What to read after Contact?

Personal interaction―contact―with those different from ourselves provides us with new understandings, greater respect, and reduced prejudices toward others. We should not only be driven to come into contact with others for the purposes of understanding and reconciliation, but as Christians, we are obliged to come into contact with others not despite―but because of―who they are, where they come from, what they look like, or any perceptions we may have about them, because Jesus has come into unconditional contact with us.

Providing understanding of what contact is and how it looks, author Tyler White takes the reader through an examination of the current cultural climate―focusing on the state of communication, biblical and theological themes of contact, the relevancy and vitality of cultural competency and orientation, personal stories and case studies of people who have experienced successful contact.

The social theory that is discussed in this book, contact theory, has been thoroughly researched in academic and other scholarly settings, however very little analysis, if any, has been conducted in the sphere of Christian community. Contact examines what it would look like to apply contact theory in the lives of Christians in a practical accessible way.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“At a time when our society feels more polarized than ever, Tyler White’s Contact: The Shaping Power of Intentional Interaction makes a compelling case from both the Bible and research that relationships with those who are different from ourselves are vital to developing empathy and mutual understanding. It’s an important message for the Church today.”

-Matthew Soerens, U.S. Director of Church Mobilization & Advocacy, World Relief; Coauthor of Welcoming the Stranger: Justice, Compassion, and Truth in the Immigration Debate

“Into our deeply fractured and polarized culture wars, which are tearing apart our national unity and damaging the credibility of the church, comes this truly helpful and timely book by Tyler White. Contact addresses many of the core problems we face in a globalized and over-wired world of competing ‘truth’ ghettos, out of touch with each other. He provides not only analysis to help us understand how we got here, but practical steps toward deeper engagement and correction. While his work is helpful for those in a secular environment, it is especially significant for followers of Jesus who want to follow the Prince of Peace in healing and uniting all people made in God’s image. I am eager to see this book in publication so that I can recommend it to every church leader I know.”

-Dan Bouchelle, DMin President, Mission Resource Network

“Contact is a necessary read for America. At a time in our nation where healthy dialogue and discourse are rare, White’s text provides a clear and pragmatic approach forward. Not only does Contact identify the root causes of conversation failure, it offers examples and illustrations from sacred and secular environments. This is a transformative and compelling read that speaks to all peoples regardless of gender, race, religion, political ideology, or socioeconomic status. Contact equips those who want discourse to improve with the necessary tools to make the theoretical possible.”

-Joshua Jackson, Lead Minister, Rural Hill Church of Christ

“I remember the first time I heard the term ‘contact theory.’ I felt the truth of this simple-yet-profound idea in my own experience working in a refugee community. I wanted to dig in and know more. And I wanted others, especially the community of those who follow Jesus, to understand how important it is to move intentionally toward people who are different from us. What I wanted was a book like the one Tyler White has written, a book that both inspires and instructs, that challenges and creates a path to meet that challenge. Contact is a much-needed encouragement for our time.”

-Kitti Murray, Founder and CEO, Refuge Coffee Co.

“In a day and age where division is heightening due to disagreements on a plethora of issues, Tyler does a fantastic job of giving us a blueprint on the importance of being in contact with others from different backgrounds and life experiences―with others who might look, think, and act differently than we do. This is a timely book that all fellow Christians need to read.”

-Rondell Treviño, Founder and Director, The Immigration Coalition

“Are you weary of our current climate of polarization and fear? This book is a must read. With a potent mixture of scriptural encouragement, historical background, social science research, case studies, and insights from personal experience, White calls the Church to lay aside knee-jerk stereotypes in order to engage in humble listening across cultural, political, and generational divides in order to develop true unity in diversity.”

-Jessica Udall, Author of Loving the Stranger; Founder of LovingTheStrangerBlog.com

“Contact is jam-packed with intriguing history (some you will recognize―some you may discover here for the first time) and narratives about the impact of human contact. This book comes at an important time in our timeline of humanity as we grasp the impact of social media and grapple with what it means to be truly connected.”

-Justin Velten, PhD President, Go Culture International