Contextualization

1. Contextualization An adapted message from an adapted lifestyle

2. Major Concept • Form • Function In Translations: Which is inspired: words or meaning?

3. Definition • “Attempts to communicate the Gospel in word and deed and to establish the church in ways that make sense to people within their local cultural context, presenting Christianity in such a way that it meets people’s deepest needs and penetrates their worldview, thus allowing them to follow Christ and remain within their own culture.” Missiologist Darrell Whiteman

4. Definition • First used to express the tension between two realities: • Universal truths in the Bible • Diverse and ever-changing cultures • Contextualize means “to weave or join together” • Christian concern: What is the relationship between my Christian faith and my culture? • Contextualization is the process of integration of these two realities: • But there is a warning: Rom 12:1-2: Do not be conformed to this present world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may test and approve what is the will of God– what is good and well-pleasing and perfect.

5. Accommodation to Transformation • The transition: • Adaptation (message, conversion, messenger) • Indigenization • Contextualization • Syncretism • Biblical basis: • Acts 15: How to incorporate Gentile lifestyle and worship form • 1 Cor 9:19-22: “I become all things to all men, that by all means I might save some.”

6. Various Views • Moderate approach (Hasselgrave, Rommen • Maintain a biblical and theological pattern • Critically examine each point from a Scriptural context • Radical approach (mostly from secular, postmodern worldview of culture) • View all cultures as equal • Intolerant and ethno-centric (imperialistic?) to claim that one culture is better than another • Objectivity is outmoded in a postmodern view • Social-science premises undergird the modern approach to contextualization

7. Missio Dei • All that God does in His task of establishing His kingdom in all its fullness in all the world. While it includes what the Church does, it is not limited to that, for God works both in and out of the Church” – Moreau, 2000 • Liberals let the world set the agenda: assumed it was God’s purpose to justice through liberation from oppression and corruption • Scriptures were not the issue, nor evangelism, discipleship and church planting • History and contemporary events were to be exegeted to discern where God was already at work bringing liberation and justice • Evangelicals have been reluctant to major in contextualization until the 90’s. • Evangelicals “cherishes the ‘contextualization’ rubric because it reminds us the Bible must be thought about, translated into and preached in categories relevant to the particular cultural context” (D. A. Carson)

8. Broad Definition • “Contextualization is the process whereby representatives of a religious faith adapt the forms and content of that faith in such a way as to communicate and (usually commend it to the minds and hearts of a new generation within their own changing culture or to people with other culture backgrounds (Hasselgrave, 1984) • Is the process of adapting the forms, content and praxis of the Christian faith so as to communicate it to the minds and hearts of people with other cultural backgrounds. • The goal is the make the Christian faith understandable

9. Characteristics of Contextualization • Is grounded in Scripture • Without this premise culture become dominant resulting in relativism and syncretism (what is meaningful to them rather than God’s standards) • Is Interdisciplinary in its approach to culture (history, theology, anthropology, sociology, linguistics, communications, psychology, economics, politics, etc) • Is dynamic (never static) – Times of radical cultural changes: urbanization, acculturation, globalization) • Is holistic. If it does not integrate every part of life, then the tendency is to be syncretistic mixing what does integrate from culture, tradition, and animistic views.

10. Characteristics of Contextualization • Is aware of the impact of human sinfulness on the process (what is discerned as good and bad; our personal agendas versus God’s) • Is both propositional and existential (timeless truths and biblical concepts are as important as how it is lived out daily) • Is a two-way process – Not one culture telling another culture how to express their faith – rather each side contributes.

11. Terms of Contextualization • Accommodation • Planting of a local church as an extension of the church universal • Accommodation allowed local cultural practices that were seen as neutral or good to be incorporated into the local church’s life. • Based on Ricci (ancestors) and Nobili (lived like Brahmin holy man) • Vatican II has motivated greater accommodation. • Adaptation • Finding ways to express the gospel in forms and ideas that are familiar to a culture so that it fits • Incorporating new meaning into indigenous words (John used logos, but added new meaning), adaptation of liturgy (baptism and Lord’s supper), changing church politics to fit culture • Indigenization (mid-1980s) – the “translatability” of the universal Christian faith into forms and symbols of another culture (precedes contextualization) • 3-selfs (propagating, governing, financing) – Is this Western individualizing a culture? • What about self-image (independent), self-functioning, self-giving, self-theologizing

12. Terms of Contextualization • Incarnation – an expatriate living and adapting to a local culture • Though always limited by background and important goal • Enculturation – RCC term – a “dynamic relation between the Christian message and culture—an insertion of the Christian life into a culture” – the correct way to live and share one’s faith in a culture. • Transformation – focuses on changing a society into one that more adequately reflects the kingdom of God. • Disciples become advocates of social change • Some approaches put too much “weight on human capability and not enough focus on human sin”

13. 3-fold Cultural Contextualization

14. Dimension of Contextualization • Doctrinal: expressions in religious form that targets a particular theology • Stories or Myths: Worldview are formed by stories we tell ourselves • Ethics: how we should live and behave • Social: how to organize ourselves in family and community • Rituals: repeated symbolic actions: baptism, communion, sermons, to greetings • Supernatural experiences: dreams, visions, signs, miracles • Values and ideals expressed in art to construction

15. Vocabulary Problem • “Son of God” -- communicates notion of God having sex with Mary: repugnant • Prefer using “Isa-al-Masih” – Jesus the Messiah • They will incur the wrath of God if they say it or believe it • “Allah” • This is a missionary generated controversy • All Bibles use “Allah”

16. Graphic of Muslim Contextualization Islamic community Christian community C-1 C-5 C-6 C-3 C-4 C-2

17. C1 to C6 scale of Muslim Contextualization • C1 Model: Traditional church using non-indigenous language • C2 Model: Traditional church using indigenous language. • C3 Model: Contextualized Christ-centered communities using Muslim’s language and non-religiously indigenous cultural forms • C4 Model: Contextualized Christ-centered communities using Muslim’s language and biblically permissible cultural and Islamic forms.

18. C1 to C6 scale of Muslim Contextualization • C5 Model: Christ-centered communities of "Messianic Muslims" who have accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior • C6 Model: Small Christ-centered communities of secret or underground believers isolated by extreme hostility, usually individual believers but sometimes in small groups.

19. Danger of Syncretism • Definition: “the unbiblical blending of true religion with false” • The key is to keep biblical elements that are non-negotiable and to discard unbiblical cultural or religious elements. • Definition of syncretism in a particular setting cannot be left in the hands of expatriate missionaries • Missionaries must learn to trust that indigenous peoples are able to discern God's leading and trust God to develop and maintain biblically founded and culturally relevant faith and praxis in each local context

20. Danger of Syncretism • Hinduism incorporates all forms of belief and worship without necessitating the selection or elimination of any. • The Hindu is inclined to revere the divine in every manifestation, whatever it may be, and is doctrinally tolerant, leaving others" including both Hindus and non-Hindus "whatever creed and worship practices suit them best. • Some hold the theory that syncretism is a temporary or transitory state that many churches or individuals pass through, but eventually mature and come to the knowledge of the truth.

21. Contemporary approaches Advocates of C5 insider movements are equally concerned about the dangers of syncretism and lazy tolerance, but they are also more concerned about true Christ-centeredness than with conformity to Gentile Christian traditions and doctrinal codifications developed centuries after the apostolic era

22. Contemporary approaches • A new contextualization trend among missionaries is the use of indigenous music rather than imported Western words and styles. • Drawing from the insights of ethnomusicology, missionaries are using local music forms to both strengthen new Christians in their faith and to reach out to unbelievers