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The Unbelievable Gospel: Say Something Worth Believing
2015 Christianity Today Book of the Year in the "Apologetics/Evangelism" category. The Unbelievable Gospel diagnoses the evangelistic paralysis of the modern church, pinpointing the reasons people don't share their faith today and offering a desperately needed solution. Showing readers how to utilize the rich gospel metaphors found in Scripture and how to communicate a gospel worth believing--one that speaks to the heart-felt needs of diverse individuals--Dodson connects the gospel to the real issues people face each day by speaking to both the head and the heart.Filled with stories that reveal the long road of relational evangelism and guidance on how to listen to others well, The Unbelievable Gospel is a much-needed resource that will benefit both individuals and churches. Included are study questions for training and group discussion.
213 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2012
38 people are currently reading
309 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan K. Dodson
20 books25 followersJonathan K. Dodson (M.Div, Th.M) is happy husband to Robie, and proud father to Owen, Ellie & Rosamund. He is the lead pastor of City Life Church and a leader in PlantR and Gospel Centered Discipleship.com. Jonathan is also author of Gospel-Centered Discipleship, Raised? Finding Jesus by Doubting the Resurrection and The Unbelievable Gospel: Say Something Worth Believing (September, 2014). He enjoys listening to M. Ward, smoking his pipe, watching sci-fi, and following Jesus.
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January 25, 2016
"I am not an evagelist. I haven't led thousands to Christ. There won't be a long receiving line of eternal souls waiting to thank me at the golden gates of the New Jerusalem" (17). Thus Dodson begins his book on evangelism. What could he possible have to say about the topic after making this claim?
Christianity Today selected Jonathan K. Dodson's book, The Unbelievable Gospel: Say Something Worth Believing, as their 2015 book of the year in the apologetics/evangelism category. Robert E. Coleman, author of The Master Plan of Evangelism, lauds the book, saying, "This is evangelism for the 21st century." These were high praises, but when I saw my professor and President of Asbury Theological Seminary, Timothy C. Tennent's, write up I took note. "Jonathan Dodson in The Unbelievable Gospel demonstrates, once again, that he is one of the church's leading thinkers in knowing how to present the gospel effectively in an increasingly postmodern world."
I read it for myself and loved it for several reasons.
1. He can write clear, entertaining prose without resorting to the antics of some hip, "relevant" types. I hate it when writers try to pretend that they are not writing but, rather, simply talking with you. Their writing is riddled with fragments and ill-conceived punctuation. It makes me wonder if they should really say, "I didn't write it. I dictated it. I shouted it into a tape recorder over the Columbus Day weekend, then handed it to my agent and said, 'Sell this.' He's the one who turned it into a book" [Stephen Colbert, I Am America (and So Can You)]. However, that cannot be said of this book in the least. Dodson can clearly write--and well at that. I found it a pleasure to read several chapters at a time.
2. He is upfront about his own struggle and weakness when it comes to evangelism. He doesn't try to come off as some pro that will teach you all the tips and tricks. Because of this authenticity, he also emphasizes that...
3. Not all of his stories have happy endings. Some of them are unfinished. Dodson stresses that we don't need to see these examples of rejection or back-sliding as failures because it is up to God. We are called to work with God, but the weight of the task is not on us.
4. He understands the need for apologetics in evangelism. There are many people in our country right now who do not have a basic Christian framework from which we, as evangelists, can draw. Not everyone feels the need for the forgiveness of their sins. Not everyone is geared towards cookie-cutter gospel presentations. In fact, many people have serious questions about Christianity, God, and the Bible. They are looking for serious answers. Dodson writes, "Thinking faith isn't a matter of rehearsing canned apologetic defenses; it's a commitment to thinking deeply about the implications of the gospel in various cultures and then working to communicate that to people in those contexts" (88).
5. He doesn't offer a script. He holds up a simple, yet multifaceted, gospel.
A few years back my wife and I were in a class at church that studied Evangelism Explosion. It set our teeth on edge. None of the young people in the class connected with the approach. It was too formulaic. What's more we found that it tended to push for a "sale" based on how satisfied or happy the target was with their life. This book will have none of that. Dodson shows that canned formulas and rehearsed speeches are the kind of stuff that makes the gospel unbelievable to non-Christians.
Dodson understands that we can't approach different people with a one-size-fits-all method. He displays that the New Testament shows people engaging the gospel from different angles. He highlights the five "gospel metaphors" that he finds in the NT and shows how they maybe the entry point in connecting someone with Jesus: justification, redemption, adoption, New Creation, and union with Christ. For each of these "metaphors" he shares a story of how he has used it to share the gospel. I found this approach helpful.
All in all, this book is the best take on evangelism that I have read (or heard or even seen). It is easy to read yet intellectual. It is serious but unpretentious. So, to answer the question: Yes, Jonathan K. Dodson's book The Unbelievable Gospel really is that great! I highly recommend it.
Disclaimer: This book was provided by Gospelcentereddiscipleship.com in exchange for a fair and unbiased review. The reviewer was under no obligation to offer a positive review.
Christianity Today selected Jonathan K. Dodson's book, The Unbelievable Gospel: Say Something Worth Believing, as their 2015 book of the year in the apologetics/evangelism category. Robert E. Coleman, author of The Master Plan of Evangelism, lauds the book, saying, "This is evangelism for the 21st century." These were high praises, but when I saw my professor and President of Asbury Theological Seminary, Timothy C. Tennent's, write up I took note. "Jonathan Dodson in The Unbelievable Gospel demonstrates, once again, that he is one of the church's leading thinkers in knowing how to present the gospel effectively in an increasingly postmodern world."
I read it for myself and loved it for several reasons.
1. He can write clear, entertaining prose without resorting to the antics of some hip, "relevant" types. I hate it when writers try to pretend that they are not writing but, rather, simply talking with you. Their writing is riddled with fragments and ill-conceived punctuation. It makes me wonder if they should really say, "I didn't write it. I dictated it. I shouted it into a tape recorder over the Columbus Day weekend, then handed it to my agent and said, 'Sell this.' He's the one who turned it into a book" [Stephen Colbert, I Am America (and So Can You)]. However, that cannot be said of this book in the least. Dodson can clearly write--and well at that. I found it a pleasure to read several chapters at a time.
2. He is upfront about his own struggle and weakness when it comes to evangelism. He doesn't try to come off as some pro that will teach you all the tips and tricks. Because of this authenticity, he also emphasizes that...
3. Not all of his stories have happy endings. Some of them are unfinished. Dodson stresses that we don't need to see these examples of rejection or back-sliding as failures because it is up to God. We are called to work with God, but the weight of the task is not on us.
4. He understands the need for apologetics in evangelism. There are many people in our country right now who do not have a basic Christian framework from which we, as evangelists, can draw. Not everyone feels the need for the forgiveness of their sins. Not everyone is geared towards cookie-cutter gospel presentations. In fact, many people have serious questions about Christianity, God, and the Bible. They are looking for serious answers. Dodson writes, "Thinking faith isn't a matter of rehearsing canned apologetic defenses; it's a commitment to thinking deeply about the implications of the gospel in various cultures and then working to communicate that to people in those contexts" (88).
5. He doesn't offer a script. He holds up a simple, yet multifaceted, gospel.
A few years back my wife and I were in a class at church that studied Evangelism Explosion. It set our teeth on edge. None of the young people in the class connected with the approach. It was too formulaic. What's more we found that it tended to push for a "sale" based on how satisfied or happy the target was with their life. This book will have none of that. Dodson shows that canned formulas and rehearsed speeches are the kind of stuff that makes the gospel unbelievable to non-Christians.
Dodson understands that we can't approach different people with a one-size-fits-all method. He displays that the New Testament shows people engaging the gospel from different angles. He highlights the five "gospel metaphors" that he finds in the NT and shows how they maybe the entry point in connecting someone with Jesus: justification, redemption, adoption, New Creation, and union with Christ. For each of these "metaphors" he shares a story of how he has used it to share the gospel. I found this approach helpful.
All in all, this book is the best take on evangelism that I have read (or heard or even seen). It is easy to read yet intellectual. It is serious but unpretentious. So, to answer the question: Yes, Jonathan K. Dodson's book The Unbelievable Gospel really is that great! I highly recommend it.
Disclaimer: This book was provided by Gospelcentereddiscipleship.com in exchange for a fair and unbiased review. The reviewer was under no obligation to offer a positive review.
June 2, 2015
There is so much in this book that I have been unable to express in words to my congregation. Thanks to Dodson I now have the words. He highlights the key factors in presenting the gospel and tailoring it to individual needs of the listener.
My favorite quotes:
From the preface:
Evangelism is something many Christians are trying to recover from. The word stirs up memories of rehearsed presentations, awkward door-to-door witnessing, and forced conversions in revival-like settings. We can now add "fake baptisms" (referring to Elevation Church's Steven Furtick planting baptizees in the congregation) to the list. To be certain, God may use these efforts, but not as much as often claimed. In fact, these forms of evangelism have actually created an impediment to evangelism.
Though it is unintentional, "modern" forms of evangelism have generated gospel witness that is impersonal, preachy, intolerant and uninformed about the real questions people ask.
Many Christians have quieted down in their witness to avoid creating a preachy, impersonal, intolerant, and uninformed impression. They don't want the gospel to be misunderstood.
...we must recognize that twentieth-century American evangelism worked because the culture was largely familiar with Christianity. It included several assumptions, such as the brute fact of absolute truth, the existence of heaven and hell (or God for that matter), and a widely held notion that sin keeps us from God.
We can no longer assume this understanding.
Christians are often proficient at rehearsing the information of the gospel, but we often lack the ability to relate the gospel to the lives of others.
The gospel is good news whether someone perceives it to be good to them or not.
We know the gospel is good, not just in theory, but in the experience of suffering, parenting, dating, working, and so on. We know the gospel is good because it frees us from being a slave to others' opinions...
Reciting a memorized fact that Jesus died on the cross for sins to a coworker doesn't tell them why it is important or how to change their life. Reciting this information dispassionately is even less convincing. What people need to know is not only what the gospel is, but what the gospel does.
We are challenged to share the gospel in a way that is worth believing, both with ourselves and others.
(Speaking of the author's home-Austin, TX)...76 percent of the city's urban core finds the gospel of Jesus unbelievable. p. 18
Our small group of people grew into a community, and together we rediscovered the mission of God. We got to know our neighbors and engaged the city in ways that visibly demonstrated the love of Christ and offered the hope of the gospel. The number of non-Christians in our circles steadily increased. p. 19
They [the object of our evangelism] feel like they are a means to the end of our spiritual profit, like we are just trying to close a deal. p. 21
The pressure we feel to share the gospel doesn't translate into the loving concern we may genuinely have for them. p. 21
When we talk with others, we aren't sharing out of a sense of freedom, loving others out of the overflow of our peace and contentment in Christ. We are evangelizing to prove ourselves out of a misguided sense that the eternal destiny of others is ultimately dependent on our efforts. pgs. 21-22
Most of these past efforts were focused on nailing a presentation, not on understanding a person. p. 22
...evangelism doesn't have to be mechanical; it can be intuitive and relational. p. 23
When our evangelism is motivated by approval, "moments" of evangelistic opportunity devolve into something like this: "If I don't do this, I'm gonna regret it" (performance), instead of thinking, "I can see this person needs the hope of the gospel, and I can't wait to extend it" (love). p. 25
The truth we need to hear and believe, at a deep heart level, is that God doesn't need you and me to accomplish his work. p. 25
[Speaking of David Bosch's definition of evangelism: Evangelism is the core, heart, or center of mission: it consists in the proclamation of salvation in Christ to nonbelievers, in announcing forgiveness of sins, in calling people to repentance and faith in Christ, in inviting them to become living members of Christ's earthly community and to begin a life in the power of the Spirit.)
It is not heaven-centered, like much of the evangelism of the twentieth century. The goal is Christ, not heaven. p. 29
The church is not a loose collection of spiritually-minded individuals but a family knit together in the unshakable love of the Father. This is what we get and what the world needs to see. p. 29
The cultural shift from formal presentational evangelism to informal relational evangelism has changed the questions everyday Christians ask themselves about sharing the gospel. p. 34
People who are influenced by postmodernism find modernist evangelistic methods off-putting and ineffective. People who are more sensitive to relationships are quick to discern that rational, presentational approaches no longer work well within postmodern culture, where people want to be known, loved, and respected, not informed and presented to. p. 34
When we speak to people's deepest desires, dreams, hopes, fears, or longings, we make the gospel believable. p. 50
[We] finally came to repent of putting more trust in our evangelistic efforts than in Christ himself. Amidst our genuine love lay tainted motives for evangelism--to prove to ourselves that we were truly a "missional" community. p. 58
Doing good things may genuinely help others in need, but no one is going to look at your deeds and conclude: "I must be a sinner in need of God's grace. I need to repent of trusting in myself and others, and turn to Christ alone for forgiveness, and trust in him for redemption and acceptance before a holy God." p. 59
When Christians press mute on the gospel, people are left to make up their own version of the good news. pgs. 59-60
...true gospel preaching doesn't mound up guilt; it relieves guilt. Good preaching doesn't just show you your sins, it shows you a Savior, who absorbs your sins in his death and presents you to a holy God, cleaned up and new. p. 60
Old or "classical" tolerance holds the belief that other opinions have a right to exist...American was founded on this kind of tolerance. p. 68
As Christians love their neighbors and even their enemies, they should practice classical tolerance, winsomely granting people the right to hold beliefs different from their own. In this way, tolerance can be loving and respectful. p. 71
Where the old tolerance held that other opinions have a right to exist, the new tolerance is the belief that all opinions are equally valid or true...It is one thing to say something has the right to exist; it is altogether different to say that two beliefs are equally true. p. 71
Arrogance, even about things that are true, runs counter to the life and teachings of Jesus, who was the model of humility. p. 74
[Quoting Ken Myers] "The challenge of living with popular culture may well be as serious for modern Christians as persecution and plagues were for the saints of earlier centuries." p. 93
[Quoting Burk Parsons] "It may very well be the case that embarrassment is the most feared form of persecution for many Christians today." p. 107
When we are tempted to censor the gospel, we need to remind ourselves there is better acceptance found in Christ than in our circle of friends, neighbors, coworkers, and family members. p. 108
The gospel of adoption is the antidote the the idolatry of reputation. p. 108
Our own re-evangelization, as Christians, must precede our evangelistic efforts in the world. We need a fresh preaching of the gospel to idolatry-ridden hearts. Re-evangelization isn't merely a cultural need; it is a personal necessity. p. 108
Unlike other religions and philosophies, Christianity is rooted in particular events that occurred in history, namely, the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. p. 112
As great and wonderful as it is to embrace and experience the personal dimension of the gospel, if we linger in our experience of personal change, we may end up neglecting the final aspect of the gospel--the missional dimension. If we aren't careful, we become well-meaning, pietistic Christians who read their Bibles and pray, live moral lives, but do little for those around us. This imbalance produces inwardly focused Christians who are indifferent to the needs of those around them. Trapped in a great castle of like-minded people, we can't imagine the immense need outside our walls. Sometimes we begin to see those on the outside as the enemy. Believing a two-dimensional gospel leads to selfishness and ends up drawing us away from Christ. p. 117
The mission of God is made known to us in the person of Christ and is now assumed by the church through the Spirit as we testify of the good news to the world. We must take care that we do not restrict the implications of the gospel to just the historic and personal dimensions. Many evangelicals preach what Scot McKnight has called a "soterian gospel," one that exclusively focuses on personal salvation. This kind of evangelism tends to restrict the implications of what God has done in Christ to the first and second dimensions of the gospel.
As McKnight rightly, points out, personal salvation is just a subset of God's redemptive activity. God is also at work saving creation. God is a Creator who values the whole world, and he seeks to redeem it out from under the curse, which his Son Jesus Christ embraces by hanging on a tree. Christ overthrows the curse by rising from the dead to liberate the world from its bondage and to restore repentant sinners to their glorious purpose as God's new humanity, the church, to participate in his grand agenda to make all things new. (1 Corinthians 15; Revelation 21:5).
This is the gospel of the kingdom, and it has cosmic implications. God's kingdom is a realm of cosmic proportions stretching from city to city, country to country, planet to planet, from BC to AD. The cosmic gospel includes the redemption of humanity (the personal dimension) within God's larger agenda to redeem the whole world. As emissaries of Christ sent out into the world to announce the history-making news of the birth, life, death, resurrection, and return of Jesus, we must remember that this is news worth sharing. The gospel changes what we believe, who we are, and ...where we live. p. 121
God chooses to work through means, and that means you and me. When we engage in mindless, impatient, and unwise evangelism, we are just piling stones on top of graves. p. 127
Good evangelism removes the stones and shares the truth in such a way that the light of God's grace can travel down a shaft, into the grave of a darkened heart. p. 127
People have reasons for not believing the gospel of Jesus, ranging from intellectual doubt to a failure to see any personal need for what Christianity has to offer. p. 127
When we engage those around us, we can begin to appreciate how they see the world and consider the audacious claims of the gospel from their perspective. p. 134
[Speaking of gospel messages heavy on "repent" messages]
What makes this way of presenting the gospel distorted? First, it does not call attention to Jesus--it focuses on a person's need to change before they even get to hear about Jesus and what he has done. p. 138
Mere moral reform has little to do with true repentance and faith in Jesus. You can alter your behavior without altering your Savior. p. 138
This section of the book focuses on 5 metaphors for presentation of the gospel: Acceptance, Hope, Intimacy, Tolerance, Approval
Our search for intimacy is revealed in other relationships as well. In our friendships we long for a sense that we belong, for a place where we can be ourselves and know that we are accepted. We want relationships that are secure, where we feel safe to share our innermost thoughts and darkest struggles. p. 160
Without Christ, there is now power to change, no way to truly grow into a new person. p. 161
Sharing a believable gospel isn't as simple as seeing what someone needs and telling them about it. Ultimately the gospel needs to connect with the heart through the supernatural work of God's Spirit. p. 164
When gospel goodness hasn't worked its way down into our heart, it isn't the story the informs the way we think about life. We don't see God as the central character of our life; we still see ourselves in that role. As a result, conversations and reflections tip toward us. However, when we are soaking in the manifold beauty of Christ, the gospel doesn't seem like old hat to us. Fresh encounters with Christ have a way of spilling over into our conversations with others. We are prone to talk about the gospel when the good news is good news to us. p. 167
If there's one thing many urbanites can detect, it's a lack of authenticity. Inundated by manipulative marketing, pop-up ads, and spam, we can't stand a fake. So when we share from a heart of genuine affection for Christ, it's compelling, if not convincing. p. 169
"In all major world religions, a religious code is devised to work our way to God. The problem, however, is that we can't keep all the rules and adhere to all the ways. We are imperfect. But in Christianity, God works his way down to us. p. 176
Christianity is unique, not because Christians are better than other people, but because Christ is better than any of us. He is a better answer to our problems. In Christianity, God dies so man can live. In other religions, human beings live in uncertain hope that they won't really die. pgs. 176-177
[Speaking of cookie-cutter churches]
...many evangelical churches have a tendency to create institutional conformity that obliterates differences. p. 178
[Speaking of someone who did not fit the cookie-cutter mold named Ben]
Ben encountered a group of loving Christians who pitched a kingdom tent for truth, not a denominational tent...There wasn't a conversionary moment that finally drew him to Christ. Instead, Ben radically reoriented to Christ over time through the influence of a persuasively tolerant community, one that by all appearances had nothing in common with each other. p. 179
[Speaking of his personal fears of sharing the gospel]
I was filled with fear, worried what a random guy at Kinko's thought about me and not what he thought about Christ. pgs. 185-186
Faith in the gospel produces humble confidence--humble because we know how undeserving we are, and confident because of God's rich devotion to us in Christ. p. 186
The church is God's evangelistic genius, not isolated people with evangelistic drive. In fact, people rarely come to faith from a single gospel witness. Truth be told, most conversions are the result of a process that occurs over time and involves a variety of different gospel testimonies and experiences. p. 191
Most conversions take place over time, often with many fits and starts as one moves toward Jesus and his way. For most people conversion is a process, not an event...omitting [this fact] would not only dishonor the roles others have played, but also leave you with the unfortunate and inaccurate impression that successful evangelism really does hang on your lone witness. p. 191
Ben's experience [see above] taught him that he was saved into a community, not to a private relationship with Jesus. p. 193
A chorus of gospel voices is stronger and more compelling that a lone voice in the wind. p. 193
This should remind us that the church bears the responsibility of evangelism but not the power of conversion. p. 193
Evangelism is not just an individual affair. In the West, individualistic thinking has contaminated just about every aspect of Christianity. But biblically, evangelism is more of a community project.
The new community Jesus formed does not exist for itself, but for the world... p. 194
It is surprising to notice how few evangelistic commands we actually find in Paul's letters to the churches. Rarely do we find Paul telling individual Christians to go out and tell others about Jesus. Instead, we find more emphasis on communal life centered around the person of Jesus in the life of the Spirit. This communal life is a corporate witness to the risen Lord and is used by God to attract the attention of those who are not part of his church. p. 194
[Quoting John Dickson]
Dickson draws a distinction between "proclaiming the gospel" (evangelism) and "promoting the gospel" (other activities that draw people to Christ). p. 195
[Quoting Joseph Hellerman]
We do not find an unchurched Christian in the New Testament...a person was not saved for the sole purpose of enjoying a personal relationship with God...a person is saved to Community. p. 196
Therefore, whenever you're sharing the gospel or praying for the salvation of others, you should be comforted that God possesses all the power to save. In fact, this truth should relieve you of pressure evangelism and release you into Spirit-led evangelism. The Spirit will prompt you to share with others when and if you are walking in step with him. This doesn't have to be showy. It can be a simple thought or a deep spiritual impression. The Spirit may bring a friend's name to mind, urge you to invite a neighbor over for dinner, or compel you to share the gospel on the spot with someone. Regardless, take great hope in the promise that God works powerfully to save those whom he has called. pgs. 202-203
[When people want to know why they should believe what you are saying]
The first place they often look is your life. Are you personally gripped by the message of grace? Or is your life defined by a search for security through possessions and money?
...The second place people look to discover if the gospel is worth believing is in our words. Much of the evangelism of the past fifty years offered a sound bit, something easily screened, distrusted, and dismissed. In order for people to see something of substance in our words, our gospel communication needs personal nuance and cultural discernment. p. 205
My favorite quotes:
From the preface:
Evangelism is something many Christians are trying to recover from. The word stirs up memories of rehearsed presentations, awkward door-to-door witnessing, and forced conversions in revival-like settings. We can now add "fake baptisms" (referring to Elevation Church's Steven Furtick planting baptizees in the congregation) to the list. To be certain, God may use these efforts, but not as much as often claimed. In fact, these forms of evangelism have actually created an impediment to evangelism.
Though it is unintentional, "modern" forms of evangelism have generated gospel witness that is impersonal, preachy, intolerant and uninformed about the real questions people ask.
Many Christians have quieted down in their witness to avoid creating a preachy, impersonal, intolerant, and uninformed impression. They don't want the gospel to be misunderstood.
...we must recognize that twentieth-century American evangelism worked because the culture was largely familiar with Christianity. It included several assumptions, such as the brute fact of absolute truth, the existence of heaven and hell (or God for that matter), and a widely held notion that sin keeps us from God.
We can no longer assume this understanding.
Christians are often proficient at rehearsing the information of the gospel, but we often lack the ability to relate the gospel to the lives of others.
The gospel is good news whether someone perceives it to be good to them or not.
We know the gospel is good, not just in theory, but in the experience of suffering, parenting, dating, working, and so on. We know the gospel is good because it frees us from being a slave to others' opinions...
Reciting a memorized fact that Jesus died on the cross for sins to a coworker doesn't tell them why it is important or how to change their life. Reciting this information dispassionately is even less convincing. What people need to know is not only what the gospel is, but what the gospel does.
We are challenged to share the gospel in a way that is worth believing, both with ourselves and others.
(Speaking of the author's home-Austin, TX)...76 percent of the city's urban core finds the gospel of Jesus unbelievable. p. 18
Our small group of people grew into a community, and together we rediscovered the mission of God. We got to know our neighbors and engaged the city in ways that visibly demonstrated the love of Christ and offered the hope of the gospel. The number of non-Christians in our circles steadily increased. p. 19
They [the object of our evangelism] feel like they are a means to the end of our spiritual profit, like we are just trying to close a deal. p. 21
The pressure we feel to share the gospel doesn't translate into the loving concern we may genuinely have for them. p. 21
When we talk with others, we aren't sharing out of a sense of freedom, loving others out of the overflow of our peace and contentment in Christ. We are evangelizing to prove ourselves out of a misguided sense that the eternal destiny of others is ultimately dependent on our efforts. pgs. 21-22
Most of these past efforts were focused on nailing a presentation, not on understanding a person. p. 22
...evangelism doesn't have to be mechanical; it can be intuitive and relational. p. 23
When our evangelism is motivated by approval, "moments" of evangelistic opportunity devolve into something like this: "If I don't do this, I'm gonna regret it" (performance), instead of thinking, "I can see this person needs the hope of the gospel, and I can't wait to extend it" (love). p. 25
The truth we need to hear and believe, at a deep heart level, is that God doesn't need you and me to accomplish his work. p. 25
[Speaking of David Bosch's definition of evangelism: Evangelism is the core, heart, or center of mission: it consists in the proclamation of salvation in Christ to nonbelievers, in announcing forgiveness of sins, in calling people to repentance and faith in Christ, in inviting them to become living members of Christ's earthly community and to begin a life in the power of the Spirit.)
It is not heaven-centered, like much of the evangelism of the twentieth century. The goal is Christ, not heaven. p. 29
The church is not a loose collection of spiritually-minded individuals but a family knit together in the unshakable love of the Father. This is what we get and what the world needs to see. p. 29
The cultural shift from formal presentational evangelism to informal relational evangelism has changed the questions everyday Christians ask themselves about sharing the gospel. p. 34
People who are influenced by postmodernism find modernist evangelistic methods off-putting and ineffective. People who are more sensitive to relationships are quick to discern that rational, presentational approaches no longer work well within postmodern culture, where people want to be known, loved, and respected, not informed and presented to. p. 34
When we speak to people's deepest desires, dreams, hopes, fears, or longings, we make the gospel believable. p. 50
[We] finally came to repent of putting more trust in our evangelistic efforts than in Christ himself. Amidst our genuine love lay tainted motives for evangelism--to prove to ourselves that we were truly a "missional" community. p. 58
Doing good things may genuinely help others in need, but no one is going to look at your deeds and conclude: "I must be a sinner in need of God's grace. I need to repent of trusting in myself and others, and turn to Christ alone for forgiveness, and trust in him for redemption and acceptance before a holy God." p. 59
When Christians press mute on the gospel, people are left to make up their own version of the good news. pgs. 59-60
...true gospel preaching doesn't mound up guilt; it relieves guilt. Good preaching doesn't just show you your sins, it shows you a Savior, who absorbs your sins in his death and presents you to a holy God, cleaned up and new. p. 60
Old or "classical" tolerance holds the belief that other opinions have a right to exist...American was founded on this kind of tolerance. p. 68
As Christians love their neighbors and even their enemies, they should practice classical tolerance, winsomely granting people the right to hold beliefs different from their own. In this way, tolerance can be loving and respectful. p. 71
Where the old tolerance held that other opinions have a right to exist, the new tolerance is the belief that all opinions are equally valid or true...It is one thing to say something has the right to exist; it is altogether different to say that two beliefs are equally true. p. 71
Arrogance, even about things that are true, runs counter to the life and teachings of Jesus, who was the model of humility. p. 74
[Quoting Ken Myers] "The challenge of living with popular culture may well be as serious for modern Christians as persecution and plagues were for the saints of earlier centuries." p. 93
[Quoting Burk Parsons] "It may very well be the case that embarrassment is the most feared form of persecution for many Christians today." p. 107
When we are tempted to censor the gospel, we need to remind ourselves there is better acceptance found in Christ than in our circle of friends, neighbors, coworkers, and family members. p. 108
The gospel of adoption is the antidote the the idolatry of reputation. p. 108
Our own re-evangelization, as Christians, must precede our evangelistic efforts in the world. We need a fresh preaching of the gospel to idolatry-ridden hearts. Re-evangelization isn't merely a cultural need; it is a personal necessity. p. 108
Unlike other religions and philosophies, Christianity is rooted in particular events that occurred in history, namely, the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. p. 112
As great and wonderful as it is to embrace and experience the personal dimension of the gospel, if we linger in our experience of personal change, we may end up neglecting the final aspect of the gospel--the missional dimension. If we aren't careful, we become well-meaning, pietistic Christians who read their Bibles and pray, live moral lives, but do little for those around us. This imbalance produces inwardly focused Christians who are indifferent to the needs of those around them. Trapped in a great castle of like-minded people, we can't imagine the immense need outside our walls. Sometimes we begin to see those on the outside as the enemy. Believing a two-dimensional gospel leads to selfishness and ends up drawing us away from Christ. p. 117
The mission of God is made known to us in the person of Christ and is now assumed by the church through the Spirit as we testify of the good news to the world. We must take care that we do not restrict the implications of the gospel to just the historic and personal dimensions. Many evangelicals preach what Scot McKnight has called a "soterian gospel," one that exclusively focuses on personal salvation. This kind of evangelism tends to restrict the implications of what God has done in Christ to the first and second dimensions of the gospel.
As McKnight rightly, points out, personal salvation is just a subset of God's redemptive activity. God is also at work saving creation. God is a Creator who values the whole world, and he seeks to redeem it out from under the curse, which his Son Jesus Christ embraces by hanging on a tree. Christ overthrows the curse by rising from the dead to liberate the world from its bondage and to restore repentant sinners to their glorious purpose as God's new humanity, the church, to participate in his grand agenda to make all things new. (1 Corinthians 15; Revelation 21:5).
This is the gospel of the kingdom, and it has cosmic implications. God's kingdom is a realm of cosmic proportions stretching from city to city, country to country, planet to planet, from BC to AD. The cosmic gospel includes the redemption of humanity (the personal dimension) within God's larger agenda to redeem the whole world. As emissaries of Christ sent out into the world to announce the history-making news of the birth, life, death, resurrection, and return of Jesus, we must remember that this is news worth sharing. The gospel changes what we believe, who we are, and ...where we live. p. 121
God chooses to work through means, and that means you and me. When we engage in mindless, impatient, and unwise evangelism, we are just piling stones on top of graves. p. 127
Good evangelism removes the stones and shares the truth in such a way that the light of God's grace can travel down a shaft, into the grave of a darkened heart. p. 127
People have reasons for not believing the gospel of Jesus, ranging from intellectual doubt to a failure to see any personal need for what Christianity has to offer. p. 127
When we engage those around us, we can begin to appreciate how they see the world and consider the audacious claims of the gospel from their perspective. p. 134
[Speaking of gospel messages heavy on "repent" messages]
What makes this way of presenting the gospel distorted? First, it does not call attention to Jesus--it focuses on a person's need to change before they even get to hear about Jesus and what he has done. p. 138
Mere moral reform has little to do with true repentance and faith in Jesus. You can alter your behavior without altering your Savior. p. 138
This section of the book focuses on 5 metaphors for presentation of the gospel: Acceptance, Hope, Intimacy, Tolerance, Approval
Our search for intimacy is revealed in other relationships as well. In our friendships we long for a sense that we belong, for a place where we can be ourselves and know that we are accepted. We want relationships that are secure, where we feel safe to share our innermost thoughts and darkest struggles. p. 160
Without Christ, there is now power to change, no way to truly grow into a new person. p. 161
Sharing a believable gospel isn't as simple as seeing what someone needs and telling them about it. Ultimately the gospel needs to connect with the heart through the supernatural work of God's Spirit. p. 164
When gospel goodness hasn't worked its way down into our heart, it isn't the story the informs the way we think about life. We don't see God as the central character of our life; we still see ourselves in that role. As a result, conversations and reflections tip toward us. However, when we are soaking in the manifold beauty of Christ, the gospel doesn't seem like old hat to us. Fresh encounters with Christ have a way of spilling over into our conversations with others. We are prone to talk about the gospel when the good news is good news to us. p. 167
If there's one thing many urbanites can detect, it's a lack of authenticity. Inundated by manipulative marketing, pop-up ads, and spam, we can't stand a fake. So when we share from a heart of genuine affection for Christ, it's compelling, if not convincing. p. 169
"In all major world religions, a religious code is devised to work our way to God. The problem, however, is that we can't keep all the rules and adhere to all the ways. We are imperfect. But in Christianity, God works his way down to us. p. 176
Christianity is unique, not because Christians are better than other people, but because Christ is better than any of us. He is a better answer to our problems. In Christianity, God dies so man can live. In other religions, human beings live in uncertain hope that they won't really die. pgs. 176-177
[Speaking of cookie-cutter churches]
...many evangelical churches have a tendency to create institutional conformity that obliterates differences. p. 178
[Speaking of someone who did not fit the cookie-cutter mold named Ben]
Ben encountered a group of loving Christians who pitched a kingdom tent for truth, not a denominational tent...There wasn't a conversionary moment that finally drew him to Christ. Instead, Ben radically reoriented to Christ over time through the influence of a persuasively tolerant community, one that by all appearances had nothing in common with each other. p. 179
[Speaking of his personal fears of sharing the gospel]
I was filled with fear, worried what a random guy at Kinko's thought about me and not what he thought about Christ. pgs. 185-186
Faith in the gospel produces humble confidence--humble because we know how undeserving we are, and confident because of God's rich devotion to us in Christ. p. 186
The church is God's evangelistic genius, not isolated people with evangelistic drive. In fact, people rarely come to faith from a single gospel witness. Truth be told, most conversions are the result of a process that occurs over time and involves a variety of different gospel testimonies and experiences. p. 191
Most conversions take place over time, often with many fits and starts as one moves toward Jesus and his way. For most people conversion is a process, not an event...omitting [this fact] would not only dishonor the roles others have played, but also leave you with the unfortunate and inaccurate impression that successful evangelism really does hang on your lone witness. p. 191
Ben's experience [see above] taught him that he was saved into a community, not to a private relationship with Jesus. p. 193
A chorus of gospel voices is stronger and more compelling that a lone voice in the wind. p. 193
This should remind us that the church bears the responsibility of evangelism but not the power of conversion. p. 193
Evangelism is not just an individual affair. In the West, individualistic thinking has contaminated just about every aspect of Christianity. But biblically, evangelism is more of a community project.
The new community Jesus formed does not exist for itself, but for the world... p. 194
It is surprising to notice how few evangelistic commands we actually find in Paul's letters to the churches. Rarely do we find Paul telling individual Christians to go out and tell others about Jesus. Instead, we find more emphasis on communal life centered around the person of Jesus in the life of the Spirit. This communal life is a corporate witness to the risen Lord and is used by God to attract the attention of those who are not part of his church. p. 194
[Quoting John Dickson]
Dickson draws a distinction between "proclaiming the gospel" (evangelism) and "promoting the gospel" (other activities that draw people to Christ). p. 195
[Quoting Joseph Hellerman]
We do not find an unchurched Christian in the New Testament...a person was not saved for the sole purpose of enjoying a personal relationship with God...a person is saved to Community. p. 196
Therefore, whenever you're sharing the gospel or praying for the salvation of others, you should be comforted that God possesses all the power to save. In fact, this truth should relieve you of pressure evangelism and release you into Spirit-led evangelism. The Spirit will prompt you to share with others when and if you are walking in step with him. This doesn't have to be showy. It can be a simple thought or a deep spiritual impression. The Spirit may bring a friend's name to mind, urge you to invite a neighbor over for dinner, or compel you to share the gospel on the spot with someone. Regardless, take great hope in the promise that God works powerfully to save those whom he has called. pgs. 202-203
[When people want to know why they should believe what you are saying]
The first place they often look is your life. Are you personally gripped by the message of grace? Or is your life defined by a search for security through possessions and money?
...The second place people look to discover if the gospel is worth believing is in our words. Much of the evangelism of the past fifty years offered a sound bit, something easily screened, distrusted, and dismissed. In order for people to see something of substance in our words, our gospel communication needs personal nuance and cultural discernment. p. 205
July 19, 2017
A helpful book on how to evangelize in contemporary American culture. Dodson, a pastor in Austin, Texas, wisely recognizes that older forms of evangelism, such as baiting people with heaven, are not biblical and they're not natural. The high-pressure, formulaic ways of presenting the gospel in the past aren't natural or person-oriented. They are very likely to be tuned out today. Instead, Dodson views relationships as the key to evangelism. And, when the subject of the gospel comes up, one should present whatever metaphor of the gospel that Scripture uses that best suits a particular person. For example, if a person has had a terribly upbringing and/or an absent father, it might be best to talk about how God is the perfect Father who adopts people into his family. The key is to get to know the person and then be flexible in how we present the gospel. The Bible gives us different images of the gospel, so we can come to the message of Jesus through different angles, or by presenting different emphases.
Dodson sprinkles the book with personal stories of evangelism. This makes the book more personal and it makes it interesting and easy to read.
I give it four stars instead of five only because it wasn't mind-blowing. But it's a very good book. The bump-out quotes in huge, red letters that take up, in some cases, a whole page are unnecessary and annoying. But that's a minor flaw.
(Finished reading on December 24, 2015.)
Dodson sprinkles the book with personal stories of evangelism. This makes the book more personal and it makes it interesting and easy to read.
I give it four stars instead of five only because it wasn't mind-blowing. But it's a very good book. The bump-out quotes in huge, red letters that take up, in some cases, a whole page are unnecessary and annoying. But that's a minor flaw.
(Finished reading on December 24, 2015.)
June 9, 2025
This was a decent book on evangelism, thought-provoking and edifying for a millennial generation of evangelical Christians. Dodson wrote this book in reaction to the event and decision-based evangelism that is so much a part of American Christian culture. Perceptively, he points out that we often evangelise to prove ourselves out of a misguided sense that it all depends on us and to earn God's favour. We make the gospel unbelievable because our motivations don't line up with our beliefs. Rather than being motivated by love, we are motivated by a felt need to perform and by the idol of approval.
Evangelism is gospel centred, proclamation-oriented, calls for a response, includes the church and points to the Spirit. With these distinctives in mind, we need to rethink our motives, message and methods.
The first section deals with evangelistic defeaters, or reasons that Christians choose not to share their faith with others. Our culture has experienced a value shift from truth to community. Modernism emphasised individual authority, reason and practice, whereas postmodernism emphasises community-formed authority, relativism and experience. Most of our traditional evangelistic methods are modernist in a postmodern culture.
The first defeater is an impersonal witness, devoid of a genuine relationship. People need something more credible than soundbites and an experience more meaningful than being treated like a project. We need to take the time to cultivate relationships.
Evangelism isn't an all-or-nothing endeavour, and good evangelism takes time. We aren't marketing reps for God, but rather should concentrate on building relationships and ensuring that our actions line up with our convictions. When we take the time to get to know others, we will come to understand their motives, hopes, fears and dreams - and the gospel has something to say to those things. By doing this, we make the gospel believable.
A second defeater is that we don't want to be seen as preachy. Self-righteousness, passed off as holiness, is one of the greatest obstacles to people hearing a loving, grace-filled gospel. Rather, we should announce the good news of God's grace in Jesus. Genuine evangelism requires reshaped motives and a heart of personal repentance, ensuring that we are sharing Christ and not a religious facade of our own making - we are announcers, not recruiters. We need to steer people away from the tendency to religiosity and spiritual performance by patiently presenting the good news of the gospel.
A third defeater is the desire to be seen as tolerant and the challenge of pluralism. Here, Dodson helpfully distinguishes between classical tolerance (other opinions have a right to exist) and the new tolerance (all views are equally valid). He also challenges religious plurality, which, despite its popularity, is inaccurate rather than enlightened, fiercely dogmatic rather than humble and intolerant as it blunts all religious distinctions. Religious tolerance makes truth claims of its own and is a religion in its own right, but one that is based on contradictions.
A fourth defeater is fear of not knowing enough to answer people's questions. We need to cultivate a thinking faith, while remembering that gospel communication doesn't depend on memorised responses but is the fruit of an engaged and responsive Christianity. Apologetics must begin with our hearts and a secure faith and confidence in Jesus, before going on to address the intellect.
Next, Dodson focuses on the need for Christians to pause and appreciate the message of the gospel again for ourselves. He sees the gospel as having three dimensions, historical, personal and cosmic. Neglecting any of these will lead us to being self-righteous, pietistic, or mere activists. The threefold response the gospel calls for is doctrinal, personal and missional. Firstly, the gospel is historical, Christ-centred and newsworthy. Secondly, the gospel is a humbling, transforming message of grace. Thirdly, the gospel changes where we live spiritually, socially and culturally.
Dodson then goes on to describe the idea of gospel metaphors, or aspects of the gospel message that are drawn from scripture. Some of the main ones that he considers at length are justification (legal metaphor), redemption (slavery and sacrificial metaphor), adoption (familial metaphor), new creation (life and death metaphors) and union with Christ (body-marriage metaphors). Gospel metaphors are different ways of representing the reality of the gospel and allow us to communicate the gospel in a personal and contextual way, rather than feeling we have to present either the whole gospel or nothing. He sees the metaphors as sections of an orchestra that work together to create the symphony of salvation, but that it can be valuable to learn which gospel chord to pluck with particular individuals, depending on their primary felt need. We need all the gospel metaphors, but different ones will resonate or connect with different people at different times, depending on where they are. Dodson says that to evangelise effectively, we need to listen to people's stories, empathise with their stories and redemptively retell their stories.
When addressing justification, Dodson sees it in terms of our innate need for acceptance, as it answers the question of how a righteous God can relate to unrighteous people and yet remain righteous. This will particularly resonate for those who are trying to earn their acceptance with God, as we show that it is an impossible task for us and that Jesus has already done so on the cross. He sees the metaphor of new creation as particularly compelling for those looking for hope and a new start in life. Union with Christ, on the other hand, may be particularly compelling for those who are arriving after love and intimacy. Redemption clashes with many people's idea of tolerance, and their uneasiness with the exclusive claims that Jesus makes. Dodson shrewdly observes that while those who espouse tolerance often value sincerity over truth, real love is being since about the truth. Christianity is unique, as Jesus works his way down to us in grace rather than us having to work our way up to him; in other words, he redeems us. Adoption touches on our desire for approval and allows us to approach God with humble confidence.
I like the idea of gospel metaphors, but the emphasis on addressing people's felt needs made me slightly uneasy, as it needs careful handling and a lot of nuance. I can see the apologetic and evangelistic aim in this, to make the gospel believable and connect it with the lives of real broken people, but at times it feels a little man-centred. I think I need to chew on this some more, as I'm quite sure that isn't Dodson's aim, consciously or otherwise. However, I do think that if the danger of traditional event-based evangelism is that the gospel is marketed as a product that I can consume, the danger here is that it becomes all about my life, experiences and relationships, and can become disconnected from the truth and reality of the triune God. The ultimate reality for the unbeliever is that they are living in rebellion against the very God to whom they are accountable. We can't lose the essentially confrontational nature of evangelism in our (well-placed and right) desire to listen to and relate to those who are broken and lost. Ultimately, the weaknesses of both kinds of evangelism meet in that we make evangelism man-centred and lose our sight of the glory and holiness of God. Personally, it may well be that my understanding of the gospel is slightly too theoretical and needs to be grounded in how it speaks into the lived experience of others. Dodson has made me appreciate afresh the fact that the gospel isn't a mere collection of doctrines but rather God's provision for our greatest need, felt or otherwise, and that can only lead to adoration and praise.
People aren't interested in a sound bite gospel, and won't find our message believable if it's preachy, intolerant, impersonal or shallow. People want to know why they should believe what we are saying, and will look at our lives and listen to our words to discern if we really are gripped by what we are telling them. In order for people to see something of substance in our words, our gospel communication needs personal nuance and cultural discernment. We need to show how the person and work of Jesus intersect with the longings, hurts and idolatries of those around us. That's something I need to prayerfully learn to do more effectively, and I'm glad Dodson wrote this to challenge me to do so.
Evangelism is gospel centred, proclamation-oriented, calls for a response, includes the church and points to the Spirit. With these distinctives in mind, we need to rethink our motives, message and methods.
The first section deals with evangelistic defeaters, or reasons that Christians choose not to share their faith with others. Our culture has experienced a value shift from truth to community. Modernism emphasised individual authority, reason and practice, whereas postmodernism emphasises community-formed authority, relativism and experience. Most of our traditional evangelistic methods are modernist in a postmodern culture.
The first defeater is an impersonal witness, devoid of a genuine relationship. People need something more credible than soundbites and an experience more meaningful than being treated like a project. We need to take the time to cultivate relationships.
Evangelism isn't an all-or-nothing endeavour, and good evangelism takes time. We aren't marketing reps for God, but rather should concentrate on building relationships and ensuring that our actions line up with our convictions. When we take the time to get to know others, we will come to understand their motives, hopes, fears and dreams - and the gospel has something to say to those things. By doing this, we make the gospel believable.
A second defeater is that we don't want to be seen as preachy. Self-righteousness, passed off as holiness, is one of the greatest obstacles to people hearing a loving, grace-filled gospel. Rather, we should announce the good news of God's grace in Jesus. Genuine evangelism requires reshaped motives and a heart of personal repentance, ensuring that we are sharing Christ and not a religious facade of our own making - we are announcers, not recruiters. We need to steer people away from the tendency to religiosity and spiritual performance by patiently presenting the good news of the gospel.
A third defeater is the desire to be seen as tolerant and the challenge of pluralism. Here, Dodson helpfully distinguishes between classical tolerance (other opinions have a right to exist) and the new tolerance (all views are equally valid). He also challenges religious plurality, which, despite its popularity, is inaccurate rather than enlightened, fiercely dogmatic rather than humble and intolerant as it blunts all religious distinctions. Religious tolerance makes truth claims of its own and is a religion in its own right, but one that is based on contradictions.
A fourth defeater is fear of not knowing enough to answer people's questions. We need to cultivate a thinking faith, while remembering that gospel communication doesn't depend on memorised responses but is the fruit of an engaged and responsive Christianity. Apologetics must begin with our hearts and a secure faith and confidence in Jesus, before going on to address the intellect.
Next, Dodson focuses on the need for Christians to pause and appreciate the message of the gospel again for ourselves. He sees the gospel as having three dimensions, historical, personal and cosmic. Neglecting any of these will lead us to being self-righteous, pietistic, or mere activists. The threefold response the gospel calls for is doctrinal, personal and missional. Firstly, the gospel is historical, Christ-centred and newsworthy. Secondly, the gospel is a humbling, transforming message of grace. Thirdly, the gospel changes where we live spiritually, socially and culturally.
Dodson then goes on to describe the idea of gospel metaphors, or aspects of the gospel message that are drawn from scripture. Some of the main ones that he considers at length are justification (legal metaphor), redemption (slavery and sacrificial metaphor), adoption (familial metaphor), new creation (life and death metaphors) and union with Christ (body-marriage metaphors). Gospel metaphors are different ways of representing the reality of the gospel and allow us to communicate the gospel in a personal and contextual way, rather than feeling we have to present either the whole gospel or nothing. He sees the metaphors as sections of an orchestra that work together to create the symphony of salvation, but that it can be valuable to learn which gospel chord to pluck with particular individuals, depending on their primary felt need. We need all the gospel metaphors, but different ones will resonate or connect with different people at different times, depending on where they are. Dodson says that to evangelise effectively, we need to listen to people's stories, empathise with their stories and redemptively retell their stories.
When addressing justification, Dodson sees it in terms of our innate need for acceptance, as it answers the question of how a righteous God can relate to unrighteous people and yet remain righteous. This will particularly resonate for those who are trying to earn their acceptance with God, as we show that it is an impossible task for us and that Jesus has already done so on the cross. He sees the metaphor of new creation as particularly compelling for those looking for hope and a new start in life. Union with Christ, on the other hand, may be particularly compelling for those who are arriving after love and intimacy. Redemption clashes with many people's idea of tolerance, and their uneasiness with the exclusive claims that Jesus makes. Dodson shrewdly observes that while those who espouse tolerance often value sincerity over truth, real love is being since about the truth. Christianity is unique, as Jesus works his way down to us in grace rather than us having to work our way up to him; in other words, he redeems us. Adoption touches on our desire for approval and allows us to approach God with humble confidence.
I like the idea of gospel metaphors, but the emphasis on addressing people's felt needs made me slightly uneasy, as it needs careful handling and a lot of nuance. I can see the apologetic and evangelistic aim in this, to make the gospel believable and connect it with the lives of real broken people, but at times it feels a little man-centred. I think I need to chew on this some more, as I'm quite sure that isn't Dodson's aim, consciously or otherwise. However, I do think that if the danger of traditional event-based evangelism is that the gospel is marketed as a product that I can consume, the danger here is that it becomes all about my life, experiences and relationships, and can become disconnected from the truth and reality of the triune God. The ultimate reality for the unbeliever is that they are living in rebellion against the very God to whom they are accountable. We can't lose the essentially confrontational nature of evangelism in our (well-placed and right) desire to listen to and relate to those who are broken and lost. Ultimately, the weaknesses of both kinds of evangelism meet in that we make evangelism man-centred and lose our sight of the glory and holiness of God. Personally, it may well be that my understanding of the gospel is slightly too theoretical and needs to be grounded in how it speaks into the lived experience of others. Dodson has made me appreciate afresh the fact that the gospel isn't a mere collection of doctrines but rather God's provision for our greatest need, felt or otherwise, and that can only lead to adoration and praise.
People aren't interested in a sound bite gospel, and won't find our message believable if it's preachy, intolerant, impersonal or shallow. People want to know why they should believe what we are saying, and will look at our lives and listen to our words to discern if we really are gripped by what we are telling them. In order for people to see something of substance in our words, our gospel communication needs personal nuance and cultural discernment. We need to show how the person and work of Jesus intersect with the longings, hurts and idolatries of those around us. That's something I need to prayerfully learn to do more effectively, and I'm glad Dodson wrote this to challenge me to do so.
December 15, 2019
I really appreciated his discussion on our current cultural beliefs and desires with respect to how to approach engaging others. His emphasis on listening to others so that you can present the gospel in a way that is specific to their needs gave me new things to consider that were helpful.
September 15, 2025
Probably the best book I've read on evangelism. Dodson paints a great picture for personal evangelism (in the context of a communal evangelism, as he emphasizes later in the book). Love the multifaceted Gospel metaphors, deeply contextualized evangelism, the concept of slow evangelism, and the underlying principle of exegeting the people we're talking to in order to know how best to apply relevant Gospel facets to them.
I do think Dodson too strongly minimized public evangelism (or "open air"), as if it were a hindrance to saving souls. OAE should be considered one of the Church's most powerful tools for proclaiming the Gospel to as many as possible, in obedience to the Lord - whether the seeds land on good soil or pavement, preaching without discrimination. OAE may not be the best tool for harvesting, but certainly for sowing, and who knows how often a personal evangelism harvesting experience is due to a brother's willingness to preach publicly?
I do think Dodson too strongly minimized public evangelism (or "open air"), as if it were a hindrance to saving souls. OAE should be considered one of the Church's most powerful tools for proclaiming the Gospel to as many as possible, in obedience to the Lord - whether the seeds land on good soil or pavement, preaching without discrimination. OAE may not be the best tool for harvesting, but certainly for sowing, and who knows how often a personal evangelism harvesting experience is due to a brother's willingness to preach publicly?
February 13, 2015
I was excited to read this book and had pretty high hopes. Unfortunately, it fell a little flat with me. I love the premise of the book and I felt that it started off strong, then slowly petered out.
There were a few decent anecdotes from the author's personal life, but I found them hard to apply to my own life. And I didn't find the amount of practical advice or instruction that I was expecting.
Regardless, the Gospel of Jesus is so good that it should affect our every day. And should certainly affect our actions and speech and those we come in contact with. Not out of a sense of obligation, but an overflow of love and joy. And the closer we are to Jesus, the more easily we can communicate His saving grace to others, in any situation, not only in our actions but in our words. So, while the book didn't live up to my high expectations, it nevertheless made a lasting impression that I pray will stick with me and spur me on to deeper growth in Christ.
There were a few decent anecdotes from the author's personal life, but I found them hard to apply to my own life. And I didn't find the amount of practical advice or instruction that I was expecting.
Regardless, the Gospel of Jesus is so good that it should affect our every day. And should certainly affect our actions and speech and those we come in contact with. Not out of a sense of obligation, but an overflow of love and joy. And the closer we are to Jesus, the more easily we can communicate His saving grace to others, in any situation, not only in our actions but in our words. So, while the book didn't live up to my high expectations, it nevertheless made a lasting impression that I pray will stick with me and spur me on to deeper growth in Christ.
October 16, 2014
This is an excellent resource from a pastor who is a practitioner first and a brilliant guy second.
A theologically rich look at evangelism that goes beyond guilt trips and tactics. I hope this book is read by many church leaders and passed on to their congregations.
A theologically rich look at evangelism that goes beyond guilt trips and tactics. I hope this book is read by many church leaders and passed on to their congregations.
July 6, 2017
The only sensible way to begin a review of this book is to say that it may be the single best book on evangelism I have ever read. Dodson draws on his experience planting and pastoring a church in Austin, Texas, as well as his deep familiarity with both Christian and non-Christian thought, to write an incredibly useful book that unites the head, heart, and hands. Some portions may be a bit advanced for some readers, but overall, if I could put one book about evangelism I've read into the hands of every pastor (indeed, every believer), this would be the one. He frequently shares stories that illustrate evangelism in both familiar situations and some of the toughest situations we might face. And not all of his stories of evangelism and discipleship end up as “success stories” by the time he writes; he's honest that our faithfulness is not contingent on what the other person decides.
In the first section, Dodson points out that much of our evangelism has been unsuccessful because we've approached it like a sales call. “Pressure evangelism” doesn't lead to sharing the gospel in a way people can believe; instead, it alienates people. “Pressure evangelism” is often motivated by the need for approval rather than by love for the other person as a person. Dodson takes up David Bosch's definition of evangelism as gospel-centered, proclamation-oriented, calling for a response, including the church, and pointing to the Holy Spirit (28-29). Dodson goes on to consider four “evangelistic defeaters” – distorted motives behind evangelism that result in dysfunctional evangelism. The first is “impersonal witness” – treating people like projects rather than people. He suggests asking questions to get to know people and telling stories – one of Jesus' favorite ways of evangelism during his earthly ministry (39). He reminds us that “good evangelism isn't an all-or nothing endeavor,” that it “can come in bits and pieces” as we try to get to the heart of a person's need (47).
The second dysfunctional road is “preachy witness,” which emerges from our self-righteousness; and Dodson counsels us to really treat Jesus himself as “the focus of the gospel” and to combine verbal witness and deeds of love (57-60).
The third dysfunctional road is “intolerant witness” – Dodson's careful analysis of 'tolerance' is worth the whole book – and the solution is the humility of “persuasive tolerance” that “extends people the dignity of their own beliefs, while also freely making the case for one's own belief” that Jesus really is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (80).
And the fourth dysfunctional road is “uninformed witness,” whereas we need a “thinking faith” that “requires a willingness to learn and to adapt to circumstances so that we can communicate the gospel fluently in ideas, idioms, and words our hearers can understand” (88). We can instead have a “deep security” based on abiding in Christ rather than having all the answers – even while we seek to learn how best to address people's questions (92-94).
In the second section, Dodson calls us to three things. The first is clarity: we need to gain “a fresh vision of the gospel,” appreciating it as “the good and true story that Jesus has defeated sin, death, and evil through his own death and resurrection and is making all things new, even us,” which has historical, personal, and cosmic elements (110-111). The gospel changes what we believe, who we are, and where we live (113-121). The second is diversity: we need to see that different people need to hear the gospel differently, both in methods of presentation and even in the various gospel metaphors that the Bible offers – justification, redemption, adoption, new creation, and union with Christ (129-130). And the third is fluency: we need to engage our culture and show how the gospel intersects it in “a fresh way” (136), which gets past our tendency to 'speak Christianese' and instead share the gospel in ways that people can understand (138).
In the third section, Dodson unpacks each of the five gospel metaphors, showing how they respectively address people's heartfelt needs for acceptance, hope, intimacy, tolerance, and approval. All throughout, Dodson helps us see why we should share the gospel, when, and how. In the fourteenth chapter and the conclusion, Dodson tackles the last two elements of evangelism: the role of the church, and the movement of the Holy Spirit. The church doesn't just proclaim the gospel in evangelism; it offers other activities that promote the gospel, like hospitality, prayer, and public worship; and besides, “church is a necessary aspect of belonging to Christ” (196). In all things, may we follow the Spirit into God's mission: “Tell people why Jesus is good news and trust the Lord with the rest” (207).
For the sake of a healthier witness, this book should be in the hands of every Christian.
In the first section, Dodson points out that much of our evangelism has been unsuccessful because we've approached it like a sales call. “Pressure evangelism” doesn't lead to sharing the gospel in a way people can believe; instead, it alienates people. “Pressure evangelism” is often motivated by the need for approval rather than by love for the other person as a person. Dodson takes up David Bosch's definition of evangelism as gospel-centered, proclamation-oriented, calling for a response, including the church, and pointing to the Holy Spirit (28-29). Dodson goes on to consider four “evangelistic defeaters” – distorted motives behind evangelism that result in dysfunctional evangelism. The first is “impersonal witness” – treating people like projects rather than people. He suggests asking questions to get to know people and telling stories – one of Jesus' favorite ways of evangelism during his earthly ministry (39). He reminds us that “good evangelism isn't an all-or nothing endeavor,” that it “can come in bits and pieces” as we try to get to the heart of a person's need (47).
The second dysfunctional road is “preachy witness,” which emerges from our self-righteousness; and Dodson counsels us to really treat Jesus himself as “the focus of the gospel” and to combine verbal witness and deeds of love (57-60).
The third dysfunctional road is “intolerant witness” – Dodson's careful analysis of 'tolerance' is worth the whole book – and the solution is the humility of “persuasive tolerance” that “extends people the dignity of their own beliefs, while also freely making the case for one's own belief” that Jesus really is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (80).
And the fourth dysfunctional road is “uninformed witness,” whereas we need a “thinking faith” that “requires a willingness to learn and to adapt to circumstances so that we can communicate the gospel fluently in ideas, idioms, and words our hearers can understand” (88). We can instead have a “deep security” based on abiding in Christ rather than having all the answers – even while we seek to learn how best to address people's questions (92-94).
In the second section, Dodson calls us to three things. The first is clarity: we need to gain “a fresh vision of the gospel,” appreciating it as “the good and true story that Jesus has defeated sin, death, and evil through his own death and resurrection and is making all things new, even us,” which has historical, personal, and cosmic elements (110-111). The gospel changes what we believe, who we are, and where we live (113-121). The second is diversity: we need to see that different people need to hear the gospel differently, both in methods of presentation and even in the various gospel metaphors that the Bible offers – justification, redemption, adoption, new creation, and union with Christ (129-130). And the third is fluency: we need to engage our culture and show how the gospel intersects it in “a fresh way” (136), which gets past our tendency to 'speak Christianese' and instead share the gospel in ways that people can understand (138).
In the third section, Dodson unpacks each of the five gospel metaphors, showing how they respectively address people's heartfelt needs for acceptance, hope, intimacy, tolerance, and approval. All throughout, Dodson helps us see why we should share the gospel, when, and how. In the fourteenth chapter and the conclusion, Dodson tackles the last two elements of evangelism: the role of the church, and the movement of the Holy Spirit. The church doesn't just proclaim the gospel in evangelism; it offers other activities that promote the gospel, like hospitality, prayer, and public worship; and besides, “church is a necessary aspect of belonging to Christ” (196). In all things, may we follow the Spirit into God's mission: “Tell people why Jesus is good news and trust the Lord with the rest” (207).
For the sake of a healthier witness, this book should be in the hands of every Christian.
May 24, 2025
Alongside "Center Church" by Tim Keller, this is the best book I've found on this topic (a topic that I explored thoroughly for my doctorate). My church board read it chapter by chapter over this past year.
Dodson, a church planter in Austin, has sought to discover how to relate the gospel to his post-Christian, urban ministry context (like Keller in New York).
better than most, Dodson sheds light on the diversity of biblical metaphors for Christ's work, and the richness of its life applications.
His repeated point is that we need to bridge the gap between the Scripture's words and our surrounding culture. And he gives great hope that this is possible - both by our efforts, and by the work of the Spirit.
Dodson, a church planter in Austin, has sought to discover how to relate the gospel to his post-Christian, urban ministry context (like Keller in New York).
better than most, Dodson sheds light on the diversity of biblical metaphors for Christ's work, and the richness of its life applications.
His repeated point is that we need to bridge the gap between the Scripture's words and our surrounding culture. And he gives great hope that this is possible - both by our efforts, and by the work of the Spirit.
November 27, 2020
This is a brilliant book about evangelism. This book just makes sense, we need to be giving more than pat answers and carefully learned programs that we carry out by word for word (None of which I’ve ever found myself using). We need to engage the hearts and minds and remember it is only God who can change the heart. We just need to be faithful messengers and this book gives some very helpful insight how to be an effective messenger of the good news. Easy to read I would recommend to any Christian.
February 24, 2019
Excellent book on how to communicate the gospel
Dodson is an excellent writer. He clearly communicates some key ideas on why and how we can better share the gospel. I loved that he put many stories and concrete examples in the book so we could see the key ideas in action. Great work. I will be reading mire books by this author.
Dodson is an excellent writer. He clearly communicates some key ideas on why and how we can better share the gospel. I loved that he put many stories and concrete examples in the book so we could see the key ideas in action. Great work. I will be reading mire books by this author.
September 18, 2018
Simple, straightforward, concise, and easy to grasp. Dodson does a great job of describing why Christians must transition away from the Bible tract, canned-presentation of the Gospel and to a more relational, personalized communication. The Gospel themes he suggests are fantastic.
December 2, 2020
Challenging
Dodson brings a fresh look at how the gospel is understood and presented. I totally agree that it is critical that you understand a person's story so that you can introduce them to the message that will connect.
Dodson brings a fresh look at how the gospel is understood and presented. I totally agree that it is critical that you understand a person's story so that you can introduce them to the message that will connect.
June 9, 2022
A book on evangelism. Touches on alot of aspects. I found it helpful and not crushing. There were lots of examples without feeling like I must be like them. especially appreciated the chapter on community evangelism.
January 3, 2018
Great book!
Gives an excellent overview of how we can share the Gospel in power in ways that will relate to people we speak with everyday. Definitely recommend!
Gives an excellent overview of how we can share the Gospel in power in ways that will relate to people we speak with everyday. Definitely recommend!
Read
April 15, 2020Really insightful. Loved it.
June 7, 2022
A beautiful, refreshing take on classical tolerance and community driven, Spirit-led evangelism.
December 6, 2022
This book as great!
January 2, 2016
Evangelism has to be one of the most difficult task a christian has to do. I know I find it difficult to initiate a conversion and somehow share the gospel with my friends. Often, there is an unspoken sense of guilt that comes over me when I know I have missed a “golden opportunity” to share the gospel. This is why I have found this book helpful for myself.
Jonathan K. Dodson anticipates that many have this unspoken burden and wants to lift this burden off their shoulders. Dodson very carefully helps readers think beyond the “golden opportunity” mindset. Rather he encourages christians to use both their lives and speech to be good witness for Jesus. He helps readers see that sharing the gospel can be a process that flows naturally, rather than always having a project or achievement mentality.
Having set the mentality a Christian ought to have about evangelism, Dodson then sets out to highlight what the gospel is. He helps christians see the gospel with new eyes. This sections is especially helpful for those who have been numb to what the gospel means for their lives. While reading these 3 chapters, Dodson hopes to let the gospel be good news once again to his readers.
Having shown the gloriousness of the gospel, Dodson then brings out 5 themes that will allow christians to share the gospel. These themes being common to everyone makes perfect sense why Dodson will want to write on these topics. As I was reading this section, I envisioned myself taking the same approaches in trying to share the gospel to the people around me. This section was helpful in letting me thinking through the various channels I can use to share the gospel. This section also helped me see how the gospel is relevant to my everyday life.
I found the book helpful to those who are new or are already familiar with evangelism. If you find evangelism to be a difficult task, why not give this a read and see if it’ll help you deal with it?
Rating: 4 / 5
Disclaimer: I was given this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Jonathan K. Dodson anticipates that many have this unspoken burden and wants to lift this burden off their shoulders. Dodson very carefully helps readers think beyond the “golden opportunity” mindset. Rather he encourages christians to use both their lives and speech to be good witness for Jesus. He helps readers see that sharing the gospel can be a process that flows naturally, rather than always having a project or achievement mentality.
Having set the mentality a Christian ought to have about evangelism, Dodson then sets out to highlight what the gospel is. He helps christians see the gospel with new eyes. This sections is especially helpful for those who have been numb to what the gospel means for their lives. While reading these 3 chapters, Dodson hopes to let the gospel be good news once again to his readers.
Having shown the gloriousness of the gospel, Dodson then brings out 5 themes that will allow christians to share the gospel. These themes being common to everyone makes perfect sense why Dodson will want to write on these topics. As I was reading this section, I envisioned myself taking the same approaches in trying to share the gospel to the people around me. This section was helpful in letting me thinking through the various channels I can use to share the gospel. This section also helped me see how the gospel is relevant to my everyday life.
I found the book helpful to those who are new or are already familiar with evangelism. If you find evangelism to be a difficult task, why not give this a read and see if it’ll help you deal with it?
Rating: 4 / 5
Disclaimer: I was given this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
August 5, 2015
In this book, Dodson shoes his insights from scripture and his experiences in seeking to win people to faith in Christ. Dodson has planted a church in Austin, Texas – a city that he calls a dot of blue in an ocean of red. It means that his city is filled with secularists find the gospel of Christ difficult to believe.
He says that the gospel is becoming increasingly unbelievable in our culture. He coaches followers of Jesus on how to make the gospel something worth believing. He understands the reasons people do not share the gospel. He calls these "Defeaters."
Dodson wants to make sure that the witness is personal rather than impersonal. He wants to make sure that the witness is not self righteous preaching. He wants to make sure that the witness understands the difference between his stork tolerance and the new tolerance so that the witness can navigate pluralism. He wants to make sure that the witness is secure in his relationship with Christ.
Dodson shares stories about people that he has had the privilege of sharing the gospel with. Some are seeking acceptance. Others are seeking hope or intimacy or tolerance. Others are seeking approval.
Finally, Dodson shares how important it is for evangelism to take place in the context of a community of faith.
Dotson is a practitioner. He and his wife regularly have secularist, atheist, Hindus, Buddhist, and Muslims in their home. Does not make the mistake of simply seeking to serve without sharing or share without serving.
We have invited him to speak at our church this coming October 24, 2015. He will be sharing insights from his book with our congregation to mobilize us to engage our culture.
He says that the gospel is becoming increasingly unbelievable in our culture. He coaches followers of Jesus on how to make the gospel something worth believing. He understands the reasons people do not share the gospel. He calls these "Defeaters."
Dodson wants to make sure that the witness is personal rather than impersonal. He wants to make sure that the witness is not self righteous preaching. He wants to make sure that the witness understands the difference between his stork tolerance and the new tolerance so that the witness can navigate pluralism. He wants to make sure that the witness is secure in his relationship with Christ.
Dodson shares stories about people that he has had the privilege of sharing the gospel with. Some are seeking acceptance. Others are seeking hope or intimacy or tolerance. Others are seeking approval.
Finally, Dodson shares how important it is for evangelism to take place in the context of a community of faith.
Dotson is a practitioner. He and his wife regularly have secularist, atheist, Hindus, Buddhist, and Muslims in their home. Does not make the mistake of simply seeking to serve without sharing or share without serving.
We have invited him to speak at our church this coming October 24, 2015. He will be sharing insights from his book with our congregation to mobilize us to engage our culture.
January 3, 2016
There were a lot of things that I liked and found helpful about this book. Many things were a review, but that's not always a bad thing. Part of Dodson's purpose of the book was for us to "re-evangelize" ourselves by reminding ourselves of the fullness of the gospel and seeing it from its different angles. I appreciated the advice to first listen and engage in real conversation with the non-believers around you, and when appropriate to respond with the aspect (or what he calls "metaphor") of the gospel that best speaks to what you hear them expressing about their lives and their problems with Christianity. The reminder that you don't need to rely on a formula, a recitation or a one-size-fits-all approach to sharing the gospel was helpful. "The Unbelievable Gospel" also reminded me, thematically, of the book For the City: Proclaiming and Living Out the Gospel, perhaps because it is partially set in Austin as this book also is. This book had lots of real-life examples of sharing the gospel with people that made me feel energized to do the same myself. I also enjoyed his other book, Gospel-Centered Discipleship, perhaps a little more than this one, although both are helpful depending on what topic you are focusing on.
I received this book from the publisher via Net Galley. All thoughts expressed in this review are my own.
I received this book from the publisher via Net Galley. All thoughts expressed in this review are my own.
April 13, 2015
Dodson does an incredible job of getting people to re-think evangelism by looking again at the gospel itself, and to consider the many ways the Bible communicates the gospel which express how it is truly good news for others. He reminds readers that we must be revisiting the good news ourselves and remembering and celebrating what God has done for us in Christ in order to be ready and willing to share with others. He also commends evangelism in community, noting that most people do not choose to follow Jesus at one moment in their lives, but over the course of time as they are exposed to the good news over and over again. Dodson has given me a number of things to think about, especially the metaphors he employs to meet people right where they're at.
March 19, 2015
Excellent
If you've ever struggled to share the Gospel with someone, this book is for you. Even if you haven't, you should still read this book. Dodson challenged me at very core levels with how to be a better student of culture and of people, and in doing so, how to share the Gospel as a part of my life - not just something I feel pressured to do by any number of sources.
This book set me free from forced, awkward evangelistic strategies and gave me some new tools to use. It also helped me to better understand the Gospel itself, which itself makes this book worth reading.
If you've ever struggled to share the Gospel with someone, this book is for you. Even if you haven't, you should still read this book. Dodson challenged me at very core levels with how to be a better student of culture and of people, and in doing so, how to share the Gospel as a part of my life - not just something I feel pressured to do by any number of sources.
This book set me free from forced, awkward evangelistic strategies and gave me some new tools to use. It also helped me to better understand the Gospel itself, which itself makes this book worth reading.
October 22, 2015
Well-lived makes for well-said
The renewed vision for Evangelism that Dodson sets forth emerges from his own relationships and cultural engagement.
After beginning with an honest breakdown of bad evangelism, he equips readers with an awareness of cultural dynamics that is more conducive to good evangelism. This awareness is coupled with phenomenal material on gospel fluency and personal stories of how this has played out in his own life.
Hands down this goes near the top of any reading list on missional living, evangelism, and apologetics.
The renewed vision for Evangelism that Dodson sets forth emerges from his own relationships and cultural engagement.
After beginning with an honest breakdown of bad evangelism, he equips readers with an awareness of cultural dynamics that is more conducive to good evangelism. This awareness is coupled with phenomenal material on gospel fluency and personal stories of how this has played out in his own life.
Hands down this goes near the top of any reading list on missional living, evangelism, and apologetics.
January 23, 2016
This book will make you think concerning the ways we do evangelism today. The author emphasizes the necessity to give an authentic witness to modern men and women. He shares personal experiences of relationship evangelism and communal evangelism. He says that it is important to ask questions and then share the gospel using metaphors that speak to the heart. Some effective ideas are discussed which we would all be wise to implement when we talk to others about Christ.
August 19, 2016
Definitely one of the better books I've read on evangelism. The author seems to be trying a little too hard to distance himself from certain approaches to evangelism, but there is still a lot of help here. The last section gives some very practical thoughts on sharing your faith using the five main gospel metaphors. Very good.
February 20, 2014
This short book is so helpful. It appears to be a guide for evangelism in a post-modern culture. And while it is that, it's really a book about the gospel some ways to communicate to people you love about the Jesus you love.
March 23, 2015
A Gospel You Believe In
Dobson does a good job reminding us why we ought to proclaim the gospel to others in our world. He also gives those that possibly struggle to do so a good bit of encouragement regarding how.
Dobson does a good job reminding us why we ought to proclaim the gospel to others in our world. He also gives those that possibly struggle to do so a good bit of encouragement regarding how.
February 4, 2016
Share your Faith Why & How
If you like me struggle with how to share your faith with others Dobson breaks it down so you have an understanding that will give you confidence to grow.
If you like me struggle with how to share your faith with others Dobson breaks it down so you have an understanding that will give you confidence to grow.
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