Witnessing in a subversive culture

The following is in response to an article from Dr. Mark Chan in Christianity Today (The Global Conversation, February 2010) on witnessing in an alien or subversive culture:

I certainly agree with Dr. Mark Chan's admonition that "The work of commending truth in our world must therefore begin at home—in the life, worship, and disciple-making catechesis of our churches."

However, therein lies the problem; for to do so means that we must reeducate almost the entire instructional base, which is so entrenched in pop theology and culture that it is next to impossible to infuse sound doctrine into it.

I also believe that a good starting point is follow Dr. Ivan Satyavrata’s advice to "[r]eject the typology that classifies the historic Christian faith's commitment to Christ's decisiveness as "exclusivism." For as he has so rightly observed, “The Christian worldview is no more exclusive than any other worldview, including pluralism."

One caveat, it seems to me, is also in order as we process the task. That is that we must be careful not to instill a apologetic elitism into the catechistic process, or eventually we will most certainly meet stiff opposition from those religiously sincere adherents of a different persuasion. Hindus, Muslims, et al, are certainly not dumb—or necessarily sinister, either; they are just ill informed through centuries of religious and philosophical enculturation. So, I believe that a little modesty will certainly work in our (i.e., the Christian’s) favor.

Primarily, under all circumstances, we must speak the truth in love. (Eph. 4:15)