1. Comprehensive Contextualization25
Comprehensive Contextualization

2. Introduction
Contextualization is a central skill of missionary life and practice
So it must be understood
DEF: Planting the universal gospel in local soil
We don’t change the gospel; we change how the gospel is presented and embedded in a particular culture.
We extract the gospel from our cultural trappings and insert it into another culture
We must be careful not to change the gospel in this process

3. Comprehensive Contextualization
Seven Dimensions of Contextualization
Comprehensive Contextualization

4. The Doctrinal Dimension
Not just truths, but how they are expressed
Evangelicals tend to focus here
A two-way street
Extract Biblical constants from the cultural explanations of them, such as creeds & customs
Bring the constants of Biblical truth into the new context, developing new explanations of them
The process gives the missionary new insight into that truth

5. The Mythic Dimension DEF: the stories people tell and retell
The old stories explained deep truths of reality from their worldview
The gospel stories must answer the same set of ultimate questions, but from a Christian worldview
Two approaches are necessary
Learn to tell the biblical story so that local people understand it, and clearly see biblical values through it
Appropriate local stories as bridges to the gospel story, or appropriate the style of the teller

6. The Ethical Dimension Applying the truth to our lives
First: what are their ideals of the wise person and the hero?
Where do ideals fall short of Biblical standards
Personal ethics
Societal ethics
Sensitivity is needed: rile rulers and you may survive, but local followers may not

7. The Social Dimension How the church organizes itself
Five social organizational principles
Associations – who hangs out together, either voluntarily or involuntarily
Kinship – how you define your relatives
Education – the process that teaches you your role in that society
Economics – the exchange of goods and services
Law – governance and decision-making
The church will express all these aspects of its setting – filtered through Scriptural teaching

8. The Ritual Dimension
The symbolic actions we take to affirm aspects of our culture – including faith beliefs
Rituals play a crucial role in the Christian faith
Most cultures will expect an appropriate set of rituals to emphasize key aspects of our faith

9. The (Supernatural) Experiential Dimension
Our experience of the supernatural
NOT inventing the encounters, rather letting Scripture speak to the supernatural encounters that occur.
Developing rituals that encourage positive encounters with God, and discourage negative experiences in the world (exorcism)

10. The Artistic (or Material) Dimension
Performances, artifacts, and artistic expressions having symbolic value
Different cultures value different kinds of expression
Jewelry vs scarring