Discipleship
Southwestern Journal of Theology
Volume 50, No. 2 - Spring 2008
Managing Editor: Malcolm B. Yarnell III
By Michael Frost. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2006. 333 pages. Softcover, $19.95.
Michael Frost unapologetically argues that the age of Christendom has come to an end. As a result, Christians presently live in a generation where their normal way of life and modes of thought are no longer the accepted norms for society. The author approaches the subject from an Australian point-of-view. In this, he promotes the concept that Christians should live “missional” lives so as to promulgate the Gospel of Christ. By “missional,” he refers to the idea of believers living in close community with one another and through this community, being salt and light to the outside world in every difficult situation that it might face.
The author opines that believers have been exiled because of the demise of Modernism and the rise of Postmodernism. Consequently, they have been forced to change based upon the requirements set forth by culture. Christians, as exiles, should live as the “exiled” Christ lived and minister to people wherever they may be (i.e. bars, street corners, shopping areas, and ball fields). The core of Frost’s work consists of five methods, each dealing with a specific promise that the exiled Christians should employ, and he dedicates a significant portion of the work to this end.
The missional concept is not new. Darrel Guder’s excellent work, Missional Church: A Vision for the Sending of the Church in America explains it from the idea of the kingdom of God. Yet, missional in all of its definitions and explanations focuses on neither the traditional understandings of evangelism nor missions. Being missional is simply being like Christ in one’s everyday life. Frost further advances the idea by proposing that Christians should focus on injustices that are done to people (i.e. socially and economically). While Christians must recognize that injustices com- mitted against individuals are biblically wrong, the idea that this is the sole end of a missional Christian is not theologically accurate. Jesus described His mission to the world: “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” Christ’s purpose was not necessarily to heal people’s physical abnormalities and infirmities, neither was it to protect people from the injustices of the Roman world nor improve their way of living. Each of these represents a facet of a theological conceptualization known as liberation theology and also touches upon another heretical doctrine presently being indoctrinated in the West—the health, wealth, and prosperity gospel.
Frost fails to promote adequately a new idea which will radically revolutionize the church. True, the world is changing and perhaps Modernism has seen its best days; however, a total alienation to the concepts of missions and evangelism demonstrates a questionable approach to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Frost is part of the emerging movement, and as a result, one of his primary motivations is to find problems and breakdowns in the church and to replace them with innovative methodologies. However, in the first two millennia of the church, missions and mission work have been synonymous with the heart of the church. Organizations such as the Moravians, the Student Volunteer Movement, and the Southern Baptist Convention were built on the foundation of missions. This is not to say that many of the methods once employed by them are not outdated; however, it sheds light upon the idea that historically, missional life for a Christian has been the sharing of Jesus Christ with the world and the continual evangelization of that individual or people group.
One encouraging word from Exiles is the author’s focus upon incarnational community. A deep and sacrificial relationship with others helps to break down walls in order to share the gospel of love with those in need. Incarnational community encourages a believer to live as Christ to those around him. This elicits the opportunity to engage others in a non-threatening environment while maintaining the Word of God.
Overall, Frost’s work is encouraging to the Christian who lives in the present age. Yet, it lacks the evangelistic fervor one might hope to see. Exiles focuses too much on the physical and social needs of people while neglecting to recognize the lostness of man. Because of this disregard for sin and humanity, Frost fails to catch the concept of what it really means to live missionally. However, it must also be said that the author entices the reader to delve further into missional existence.
