Developing the G.O.S.P.E.L. Evangelism Framework: A Theological Response to Postmodern Challenges in Gospel Proclamation

Authors

  • John Mark Astorga Shepherd’s School of Leadership, Philippines, Philippines

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.57235/ijrael.v5i2.9027

Keywords:

Postmodernism, Evangelism, Objective Truth, Biblical Theology, Discipleship

Abstract

The rise of postmodernism has created significant challenges for Christian theology and evangelism, particularly through the influence of relativism, subjectivism, and the rejection of objective truth. This study explores the theological implications of postmodern thought on evangelistic practices and argues for the necessity of maintaining biblical fidelity amid changing cultural perspectives. Employing a qualitative theological research design through document analysis and biblical-theological analysis, the study examined biblical texts and scholarly literature related to Scripture, Christology, hermeneutics, postmodernism, and evangelism. Findings reveal that contemporary evangelism faces the challenge of balancing cultural engagement with theological faithfulness, as attempts to accommodate cultural expectations may weaken biblical authority and distort the gospel message. The study affirms Jesus Christ as the foundation of objective truth and emphasizes that evangelism must remain rooted in Scripture rather than shifting cultural values. As a practical contribution, the study proposes the G.O.S.P.E.L. Evangelism Program, a theological framework designed to equip believers for biblical proclamation, community engagement, evangelistic leadership, and lifelong discipleship in a postmodern context.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Evans, A. (2015). Aspects of child evangelism and youth ministry in South Africa in the postmodern context of globalism, pluralism and current scientific knowledge. Scriptura, 114, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.7833/114-0-1042

Foshaugen, E. K. (2004). Attempting a dialectical reconciliation of the concept truth in the objectivism of evangelical Christianity and the relativism of postmodernism. Acta Theologica, 24(2), 180–194. https://doi.org/10.38140/at.v24i2.1652

Greene, B. C. (2025). From skepticism to story: Reclaiming the Bible's metanarrative for postmodern audiences. Religions, 16(8), Article 996. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16080996

Khitruk, E. (2021). On the road to Emmaus: Evangelism in postmodern age. Issues of Theology, 3(1), 76–91. https://doi.org/10.21638/SPBU28.2021.105

Lyotard, J.-F. (1984). The postmodern condition: A report on knowledge (G. Bennington & B. Massumi, Trans.). University of Minnesota Press.

McNabb, T. D., & DeVito, M. (2022). A Christology of religions and a theology of evangelism. Religions, 13(10), Article 926. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel13100926

Nam, S. H. (2025). Revisiting evangelism: Toward a dual-structured theology of kērygma and euangelizomai. Theology Today. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/00405736251358474

Ondo, A. J. (2020). The Scriptures and culture: Examining the skew of postmodern Christianity. Diligence: Journal of the Liberty University Online Religion Capstone in Research and Scholarship, 5(1), Article 2. https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/djrc/vol5/iss1/2/

Schumacher, R. (2011). A biblical investigation of the Pauline apologetic framework and its implications for evangelism in a postmodern context (Doctoral dissertation, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary). https://repository.sbts.edu/handle/10392/2594

Van Gelder, C. (2002). Postmodernism and evangelicals: A unique missiological challenge at the beginning of the twenty-first century. Missiology: An International Review, 30(4), 415–433. https://doi.org/10.1177/009182960203000404

Yuliana, F. (2018). Redemptive-historical approach: A Christocentric evangelical hermeneutical approach. Veritas: Jurnal Teologi dan Pelayanan, 17(2), 123–146. https://doi.org/10.36421/veritas.v17i2.313

Published

2026-08-23

Issue

Section

Articles

Citation Check