Missions History in a ‘Cancel Culture’ Age: Jonathan Arnold Explains

Christians live in an age of iconoclasm. How can we do church history and modern missions history responsibly—without falling into the opposite errors of hero-worship or “cancel culture”? Jonathan Arnold, Associate Professor of Church History and Historical Theology at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, weighs in from his perspective as a church historian. For three years, Jonathan served as senior pastor of a Bible Church in Michigan. Prior to that he and his wife led several student-focused ministries on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. Arnold transitioned to the academy full-time at Northland International University in Dunbar, Wisconsin where he served as vice president of student services and professor of theological studies. In 2015, Arnold moved to Boyce College, where he served as the founding director of the Augustine Honors Collegium, assistant professor of Christian theology and church history, and as founding editor of The Augustine Collegiate Review. He has written The Reformed Theology of Benjamin Keach (CBHH, 2013; reprint, 2019) along with numerous articles, book chapters, and book reviews for various publications. He has been a fellow of the Andrew Fuller Center for Baptist Studies (SBTS), a visiting fellow of the Centre for Baptist History and Heritage (Oxford), and is active in several scholarly societies. He and his wife, Lindsay, have four children: Nathaniel, Benjamin, Lukas, and Sadie. Referenced in this episode: Why the Naga Headhunters Converted to Christianity | National GeographicDid the Reformers Believe in the Great Commission? | Interview with Jonathan Arnold (Pt. 1)Why Should Missionaries Care About the Reformation? | Interview with Jonathan Arnold (Pt. 2) Discount From Kregel Academic: If you enjoyed our interview with Matt Bennett on his newest book 40 Questions About Islam, you can purchase it here from Christianbook.com and receive 40% off using the exclusive discount code “ABWE.” Check it out! Remember to share, rate, leave a review, and subscribe. Together we can bridge the gap between the worlds of theology and missions. Want to ask a question or suggest a topic? Email us. The Missions Show is powered by ABWE International and the Global Gospel Fund. This episode is also sponsored by Radius International and Evangelical Council for Abuse Prevention.