The question of what the preaching of the Gospel should be in the modern world today concerns not only those called to deliver sermons but also every believer. They are all called to preach the Gospel, bearing witness to it, of course, first and foremost with their lives. They must also talk about the Gospel, telling people from different cultures and contexts about it.
If the norms of intercultural communication are applied, a dialogue between Christian speakers who preach the Gospel and representatives of other faiths is necessary and possible. It can rely on the doctrinal and ethical premises that both religions contain. Such a dialogue is the primary means against mutual suspicion and aggression, the only way to gain experience of a tolerant attitude to a different cultural tradition. Only an approach to organizing the preaching of the Gospel within the framework of interreligious relations with the observance of intercultural communication can be considered adequate for achieving intercultural understanding.
Cultural intelligence is essential primarily because interaction with foreign cultures today happens almost anytime and in any place. Whenever and wherever the Gospel is preaching, the preacher must act and speak with love. Christ said to His disciples: “By this, all will know that you are My disciples if you have love among yourselves.” To love another culture and its representative can only be prepared to accept other cultures is closely related to the concepts of cosmopolitanism and tolerance. For this reason, it is necessary to develop cultural intelligence, be more flexible and open for the dialogue to take place.
For the Orthodox preaching of the Gospel to the modern world to be successful, it is not enough to study the Gospel of Christ and live according to the Gospel. An understanding of the modern world and other cultures is crucial. To have it, it is essential to use the techniques of intercultural communication and develop cultural intelligence.
Bibliography
Asamoahi, Emmanuel. “Role of Culture in Bible Interpretation: A Reference to Asante-twi Bible Reading Community.” European Journal of Social Sciences Studies 5, no. 5 (2020): 1-14.
Drahos, Kristen. Beyond an Ethics of Niceness: The Cruciform Practicality of Christian Love.” Practical Matters Journal 13, no. 1 (2020): 1-11.
Livermore, David. Leading with Cultural Intelligence: The Real Secret to Success. New York: AMACOM, 2015.
Watkins, Keith. Talking About God When People Are Afraid. Oregon: Wipf & Stock Publishers, 2020.