Culture & Contextualization

Latin America Retreat 2006

Where I’m Coming From

• Authority of Scripture

• Truth is not relative

• Christ-centered

• My early experience

Common Definition

• Being sensitive to the context

• Context could be Culture Sub-culture Organization Situation An individual

Introduction

An example from personality conflict

Personality Conflict

• A husband and wife are arguing.

• The husband’s personality gives a high priority to stating the truth directly.

• The best way to love someone is to tell them the truth.

• It’s clear to him this is the most biblical way.

• Sense of identity wrapped up in doing it this way.

Personality Conflict

• The wife’s personality gives a high priority to maintaining harmony.

• The best way to tell the truth is in the context of a loving, trusting relationship.

• It’s clear to her that this is the biblical way.• Sense of identity wrapped up in doing it

this way.

How can he contextualize?

• Just be direct. It might seem harsh, but she has to learn how to deal with conflict.

• Be direct, then give her a hug when everything is resolved.

• Give her a hug first in order to soften her up so she’ll listen to you.

• Let each one do it his or her own way and see what happens.

• “Convert” to her personality and give up his passion for the truth.

• Both learn to have a “perfect balance.”

What’s wrong with “Balance?”

Legitimate to have Emphases

• OT law, NT grace

• Four gospels

• Romans on faith, James on works

• Personalities, cultures, emphasize different aspects of God’s glory.

• These are “priority systems.”

A Christ-centered Perspective

A Model for Contextualization

A Model for Contextualization

Zone of Contextualization

Contextualization requires…

• More than techniques• Self-awareness

Of own priorities Of tendencies to idolatry Gained by working side by side, equal-to-equal relationship,

dialogue, prayer, study Scripture together in that context.

• Repentance of idolatry• Greater trust in Christ instead of own cultural idols.• Ability to appreciate and work in other set of priorities.

Culture

A Collective Reality

What is a collective reality?

• Groups with habitual patterns: family, organization, culture.

• Collective realities are just as real as individuals.

• The whole (culture) is greater than the sum of its parts (individuals)

• Not simply a place where most people have the same personality or values

Individual & Collective Realities

• H2O is a whole molecule made up of two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen

Individual & Collective Realities

• The whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

• The difference is in how the parts are related.

Culture has Integrated Layers

Culture has Integrated Layers

We can be productive by maximizing time and resources

Culture has Integrated Layers

Efficiency, Achievement

Culture has Integrated Layers

Top-down, tight control, lack of trust.

Culture has Integrated Layers

Assembly line

A Collective Reality

• Greater than the sum of the individuals.

• Individuals come and go.

• Bosses come and go.

• But the culture tends to resist change.

Culture

A Window on God’s Glory

God’s Glory

Made to Reflect His Glory

God’s Plan: Kingdom Movement

From Glory

We all have longings for

glory!

Legitimate Longings for Glory

“Christ in you [is]

the hope of glory”

Colossians 1:27

Sin Distorts Longings

Cultural Longings for Glory

Culture

A Priority System

Highlight Aspects of God’s Glory

• Different cultures give priority to certain aspects of God’s glory.

• This draws attention to those aspects.

• Look what happens when a culture prioritizes this aspect of God’s glory.

• We have relational people here, but in Latin America it is embedded in structures and customs.

Culture

A Constraining Force

Culture as a Fishbowl Effect

Constrain New Information

Example

• Organization (a collective reality) put its employees through a training program: how to work on teams.

Effect of the Collective

• Reward System based on value of individual efficiency embedded in structure and payment routines.

• The collective reality constrains the individuals within it.

• You can resist, but there is a price

Effect of the Collective

• Let’s change our culture

• Be an empowering organization

• But the values of efficiency and visible results may be embedded or incarnated in the organization.

• Empowering becomes making people feel they are part of the process.

Why are Cultures Different?

Three Views

Developmental Stages View

If cultures are different it’s because they areAt different stages of development.

Independent Systems View

Cultures are different because they are independent systems that meet

different sets of needs

Biblical View: Partial Reflection

Cultures ReflectDifferent butComplementary

Aspects of Christ’sGlory

Different Perspectives

God’s Plan for Culture

• “His intent [in brining Jews and Gentiles together in the church] was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known” (Eph. 3:10)

• It’s only together with all the saints that we can grasp the dimensions of Christ’s love that surpasses knowledge. (Eph. 3:18-19)

God’s Plan for Culture

We need each other to help us see our cultural

idols as we read Scripture.

Contextualization

Toward a Definition

No A-Cultural Core of Gospel

• There is absolute truth.

• But our understanding is related to our obedience in our culture.

• Everything is always stated from some cultural perspective.

• These cultural perspectives are windows on God’s glory.

Knowing, doing and being are mutually dependent.

What is Contextualization?

• The application of Scripture to a given context.

• Present Christ as the hero of their culture: the one who fulfills their ideal in redemption.

• Present Christ as the one who challenges and condemns pseudo-heroes (idols).

• The design and implementation of ministries accordingly.

• The development of relationships accordingly.

Contextualization

An Example

The Situation

• A church plant in Latin America

• A weekly planning and prayer meeting

• Six experienced US Missionaries

• Six Latin American Leaders

• The all love each other and get along

• Difference of opinion about the meeting

Latin American Leaders Say…

• That the US Missionaries…• Are appreciated for the organization they bring.• Use terse words• Focus on who, what, where, when, how much…• Focus on efficiency• We need to take time to connect with everyone.• Need to communicate feelings and context• Takes a long time, but allows us to say what we

really think.

US Missionaries Say…

• We can’t understand why they don’t talk more

• We try to be efficient so we can get done

• It would take several hours if we didn’t help them run the meeting

• Leaves more time for fellowship afterwards

• They are relational, so they should like this

Conclusions

• US Assumptions

• Efficiency leads to more time for relationships

• Both are equally important

• Efficiency comes first

• Latin America Assumptions• Cultivating relationships

helps communicate what is deep inside and leads to efficiency

• Both are equally important.• Relationships come first.

Culture is a Priority System

Efficiency

Relationships

Relationships

Efficiency

US Culture Latin America Culture

Zone of Contextualization

Many church plants

Possible Effects

• US Missionaries’ voices predominate

• Ideas of Latin Leaders Not Heard

• Decisions made on basis of US Missionary Ideas

• Church with a US flavor.

ContextualizationContextualization

Some ExercisesSome Exercises

Training

• If our church gives priority to knowing,

• and Latin America gives priority to being,

• How should we structure training programs?

Analysis of Michael Johnson

• Analyze the following quotes from Michael Johnson’s paper on sustainability

• Do so in terms of his implict view of contextualization.

Johnson on Sustainability

• “We Americans come from a society which believes we can fix everything, every problem for every one in the world. It is this bias, to believe that we actually have the ability to fix things that gives us the impression that we are indeed called upon to do so. However, Jesus called us to make disciples, not dependents. It is the challenge to build sustainability which has ‘befuddled’ many ongoing works in Christ’s name…”

Johnson on Sustainability

• “We find ourselves giving solutions to situations where people saw no problem. That is not to say that low yield in the fields, no water in the wells and the lack of health and education are desirable attributes. However, if we do not allow people the sense of ownership of the solution, it is imposed, and never owned. If it is not owned, it is not sustainable.”

Johnson on Sustainability

• “The true determinant of sustainability should be: does the work sustain the worth of the people? ….Any work that detracts from the sense of self worth and self determination is not sustainable. Such a work is not making disciples, but dependents.”

Johnson on Sustainability

• “Jesus was very clear on this as the mandate and made certain that He never imposed His miracles on people. Our Lord always let people decide whether or not they wanted to be healed, or cleansed. With the exception of Lazarus, whom He raised from the dead, those who benefited from the miracles of Jesus, always had a choice and voice in accepting or rejecting help.”

AppendixAppendix

God’s Tri-fold RevelationGod’s Tri-fold Revelation

God’s TrifoldRevelation

Mouth

Hand Name

Words

Works Character

What he says

What he does

Who he is

Voice: Authority

Arm: Power

Face: Presence

Prophet

King PriestCHRIST

Epistemology: How do we know?

Ethics: What should we do?

Ontology: What is there?