discovering worldviews and belief systems across cultures an introduction darrell whiteman...

Discovering Worldviews and Belief Systems

Across Cultures

AN INTRODUCTION

Darrell Whiteman

Presentation by Mark Snowden

Chinese Poem Go to the people Live among them Learn from them Love them Start with what they know Build on what they have

Chinese Poem Go to the people (as cross-cultural witnesses)

Live among them (emptying self of “Americanisms”)

Learn from them (they can teach us -- “Teach me!”)

Love them (become vulnerable and receive love, too)

Start with what they know (common interests)

Build on what they have (grow as they do)

Culture Definition doesn’t mean

• art, music, etc.

• cultural events

does mean• array of ideas

• expressed publicly

• observable behavior

CultureIDEAS BEHAVIOR RESULTS

Ideas generate behaviors that bring results.

To illustrate, let’s suppose you’re an Americanwho feels a need to find a new church.


“Join a Church!”

ChurchShopping

ChurchSelection“Fit”


We get our “ideas” about “church” or otherimportant life issues from the culture we live in.

What kind of church would you be looking forif you were a Muslim, a Buddhist, etc.?

- -

Culture Learned

• not inherited

• by age 5

Shared• aggregate of society

• mental map

Acquired• member of society

• norms & aberrations

Culture: Basic Needs Metabolism: need for oxygen, liquid, food

Reproduction: sex drive

Bodily Comforts: temperature, etc.

Safety: prevented accidents, animals, humans, etc.

Movement: activity, exercise, sports, etc.

Growth: maturation, enculturation (love)

Health: maintenance and repair of organismThese are from Malinowski, an 8th is added by the author.

Religion: religious need, psychological impulse

Culture as a System

SOCIALSOCIALRELATIONSRELATIONS

ECONOMY &ECONOMY &TECHNOLOGYTECHNOLOGY

IDEAOLOGYIDEAOLOGY

ComputersMedicine/HealthEfficiency

ChristianityIslamAnimism

RacismWomen WorkingLaws

Note: Arrows show interaction betweensystem sections.

We confuse the gospel with our own culture.

We are influenced by our own culture.

The Impact of Cultureon the Individual

OBJECTIOBJECTIVEVE

REALITYREALITY

WorldviewWorldview

So that’s whereworldview shows up!


We would never think of becoming “Judaisers”mentioned in “Acts.” (imposing Jewish customs)

Yet, we impose other American cultural hangupson non-Christians in other cultures.


CLOTHINGCLOTHING USA

• Immodest to go naked

• Personal taste

OTHEROTHER CULTURESCULTURES• Go naked to prove

yourself

• Wear on “occasion”

• Change in public


AGEAGE USA

• Undesirable, tolerated

OTHEROTHER CULTURESCULTURES• Old people unwanted

• Old people revered


EDUCATIONEDUCATION USA

• Formal, outside home

• Teacher-oriented

OTHEROTHER CULTURESCULTURES• Hired specialists

• Learn by doing

• Proverbs & folktales


RAPIDRAPID CHANGE CHANGE USA

• Change = Progress!

• Positive

OTHEROTHER CULTURESCULTURES• Conservatism valued

• Aim at stability

• Negative

Why Understanding CultureImpacts Missions

Self-awareness of our own culture’s influence

“We bring all who we are to God.”

A fish would not discover water.

How does the culture influence those in the target culture?

Must be aware to understand and appreciate.


Disraeli said, “If God calls you to be amissionary, don’t stoop to be a king.”


How does God interact with and relate to humans in their culture?

The Kingdom of God and the Ameri-can Dream are not the same thing.

GospelGospel + + Culture Culture + + FaithFaith produce produce ChristianityChristianity

We must communicatein such a way that faith can beexplained in the local culture.

“Culture” actuallyexplains “faith”!

GospelGospel + + Culture Culture + + FaithFaith produce produce ChristianityChristianityGospelGospelGod-given

One, unique, holy

Universal--for allEternal, revealed in history

Makes new creation in Christ


One, unique, holy



CultureCulture Human made, makes humansMany local & regional forms

(good, neutral & evil)Universal--in all societies

Historical, changing, temporalConditions people & reachable

areas of creation


One, unique, holy



CultureCulture Human made, makes humansMany local & regional forms

(good, neutral & evil)Universal--in all societies

Historical, changing, temporalConditions people & reachable

areas of creationTowards culture:G. traverses C. judges and saves C. dedicates, sanctifies C. beautifies C. exorcises demons in C.

Towards Gospel:C. receives or rejects G. communicates G. conditions peoples for faith in G. brings glory to G.

GospelGospel + + Culture Culture + + FaithFaith produce produce ChristianityChristianity

GGOOSSPPEELL

CCUULLTTUURREE

interaction in

FAITH

producesmany forms

ofChristianityin the world

object of F.inspires F.instills F.generates F.illuminates F.

sustains F.explains F.articulates F.communicates F.celebrates F.

“Worldview” understanding is powerful, but it is like trying to nail gelatin to the wall!

Yeah, and it’s tough to get empirical data, too.

Art/MusicPolitics

Economy

ReligionReligion

Social Organization

Education

WORLDVIEW

Worldview is the “soulof society” -- the essenceor center of a person.

Cultural Forms

VOICESAre YOU more Americanthan Christian? Only bystudying, learning andongoing revelation by theHoly Spirit can our ownworldview be offset.

The reason to learn languageis not to tell others ideas,but to learn how others learnand organize their thoughts.

Worldview is even morebasic than religion.

No language is inadequate to meet the needs of its people.

Our own worldview is established by age 5.

Worldview: Basic Assumptions

Assume truth without prior proof

Persuasively taught to next generation

People interpret and run their lives by them

Worldview: It can change! When experiences are

unable to be interpreted in light of our own worldview

Oh dear, I believednothing could piercethis magic shirt!

FACT: The Massacre at Wounded Kneein 1890 was because Sioux Indiansbelieved they were given shirtsthat would stop US Cavalry bullets.

Worldview: It can change! When experiences are

unable to be interpreted in light of our own worldview

When an alternate set of explanations and assumptions cannot be ignored or won’t go away

The world is round!

FACT: The CatholicChurch formally apologized to Galileo,but not until 1995.

VOICESGod used a religious revoltin Hawaii in 1819 to pre-pare the people to receivethe Gospel when mission-aries arrived in 1820.

Christianity opened in Javaafter one million communistswere killed in 1965. It made people question the Muslims’ actions. (Indonesia)

Our lives can change.Christ can vault us into a new way of thinking.

God comes to us in forms of our own worldview. God doesn’t expect us to be stuck in our worldview.

Christianity is trans-cultural.

Studying Worldview AssumptionsKey #1 to “The Way Things Are”

God• Exist or not?

• Love/angry/capricious

Universe• Mechanical/Center

Human Beings• sinful, good or neutral

Disease• punishment, fate

Studying Worldview AssumptionsKey #2 to “Values”

Judging Good or Not• Aesthetics, beauty

• Visual/Oral Styles

Ethics• Moral/Immoral

Proper Behavior Work

• Working together

• Competition

STOP & THINKSTOP & THINKWhich of these are “essential”

to the church in every age? Greet with a holy kiss. Do not go to court to settle issues

between Christians. Abstain from fornication. Use only real wine & unleavened

bread in the Lord’s Supper. Anoint with oil for healing. Women are not to teach men. Do not drink wine at all. Remain single. Say “Amen” at the end of prayers. Lift your hands when praying.

Appoint elders and deacons in every congregation.

Elect the leaders. Confess sins one to another. Confess sins privately to God. Construct a building for

worship. Be baptized as an adult. Be baptized as a child/infant. Do not be a polygamist. Do not divorce your spouse

except for adultery.









As a Christian in a cross-cultural setting,you will need to learn the differencesbetween those elements essential to the church in every culture, and those whichare not.

As a Christian in a cross-cultural setting,you will need to learn the differencesbetween those elements essential to the church in every culture, and those whichare not.

How “Contextualization” WorksWORLDVIEW MEANINGSWORLDVIEW MEANINGS Is it possible for Is it possible for

us to communicate atus to communicate atthe worldview level?the worldview level?

Art/ MusicPolitics

Economy

ReligionReligion

Social Organization

Education

WORLDVIEW

Worldview is the “soulof society” -- the essenceor center of a person.

Cultural Forms

How “Contextualization” WorksWORLDVIEW MEANINGSWORLDVIEW MEANINGS

Cultural FormsCultural Forms

Remember thisRemember thisgraphic? There were graphic? There were many cultural forms.many cultural forms.



ReligionReligionTheologyDance/ArtBehavior

Historically we have tried Historically we have tried communicatingcommunicatingthe Gospel at this level.the Gospel at this level.The problem is thatThe problem is thatmany worldview issuesmany worldview issueshaven’t been changed,haven’t been changed,so in times of trouble,so in times of trouble,the “new” Christiansthe “new” Christiansrevert to “old” customs.revert to “old” customs.

Warning: Religion can besuperficial. When there isno transfer to the next generation,nominal Christianity results.



ReligionReligionTheologyDance/ArtBehavior

Indigenous Indigenous ChrististianityChrististianity

If we start with the If we start with the worldview, then every worldview, then every aspect of the culture aspect of the culture is affected and there is affected and there is a better chance is a better chance of being vital!of being vital!

This takes time. We havea lot of work to do beforeJesus returns.

Belief Systems

Sensory Perception

Belief systems start at the primal level.The world is totally experienced throughthe senses. What you see is what you get.

Belief Systems

Sensory Perception

Folk Religion

Folk religion focuses on the here and now.It is not organized well. No fulltime priests,no seminaries, no written text, but uses drama,stories, songs, legends that hold beliefs andis event oriented.

Belief Systems

Sensory Perception

Folk Religion

HighReligion

Highly instutionalized religion(Muslims, Christianity, etc.)use doctrine codes, holy books,ideals, churches & seminaries.

Belief Systems

Sensory Perception

Folk Religion

ABSTRACT

seen

unse

en w

orld

other worldly

this world

HighReligion

Folk religionis unseen, butof this world.

CONCRETE

Jesus taught and communicated at the lowest levels possible. For instance, He used many parables, which were agriculturally (sensory) based. The “signs and wonders” communicated power (folk level).

Missionaries tend to communicate on the highest levels, which are often beyond reach. For instance, seminaries, literate discipleship workbooks, and a step-by-step “do it fast” approach are rewarded and encouraged.

Missionaries often don’t even see folk religion. Instead, they call it “superstition” or “ignorance.”

Jesus, again our role model

Christianity is a lifestyle.And remember...

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