Justin Gill reviews Polyphonic God.
Polyphonic God is the latest UK book on the topic of the “intercultural church”. It was launched in January this year through the Evangelical Alliance UK’s One People Forum, though it is not an official Evangelical Alliance UK publication and as such it doesn’t reflect their views.
It is a multi-author book, with primary contributions from Dr Israel Oluwole Olofinjana, Dr Usha Reifsnider, and David Wise. I found the book helpful in understanding the current character and development of the intercultural movement in UK churches. Some authors draw strongly on personal experiences of church life. It is particularly helpful for seeing how UK churches are being shaped by cultures from nations around the world.
The authors reflect on their experiences as Christians from minority cultural backgrounds as migrants, leaders, or both, guiding churches’ transition from multicultural to intercultural. These reflections draw on experiences from churches across the UK, primarily within the main Christian denominations.
The chapter by Dr Mija Wi on the Korean diaspora church is particularly worth reading, especially for Korean Christians in the UK, given that the South Korean church is among the most mission-mobilised (per capita) in the world. God has brought Korean Christians to the UK, and the chapter explores their struggles and resistance to losing their ethnic identity. These themes resonate strongly with my own experiences of Indian and Pakistani diaspora churches, where similar dynamics and historical realities are at play.
Readers from a conservative evangelical background may find aspects of the book challenging, particularly the social justice issues and the suggestion that contemporary church groups must account for historical wrongs. Other claims may also be contested in the intercultural church space, such as the view that churches with complementarian convictions cannot truly embody an intercultural church model, or that a church needs to be a democratic institution with proportional representation.
However, Dr Usha Reifsnider’s chapter helpfully highlights the continuing power imbalance within churches and ministries that favours a dominant group, often pushing others towards diaspora church communities. She also cautions against the related risk of tokenism in church leadership.
The reality is that churches in the UK are being shaped by multiple nations, not just Scottish, Northern Irish, Welsh, and English, but many more, each contributing distinct expressions that shape church life.
In my opinion, the book is a worthwhile read if you are willing to look past its socio-political justice emphasis. The intercultural church as a concept still faces challenges in the UK, including the risk of becoming distracted by secondary details and losing sight of the Biblical vision of distinct nations and languages united in Christ. Addressing these challenges will require not only thoughtful reflection through books, but also intentional, practical action.
POLYPHONIC GOD: Exploring Intercultural Theology, Churches and Justice
Editors David Wise, Israel Oluwole Olofinjana and Usha Reifsnider
SCM Press. 224 pages. £40.00
ISBN 978 0 334 066 583
