Understanding Folk Religion

Paul G. Hiebert (1932-2007) was distinguished professor of mission and anthropology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and has been described as ""arguably the world's leading missiological anthropologist.""R. Daniel Shaw is senior professor of anthropology and translation at Fuller Theological Seminary. The American Society of Missiology honored him with the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022.Tite Tienou is research professor of theology of mission, dean emeritus, and director of the Paul G. Hiebert Center for World Christianity and Global Theology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.

This book has served the missiological community for twenty-five years as a resource for understanding human spirituality in any context. Thousands of students have incorporated the principles of this book into ministry around the globe. This twenty-fifth anniversary edition seeks to enable those who now bring their passion for mission to contemporary contexts affected by globalization, climate change, and political perspectives unimagined when this book originally appeared.Every community, wherever it is on earth, has its share of beliefs and values that manifest themselves in practices that reflect spiritual engagement. Those engaged in mission need to appreciate how underlying beliefs and values are reflected in handling spiritual power, worship and blessing, and interaction with others. Gospel communicators must account for these elements as they seek to make God's intentions known to people who are searching for God.The models presented early in the book are essential for establishing what people consider spiritually critical. Applying these models in any religious environment will enable message-bearers to engage with beliefs and practices that promote a gospel presentation that makes sense. To that end, we commend this book for effective missional engagement.