TGTS 2.0: The Gospel / The Street: What Does the Gospel of Christ Look Like in Street Contexts?

Acts 17:16-34 for the street. Prompted by a 2004 hip-hop conference featuring members of the Cross Movement at Westminster Theological Seminary (and prior encouragement from the late Harvie M. Conn), here’s the deep-dig stuff saints gonna have to go at to answer deep street thinker- / theologian-types. Y’know, e’rybody’s a theologian whether they know it or not – Kendrick Lamar, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Black Thought, Jordan Peele, Ryan Coogler ‘n’ Kenya Barris come to mind – and Christians gotta be ready ‘n’ able to go with ‘n’ at the imaginativeness with a satisfying ratiocinativity via the Word Incarnate (John 1:14). TGTS 2.0 is a street-oriented apologetic (in method ‘n’ mien), geared towards the Message-hearers (apologé(e)-oriented), with the messengers re- oriented (apologists prepped proper), with the timeless Message sculpted for street contexts (the Gospel of Christ). Jawn’s simultaneously Biblical, theological, sociological, culture-contextual, anthropological, historical, missiological, ideational, expeditionary – and unabashedly Christocentric. In that capacity, TGTS 2.0 also functions well as a culture- specific manual for discipling street-oriented Christians.

● What did Jesus rhyme – ‘n’ how’d He rhythmatize? (He did – in 1st century Palestinian forms ‘n’ context)

● How did Jesus reason and enlist imagination in street contexts? How might we go at it today?

● How does Paul’s thorough exegesis of Athens show up in his address to the Areopagus (Acts 17:16-34)?

● What’s goin’ on (‘n’ been goin’ on) in street contexts? An in-depth street corner convo w/ Mykhael.

● What kinds of issues-oriented communicational approaches ‘n’ content work best in street contexts?

A deep exploration of the divide between the Church and street / hip-hop culture, TGTS 2.0 is singularly focused on Scripture’s capacity for crossing said chasm. After mapping out Biblical and theological foundations (discovering numerous parallels with hip-hop culture and rap music), the author exegetes the street (following Nehemiah 1-2 and Acts 17:16-34), analyzing its worldview, value system, trusted armor, operational strategies, codes, etc., exhorting the saints to engage its challenges and uncertainties to discover God’s hidden treasure (the imago Dei), tucked away in difficult, obscure places. A course of study is offered, replete with an extensive full-semester curriculum (provocative, ideational and expeditionary in nature), and a wealth of resources, enabling the saints to reach unreached street-oriented young urban Black males in situ. Advisory: TGTS 2.0 is not a quick-fix prescriptive text, nor is it a light read. Requires time and a fair degree of heavy mental ‘n’ spiritual lifting / processing. [The book weighs 3.5 lbs. if that's any indication.] Dilettantes, look elsewhere. The book follows uses Herman Melville’s research and writing approach in Moby-Dick, seeing it an apt metaphor for what’s go’n’ on in the street (not to mention ‘Merica as a whole). Melville offers an in-depth look at all matters surrounding cetology (and the hunting thereof); TGTS 2.0 does the same, offering an in-depth look at all matters surrounding streetology – but with a much brighter redemptive end always in view.