Transcript Topic: CROSS-CULTURAL MISSION

Topic: CONTEXTUALIZING
MISSION AMONG PEOPLE
GROUPS
Presented at the ECD Youth Congress and
University Student Retreat Convention: Dec. 21-28,
2014-UEAB-By Pr. S. Lumwe-EKUC OAM
Definition
• Contextualization from the word “context”
• Doing mission in a particular context
• Recognizing and appreciating that each
mission context has gems of truth to build on
• Its about building bridges of understanding
when doing mission
• But why?
Definition of Cross-Cultural and Mission
• culture is an integrated systems of ideas,
feelings, and values and their associated
patterns of behavior and products shared
by a group of people who organize and
regulate what they think, feel, and do.”
(Paul Hiebert, 1985, 30)
• Culture is to a group as personality is to a
person.
Components of culture
• culture is a composition of;
1. “concepts by which people carve up their
worlds,
2. beliefs by which they organize these
concepts into schemes, and
3. values by which they set their goals and
judge their actions.”[1]
• With this understanding, culture defines why
people do what they do.
• Charles Kraft gives an illustration of
the word culture by likening it “…to a
river, with a surface level and a deep
level.”[1] He further suggests that
the surface level of a given culture is
a reflection of what is beneath it.
Charles H. Kraft,
• To him the deeper level of a culture
stands for, ‘worldview,’ that is, ‘…the
culturally structured assumptions,
values, and commitments/allegiance
underlying a people’s perception of
reality and their response to those
perceptions.”[2]
• Hence, worldview is the
underpinning component of any
given community for it forms the
general opinion of a particular
people group.
Culture is dynamic
• John Mbiti defines culture as “…a pattern of
human life generated by man’s response to his
environment. This pattern is not static; it is
always in a process of renewal, change, decay,
interaction and modification.
What should be our approach in mission?
• Believe
• Behave
• Belong or vis versa
Facts about Mission
• Mission is people driven but “not projects to
be accomplished through human engineering.
• Mission is about principles, not pragmatic
answers
• Mission deals with both universal and
particular (local)
• Mission is a process, not a task to
complete.”[1] In other words it has no
definite approach and timeline for it is
more than disseminating the intellectual
knowledge to the receptor. To explain
their point, they further argue that
mission [1]Paul G. Hiebert, R. Daniel Shaw and T.
Tienou, Understanding.
Go
Make Disciples
Teach them
All one
process
What is mission then?
• … is calling people to faith, discipling
them, organizing them into living
congregations, encouraging them to do
theological reflection in their context,
and sharing with them the vision of God’s
mission to the world.
• cross-cultural mission may be defined as
an attempt to communicate the gospel in
word and deed to establish the church in
ways that make sense to people within
their local cultural context by taking into
consideration the worldview of the
community.
• The main focus of cross-cultural
mission is to present Christianity in
such a way that it meets people’s
heart felt-needs within their
worldview allowing them to follow
Christ in their own cultural
context.[David J. Bosch]
The Culture Onion
Worldview assumptions
(invisible)
Beliefs, feelings,
values (semiconscious)
Behaviors, institutions,
products (visible)
Implications of the Culture Concept
for Ministry
Culture is a way of life that pervades
everything
Culture is a holistic system
Culture provides meaning and identity
Culture makes communication possible
People feel comfortable with their own
culture
Culture is deeply ingrained in what feels
normal to us
A Learning Story
Think about the Story of The
Monkey
What was the monkey’s motivation?
How would you described the
monkey as he went out on a
precarious limb to “help” the fish?
Why did the monkey help the fish by
taking it out of the water?
Think about the Story of The
Monkey (cont.)
What did the monkey assume about
fish culture?
How do you think the fish felt about
the help it received?
What advice would you give the
monkey for further situations where
he would like to help?
Stereotypes
Heaven
The cooks are French
The mechanics are German
The lovers are Italian
The police are British
And it’s all organized by the
Swiss
Kenyans are hard working
Hell
The cooks are British
The mechanics are French
The lovers are Swiss
The police are German
And it’s all organized by the
Italians
Kenya's are rough people
Kikuyu are…
People groups
Why Cross-Cultural Mission
TYPES OF UN-REACHED PEOPLE
GROUPS
Religious groups: Muslims, Hindu, Buddhists,
Traditionalists
Social Groups: Street families, the deaf, the
blind, commercial sex workers, the
Executives,
Ethnical groups: Maasai, Samburu,Turkana,
Njems, Boni, Duruma e.t.c
Understanding people groups in each city
for focused church planting & growth
There are at least eleven types of sociologically
defined people groups
1. Socio-linguistic groups
Congolese, Sudanese,
2. Socio-geographical groups;
Nigerians, Ghanaians,
3. Socio-political groups
–Somali refugees in Eastleigh
–Sundanese
–Oromos
Understanding people groups in each city
for focused church planting & growth
4. Socio-religious Groups
–Muslims
–Hindu
–African Tradition Religions/Ethnic
religion
–Other Christian Denominations
5. Socio-educational Groups
–Universities students
–College students
–High school students
Understanding people groups in each city
for focused church planting & growth
6. Socio-economic groups—
Lower income
–Street family members
–Slum dwellers
–Boda Boda
7. Socio-economic groups—the
elites
–Middle class in
–Executive members of the
Society-CEOs’, MPs,
Understanding people groups in each city
for focused church planting & growth
8. Socio-medical groups
–AIDS patients
–Deaf
–Blind
–Lepers
–Physically challenged
Understanding people groups in each city
for focused church planting & growth
9. Socio-deviant groups
–Drug addicts
–Commercial Sex workers
–Prisoners/Inmates
10. Socio-occupational groups
–Doctors
–Nurses
–Military personnel
–Lawyers
–Teachers
–Business persons e.t.c.
Understanding people groups in each city
for focused church planting & growth
11. Socio Parental groups
• Young Parents
• Windowed
• Older Parents
• Middle aged parents
• Single parents
Understanding people groups in each
city for focused church planting &
growth
• Each of these groups needs a
unique strategy
• Each of these groups have
very different needs that
provide points of contact for
ministry
• A people group approach
provides all types of ministry
possibilities that will allow for
maximum involvement
Gospel Workers…
• God's workmen must labor to be
many-sided men; that is, to have
a breadth of character, not to be
one-idea men, stereotyped in one
manner of working, getting into a
groove,
• and unable to see and sense that
their words and their advocacy of
truth must vary with the class of
people they are among, and the
circumstances that they have to
meet. --Letter 12, 1887. {Ev
106.1}
• Many efforts, though made at
great expense, have been in a
large measure unsuccessful
because they do not meet the
wants of the time or the
• place…God would have us realize
constantly that those around us are
the purchase of the blood of Christ,
and that it depends very much upon
our deportment and manner of
labor whether these souls are
saved. [Gospel Workers, 297-298].
Ministry objectives
Christ method approach in ministry was
wholistic; that is, focusing all aspects of
life
• Social
• Emotional
• Psychological
• Physical
• Spiritual
Qualification for the ministry
members
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Must be loving
Must be caring
Must be humble and polite
Must be an encourager
Must be prayerful
Passion for soul winning
Must be a woman/man of faith
Demonstrate Christ like character
Keep confidential information
Hospitality
Must be patient
Why Cross-Cultural Mission
1. It is important for the fulfillment of the
Great Commission.
“Revelation 14:6 Then I saw another angel
flying in midheaven, with an eternal gospel
to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to
every nation and tribe and tongue and
people;”
2. It is effective for communicating the gospel.
e.g Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the
door and knock; if any one hears my voice
and opens the door, I will come in to him and
eat with him, and he with me.
3. Cross cultural mission must be used for self
reliance.
4. Culture would be a viable vehicle in
disseminating the gospel truth.
Biblical-Theological Perspective
1. The inheritance-Abraham’s
Experience (Gen:12;
15;16;17;21;25)
2. The miracle of incarnation
3. The Bible in human expressions
4. Paul’s mission strategy
E. G. White Guidelines on Cross-Cultural
Mission
• As field after field is entered, new methods
and new plans will spring from new
circumstances. New thought will come with
the new workers who give themselves to the
work. As they seek the Lord for help, He will
communicate with them. They will receive
plans devised by the Lord Himself [Gospel
Workers, 297-298].
• Many efforts, though made at great
expense, have been in a large measure
unsuccessful because they do not meet
the wants of the time or the place…God
would have us realize constantly that
those around us are the purchase of the
blood of Christ, and that it depends very
much upon our deportment and manner
of labor whether these souls are saved.
[Gospel Workers, 297-298].
• “Church organization is not
to prescribe the exact way
in which we should work
[Testimonies, vol. 6, 116]
Anthropological Perspectives
• Anthropology- Two Greek words:
Anthropos-Man
logos-word (study) =Study of
man• One of the disciplines in
behavioral science subjects
• “…we need to understand the people
and their thinking to translate the
gospel into their thought patterns,
we need also to understand the
scriptures within their cultural
context, so that we can translate
them into the local culture without
losing their divine message.” Hiebert
• sharing the gospel is more than just
converting people to the truth.
Implications for mission
• The early Missionaries
• Agents of the gospel
• They packaged the gospel in
their on cultural mind sets
• Regarded African culture as evil and
devilish. They demonized most of the
existing cultural practices by
referring to them as evil.
• Encouraged them to abandon their
traditional practices.
• This made the Africans
embrace Christianity artificially
for it did not address their
heartfelt needs which were
embedded in their traditional
beliefs and practices.
• This is understood since the
Africans continued with their
traditional practices in secrecy.
The effect of this is that, the new
converts found it difficult to fit
into the foreign culture resulting
to some level of syncretism.
Principles of Cross-Cultural Mission
•
•
•
•
•
•
Be culturally Sensitivity
Use of Local Language
Be a good listener
Be a good leaner
Respect the local church
Identify Biblical analogies
Mission in focus
• In every religion there are practices (forms)
which express the underlining beliefs
(meanings)
• Most of these beliefs are the expression of
their allegiance to a being higher than them
• In the contextualization process one has to
identify the forms and their attached
meanings in order to establish an objective
perception of the practice
For Instance
• Muslims express their belief to a deity called Allah
(God). Everything they do is in connection to their
obedience to Allah. Their main concern is the day
of Judgment It is only Allah who knows the fate of
every body; they use the word Inshaallah to
express this: So a Muslim will pray five times a day,
keep himself clear all the time, fast in the month
of Ramadhan, pay Zakat, go for Hijja in the context
of seeking God’s favors
Islam
• Islamic faith is based on beliefs and
practices
• Practices
1. Shahada
2. Sawum
3. Salat
4. Hijja
5. Zakat
Beliefs
1. Allah
2. Books
3. Angels
4. Prophets
5. Day of Judgment
Salat rituals-blution
• Maida (5):6; 4:43, 2222
• Wudhu
• Ghusl
• Tayammum
Women In Islam
•
•
•
•
•
•
Equality-49:13, 4:1, 3:195
Purity-2:222
Hell and paradise
Religious duty
Marriage and Divorce-4:3-10
Inheritance
• These are Buddha Eyes (also
known as Wisdom Eyes), and
they look out in the four
directions to symbolize the
omniscience (all-seeing) of
Buddha.
http://www.bellaterreno.com/art/a_
mindwork/eyes_buddha.aspx
• The small dot between the eyes represents
the third eye, a symbol of spiritual awakening.
The curly mark between the eyes (where the
nose should be) is the Sanskrit numeral one,
which symbolizes the unity of all things. The
mark also represents the one way to reach
enlightenment—through the Buddha's
teachings.
BODHI LEAVES
• The Buddha attained enlightenment
while sitting under a banyan tree, also
known as the bo, pipal, or peepul tree
(Latin name: ficus religiosa). That tree
was then called a “bodhi tree” (“bodhi”
means “awake”), in honor of the
Buddha’s liberation, and the leaves of
that tree are called “bodhi leaves.”
Noble Truths
• In his first sermon, the Buddha described the
Four Noble Truths as:
1. All existence is suffering.
2. The cause of suffering is greed and
ignorance.
3. The end of suffering is a state free from greed
and ignorance.
4. The way to end suffering is to follow the
Middle Way of the Noble Eightfold Path.
dharmachakra
• The dharmachakra is a Buddhist emblem
of Hindu origin. It resembles a wagon
wheel with eight spokes, each
representing one of the eight tenets of
Buddhist belief. It is drawn from an
Indian symbol, but instead of
representing Samsara, or endless rebirth,
it symbolizes overcoming obstacles.
• Each spoke of the Dharma wheel corresponds
to one element of the Noble Eightfold Path:
1. Right Understanding: Comprehending the
Law of Cause and Effect.
2. Right Thought: A mind free from greed, anger
and ignorance.
3. Right Speech: Speech free from deceit,
malice, and idle chatter.
4. Right Action: No killing, stealing, or adultery.
5. Right Livelihood: No occupation, which
causes harm.
6. Right Diligence: Sincerely striving to do
one’s best.
7. Right Mindfulness: Maintaining
constant awareness.
8. Like an ever-turning wheel, these
teachings are timeless and will
continue to benefit beings on into the
future.
• LOTUS (PADMA): The lotus flower was
frequently used by the Buddha as an example
in his teaching to represent our true nature,
which symbolically grows out of the mud of
the world and toward the light and purity of
enlightenment
http://www.bellaterreno.com/art/a_religion/buddhism
/buddhism_symbol.aspx
• KUAN YIN: "She who hears the cries of the
world,” is a bodhisattva who is much beloved
throughout Asia as well as among Western
Buddhists, especially women.
http://www.bellaterreno.com/art/a_religion/hin
du/hinduism_dharmawheel.aspx
• Right Meditation: Calming the
mind to help and see the truth.
• Like an ever-turning wheel, these
teachings are timeless and will
continue to benefit beings on into
the future.
What are Buddhist beliefs?
https://www.youngscot.org/info/33-what-is-buddhism
• Buddhism is based on the teachings of the
Buddha Shakyamuni who lived in Northern
India, which is now present-day Nepal, about
2500 years ago.
• Buddhists believe that the essence of Buddha
is within each of us and we can all attain our
Buddhahood through sincere practice of the
eight-fold path,
• which includes virtuous conduct such as
compassion and generosity, meditation and
the cultivation of wisdom.
• In the Buddhist religion there is no idea of a
mighty being or God and there are no ideas
of heaven or a hell.
• Followers of Buddhism follow the teachings
of Buddha because they wish to reach a state
of enlightenment just like Buddha did 2,500
years ago.
• This state will help them reach a kind of
freedom, fulfil their wisdom and attain
happiness.
• Karma means that everything people do has a
consequence and that people’s lives are
therefore conditioned by our own past
actions. If we do bad then bad will be done to
us.
• Many Buddhists are believers in
spiritual rebirth but this is
understood as a causal connection
between lives rather than a soul
literally coming back as something
else.
AFFRICAN TADITIONAL RELIGION
(S)
• Mbiti states that an African is notoriously
religious
• There is a general knowledge about God
among the African society
• Different names of God
• Akamba they use the name Mumbi meaning
Creator, Fashioner, Maker, Moulder, Potter; The
Abaluya call Him Nyasaye, Wele or Were which
means Creator; The Akan of Ghana call Him
Borebore to mean Excavator, Creator, Originator,
Inventor, Carver, Architect and Onyame,
• The Creator or Supreme Being;
Banyarwanda have several names of
God as Creator such as Imana and
Nyiribiremwa (Creator)
Muremyiwabyose (Craetor of all
things),
The Concept of God in Hinduism
Hinduism is a diverse system
of thought with beliefs
spanning monotheism,
polytheism, panentheism,
pantheism, pandeism, monism,
and atheism among others
"Monotheism"
• is defined by the Encyclopædia Britannica as belief in
the existence of one god or in the oneness of God.[1]
The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church gives a
more restricted definition: "belief in one personal
and transcendent God", as opposed to polytheism
and pantheism.[2] A distinction may be made
between exclusive monotheism, and both inclusive
monotheism and pluriform monotheism which, while
recognising many distinct gods, postulate some
underlying unity
panentheism,
• Panentheism (meaning "all-in-God", from the Ancient Greek
πᾶν pân ("all"), ἐν en ("in") and Θεός Theós ("God")) is a belief
system which posits that the divine – whether as a single God,
number of gods, or other form of "cosmic animating
force"[1] – interpenetrates every part of the universe and
extends, timelessly (and, presumably, spacelessly) beyond it.
Unlike pantheism, which holds that the divine and the
universe are identical,[2] panentheism maintains a distinction
between the divine and non-divine and the significance of
both.[3]
polytheism
• "Polytheism" refers to the worship of or belief in
multiple deities usually assembled into a pantheon
of gods and goddesses, along with their own
religions and rituals. In most religions which accept
polytheism, the different gods are representations of
forces of nature or ancestral principles, and can be
viewed either as autonomous or as aspects or
emanations of a creator God or transcendental
absolute principle (monistic theologies), which
manifests immanently in nature (panentheistic and
pantheistic theologies)
Pandeism
• Pandeism (or pan-deism) is a theological
doctrine which combines aspects of
pantheism and deism.[1] It holds that the
creator deity became the universe and ceased
to exist as a separate and conscious entity
Monism
• Monism is the philosophical view that a
variety of existing things can be explained in
terms of a single reality or substance.[1] The
wide definition states that all existing things
go back to a source which is distinct from
them (e.g. in Neoplatonism everything is
derived from The One).[2] A commonly-used,
restricted definition of monism asserts the
presence of a unifying substance or essence.
Atheism
• Atheism (Sanskrit: निरीश्वरवाद, nir-īśvaravāda, lit. "statement of no Lord", "doctrine of
godlessness") or disbelief in God or gods has
been a historically propounded viewpoint in
many of the orthodox and heterodox streams
of Hindu philosophies.[1] Generally, atheism is
valid in Hinduism, but some schools view the
path of an atheist to be difficult to follow in
matters of spirituality.[2]
African Traditional Religion: Beliefs
and Practices
• Belief in reincarnation, witchcraft, evil
• spirits, the protective power of sacrifices
to spirits or ancestors, juju or shrines,
• “evil eye” or curses, and the protective
power of spiritual people as well as
possession of traditional African sacred
objects
• participation in traditional
• ceremonies to honor ancestors,
participation in traditional
puberty rituals and
• use of religious healers.
God’s relationship with other Spirit
Beings
• According to Mbiti the African
Traditional Religion (ATR) cosmogony
is compressed of the living, the living
dead, the ancestors, ghost spirits and
the Supreme God. There is an
existing interaction among these
entities (Mbiti 1991, 1999, 2012).
• In ATR God’s concept of transcendence
should be balanced with that of His
immanence for both of them are
“paradoxically complementary” (Mbiti
1999, 32; Turaki 2006)
• Ancestral veneration: From birth to
death an African person is closely
connected to the world of the living
dead
Rites of passage-
• Birth: Rituals of birth, naming
of a child, protection measures
• Initiation
• Marriage
• Death
Cross-Cultural Mission and the Issue on Syncretism
• Definition of Syncretism
“syncretism.”It is based on a Greek compound
root (sunretismos; verb form= sunkretizo).
That, the first part of the compound (suy or
sun) means “with” or “together.”
• While the latter part (kretismos) means “to
act like a Cretan.”
• Edward C. Pentecost defines it
as “the amalgamation of
content or practice that is
unacceptable.”
• As the Church enters more non-Christian
areas, the question of syncretism—the
blending of religious truth and error—is a
constant challenge and threat. It affects all
parts of the world and must be taken seriously
as we explore the practice of
contextualization. June/July 2003
• This topic is highlighted by the Seventh-day
Adventist understanding of the great controversy
between good and evil which explains Satan’s
mode of operation-
• —distorting and compromising truth, not by denying it, but
by mixing truth and error, thus robbing the gospel of its
true impact and power. In this context of danger and
potential distortion, critical contextualization is
indispensable.[1]
•
[1]General Conference of Seventh-day Adventist church
(Washington, DC), “Guidelines for Engaging in Global
Mission,” Voted by the General Conference Administrative
Committee,
Contextualization and Syncretism
• Poor contextualization
• Under-contextualization
• Over-contextualization
• Critical contextualization
Poor contextualization
• This is when the missionary does a selective
contextualization of the culture while at the
same time leaving room to introduce his/her
syncretistic cultural baggage
Under contextualization
• Paul Hiebert refers to this issue as ‘denial of
the old’; where the cultural values, beliefs and
practices of the community are rejected as a
whole as they are regarded to be evil and
pagan, hence unacceptable for Christianity
Over contextualization
• Over contextualization is the opposite of
under-contextualization. While the latter
stands for denial of the old customs, the
former stands for the acceptance of the old
customs wholesale claiming that all are good.
It overlooks the fact that there is no human
culture which is pure because all are marred
by sin
Critical Contextualization
• Critical contextualization is the middle ground
of both under and over contextualization.
Hiebert identifies a four step process that
could help in establishing a well-balanced
contextualization of the Bible and culture.
• Sound contextualization means
translating and adapting the
communication and ministry of the
gospel to a particular culture without
compromising the essence and
particulars of the gospel itself…it
adapts and connects to the culture.
• Yet at the same time challenges and
confronts it. If we fail to adapt to the
culture or if we fail to challenge the
culture-if we under or over
contextualize-out ministry will be
unfruitful because we have failed to
contextualize well (Timothy Keller,
2012, 89)
A Proposed Three-Part Continuum
The “Ideal”
Low
Under-Contextualization
(syncretism)
High
Healthy Contextualization
Over-Contextualization
(syncretism)
Biblical Examples of Syncretism
and Contextualization
The “Ideal”
Low
High
Under-Contextualization
(syncretism)
Healthy Contextualization
Over-Contextualization
(syncretism)
Pharisees
The Incarnation
Simon the Magician
Zealots
1 Corinthians 9
Balaam
The “weak” of Rom 14
Daniel 2 and 7
High Places
Logos
Baal Worship in Israel
Hekate and Christ
Nicolaitans
The Seven Churches
Colossian Heresy
CRITICAL CONTEXTUALIZATION
(a)…an individual or church must recognize
the need to deal biblically with all areas
of life.
(b) “…local church leaders and the
missionary must lead the congregation in
uncritically gathering and analyzing the
traditional customs associated with the
question at hand.[1]
(c) …the pastor or missionary should lead the church in a
Bible study related to the question under
consideration.[2]
(d) … the congregation to evaluate critically their own past
custom in the light of their new biblical understandings
and to make a decision regarding their use.[3]
•
• Heibert uses the word “uncritically” is used
here to mean that the converts should
analysis their traditional practices with a view
to understand the old ways without evaluating
them so as to avoid any criticism. According
to him, any criticism made at this stage to the
people group may make the indigenous feel
afraid to talk about them, hence hiding them
from the missionary resulting to syncretism.
[1]Hiebert, Anthropological Insights for
Missionaries, 186.
• . According to Hiebert, this is a crucial step for
it is where the indigenous is expected to grasp
the correct meaning of the bible teaching.
Hence, the bible teachers need to present
truth of the bible by involving them so that
they (indigenous) can be able to interpret the
bible in their on context. This will foster a
positive spiritual growth. [2]Ibid., 187
•
•
Because uncritical contextualization is as
dangerous as non-contextualization, it is not to
be done at a distance, but within the specific
cultural situation.
Contextualization is a process that should
involve world Church leaders, theologians,
missiologists, local people, and
ministers. These individuals should have a
clear understanding of the core elements of
the biblical worldview in order to be able to
distinguish between truth and error.
• The examination of the specific cultural
element would necessitate an especially
careful analysis by cultural insiders of the
significance of the particular cultural
element in question.
• The examination of all Scriptures state
about the issue or related issues is
indispensable. The implications of
scriptural teachings and principles should
be carefully thought through and
factored into proposed strategies.
• In the context of reflection and
prayer, scriptural insights are
normative and must be applied to
the specific cultural element in
question. The analysis could lead to
one of the following results:
1) The particular cultural element is
accepted, because it is compatible
with scriptural principles;
2) The particular cultural element is modified to
make it compatible with Christian principles;
3) The particular cultural element is rejected,
because it contradicts the principles of
Scripture.
• The particular cultural element that was
accepted or modified is
carefully
implemented.
• After a period of trial it may be necessary to
evaluate the decision made and determined
whether it should be discontinued, modified,
or retained.[1]
• In conclusion the document
states that In the end, all true
contextualization must be subject
to biblical truth and bear results
for God’s kingdom.
• The unity of the global Church requires regular
exposure to each other, each other’s culture,
and each other’s insights that “together with
all the saints we may grasp the breadth,
length, height, and depth of Christ’s love.”—
Eph 3:18.[2]
[1]“Guidelines for Engaging in Global Mission,”