Expanded version of the Warfield Lectures given at Princeton Theological Seminary, March 1984.

Post-enlightenment culture as a missionary problem -- Profile of a culture -- The word in the world -- What can we know? The dialogue with science -- What is to be done? The dialogue with politics -- What must we be? The call to the church.

In this book, Lesslie Newbigin attempts to look at modern Western culture through the eyes of an outsider and to ask, "What would it mean to confront this culture with the gospel?" Newbigin looks first at the broad issues raised by any cross-cultural communication of the gospel. He then focuses his discussion on modern Western culture, examining its essential features and the present signs of its disintegration. This leads to the main thrust of the book--the question of how biblical authority can be a reality for those who are shaped by this culture. Newbigin goes on to consider what would be involved in the encounter between the gospel and modern science, politics, and economics. Finally, he discusses the task of the church in bringing about this missionary encounter.