Abstract
Social Aspects
In Engaging Globalization Bryant Myers presents three ways Christians approach globalization: resist it, ignore/fear it, or engage it. He writes from an evangelical perspective addressing the church’s need for “understanding globalization, biblically assessing its values and promises to us, and preparing our people to respond” (5).
Chapters 1 and 2 introduce the concepts that Myers explores throughout the book. Chapters 3 and 4 give a careful study of globalization; described as “an emergent, highly ambiguous global phenomenon of technological, economic, and social change” (8). To highlight the ambiguity of globalization, Myers indicates that: it results from our “complex adaptive social systems” (53), no one is in charge (54), and occurs in a context of “integrating and fragmenting forces” (59).
In chapters 5 and 6, Myers presents two eras of globalization, the first, from creation to today, includes aspects of migration, conquest, and mission by Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam. The second, contemporary globalization, started in England around 1800 with advances in technology and economics—primarily the ability to create wealth, communication, and a global market. This section highlights problems with globalization including unequal global wealth development, and the gradual separation of the church from society as globalization has isolated the spiritual from the material realm. Chapters 7 and 8 focus on positive and negative impacts of globalization.
In the final two sections, Myers discusses how Christians should engage globalization. Chapters 9 and 10 present aspects of international development, including primary concept builders such as Amartya Sen and Jeffery Sachs, and the intersection of Christian faith and development. Chapters 11 to 14 challenge the church in general to engage meaningfully with globalization, and not succumb to the spiritual–material divide.
Throughout the book, Myers demonstrates that globalization does not adequately address three central questions of human existence: who we are, why we are here, and how we should live (8). In answer, he calls Christians to speak the truth that God is at work through globalization and to offer the biblical good news that does adequately answer these three key questions.
Engaging Globalization needs to be read by missiologists, professors, pastors, and the laity. We all need to understand that due to the pervasive tenants of globalization we can no longer think of church and mission fields, but rather we need to see that the mission field is not only far and near, but also within the church due to the impact of globalization.