Navigating Unity and Diversity: Models for Responding to Global Theology

As Christianity shifted from one clearly defined Western center to multiple centers in the global south and east, a myriad of contextual theologies and missiologies arose. Christians have reacted to these new cultural theologies and missiologies in varying ways, ranging from wholehearted acceptance to suspicious rejection. This paper seeks to categorize these reactions by providing models for responses to contextual theologies, focusing on the interaction of the unity of one faith revealed to the saints (Jude 1:3) and the diversity resulting from cultural expressions of this faith. It defines and describes six models: Unity Trumps Diversity, Unity Disguised as Diversity, Diversity Supersedes Unity, Selective Diversity, and two models of Unity and Diversity in Tension. The paper first introduces each model, summarizing the epistemological foundations, views towards contextualization, and responses to differing theologies held by adherents of the model. It then offers a critical evaluation of each model’s strengths and weaknesses from an evangelical standpoint. Finally, it argues that evangelical scholars, when interacting with global theologies, should pursue one of the Unity and Diversity in Tension models. These models offer adherents a way to listen to and learn from diverse cultural voices while continuing to anchor themselves to historical evangelical commitments.