Learning from the Stranger: Christian Faith and Cultural Diversity

by David I. Smith

Overview

Cultural differences increasingly impact our everyday lives. Virtually none of us today interact exclusively with people who look, talk, and behave like we do. David Smith here offers an excellent guide to living and learning in our culturally interconnected world. / Learning from the Stranger clearly explains what "culture" is, discusses how cultural difference affects our perceptions and behavior, and explores how Jesus' call to love our neighbor involves learning from cultural strangers. Built around three chapter-length readings of extended biblical passages (from Genesis, Luke, and Acts), the book skillfully weaves together theological and practical concerns, and Smith’s engaging, readable text is peppered with stories from his own extensive firsthand experience. / Many thoughtful readers will resonate with this insightful book as it encourages the virtues of humility and hospitality in our personal interactions — and shows how learning from strangers, not just imparting our own ideas to them, is an integral part of Christian discipleship.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780802824639
Publisher:	Eerdmans, William B. Publishing Company
Publication date:	06/09/2009
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	194
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

David I. Smith is director of the Kuyers Institute for Christian Teaching and Learning, coordinator of the de Vries Institute for Global Faculty Development, and professor of education at Calvin University. In 2024, he won Calvin University’s Presidential Award for Exemplary Teaching. He has published extensively on Christian education and the relationship between faith and pedagogy; his books include On Christian Teaching: Practicing Faith in the Classroom, Learning from the Stranger: Christian Faith and Cultural Diversity, and Everyday Christian Teaching: A Guide to Practicing Faith in the Classroom.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments vii

Prologue: Relinquishing the Center 1

1 How Not to Bless the Nations 11

2 Culture and Bad Breath 23

3 Cage, Carnival, or Calling? 39

4 On Loving Foreigners 59

5 Plausible Ways of Falling Short 77

6 Learning from the Stranger 105

7 Of Babblers and Barbarians 127

Epilogue: Choosing the Journey 149

Endnotes 153

Bibliography 176

Index 185

Editorial Reviews

Terry A. Osborn 
— Fordham University
"What I so admire about the work of David Smith is his unique ability to take the complexities of postmodern scholarship and translate them with clarity for contemporary students. In Learning from the Stranger Smith tackles the elusive and ubiquitous 'culture,' exploring how those of us committed to living for Christ must grapple with our own conceptualizations of the stranger as a way of understanding who we are and how we interact with those around us. Important reading for today's college students."

Sherwood Lingenfelter
— Fuller Theological Seminary
"A radically different introduction to the study of language and culture from a Christian theological perspective. . . Smith's most powerful argument is that learning other languages and cultures is a task for ordinary Americans, not just those who hope to serve as cross-cultural missionaries. . . I recommend this book as an excellent, theologically grounded introduction to cultural learning for use in courses on cultural diversity in Christian colleges and other faith-based communities."

From the Publisher