Book Review: “Ministering in Patronage Cultures: Biblical Models and Missional Implications” by Jayson Georges

Ministering in Patronage Cultures: Biblical Models and Missional Implications is a book that serves two major needs for interested readers. First, it provides readers with information on how patronage cultures work and where those kind of models can be found in the Bible. Second, it provides insight into how to do missions in patronage cultures. Jayson Georges has firsthand experience of just that kind of missional work, and he draws on his own experience as well as an array of sources to present readers with valuable insights into the topics at hand.

As a reader, the part of the book I was most interested in was in the biblical models for patronage and how they can help us to understand biblical interactions more effectively. However, the parts of the book focused on missional work was also interesting to me.Georges defines patronage as “a reciprocal relationship between a patron and a client” (9). This basic understanding is expanded to show the various expectations of clients and patrons as well as how those interactions re often built or even severed.

In the Bible, YHWH and Israel are perhaps the most obvious example of patron/client, and Georges draws out how this can help to understand the various ways YHWH treats covenant as well as the interactions throughout the Old Testament. Paul is used as an example in the New Testament and it’s worth noting that Georges shows fairly clearly that Paul at times favors Patronage but at other times rejects it. These appear to be different responses to differing circumstances in which Paul found himself. Jesus and the Kingdom is another example Georges cites to show the patronage culture and how that came into play in the Bible.Seeing God as a patron helps readers understand sin as ingratitude for the blessings from God and salvation as patronage. Georges notes many of the ways that this plays out in the Bible as well as with major theologians like Anselm.

From a missional perspective, Georges tries to offer a generalized approach. He does, however, offer this with a caution because it is easy to take a generalization and misapply it. There are many different cultures that take a patronage approach, but that does not mean they all have the same ideas about patronage or how that should play out. It is also important to see how because people are imperfect, they cannot fully apply a concept of God as patron to themselves. It is easy to abuse the power of a patron, and it is also easy to misunderstand exactly what it ought to mean for the believer and the person involved in missions. Using God as a model does, however, allow for correction to what Georges calls “corrupt patronage.” Finally, Georges sees patronage as a lens in which we can see spiritual practice and development.

Ministering in Patronage Cultures is an insightful work that highlights modern problems and solutions while also showing a paradigm that can help shed light on various themes found throughout the Bible. I recommend it to those who wish to undertand more about patronage cultures in context of Christian thought and practice.

Disclaimer: I was provided with a copy of the book for review by the publisher. I was not required to give any specific kind of feedback whatsoever.

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SDG.

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