Understanding culture & context

How Hard Can it Be? “If you want to be a missionary to China, plan on wearing a ‘learner’s permit’ around your neck for the first ten years.”— Watchman Nee “Pioneer church planting is at least as complex as brain surgery.”—Phil Elkins

What’s So Difficult about Understanding Culture? Examples: The Christmas Pageant and the Bible Translation Reasons for Difficulty The complex matrix of life and values The linguistic difficulties The limitations of our own experience

What is culture? “The integrated system of learned patterns of behavior, ideas, and products characteristic of a society.” Paul Hiebert

Breaking Down the Definition An integrated system of 1. Learned patterns of behavior 2. Ideas 3. Products

1.Learned patterns of behavior Customs (e.g., greetings) Cultural universals Even rejection of society and culture is normatively patterned (e.g., dress, suicide)

Beliefs, which organize the concepts into frameworks 2. Ideas Shared Concepts Beliefs, which organize the concepts into frameworks Values, by which goals are set As transition happens, “cultural lag” can take place

Behavior, ideas, and products link to form culture traits. Thought and behavior lead to the production of materials Tools and implements can indicate beliefs and values Behavior, ideas, and products link to form culture traits.

Levels of Culture Artifacts Values Assumptions

Cultural configurations (linkage of traits) 4. Integrated System Cultural configurations (linkage of traits) e.g., American sitting and sleeping habits Cultural integration (linkage of configurations)

5. Characteristic of a society People live together in societal groupings KEY DISTINCTION: “Culture is the creation of a group of people, and society is the group of people itself.”

Contextualization Contextualization asks, “How do you transfer what God has said through ‘holy men of old’ who lived in an ancient cultural context, into the language of people who live in a very different one, through the medium of translators who live in yet another context– today’s space age?” Defining Biblical and Theological Contextualization: “Meaningful and appropriate cross-cultural transmission of biblical truth which is faithful to its original intent and sensitive to culture.” David Sills

Kluckhohn-Strodtbeck Model ORIENTATION BELIEFS AND BEHAVIORS Human Nature Basically Evil Mixture of Good and Evil Basically Good Relationship to Nature Subject to Nature Harmony with Nature Mastery over Nature Time Past Oriented Present Oriented Future Oriented Activity Being (stress on who you are) Growing (stress on self development Doing (stress on action) Social Relationships Authoritarian Group Oriented Individualistic

Contextualization and decontextualization Theology done from within a system Clothing the Gospel in culturally relevant garments. Decontextualization Losing the excess baggage so that the Gospel is clearly seen.

What difference does this make? If you are invited to dinner in Jordan at 7 pm, what time should you arrive? Arrival Jordanian View American View At 7:00 Servants Everyone At 7:10 Servants late Slight apology At 7:30 On time or early Rude At 8:00 On time Very insulting At 8:15 Late Unforgiveable

What difference does this make? If you are talking with a Peruvian man about Christ, how close is too close? Proximity Zone Latin American North American Social Zone Within 5 feet Within 12 feet Personal Zone Within 1 foot Within 4 feet Intimate Zone Within .5 foot

What difference does this make? Understanding helps you to avoid the two key cross-cultural difficulties: Ethnocentrism Culture shock

Ethnocentrism Ethnocentrism – is the practice of judging the values, languages, standards, characteristics, etc. of another culture against one’s home culture. The other culture is usually seen as inferior. Missionaries should recognize their own ethnocentric tendencies. The ugly American is alive and well!

CULTURE SHOCK It is inevitable. Occurs when two or more cultures collide. Hot climate cultures vs. Cold climate cultures. Learned worldview cues no longer function Multilevel, multifaceted, & goes both ways. Many have tried to define but it’s primarily an emotional reaction to a shaken world.

Hot and cold climate cultures (lanier) SOUTHERN US ASIA AFRICA S. AMERICA MEDITERRANEAN MIDDLE EAST (W/EXCEPTION OF ISRAEL) NORTHERN US CANADA N. EUROPE S. AFRICA* NEW ZEALAND* AUSTRALIA ARGENTINA

Hot and cold climate cultures (lanier) RELATIONSHIP TASK INDIRECT DIRECT GROUP INDIVIDUAL EVENT TIME

Culture Shock Stages Culture Surprise (Tourist/Honeymoon) Sights Sounds Smells Money Customs Lasts from a few weeks to a few months How long you will be there Why you are there

Culture Shock Stages Rejection Stage Islands of the home culture “Us” and “We” vs. “Them” and “They.” Caricature and ridicule of nationals Lasts from a few months to a couple of years. It depends on: How quickly you bond with the culture, learn the language, and remember why you are there.

Culture Shock Stages Recovery Cultural assimilation (going native) Sounds great but not healthy Cultural acceptance and adaptation Bonding with the culture, humor, friends It may not be wrong, just different. Culture tension/stress Always on a slow burn. Nationals are never accepted as equals

Culture Shock Reverse culture shock when you return home. Areas: Prices, options, waste, wealth. Priorities and preferences. Phrases, clothing styles, dangers, etc. Forewarned is forearmed!

How might we Live on mission?

Disciples: Loyal Subjects with a Mission Pulse WORD DEFEND DECLARE CUL TURE K I NGDOM DISPLAY DISCLOSE INCARNATION (Adapted from Bill Clem, Disciple: Getting Your Identity from Jesus, 174)