Disciple Making Among Hindus. Timothy Shultz. William Carey Library, 2016. pp. 136.

Tim Shultz’s recently released book, Disciple Making Among Hindus, should quickly become the default introductory book for anyone who wants to walk alongside Hindus as they explore a relationship with Jesus. This is an extremely accessible book for people just beginning their journey and those who have been at it for many years.

Disciple Making Among Hindus is the first book this reviewer has read that presents the clear and permanent shift away from classic missiological approaches along with providing practical and personal stories from more than 30 years of experience.

The author does an incredible job of recounting and reinterpreting his three decades through a very humble and honest lens. This is not a book that attempts to share the ‘secrets’ or ‘tricks’ of walking alongside Hindus. In fact, the author openly shares some of his deepest struggles and failures. In every page, you can hear him reflecting over events in his life to present some kind of honest offering and interpretation for the good of the Kingdom.

The 8 “Contextual Skills” he lays out in Chapter 2 are amazingly practical and should form the basic approach of any Alongsider. Skills like pronouncing names correctly, appreciating culture, and learning about Hindu forms of worship aside from any agenda are rarely emphasized as they are in this book.

The author deeply connects his philosophy and practice with John 14 where Jesus says, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the father.” He uses this to advocate building a witness over time through consistent Christlike behaviors. It’s not about asking clever questions or dressing in Indian clothing to appear ‘contextual’. It’s about showing up with the mind and spirit of Christ every day for years on end.

Timothy Shultz is a rare gift to those of us in the early phases of our journey. He and his wife have walked a long and lonely road for many years for which the earthly fruit is not easily seen. He is a faithful worker who has kept up a long obedience down a path without any praise or prestige. We can all take time to sit as his feet for a few hours and realign our priorities based on this generous offering of what he has learned along the way.

You can purchase Disciple Making Among Hindus from the William Carey Library website or Amazon.