Sincerely Engaging With Those Who Are Far Off
Matthew Petrusek’s Evangelization and Ideology is an invitation for the Church to re-enter the sociopolitical arena with the saving message of the Gospel. Petrusek writes, “The Church has a unique opening to re-enter the sociopolitical fray, re-engage the secular mind, and call the culture back to Christ—provided we can effectively understand and respond to the contemporary ideological battlefield.”[1] An effective response to the current hyper-politicized climate demands communication and dialogue, and Petrusek argues the Church must position itself to facilitate conversation rather than detract from it. He provides practical advice for Christians who seek to build bridges. The remainder of this post will focus on three of Petrusek’s recommendations: employ the Socratic method to engage in debate, be disposed to learn something new, and be a happy warrior. [2]
The Socratic method to engage in debate. Petrusek writes, “The Socratic method entails asking sincere questions and looking for sincere answers with the goal of attaining both definitional and logical clarity.” In addition, concerning the Socratic method, Paul and Elder write, “The key to distinguishing Socratic questioning from questioning per se is that Socratic questioning is systematic, disciplined, and deep, and usually focuses on foundational concepts, principles, theories, issues, or problems.”[3] The Socratic method is meant to cultivate deep learning, not just gain information. Furthermore, it requires a position of humility and care for the individual in which we are interacting with. Philippians 2:3, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” Unfortunately, I have witnessed in religious debates that insincere questions are used to trap the person with opposing views, especially if the questioner is more knowledgeable about a specific subject. The key to the Socratic method is sincerity and the desire to cultivate deep learning.
Be disposed to learning something new. Harford states, “There’s a sweet spot for curiosity: if we know nothing, we ask no questions; if we know everything, we ask no questions either. Curiosity is fueled once we know enough to know that we do not know.”[5] Furthermore, Schulz writes, “Knowing what we don’t know is the beginning.”[6] Concerning learning something new, Petrusek encourages interacting with people with other life experiences. For example, if an individual has a strong view of crime, talking with someone who has been incarcerated is beneficial. Petrusek writes, “By talking with each other, by learning from each other, we can stop imagining and—to a limited but still profoundly morally relevant degree—start knowing.” [7] Being disposed to learning something new sounds straightforward. However, it also requires a humble posture and sincerity. James 3:17, “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.”
Be a happy warrior. Petrusek states, “If you believe Jesus is Lord, there is no sitting this one out. It’s a fight. And we’re all in it, all the time.” [8] 2 Timothy 2:3, “Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.” Considering the current hyper-politicized climate, it can become easy for Christians to lose their joy. It can seem like a losing battle. I can easily feel this way in North Africa, where the conversation differs from the West’s. However, Jesus tells his disciples in John 16:33b, “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” I often remind myself when entering conversations, especially when concerning religion, that regardless of the outcome, my joy does not come from changing someone’s worldview. My happiness comes from doing what God has called me to do.
Petrusek does not shy away from the fact that we live in a broken, sin-filled world. Despite our best efforts, we cannot create a perfect world without sin. However, we can live in hope as we fight for greater justice and philosophical and evangelical progress. Petrusek affirms that apart from Christ, all political ideologies will one day decay and crumble. He writes, “Either our politics is grounded in and oriented to God as our true good and true source of happiness, or it is grounded in and oriented to something other than God, which is tantamount to grounding it in an idol.”[9] Acts 17:29-30, “Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.” Petrusek encourages the Church to enter the sociopolitical arena and to engage people with the saving message of the Gospel. The Church cannot fix the brokenness of our world with more human effort, but we can sincerely engage with those who are far off so that they may feel their way toward Christ and find him.
[1] Matthew Petrusek, Evangelization and Ideology: How to Understand and Respond to the Political Culture, (Park Ridge, IL: Word on Fire Institute, 2023), 8, Kindle Edition.
[2] Matthew Petrusek, Evangelization and Ideology, (Park Ridge, IL: Word on Fire Institute, 2023), 465-474, Kindle Edition.
[3] Richard Paul and Linda Elder, The Thinker’s Guide to Socratic Questioning, (Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2019), 4, Kindle Edition.
[4] Matthew Petrusek, Evangelization and Ideology, (Park Ridge, IL: Word on Fire Institute, 2023), 466, Kindle Edition.
[5] Tim Harford, The Data Detective: Ten Easy Rules to Make Sense of Statistics, (Riverhead, UK: Penguin Random House, 2020), 273, Kindle Edition.
[6] Kathryn Schulz, Being Wrong: Adventures in the Margin of Error, (HarperCollins, 2010), 85, Kindle Edition.
[7] Matthew Petrusek, Evangelization and Ideology, (Park Ridge, IL: Word on Fire Institute, 2023), 470, Kindle Edition.
[8] Ibid, 470.
[9] Matthew Petrusek, Evangelization and Ideology, (Park Ridge, IL: Word on Fire Institute, 2023), 464, Kindle Edition.
About the Author
Elysse Burns
14 responses to “Sincerely Engaging With Those Who Are Far Off”
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Hi Elysse, I like how you wove Schulz and Harford into your discussion of being disposed to learning something new. Have you ever thought about how you learn best?
Hi Diane, I had to ponder this for a moment. I learn best when someone walks me through a process and allows me to try it myself. This has always been challenging for me because I have struggled with performance anxiety my entire life (some might call this pride). However, it has gotten easier. It definitely requires humility to admit I don’t know a process. It takes even more humility to have someone watch me look “foolish” before getting a handle on something. It also requires trusting the person teaching me.
Thank you Elysse, Which of these three points do you most resonate with, with regard to engaging with non-believers? Have you found it – or another method of engagement – to be successful? Are people’s minds more open to considering your presentation of the gospel? I’m curious because I’d like to learn how to do it better. 🙂
Hi Debbie, thank you for the thoughtful questions. Most of my gospel conversations are informal, so I resonate most with being disposed to something new. I want to know what people study, watch, or listen to. I live in a majority Muslim country, so recently I have been asking friends what they are reading in the Quran. Christianity and Islam share many prophets so we can share stories about prophets and faith. This removes defenses when I sincerely desire to know what they are passionate about concerning their faith. Often, I am able to share who Jesus is to me during these conversations, and I have rarely been met with any animosity.
Thank you Elysee for your post.
In what ways can Christians maintain a joyful and determined spirit, akin to a “happy warrior,” in the face of societal challenges and political debates, while remaining grounded in the hope and truth of the Gospel message?
Hi Shela, I have found it very impactful for me to maintain an eternal perspective. I have had moments in North Africa where I have had to close my eyes and imagine Jesus making everything new. I am comforted knowing He will make all things new! We can remain joyful when we leave the heavy lifting to the Holy Spirit. We glorify God by sharing His truth, but He does the work. This is very comforting for me.
Hi Elysse, great blog as always, thank you. Given Petrusek’s emphasis on employing the Socratic method to re-engage the secular mind and invite deeper learning, how do you think this approach can be effectively applied in highly polarised discussions without falling into the trap of using questions as a method to assert superiority or entrap opponents?
Hi Glyn, Thank you for this question. I appreciated how Petrusek emphasized the word sincerity when using the Socratic method. I agree with this. Sincerity is key. I appreciated a story Ryan shared in his post about a leader he worked with who genuinely cared about colleagues who had completely opposing views to him. Using the Socratic method well requires care for the person we are questioning. I have often backed out of an argument because I knew my motives were not right. I find this is especially hard for me when discussing religion.
Thanks for bringing in Harford, and the importance of employing curiosity in learning something new, and a spirit of humility.
As you read and encountered Petrusek’s approach to dialogue with these four ideologies, how did you observe him utilizing winsome qualities?
Hi Joel, You ask an interesting question. Petrusek used the word ‘discovery’ concerning being disposed to learning something new. There is something winsome in the idea of discovery. Maintaining a disposition of discovery can be used for any of his recommendations. I do sense that he desires to have a spirit of sincerity when engaging with people who have opposing views.
Hi Elysse, I, too, can relate to the challenges of living among people with different world views. What would you like to change, modify, or add to your current context as you share the Gospel in a less-than-friendly environment in North Africa?
Hi Kari, I would love to see the people in North Africa adopt a spirit of openness and curiosity to thoughts outside their social norm. I would love to have more dialogue with North Africans concerning faith.
Elysse, I appreciate the points you chose to address about Petrusek. Your statement about joy in this cultural movement is crucial. How do you help others cultivate joy in the Lord even when what He calls us to may result in loss or suffering?
Hi Chad, This is a great question and one I am still figuring out. When a person is transformed by the Holy Spirit, joy seems to come naturally despite the circumstances. I have also found people who love learning about God and His promises possess more joy. I was part of a house group in North Africa and the joy level was zero. It was extremely discouraging. Nothing could be said to convince these individuals a joyful life is possible. I had to step away from this group and now carefully ask the Lord to show me who is ready to grow in joy. Additionally, I must constantly check myself to ensure I am experiencing God’s joy. I can’t cultivate joy in anyone else if I am miserable.