Gospel Without Borders

To what degree does culture facilitate or distort the Christian faith, the gospel of Jesus, and the life of the church? In America, the distortion is enormous. Gospel Without Borders carefully examines the complex intersection of culture and faith in America, providing insights that allow for better understanding and a more genuine experience of biblical and historic Christianity. Gospel Without Borders analyzes the formative and interactive roles that human nature and cultural history play in contemporary expressions of Christianity in America. It outlines their profound but little appreciated influence upon the shape and scope of Christian faith within society-at-large, the church, and the lives of individuals. The study illuminates the dimensions of a largely unheralded gospel message characterized by unimpeded faith that fully accords with the kingdom Jesus stridently proclaimed. It outlines the dimensions of faith freed from the disappointing forms of "culturalized" Christianity that always prove insufficient on a personal level and woefully inadequate to the demands of contemporary life within our globalizing world. Today's world can only be effectively impacted through a "gospel without borders"--a compelling gospel most Americans have yet to hear, and too many Christians--of every cultural and denominational background--have yet to fully embrace.

Jim Rotholz has a varied background that includes five years working in missions and international development in Somalia, Ethiopia, and Nepal, and a short tenure as Assistant Professor of Anthropology at Washington State University. He is the author of two previous books, Walking the Spirit (2004) and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Christianity, and Culture (2002). He and Louise, his inspiring and adventurous wife of thirty-five years, currently reside in the mountains of northern New Mexico.