter would even be
necessary for those committed to serving and spreading the Gospel in different cultures.
However, just as pastors and others in ministry struggle to keep God at the forefront and let him
lead the way, so missionaries struggle. They state that “Being a Christian means opening up our
hearts and minds and letting God challenge us, and just as much as culture shock is a challenge,
so is the choice not to be selfish. If we want God to say to us ‘well done, good and faithful
[3] Ibid., 33.
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servant’ (Matt. 25:23), the first thing we must acknowledge is that if we do anything good, it is
not by our own merit nor because we got things ‘right.’ It is because we followed His leading.”4
In leading my efforts to lead a blended church, I must always be committed to putting God first
in every circumstance. Chang and Chang make the correct observation that as missionaries (or
ministers), we can lose focus on our perspective. They state, “Missionaries are often concerned
with the concept of getting their ministry ‘right.’ But too many focus on getting it ‘right’ from
their own limited and denominational perspectives, rather than ‘right’ in the eyes of the Lord.”5
As Pastors, we are not immune from developing the same line of thinking.
In chapter five, Kingdom values and our cultural values are discussed, compared, and
contrasted. I found this part of the book very helpful. I agree with the authors that we must put
God’s values above cultural ones. But are we able to separate the two when some cultural values
somewhat mirror those of God’s values? Also, some of our cultural values may shape how we
understand Christianity. Regardless, we must place infinite importance on the Kingdom values of
God. The authors note, “When we first learned about Jesus, we learned about Him within the
context of the culture we lived in. But as we learn more about God, we learn God’s Kingdom
values that take precedence over the ones we may have thought were more important before.”6
[4] Ibid., 47.
[5] Ibid., 47
[6] Ibid., 95.
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I must be keenly aware that my culture and its values may have impacted my view of the
Christian faith and its values. I need to reflect on God's values and ensure that my personal
values are His and not simply my culture. I can see how intertwined they may become in the
church—for example, the intermixing of political values into our faith.
“Contextualization is finding the form best suited for sharing the Gospel within each
culture.”7 Contextualization is essential when sharing the Gospel to ensure maximum impact in
the presentation. This is a significant challenge I currently face because of the multicultural
composition of my church. I believe that I must find the common cultural denominators that are
shared among the congregation and arrange the presentation of the Gospel around those factors. I
recognize that the cultural norms important in American society are not necessarily the same as
those of other cultures. Many of our congregants are still adjusting to the cultural differences
between their homeland and the United States.
One of the most impactful chapters of Chang and Chang’s book is that of managing
conflict on the mission field. While this book leans toward addressing missions and missionaries,
I found this helpful in ministry here at home. After all, the United States, my state, county, and
community are a mission field. I especially appreciated the author’s statement, "Conflict
management on the mission field is about us, and it is about what’s bigger. It’s about listening,
pushing our pride aside, being culturally aware, and refraining from saying what we shouldn’t.”8
[7] Ibid., 110.
[8] Ibid., 138.
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In my church, managing conflict is of vital importance. Improperly handling or, worse,
ignoring the conflict could ignite a powder keg of emotion due to the multicultural makeup of
my congregation. Therefore, I must handle conflict with grace and love in all situations.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I found the book very insightful. It is well-written and engaging. The
stories add a very personal and transparent touch to the topic. I instantly connected with the
works contained in this book. I was immediately touched by Tim Chang’s account of facing
prejudice with grace. I found this story to be a compelling way to open a book on the topic of
intercultural communication. The book was invaluable and, upon reflection, provided excellent
instruction on dealing with various intercultural communication issues.
