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Contextualization and Methodology: the Praxis of Gospel Communication

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Contextualization and Methodology: the Praxis of Gospel Communication CONTEXTUALIZATION AND METHODOLOGY: THE PRAXIS OF GOSPEL COMMUNICATION By John Farquhar Plake A Paper Presented to the Hiebert Track at the North Central Regional Conference of the Evangelical Missiological Society Trinity Evangelical Divinity School Deerfield, Illinois April 2015 Author Bio: John Farquhar Plake serves as Associate Professor of Missions and Intercultural Studies at Evangel University in Springfield, Missouri. In May, 2015, he will graduate from the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary in Springfield, Missouri with a Ph.D. in Intercultural Studies. In September, he successfully defended his doctoral dissertation, entitled “The Development and Validation of a Theory of Missionary Expatriate Effectiveness among Assemblies of God World Missions Personnel.” Prior to coming to Evangel University, John and his wife, Tabitha, served as missionaries with Assemblies of God World Missions. They also pastored AG churches in Illinois. He holds a M.A. in Missions and Intercultural Studies from Wheaton College and a B.S. in Pastoral Studies from North Central University in Minneapolis, Minnesota. John specializes in missionary training with a focus on training and mobilizing short-term mission teams. John and Tabitha live with their two daughters in Nixa, Missouri. ABSTRACT Globalization, urbanization, and migration have transformed contextualization from a missionary issue into a missio Dei issue for the global church. Contextualization is rooted in an outdated model of mission and is plagued by overly complex definitions, which challenge practitioners’ efforts to unite theory and practice. Practitioners are challenged to return to Paul Hiebert’s concept of critical contextualization. Critical contextualization respects both biblical revelation and cultural diversity, bringing them together through the mediatorial work of missionaries, guided by a critical realist epistemology. After reviewing current definitions, models and issues in contextualization, the author argues that contextualization must be relational, prophetic, reflective, continuous, historical, existential, eschatological, and Spirit-led. The praxis of contextualization is a model in which redemptive action and theological reflection are twin moments of the same event. Gospel contextualization is both a process and a product. It is central to the life of believers in every society, and it is essential to the propagation of the faith in new socio- cultural settings. The Church and the academy must begin to train Christians and engage communities of faith in the praxis of contextualization as a normative part of their engagement in the mission of God. The result of this process is that the gospel becomes understandable and meaningful within new socio-cultural settings, the Church grows in its understanding and application of the gospel, and the Kingdom of God is expanded to include many who could not embrace a foreign gospel. ii CONTENTS ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................ ii CONTENTS ....................................................................................................................... iii INTRODUCTION ...............................................................................................................1 CONTEXTUALIZATION IN BRIEF REVIEW ................................................................1 Definitions of Contextualization ....................................................................................2 Models of Contextualization ..........................................................................................3 Current Issues in Contextualization ...............................................................................6 Receptor versus Source Orientation .........................................................................6 Proliferation of Local Theologies ............................................................................7 Gap between Theory and Praxis ..............................................................................8 COMPONENTS OF CONTEXTUALIZATION ................................................................9 Relational Contextualization ........................................................................................10 Prophetic Contextualization .........................................................................................11 Reflective Contextualization ........................................................................................13 Continuous Contextualization ......................................................................................14 Historical Contextualization ........................................................................................16 Existential Contextualization .......................................................................................17 Eschatological Contextualization .................................................................................18 Spirit-led Contextualization .........................................................................................18 THE PRAXIS OF CONTEXTUALIZATION ..................................................................19 Why Praxis? .................................................................................................................20 Critical Contextualization ............................................................................................21 Cultural Exegesis ...................................................................................................21 Exegesis of Scripture and the Hermeneutical Bridge ............................................24 Critique and Response ...........................................................................................25 Domains of Contextualized Praxis ...............................................................................26 Recursive Nature of Praxis ..........................................................................................27 CONCLUSION ..................................................................................................................28 APPENDIX A: MODELS OF CONTEXTUALIZATION ...............................................29 APPENDIX B: MISSIONS CASE STUDY WORKSHEET ............................................30 iii REFERENCES ..................................................................................................................32 ii INTRODUCTION Historically, contextualization was considered in terms of the indigenous church, which was always located “over there.” As globalization, urbanization, and postmodern thinking change the face of the Church (Pocock, Van Rheenen, and McConnell 2005, Jenkins 2007), principles of gospel contextualization have become central to the theological education of future pastors and missionaries, alike. Contemporary students, who are preparing for missionary service, pastoral ministry, and lay church leadership, must be equipped to make the gospel understood in complex, global societies without compromising the power of the gospel to critique those cultures. Models and definitions of contextualization abound, however, practitioners need methods for contextualized praxis, which engage communities of Christ-followers in the process of incarnating the Gospel in their socio-cultural contexts while submitting to the Holy Spirit who brings unity to the Church. The praxis of contextualization is relational, prophetic, reflective, continuous, historical, existential, eschatological, and Spirit-led. In this article I review current thinking on gospel contextualization, describe necessary components of gospel contextualization, and propose an outline for the praxis of gospel contextualization. CONTEXTUALIZATION IN BRIEF REVIEW The term contextualization has come to prominence in missiological literature since its first use in 1972 (Gilliland 2000). Though the term was initially eschewed by evangelical scholars, due to its origin in conciliar circles, the concept was timely. As colonialism waned and majority world missions developed, there was a need to recognize 1 that missiology was dominated by Western thought forms and methodologies. The global Church needed a way to talk about the complex interplay between cultural context, gospel message, and missionary methodology, which allowed each socio-cultural expression of the Church to be an active subject in the missio Dei, rather than relegating the younger churches to the status of objects-of-mission. Definitions of Contextualization Definitions of contextualization as a process are rare in the literature. Dean S. Gilliland (2000, 225) observes, “There is no single or broadly accepted definition of contextualization. The goal of contextualization perhaps best defines what it is.” Similarly, Darrell L. Whiteman defines contextualization by its function: Contextualization 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. (1997, 2) Academic arguments over the nature of contextualization led Charles Kraft (2005a) to abandon the term altogether, in favor of the term “appropriate Christianity.” Dean Flemming’s approach to contextualization centers on the role and impact of the gospel
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