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Citation: Das, Rupen. Review of Leading a Multicultural Church, by Malcolm Patten. Journal of
European Baptist Studies 17 no. 1 (2017): 78.

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Das, Rupen. Review of Leading a Multicultural Church, by Malcolm Patten. Journal of
European Baptist Studies 17 no. 1 (2017): 78.

[ Citation Page ] 



[ Page ] 78


	Malcolm Patten, Leading a Multicultural Church (London: Society
	for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 2016), 176 pages. ISBN: 978-
	0281075041.

Reviewed by Rupen Das

Malcolm Patten’s book Leading a Multicultural Church is a timely
contribution to the literature and practice of emerging church life in many
parts of Britain and Europe. The refugee crisis and the seemingly large influx
of migrants has spurred a debate on what it means to be British, European,
Dutch, German, or Swedish, and whether there is a place for multiculturalism
in our societies. This debate has not bypassed the church. In this book, the
author draws on both his experience as a pastor and on his doctoral research.

	Patten starts by laying a foundation from the Old and New Testaments,
showing that God’s people were multicultural communities; that God’s
intention was never for a mono-ethnic community but one that would
embrace the diversity of the nations. He then discusses the concept of
multiculturalism and contrasts it with the idea of assimilation, especially
when dealing with migrants. He draws on the work of Lord Bhikhu Parekh,
the British political philosopher who states that identity is three dimensional
- personal, social, and human, stating that these three identities ‘are
inseparable and flow into each other’. Grasping this enables local churches
to celebrate the uniqueness of individuals and yet build on all that binds us
together in a common humanity. Patten then addresses the difficult issues of
overcoming prejudices and of racism. He expands social psychologist
Gordon Allport’s four conditions necessary to overcome racism and looks at
the implications for the local church. Finally, he looks at the implications of
multiculturalism in four dimensions of the church - approaches to worship,
pastoral challenges, developing diverse leadership teams, and missions. Each
chapter is filled with practical advice and suggestions.

	This is an extremely valuable resource for any pastor facing the
challenges of leading a multicultural congregation. If there is one weakness
in the book, it is that Patten does not discuss the different types of
multicultural congregations, though he refers to them throughout. Early in
the book, in the definition section, he does differentiate between
multicultural, multiracial, and multiethnic churches, and later he refers to the
possibility of hosting an expatriate congregation. While there are overlaps,
migrant churches, ethnic churches, international churches, multicultural
churches, and multiracial churches have their distinctives, and a discussion
of these would have been helpful.

	The book is grounded in a proper understanding of the biblical
narrative and in good theology. It is a timely contribution to understanding
how a pluralistic society is impacting the church.

	Reviewed by Rupen Das


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