InREVIEW: Book Look
By Michael J. Breznau |
Chang, Curtis. Engaging Unbelief: A Captivating Strategy from Augustine and Aquinas. IVP Press, 2000
Curtis Chang, seasoned campus minister with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship at Tufts, M.I.T., and Harvard, believes we face an “epochal challenge,” namely, common strategies for communicating the gospel of Christ are not effective in the postmodern era (p. 10, 38). A sea change has occurred. He writes, “…postmodernism threatens the church’s existing paradigms and harmony with the broader society. As the old understandings break down and new conflicts break out, Christians especially need a new rhetorical strategy” (p. 38).
Chang’s unique book, Engaging Unbelief, presents a new way forward by returning to an old path from church history. Pointing to Augustine’s City of God and Aquinas’ Summa contra Gentiles, Chang argues both of these works “take the occasion of a specific request from an evangelist to respond to the broader epochal challenge facing all evangelists of their day” (p. 100). For Augustine, the dilemma was the belief that Christianity was the cause of many societal ills and weaknesses in the Roman Empire (p. 13-15, 67). Therefore, pagan philosophers sought to sway public opinion and influence away from Christianity. Thomas Aquinas’s dilemma precipitated from the rapid spread of Islam, yet not just as a religious opponent but as an intellectual force based on their development and interpretation of Aristotelian philosophy.[1]
Their dilemma and ours is not merely academic but missiological. Christianity was much deeper and wider than Rome, so Augustine would contend. Aquinas needed to counter the Christian crusade movement that sought to militarize the Church against her foes, yet also provide tools for conversing with unbelievers in Christian mission (cf. p. 16-18, 100). So also, today our dilemma has both intellectual and practical concerns. We are reminded, “the ground [we] have taken for granted is shifting” (p. 19). Therefore, Chang offers a comparative analysis between COG and SCG[2] that highlights his persuasion that both works use the same underlying strategy of “taking every thought captive,” i.e. to enter the story of the challenger, retell their story, and then ultimately capture the challenger with the ‘Story of stories’ by delicately pointing out the inadequacies in their own story (p. 26-27, 36, 38-39, 94, 137, 144).
Engaging Unbelief explains how corresponding with these two challenges of the past may offer us a robust “inter-narrative strategy” for communicating with postmodern unbelievers (p. 18, 39) and also reveal a “comprehensive unity” between these two Christian classics and their authors (p. 34-35, 39). Chang convincingly outlines how we can apply these ancient texts as we seek to captivate seekers and skeptics with the powerful story of Jesus Christ.
Strengths
Most importantly, Chang’s work is rich with scholarly analysis of COG and SCG, yet also filled with beautiful, brief historical sketches of Augustine, Aquinas, and their contemporaries (e.g. p. 13-18, 82, 92, 145). Even if the reader has not recently read either of the classics being analyzed, they are rewarded with an immersive experience of helpful summaries and insightful anecdotes that form the cohesive argument of Engaging Unbelief. He skillfully recounts the plots and subplots of COG (p. 66-67), helps us understand Aquinas, the “Dumb Ox” (p. 64), and deftly articulates the overall argument of SCG (p. 96-97ff).[3] He provides color to the background of pale history. For example, we discover Augustine’s early life in Rome under the guidance of the pagan patron Symmachus (p. 49-50ff). Installed by Symmachus in Milan to teach as a professor, Augustine is drawn to Christ just a few years later and hence discipled under Bishop Ambrose, who is Symmachus’ utmost sparring partner (p. 50). Chang points out that these and other unique circumstances gave Augustine (and similarly Aquinas, p. 58-59) the perspective necessary to understand and engage with the opposing narratives of the time.
Yet this work does not dwell only in historical account. The goal is mission-oriented. Chang makes clear that the crisis we face as the 21st century church is the reality of our ineptitude in compellingly engaging with unbelievers (p. 22-23). He writes not just as a theorist but a practitioner and from the personal “battle ground” of his campus ministry with IVCF. He graciously critiques various Christian attempts to co-opt postmodernism (cf. Hauerwas, MacIntyre, cf. p. 31-33), describes what postmodernism does negatively (p. 19), and also where and how it can serve to our benefit.
No stranger to the many problems within the American church, he also provides insight on the holistic blending of church and state in the Roman Empire (p. 41), which clearly parallels the aspirations of many evangelicals in their chase to fulfill the American dream. Lastly, the book concludes with guidance on how to employ the “tell, retell, capture” strategy in preaching, writing, debating (p. 156ff), as well as in the cinema, TV, and the internet. Above all, Chang remains resolute in the gospel truth and guides us to make God’s metanarrative clear in a world filled with tragedy and despair (p. 154-55).
Weaknesses
Engaging Unbelief is a strong book with thorough scholarship and obvious application to present-day ministers of the gospel. I will highlight only a few minor critiques.
Postmodernism. Written in 2000, discussions of postmodernism raged across university campuses at that time. Yet society is changing at a more rapid pace than ever before. Many now discuss if we are in a post-postmodern era or some amalgamation of premodern spirituality conjoined with modernistic thought. No one can be sure. Certainly, postmodernity was key to the conversation 21 years ago (p. 19). But we are pressed to wonder if we have largely moved beyond this, just as Chang hypothesized we would (p. 164-65).
Academic. Sometimes Chang seems so immersed in his comparative analysis that he fails to more simply define terms and syllogisms for the reader. The writing style of Engaging Unbelief is more like that of a dissertation or academic journal. One may not find it readily accessible to a non-academic audience, since Chang tosses in too many other names and philosophies without due explanation (see p. 106-109, 123).
Missions to Muslims. He claims that “missions to Islamic lands remains at low levels.” (p. 141). However, this is simply no longer the case. A great movement of well-contextualized mission work with Muslims is underway. For example, Global Gates is an organization focused on unreached or unengaged Muslim people groups in major US cities. TEAM, Frontiers, ABWE, and the IMB all have significant resources directed to engaging Muslims with the gospel story.
Reflection & Interaction
Even though this book is under 200 pages, Engaging Unbelief tightly packs in deep analysis and application both for today’s evangelical scholars and missionaries. Among many great insights, I will raise two points of disagreement and two points of mission application.
Exegetical Accuracy? At the outset, Chang states that his “underlying strategy” is built around the apostle Paul’s phrase, “taking every thought captive to obey Christ” (his translation of 2 Cor. 10:5), which he believes entails “three main components: (1) entering the challenger’s story, (2) retelling the story, and (3) capturing that retold tale within the gospel metanarrative” (p. 27). Yet does the apostle Paul’s present, active participial phrase (which bears imperatival force) fit with the author’s use? Not closely. Observing the wider context of vv. 4-6, spiritual warfare is in view and, particularly, false teaching within the church and a tacit rejection of Paul’s authority (vv. 7-18). While Chang’s strategy of engaging in a challenger’s story is not unbiblical, one is hard-pressed to find direct command for such a strategy in this specific biblical passage. Paul’s argumentation on the Areopagus as recorded in Acts 17 may be a more accurate descriptive example.
Chronological snobbery? While one cannot assume all evangelicals define or defend scriptural inerrancy in the same way, Chang’s quick washing over of the “battle for the Bible” in a mere two paragraphs smacked of what C.S. Lewis called chronological snobbery. While he claims that Hodge, Warfield and the Princeton School leveled an argument that “degenerated into an ‘incommensurable’ and irresolvable shouting match,” I would counter that this was a necessary battle for their time (see p. 113). Just as Augustine and Aquinas made their arguments in their epochal challenge, so these other devout men of God sought to articulate the doctrines of scriptural inspiration, inerrancy, and preservation. Was every word, booklet, or debate effective? Certainly not. But as Chang admits, COG and SCG were not immediately or entirely effective in their time either.
The Story of stories. Chang details how we are facing a “constant reawakening of old tales,” yet these stories are spun for a will to power leading to violence among nations and people groups around the world (p. 29). As Christ’s people of peace, we must be skilled at understanding the stories of others and leading them into the Story of the Reconciler, Peacemaker. Here postmodernism serves us well with its emphasis on communication via narrative (p. 29-31). But we must proceed with caution. Chang reminds us that postmodernism is, by nature, relativistic, and therefore does not allow for one metanarrative – “no story of stories” (p. 32).[4] So with the author, we must maintain gospel fidelity, for “conceptual vagueness translates into missiological vagueness” (p. 32). In the sense of a master storyteller, he labels Augustine the “original postmodern” (p. 75). While the moniker ‘pre-modern’ may likely be more accurate, we should ask ourselves how to mirror the praxis of this seasoned pastor-orator. Who, today, is “bilingual” (in terms of culture and discipline) and living “on the margins” (p. 49, 60)? Missionaries and ministers must enter the story – via cinema, TV, the internet, and the arts to look for common ground. We must know our challengers’ stories inside and out, and then seek to engage them in every mode possible (see p. 79ff). From this vantage, we can move into the metanarrative that provides a meta-explanation for life’s greatest questions and tragedies (p. 84).
The Right Fight. Self-professed Christians are enraged at each other over every minor disagreement. Politically-activated Christians wage war with the culture. The term evangelical used to imply we were people who, above all, cherished and proclaimed the gospel. Today, the label seems to be nothing more than a right-wing voting bloc. Chang describes remarkable parallels between Augustine’s post-Constantine Rome to present day North America (p. 44-46ff), as well as with Aquinas’ era of the crusades and Islamic expansion (see p. 20-24). In both epochs, Christians fell to the temptation of power and pride. The same appears true today. We have reached “for the sword to wield” (p. 58) with no more words left to say to our pagan counterparts. Even now, self-professing evangelical Christians ready themselves for civil war.[5]
But Engaging Unbelief reminds us, yet again, that we must fight the right fight God’s way. We do not war against persons, people groups, or political parties, but against Satan, sin, and his system. We may be stunned by the economic and military advances of Islamic nations.[6] We may be prone to disgust by the immoral degradation of western society. But we cannot surrender the gospel metanarrative by fixating on a particular challenge, i.e. a political or economic one (see p. 129). We must not resort to flashy riches or a false prosperity gospel to win over the masses (p. 55). Instead, we must take the longer, lonelier road. We must enter the stories of the people with which God has placed us. We must listen, learn, and retell their story whilst leading them into the Great Story of God’s grace in Christ. Above all, we must operate with scripture in hand and God in heart. We must walk in step with the Spirit, just as Chang exhorts us, “New storytellers must be open to the creative outpourings of the Spirit while humbly submitting to the authority of the church and Scripture” (164). For in the end, it’s not about you or me. The Story is all about Him.
FOOTNOTES
[1] Chang records, “In Augustine’s day pagan challengers sought to deconstruct the Eternal City narrative by blaming Christianity for Rome’s ills. . . . In Aquinas’ day, Islam threatened the Only City narrative by presenting a totally different and seemingly superior story of knowledge” (p. 64-65).
[2] City of God and Summa contra Gentiles will be abbreviated as such from this point forward.
[3] Chang is audacious yet erudite. He is audacious in that numerous scholars have given up on a conclusive organization to COG and SCG. He is erudite in that he ably convinces the reader that there is a clear thematic unity to both of these works and he does so through interacting with all the relevant source material.
[4] By definition, postmodernism carries with it a “hermeneutic of suspicion” (p. 77).
[5] This may come as a surprise, but just in the last two weeks I have had conservative “evangelical” Christians tell me, “what our country needs most now is a good war… a civil war to shake things up.” (April 2021)
[6] I had that experience when touring Dubai and Abu Dhabi (UAE) in January, 2020.
