Anthony J. Gittins.

People crossing into cultures unfamiliar to them are entering new worlds of meaning where the rules of language and actions operate according to different principles. If that's true for people crossing between North America and Europe, it's even more true for a citizen of the first world entering localized, third world communities. Christian missionaries who come bear ing a "message" must learn how messages are exchanged in their new environment and the subtle relationship between gift-givers and receivers.

This book offers several ways for first-time visitors to make sense of another cultural experience. It attempts to understand the dynamic of belief and behavior. It looks at the crucial place of language in evangelization and at the reciprocity of human rela tionships. Finally, it views the missionary-in the spirit of Jesus-as a stranger who must learn appropriate ways of behaving in order to share the good news.