Books by W Jay Moon

Belonging is declining and belief is changing.With increased globalization and modernization reaching into the furthest corners of the earth also comes the influence of secularization. These three tides of influence impact traditional religious beliefs, practices, and institutions in significant ways. Some modernizing societies see religion on the decline, while others find it thriving in surprising ways. This collection of essays presents the opportunities and the challenges of secularization for the mission of the Church, with hopeful signs and reassurance that God is still at work in a secularizing world.Readers will find both analysis and guidance that will assist the Church in an informed, missional engagement with secularization in a variety of contexts-starting with North America, then Europe, Asia, and Africa. Each local church and mission organization must discern the appropriate missional response for evangelism, discipleship, congregational life, and social involvement.To be Against the Tide means regaining your voice, as a church on mission, informed by your context and inspired by the responses of others in theirs.

I am not like Hudson Taylor, David Livingstone, or William Carey. The stories of these people are inspiring, but they also make me question, "Am I really good enough to be a missionary? Because I don't consider myself super-spiritual like these missionary heroes seem to be." Ordinary Missionary introduces world missions through the story of an ordinary family facing ordinary questions about their own insecurities and inadequacies. Step into the shoes of three authors who combine their thoughts to put a face, a feeling, and a person to contemporary missions. Join Jay, husband and father, as he prepares to minister among the Builsa people in Ghana, West Africa. Observe Pam, wife and mother, as she addresses the personal concerns of the family. Follow Emily, oldest daughter, in the struggles and joys of being a missionary kid.This story is not a triumphant tale of missionary heroes. The real heroes show up in unlikely places when they are least expected. Our steps are ordinary, but the journey is beyond extraordinary. These real stories will inspire you to trust your own life in the hands of our extraordinary God.

In many oral cultures local proverbs are highly regarded for their wisdom and prized for their aesthetic expression. In this study Jay Moon provides an in-depth look at the use of local proverbs among the Builsa culture of Ghana, West Africa. In particular, the author''s research shows how local proverbs can facilitate contextualized expressions of Christianity that are both biblically authentic and culturally relevant. The process of initiating and sustaining this form of expression is explicated with the help of an engaging narrative, providing valuable insights for those striving for genuine and meaningful expression of Christ in culture.This study will be especially beneficial to the missionary community, particularly for the purposes of appreciating oral literature in primary oral cultures, finding proper roles in the contextualization process, identifying cultural values via the window of local proverbs, training missionaries in cultural understanding, and tailoring discipleship training to incorporate significant aspects of orality""Drawing on solid theoretical foundations in anthropology, epistemology, and communications, Jay Moon takes us on an exciting journey into the world of African proverbs to demonstrate how to engage Scripture with culture. Written as a riveting story with missiological reflection, this is the practical guide to doing contextualization we''ve been waiting for. The implications of his application of contextualization go well beyond Africa and so this book is a ''must read'' for any serious student of contextualization and missiology.""--Darrell WhitemanResident Missiologist and Vice President for Mission Personnel and PreparationThe Mission Society""Jay''s work with Ghanaian proverbs is one of the deepest, most practical examples of missionary teaching/learning I have ever seen. Getting down to the proverbial level of local language and culture has paid off handsomely in his situation. Now he has done missionaries and local leaders young and old a great favor by sketching why it worked, how it worked, and how it can work for them. What could be more useful for mission today? Read and do!""--Stan NussbaumStaff MissiologistGMI Research ServicesW. Jay Moon is Associate Professor of Intercultural Studies and the director of the Wesley House of Studies at Sioux Falls Seminary. He was formerly a missionary with SIM in Ghana from 1992 to 2005.

In many oral cultures local proverbs are highly regarded for their wisdom and prized for their aesthetic expression. In this study Jay Moon provides an in-depth look at the use of local proverbs among the Builsa culture of Ghana, West Africa. In particular, the author's research shows how local proverbs can facilitate contextualized expressions of Christianity that are both biblically authentic and culturally relevant. The process of initiating and sustaining this form of expression is explicated with the help of an engaging narrative, providing valuable insights for those striving for genuine and meaningful expression of Christ in culture.This study will be especially beneficial to the missionary community, particularly for the purposes of appreciating oral literature in primary oral cultures, finding proper roles in the contextualization process, identifying cultural values via the window of local proverbs, training missionaries in cultural understanding, and tailoring discipleship training to incorporate significant aspects of orality