Transcript Shaw: Epistemology Models and Contemporary Mission

EPISTEMOLOGY,
MODELS, AND
CONTEMPORARY
MISSION
R. Daniel Shaw
EPISTEMOLOGICAL VIEWPOINTS
Ways of knowing (Based on Hiebert, 1985, 1999)
Context in focus
Idealism
-Bernard calls “Rationalism”
Reality is based on empirical data—//Truth is what we are exposed to
Reality is what I describe (Phenomenology)
Naive Idealism (Reality is what I perceive)
r
Critical Realism (REALITY)
(My reality is only part of the truth—Ultimate Truth is “out there”—
r
R
unknowable here)
Naive Realism (Reality is what is)
R
Realism
-Bernard calls “Positivism”
The world exists and is real— //
Truth is timeless & culture free
experience is the foundation of knowledge (Ontology)
Knowledge in focus
R.D. SHAW
Guller Graduate School of Intercultural Studies
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Communication Models
Communication is a process of information transfer from a
Sender to a Receiver
There are two basic ways to conceive of how thoughts
can be communicated from one person/culture to
another.
1. Through the use of strict coding and decoding,
which makes explicit use of symbols, rules, and
language (Descriptive—Positivism-based)
CODE
MODEL
2. By enabling the receptor to make interpretive RELEVANCE
inferences about a communicator’s intent
MODEL
(Cognitive—Rationalism-based)
While it appears epistemologically contradictory the
Code Model seeks to emphasize “truth” that is out
there—but it fails to recognize the role of context and
how it shapes the “rationale” mind which is what RT is
all about!
R.D. SHAW
Guller Graduate School of Intercultural Studies
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SERIAL PROCESSING
OF CODES
Source
Encode
Decode
MESSAGE
Receptor
Feedback Loop
Linkage—each link
dependent on the
one before it
Focus on
Product/Result
R.D. SHAW
Guller Graduate School of Intercultural Studies
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APPLIED TO
TRANSLATION/COMMUNICATION
GOD
SOURCE FORMS
(surface)
RECEPTOR FORMS
(surface)
Restructure
Analysis
COMMON MEANINGS
(deep)
Focus on CODE (Forms & Meanings)
R.D. SHAW
Guller Graduate School of Intercultural Studies
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PARALLEL DISTRIBUTIVE
PROCESSING
COGNITIVE ENVIRONMENT
Schema
individual
collective
Least effort for
maximum
understanding
R.D. SHAW
inference
CONNECTIONIST
/NETWORK
Approach
Focus on Process
Guller Graduate School of Intercultural Studies of ideas
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APPLIED TO
COMMUNICATION/TRANSLATION
GOD
(General Message for all People)
INTENT
(Author)
INFERENCE
(Audience)
Specific Message
for a particular
audience
==
Focus on Relevance
increases
transformation
Each new audience brings new
understanding and appreciation of
God’s intent
R.D. SHAW
Guller Graduate School of Intercultural Studies
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FAITHFUL
COMMUNICATION
Nida: Faithfulness is equal to the closest natural equivalence = DYNAMIC EQUIVALENCE
Focus on Accuracy, Clarity & Naturalness (Barnwell, Larson)
Communication = “What was said?” How did the source say it?
Keep as close as possible/Reproduce text
(Code is in focus)
AN ALTERNATE VIEW: Shaw/Van Engen
SOURCE
Communication Context
(Cognitive Environment)
INFERENCE
Focus on Communication context/Cognitive environment
Translation/Communication = “If author had used ‘X’ language, how would the
message have been presented?”
Ensure Relevance/Re-present text
(Intent/inference is in focus)
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COMMUNICATING INTENDED
MEANING –A Hermeneutical Process
 MEANING is shaped by context (cognitive environment)
as much as the ideas, words and structures which
transfer semantic concepts
 Meaning is derived from the interaction of ideas
and the contextual environment. Meaning is NOT
contained in forms, but rather is shaped by the ideas
shared by individuals in a particular time and place
 Communicators must declair their intention to
communicate a message AND Receptors must
determine the intent of the message as it relates to them
 This suggests that the communication is relevant
when a receptor is able to infer a communicator’s
intent
R.D. SHAW
Guller Graduate School of Intercultural Studies
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HOW CAN CROSS-CULTURAL
COMMUNICATORS GET THE
MESSAGE ACROSS?
 Focus on COMMUNICATING God’s intent
For whom?
Inside (emic/particular)
 From what perspective?
Outside (etic/general)
 Focus on RE-PRESENTING the message in a way that the
new Audience can understand/infer what God intends for
them
 Effective context-sensitive communication of what God
INTENDED (unsaid) based on what God SAID, brings
understanding that encourages TRANSFORMATION
 Emphasize the Process not the Product
 Encourage two-way inter-relationship for all involved
HOW DO WE GET THERE?
WHAT DO YOU NEED TO KNOW TO ENABLE PEOPLE TO
RECEIVE THE GOSPEL???

R.D. SHAW
Guller Graduate School of Intercultural Studies
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MUTUAL COGNITIVE
ENVIRONMENT
The Experiential Context
Comunicator’s
Cognitive
Environment
(intent)
Receptor’s
Cognitive
Environment
(inference)
The Mutual Cognitive Environment
(Expand as much as possible)
R.D. SHAW
Guller Graduate School of Intercultural Studies
11
COMMUNICATING THE GOSPEL IN A
CONTEMPORARY COGNITIVE ENVIRONMENT
Move beyond contextualization in order to encourage a process
whereby people bring God into their midst – allow incarnation
The Process Includes. . .
 Interpretation of Meaning (which meaning?)
 Connect a new message with the people’s pre-existing
assumptions/worldview—there must be interaction between
the biblical content and the contemporary context to create
relevancy of God’s intent for a particular audience
 Analyze original/biblical & contemporary contexts for
same/different circumstances –where in the Bible do you
find similar particularity? Start there!
 Recognize the present audience is not the intended
audience. Enable people to relate to God in their time &
space in ways that reflect
 God’s intentions for them
 Manifestations that are relevant for the context without
invalidating biblical intent
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RESEARCH NECESSARY TO ENSURE
RELEVANT COMMUNICATION
(Re-present Ideas)
(process ideas)
R.D. SHAW
Guller Graduate School of Intercultural Studies
13
DOING MISSION IN A
CONTEMPORARY WORLD
CODE
MISSION
COGNITIVE
--Old Paradigm-(From doing)
 Great Commission
Mission—GO (McGavran)
 Largely Individual
 Static & largely external
(telling)
 Contextualization (make
Christianity like culture)
 Local theology
 Church Growth 
numbers
--New Paradigm-(To being)
 Transformational mission
SHIFT FROM
OLD PRODUCT
ORIENTED
(CODE)
PARAGIGM TO
A NEW
PARADIGM
BASED ON
COGNITIVE
THEORY





based on relationships
Increasingly Group oriented
(teamwork)
Dynamic and largely internal
(enabling)
Beyond Contextualization
(knowledge transforms—
Christians in context focus on
knowing God)
Biblical Theology in context
Interactive hermeneutical
community (Discipleship—
Emerging Church)
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NEED MORE RESEARCH:
DEVELOPING BIBLICAL THEOLOGIES
IN CONTEXT
 What did God intend by what God said? (Translation critical)
 What does that demonstrate about God’s communication for a
particular context? (Inference/relevance—Gospel makes sense)
 How will people think about God as a result? (Theologize)
A biblical theology in context will be different than a
contextualized theology!
 Not a reflection of other theologies in a new environment
 Theology must begin with reflection on God’s Word within the
particularity of time and place (cognitive environment relates to
hermeneutical spiral—knowing God in context)
 God’s Word will impact people’s perceptions of themselves (Rom. 2:
14-16 –it will change their conscience)
 A biblical theology in context will draw people to communicate their
understanding to others; it will be missional
R.D. SHAW
Guller Graduate School of Intercultural Studies
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APPLYING THE NEW PARAGIDM
TO CONTEMPORARY MISSION
 Relevant communication of previous revelation (God’s
truth) for new audiences (different contexts) who will be
illuminated by new understanding of God in the midst of
God’s people (incarnation) and avoid miss-communication
(hocus pocus)
 Evangelism ensures that the communicator, in relationship
with a new audience, will be changed by a new realization
of God’s truth and thereby encourage a new measure of
understanding not previously possible
 Each cognitive environment is different and therefore
interaction with each new context shapes human
understanding of God in a vital and dynamic way—neither
the communicator nor the receptor is left unchanged
(Rev. 7:9)
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