Review: Rescuing the Gospel from the Cowboys: A Native American Expression of the Jesus Way

Rescuing the Gospel from the Cowboys: A Native American Expression of the Jesus Way by Richard Twiss
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is actually one of my wife's books, but I wanted to pick it up because I do think I need to diversify my theological reading. I'm glad I did because this takes an interesting approach to a critical question, that of acculturation. The perspective, of course, is an indigenous one and is taking on the heavy hand of Western conceptions of Christianity within indigenous communities. Twiss brings an abundance of experience in finding a new way to worship Christ within a specifically indigenous context, adapting such practices as drumming, singing and sweat lodges (to name a few) to a Christian one.

The main point of the book is the argument that this kind of incorporation of various indigenous practices into Christian worship is not only acceptable practice (contrary to those who argue that only the Western concepts are free of idolatry etc), but is preferential. His point that Christianity has always acculturated itself to the cultures it encounters is, for me, pretty transparently obvious- any look at Christian history such, for instance, the patristic era, will make that clear enough. However, I also recognize that the Western prejudice towards its own acculturated practices is so prevalent that the point has to be made and argued. And Twiss does that quite clearly.

This is a valuable book and, I think, an important one in order to understand what indigenous Christian spirituality contributes to the mosaic of Christian expressions.

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