Eternity in Their Hearts

Don Richardson is a Canadian Christian missionary with a doctorate in literature; he has studied languages and tribal cultures. In Eternity in their Hearts, he shows how peoples all around the world, with no apparent exposure to orthodox religious instruction, apparently grasped the gospel message. The God/Allah/Jehovah/YHWH of the Abrahamic religions appears to be identical to Viracocha of the Incas; El and Elyon of the Canaanites; Thakur Jiu of the Santal; Magano of the Gedeo; Koro of the Mbaka; Shang Ti of the Chinese; Hananim of the Koreans; Y'wa of the Burmese Karen; Karat Kasang of the Burmese Kachin; Gui'Sha of the Burmese Lahu; Siyeh of the Wa; Phra-Ariya-Metrai of the Shan and Palaung; Chepo-Thoru and Gtuang of the Indian Naga and Mizo.It was Paul who made it clear that the gospel message applied to gentiles and it is a Pauline message (Romans 2:14-15) that provides Richardson with the idea for the title of the book: "They are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, since they show that the requirements of the law are WRITTEN ON THEIR HEARTS, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing them, now even defending them." Richardson also points out that Genesis includes the words: "... and ALL PEOPLES ON EARTH will be blessed through you." The book of Luke, relating the story of Simeon recognizing that Mary was carrying the future Messiah, says: "My eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared IN THE SIGHT OF ALL PEOPLE, A LIGHT FOR REVELATION TO THE GENTILES and for glory to your people Israel ... ALL MANKIND WILL SEE GOD'S SALVATION." I never understood the story in Matthew 15:21-28 about Jesus' interaction with a Canaanite woman to whom he said "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel" but Richardson convincingly portrays this parable as Jesus' way of explaining the broader mission to the disciples.In perhaps the most controversial quote of the book, Richardson echoes the words of missiologist Ralph Winter: "Jesus did not come to give the Great Commission! He came to take it away - from the Jews who had already possessed it in prototype for nearly two thousand years and had done almost nothing with it! It was time for the world to see what believing Gentiles, entrusted with that same imperative in New Testament form, would do with it." Richardson continues: "from Judas's ethnocentric viewpoint, Jesus' soaring ambition to dissipate Messianic blessings over the entire Gentile world (instead of concentrating the blessing among Jews where it could really count for something) must have seemed entirely impractical! Apparently Judas saw at last that Jesus really was serious about throwing the banquet hall of Jewish privilege open to Gentile dogs! If so, then Judas may have been the most intelligent of the 12 disciples, because the other 11 ... took much longer to take that emphasis of Jesus' ministry seriously."Paul and Barnabas declared (Acts 13:46-47) "We now turn to the Gentiles. For this is what the Lord has commanded us: 'I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth." Richardson parlays all of this into a fascinating idea about how the gospel message could have been dissipated through more than the "orthodox" Christian church. This is an excellently researched and presented book; it challenges many elitist ideas and offers a valuable insight into what the author has shown to be a worldwide phenomenon. Wonderful.

I recommend this book to anyone about to do mission work in a different country, as it builds curiosity in the heart and a focus to use the knowledge gained through service.

Excellent work here. As relevant now as it was upon first publication.A common misconception is that people of tribal nations/areas are totally lost without the Gospel, fumbling around in darkness. Wrong! "He has also set eternity in their heart" (Ecc. 3:11); "God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us" (Acts 17:27). The book presents powerful evidence that monotheism is the first stage of religious development among people groups, not polytheism or animism. Monotheism then degenerates into polytheism etc., due to various reasons, e.g., manipulations of people in ruling positions. Therefore this book runs counter to the evolutionary models such study of religion holds as orthodox. As such, this book is startling to anyone who takes it seriously and grew up in Western public educations systems (where we are taught the evolutionary models only).The book is not a "deep theological treatise." It is rather a thesis predicated on evidence from anthropology, sociology, the study of religion, and Scriptural exegesis. Of course it is richly theological, but it does not get "theologically complex," or dense.As for a criticism: The book does not explore so much about how it is the Spirit of God moving these people to reach out and find God. People are not prepared for the Gospel on their own doing, but rather through the Spirit. However, this theme is in fact found within the book! As a personal opinion, I simply would have liked to see it emphasized. As I said, the book is not a theological treatise; it does not get lost in complex debate—so it is not surprising that we do not find, for example, a chapter on "The Work of the Spirit."Buy it! Buy it! Buy it!

I find the book very interesting and informative. We seldom hear about how God prepares the hearts of people through general revelation seen in creation. People groups recognize there is an uncreated being and worship this god not knowing much more about him. When missionaries come they are often ready to receive the gospel message.He uses many illustrations of is such situations. It is a good read.

I read this book years ago, gave it to someone else to read, and never got it back. I often thought about it and would recommend it when having conversations about religion. I realized I no longer had the book, and it is one I want to reread and keep in my personal library, so I bought it again. Highly recommend. It makes so much sense - and will make you think, ponder, and wonder.

Es impresionante saber como Dios ha estado presente a través de la historia de la humanidad. Todas las culturas de las diferentes épocas han sabido de una u otra forma del único Dios verdadero.Ojala algún día salga la version en español para los que no leen en ingles

Amazing to read of the awareness that so many cultures have about God and Bible stories. So important to understand their beliefs before sharing the gospel. Would highly recommend this book for students of Anthropology or anyone who is trying to reach other cultures with the gospel.

An outstanding mind opener that emphasizes the love of God for all peoples. It helped me appreciate the common ground different cultures might offer as a means to evangelism.

great book

This book was a game changer for me. Richardson has an admirable and amazing inclusiveness of all peoples and belief systems, not in spite of his faith in God but because of it. His missiology is not based on a modern type of lukewarm relativism that does justice neither to gospel nor to religious experience worldwide, but it is instead based on upholding the truth of the one through the other. I am yet to read Peace Child but have heard the story the title is based on, that the Messianic figure of Jesus can be seen as a peace child to warring sides, and he a willing one. It is these observations and a high view of God's prophetic voice in his Word that draw the serious Christ follower to Richardson's work. After centuries of both roaring, Spirit-led success and catastrophic mistakes, Richardson reintroduces world mission as an exciting and life-bringing project that benefits both the teller and tellee of the good news of Jesus. Richardson is a sensitive yet strict interfaith writer. Highly recommended for a church addicted to chalking lines (be it in their particular Evangelical beliefs or on the world map) and for those espousing a so called 'fundamentalism' that encourages holding a white-knuckle certainty on the virtues of their own way of seeing Christianity and religious belief generally.