The Journal of the International Society for Frontier Missiology

Int’l Journal of Frontier Missiology

The Elusive Nomad

111 From the Editor’s Desk Brad Gill Beyond the Minefields 113 Articles

113 Consider the Nomad: A Felt-Needs Approach Caleb Rome When mission threatens the land of the free.

123 God and the Nomads: Highlighting the Biblical Narrative Malcolm Hunter Might God prefer the margins of civilization?

133 On the Road with Nomads in Central Asia: A Page out of My Journal S. Clement Orbiting in the nomadic atmosphere.

136 The People of the Cornstalk Rowland V. Bingham 100 years later the challenge remains.

139 Orality Comes of Age: The Maturation of a Movement Tom Steffen One long innovation over 40 years.

149 LIFE Scale: Exploring Eight Dimensions of Life in Christ L. D. Waterman Can we figure out another’s identity in Christ?

158 Book Reviews 158 Grassroots Asian Theology: Thinking the Faith from the Ground Up

160 In Others’ Words 160 Global Oppression and Martyrdom Ebola The Salvation Army’s Historic Holism World Religions 161 Global Trends Nomads and Mobile Ministry The Preference for Mobile Phone Viewing General Links about Mobile Ministries 31:3July–September 2014

Beyond the Minefields July–September 2014 Volume 31:3

inefields are a haunting modern reality. I recall staring across a Editor minefield on the edge of the Sahara desert a few years ago and Brad Gill Editor-at-Large being prohibited from venturing forth in our Land Rover. A dis- Rory Clark puted political borderland had shut down the nomadic routes which had histori- Consulting Editors M Rick Brown, Gavriel Gefen, Herbert Hoefer, cally crisscrossed this arid tundra. I was there to assist the research of Malcolm Rebecca Lewis, H. L. Richard, Steve Saint Hunter, an expert on the world’s nomads, and his disappointment was evident as we were forced to surrender our plans to this modern weaponry. Our predica- Layout Marjorie Clark ment that day made the nomads seem even more remote and inconsequential Secretary to our developed world. The problem of access certainly complicates mission to Lois Carey these least-reached peoples. Publisher Bradley Gill, representing the student-level History tells quite a tale of these nomads and their influence on the margins of meeting at Edinburgh 1980. civilization. Through the centuries, hordes of them swept in from the Eurasian 2014 ISFM Executive Committee steppes to shape, define and transform Europe, Russia and China. The Christian Greg Parsons, Brad Gill, Rory Clark, conversion of Celtic nomads sent the first wave of evangelizing monks across Darrell Dorr barbarian Europe. And from the Bedouins of Arabia an Islamic monotheism Web Site exploded west across North Africa and eastward into South East Asia. Yes, the www.ijfm.org nomad’s place is far more consequential in the history of our globe than modern notions might admit. They ruled those vast interstitial regions which linked Editorial Correspondence 1605 E. Elizabeth Street major civilizations, and were capable of leveling empires. Like the Great Wall Pasadena, CA 91104 of China, the minefield I encountered was just the latest technology to control (734) 765-0368, [email protected] these nomadic regions. Subscriptions Geographers suggest there was no more room for global expansion by ad 1900 One year (four issues) $18.00 when the great Age of Discovery ended.1 Since then, globalization and technolog- Two years (eight issues) $34.00 ical advance have intensified the connectivity of our civilization so that we simply Three years (twelve issues) $48.00 Single copies $5.00, multiple copies $4.00 expect the inevitable assimilation of nomads to a settled existence. But the authors Payment must be enclosed with orders. in this issue of the IJFM point out the tenacity of nomadic peoples’ freedom and Please supply us with current address and the value they place on liberty of movement which flows like “capital” through change of address when necessary. their economy of life. It’s a value I recognize from my years living adjacent to Send all subscription correspondence to: transhumant Berber shepherds who would frequent North African markets. Those IJFM 1605 E. Elizabeth Street “freemen” (amazighan) gave no hint of wanting to settle down unless forced to do Pasadena, CA 91104 so. Throughout history, nomads have had to maintain a delicate symbiosis with Tel: (330) 626-3361 Fax: (626) 398-2263 sedentary civilization, and their interaction and conflict with this modern jug- Email: [email protected] gernaut has caused an erosion in their numbers. (Estimates differ on the global population of nomads).2 But don’t confuse nomadic peoples with any modern IJFM (ISSN #2161-3354) was established in 1984 by the International Student Editorial continued on p. 112 Leaders Coalition for Frontier Missions. It is published quarterly. The views expressed in IJFM are those of the various authors and not necessarily those COPYRIGHT ©2014 International Student of the journal’s editors, the International Society for Frontier Missiology or the society’s Leaders Coalition for Frontier Missions. executive committee. PRINTED in the USA 112 From the Editor’s Desk, Who We Are diaspora or the many refugees who synthesis of the present missiological strategic approaches in mission. I recall migrate under duress from one settled debate over the various identities of when the insight of Don Richardson’s place to another. The nomad’s move- Muslims who turn to Christ (p. 149). Peace Child alerted us to the redemp- ment is voluntary and constant, and for Many nomadic populations are Islamic tive analogies which God has placed this reason presents an exceptional test and any movement to Christ among in different cultures. Nomads are just for cross-cultural mission. them will require nuanced discernment. one more tribal challenge which might Just how do we imagine a wandering yield to these perceptive approaches. God is not unfamiliar with this nomad might follow Christ? What do nomadic challenge, and Malcolm It’s time for a new generation to get we expect for a nomadic church? I’ve Hunter makes that ever so clear in his around the minefields and into these heard Malcolm Hunter frequently say highlighting of the biblical narrative least-reached nomads. that if a church can’t fit on the back of (p. 123). Neither are mission agen- a camel, it won’t work among nomads. In Him, cies unfamiliar with this challenge, as (Might we get any hints from the Rowland Bingham’s historic piece from Celtic nomads in Patrick’s day?) We 1916 suggests (p. 136). But after a cen- hope Waterman’s LIFE scale will help tury of nomadic mission, Caleb Rome Brad Gill stimulate a broader discernment in Senior Editor, IJFM observes persistent realities which test these radically different contexts. Endnotes our mettle as a mission movement We’ve also included Tom Steffen’s 1 See Robert Kaplan’s The Revenge of (p. 113). There’s something elusive quick history on how the orality Geography (Random House, 2012), p. 63. for us moderns when it comes to the 2 See the report of the UN Commis- movement was birthed and refined nomadic zeitgeist, and S. Clement cap- sion of Nomadic Peoples. across many tribal contexts (p. 139). 3 On this technology see “The Little tures the rhythms of that life in a vivid It runs in tandem with the new access Phone that Could,” in IJFM 27:3 Fall page out of his diary (p. 133). Together 2010, p. 139, and more recently, see Mission nomads have to the visual “storying” of these articles make one wonder what it Frontiers 36:3, May/June 2014 at www.mis- the gospel—an access derived largely sionfrontiers.org. will take for any metropolitan church from the leap forward in mobile phone to effectively train up and equip those technology (see p. 161).3 In a day of able to meet this challenge. increasing urban focus, let’s remember Two other articles strategically intersect that mission within the constraints of this nomadic theme. L. D. Waterman smaller and seemingly inconsequential introduces the LIFE scale as a new tribal worlds has generated some very

The IJFM is published in the name of the International Student Leaders Coalition for Frontier Missions, a fellowship of younger leaders committed to the purposes of the twin consultations of Edinburgh 1980: The World Consultation on Frontier Missions and the International Student Consultation on Frontier Missions. As an expression of the ongoing concerns of Edinburgh 1980, the IJFM seeks to:

promote intergenerational dialogue between senior and junior mission leaders;  cultivate an international fraternity of thought in the development of frontier missiology;  highlight the need to maintain, renew, and create mission agencies as vehicles for frontier missions;  encourage multidimensional and interdisciplinary studies;  foster spiritual devotion as well as intellectual growth; and  advocate “A Church for Every People.”  Mission frontiers, like other frontiers, represent boundaries or barriers beyond which we must go yet beyond which we may not be able to see clearly and boundaries which may even be disputed or denied. Their study involves the discovery and evaluation of the unknown or even the reevaluation of the known. But unlike other frontiers, mission frontiers is a subject specifically concerned to explore and exposit areas and ideas and insights related to the glorification of God in all the nations (peoples) of the world, “to open their eyes, to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God.” (Acts 26:18)

Subscribers and other readers of the IJFM (due to ongoing promotion) come from a wide variety of backgrounds. Mission professors, field mission- aries, young adult mission mobilizers, college librarians, mission executives, and mission researchers all look to the IJFM for the latest thinking in frontier missiology.

International Journal of Frontier Missiology The Elusive Nomad Consider the Nomad: A Felt-Needs Approach by Caleb Rome

he initial contact came when we visited an area where we knew a nomadic tribe camped for several weeks at that time of year. My colleague, a national who had been exiled for his faith fourteen years earlierT by this same Muslim nomadic clan, advised me to drive the vehicle to a town some distance from this area while he searched from the passenger’s seat for anyone from his boyhood fraternity of warriors. These would be the only safe clan members for him due to the lifelong covenant bond forged as young men. My job was to drive slowly and pray for the improbable. “Stop!” and with that he was out of the vehicle. I watched from the driver’s side as longtime mates exchanged warm greetings and renewed their relationship. This was the beginning we had prayed for. Cell phone numbers were exchanged and we were on our way, eight hours driving for a five-minute meeting.

Two months later, our colleague received a call. Some sort of disease was decimating the clan’s camel herds, and they asked if the foreigner could help. We were able to mobilize colleagues who had a veterinary program, who were mystified by the disease or virus, but prayerfully guessed what might help the herds. In the end, only 13 of the clan’s camels died, whereas all over that region thousands of camels died. Ten years after being banished from the clan for his belief in Jesus, this colleague of mine (the first believer) had now become a hero. He was warmly welcomed to return with his foreign friend. God had opened the door. This wonderful breakthrough stands in even greater relief when one considers the history of ministry to the nomad. A History of Nomads and Missions Caleb Rome and his wife served in Any mission to nomads in our globalized world is rare nowadays. Nomads the Horn of Africa for 12 years. They worked among a nomadic pastoralist almost seem anachronistic—vestiges of a long-forgotten era when blue-veiled Muslim group who herded camels, men in camel trains crossed the Sahara carrying salt and gold for trade. Long goats and cattle. Today he works as a development consultant for new ago, Europeans fanned out across the world colonizing huge swaths of land that outreach in North Africa. had only ever been the domain of nomads, such as the North American Plains

International Journal of Frontier Missiology 31:3 Fall 2014•113 114 Consider the Nomad: A Felt-Needs Approach

Indians or the New Zealand Maori. people to sell their souls to western would attempt to convert them to a They fought wars for control of the religion and to “settled culture,”—two new religion. land, fighting against vast nomadic so- sides of the coin in their minds. Before men and women of God set cieties who valued their land as a living This is the state of things today: where foot in any nomadic setting they resource which created and provided hunter-gatherers once roamed freely would do well to assume they will food for people and animals. As lands throughout the world’s most beauti- be viewed as enemies until proven were seized, nomadic peoples fled to ful places, nowadays they are simply otherwise. Because of this assumption, wherever they could until there was disparaged and misunderstood. Nomadic missionaries to nomads need to be almost nowhere left to go. From the pastoralist cultures continue to exist, but careful to clearly identify themselves plains to the jungles, North and South now, for the most part, only in the world’s as ambassadors of the Light of Life America were no longer fertile places most remote and desolate places, places rather than as ambassadors of the vari- for hunter-gatherer nomads. where today’s economic colonizers have a ous dominant settled cultures who are Those who survived were summarily more difficult time displacing nomads. bent on extracting riches from nomad contained. Children were rounded up lands. My thesis is that righteous mis- by new governments and in some cases The Threat of Missions to the sionaries to nomads are not developers, placed under the care of missionaries. Nomad neither primarily nor secondarily. They Missionaries generally did their level are, instead, representatives of Jesus best to transform pagans into Chris- Most nomads instinctively know Christ, of His love, His salvation, His tians. They also helped ‘civilize’ them by their way of life is under threat and power, His truth and His body. They placing nomadic children in boarding may, indeed, be involved with develop- schools, dressing them smartly, and re- ment, but not the kind that is primar- naming them, all in an effort to educate ily informed by today’s settled cultures. young generations and to instill in them Generally speaking, good missionaries new values. The idea was to bring salva- are those who are scrupulously careful tion to these peoples while at the same They received to allow the scriptures to challenge time saving them from their less useful and inform their “settled” worldview. nomadic ways. Nomadic lifestyles were the Gospel—and lost They learn to recognize not only where demonized not only as backward but their cultures. their own culture may be thoroughly as against progress and antithetical to a unbiblical, but also where its values (post-Industrial Revolution) Christian may be questionable or where it may understanding of Genesis 1:28. appear to have overstepped its author- Eventually nomadic peoples were ity. They examine their own values subdued and controlled. Many became and their culture’s values, constantly Christians through the efforts of these they know from where these threats learning to compare and contrast these and future generations of missionaries. emanate. The colonial mercantile com- with scriptural values. This exercise They received the Gospel—but lost panies of the past are today’s interna- in self-reflection is critical for those their cultures. Against this backdrop, tional developers. Wealthy developers missionaries who would be effective in ministry to these same peoples today dangle huge sums of money before following God to nomadic peoples. (in Australia, New Zealand and in needy governments so that they can North America) has become a very gain legal access to remote lands. As a Loving or Pitying Nomads? sensitive issue. It’s quite natural for result, nomadic lands are under threat It is of paramount importance to descendants of these nomadic peoples from mammoth mineral extraction recognize that nomadic societies have to view evangelistic efforts as an activ- projects and water diversion schemes no desire or ambition whatsoever to ity that will inherently destroy their for irrigation and power generation. create a “settled culture.” They know cultures. They blame purveyors of More often than not, today’s mis- their lives are difficult, but from their Christianity as those who use the Bible sionaries come from the very same point of view, the life of the nomad is to eliminate their customs and culture. countries as today’s developers, and a life of freedom. Perhaps this can best There are those among them who nomads naturally consider missionar- be explained by the western concept blame the Bible and thus the Christian ies part and parcel of this wider threat. of camping. Many settled Westerners, religion as a whole for this. Evange- They fear those from a settled world whether urbanized or not, fancy the lists are perceived by many nomads as who devalue their lifestyle and who idea of camping. Although few people those who work hard to persuade their actually go camping in remote places,

International Journal of Frontier Missiology Caleb Rome 115 the idea is somehow attractive to them. People will take a week or two or even hey can only survive in the desert by herding three, drop everything and take up a camels, cattle and goats. There is no other way life of ‘suffering’ on a mountainside or in a chain of lakes. They do it because Tto live out there. They have adapted beautifully. they love it. They find peace in a canoe are so poor.” The insinuation is pal- missionaries mistake the friendliness or on a trail or sitting on a rock at a pable, even if they don’t realize what of these governments to be part of remote campsite. It is not unreason- they are saying. When we dig down to God’s leading—“open doors,” if you able to say that a nomad is a perpetual the core of our western Christianity, will. But, it may very well be that the camper. The life that we might value in we often find a simplistic and flawed will of God for some nomads will not order to get away from it all is exactly belief that wealth and comfort equate at all please the national governments the life that nomads love as their norm with God’s blessing. Therefore, if a which intend to settle them. It is not and they have no desire to give it up. culture is wealthy, it is somehow the easy to walk a road that reveals Christ Nomads are raised from birth to live result of godliness. Conversely, this to nomads in a country where a gov- in a manner in which life and death same logic leads to the conclusion that ernment might have ulterior motives impinge on almost every action. For poverty and discomfort are primary behind its plans to settle and restrict them this is normal. Nomadic pas- signs Satan has been given authority nomads—and many governments do toralists find safety and security by to wreak havoc with a people group. have those plans. relying on the land and the predictable Simply put, if you serve God, you will There is no need to list all the nomadic changes of seasons to guide them from get health, wealth and comfort; but if peoples in the Bible to demonstrate place to place. Their herds represent you don’t, you will get sickness, disease, just how much God loved them and security in both the short and medium poverty and stress. blessed them just as they were. Others term. The long term is out of their With this flawed logic, the redemp- have done that work.1 From a strictly control but in the hands of far greater tive work of God through missions spiritual perspective, there is absolutely powers, which they deeply revere. They morphs into proclaiming the salvation no need to settle nomads. There may may painfully watch their families of the Lord through programs meant be cultural reasons, political reasons struggle with issues of life and death, to alleviate poverty. As a result, some or economic reasons, but there are but this does not mean that they se- organizations attempt to demonstrate cretly desire the so-called securities of no good spiritual reasons even when godliness to nomads by building all living in a house and a village. people are sick and dying. manners of settlement infrastruc- Look closely. The weather-beaten face ture—as if this will somehow help the If we look at desert-dwelling nomadic of a woman living in a yurt perched people see that “God’s way of life” is pastoralists, the truth is that these peo- high in a mountain valley is a peace- the best way. By this they hope to save ple can only survive in the desert by ful face. She may be marked by daily some. By teaching nomads to settle herding camels, cattle and goats. There wind, rain, and even snow, but she down, and thereby to gain wealth is no other way to live out there. They loves her life so close to the land. To and comfort, they hope in this way have adapted beautifully, guaranteeing assume otherwise is to look down to reveal God to them. This kind of survival for decades through the size upon a society, and to project a longing missions is not found in Jesus’ life, the and health of their herds. They don’t for change when that longing simply is Acts of the Apostles or in the letters see themselves as poor, but as hav- not there. of Paul. This kind of missions is little ing that which is sufficient to survive. more than development, a spiritual- Some even see themselves as wealthy Missionaries need to take care not ized development, based on the value because they have such large herds. to confuse different lifestyles with of settled life over nomadic life. And it Take a second and closer look and you ungodliness. To be sure, just as is is precisely this type of reasoning that will find that they are at peace. They true with every culture, so also every has foolishly diverted vast amounts of even enjoy life. nomadic culture is laden with the funding from church planting mis- ugliness that sin produces, but in no sions into Christian development Accepting the Nomadic way does this make a nomadic lifestyle endeavors over the past fifty years. somehow sinful or destructive in and Otherness of itself. I cannot tell you how many We are naïve if we miss the similarities Jesus helps us here. The story of the times visitors to the desert where we of these kinds of spiritually moti- Good Samaritan has a clear message worked have said, “How do these peo- vated endeavors with the endeavors that many have missed. A priest, a ple live like this? It is so hard and they of national governments. Sometimes Levite and a Samaritan all come across

31:3 Fall 2014 116 Consider the Nomad: A Felt-Needs Approach a Jewish man who has been beaten like certain peoples and we look down a new set of clothes and is focused on and robbed. Only the Samaritan helps upon them. If we are honest, people tidying up the poor Jew who had been him. We know the unfortunate soul from settled cultures don’t easily value beaten and robbed. The end result of is Jewish because Jesus purposefully nomadic peoples. Sure, we may find his actions might be a neat and tidy locates the parable on the main road documentaries of them fascinating, people who are left suffering, lost and that skirts Samaria, the road Jews and we might even pity their plight, certainly not loved. This is reflected used to avoid setting foot in Samaria. but we accept the inevitability of their in what has happened to the nomadic Samaritans and Jews despised one absorption into the mainstream of the peoples of North and South America another, yet this Samaritan lovingly global economy. If, as missionaries, and Austral-Asia. cares for this particular Jew. Besides that is the way we work with nomads, this, he makes sure he is well cared for then we will remain their enemies Learning to “Love in Motion” even though we are lovingly focused until he has fully recovered. We know If the compassionate love of mission- on alleviating what we perceive their the story well. aries is lost on nomads (when we as- needs to be. Loving a people goes This parable comes on the heels of a sume that God calls us to help develop far beyond doctoring or developing a botched test of Jesus by a Jewish legal or settle them), then it is important to people. It means accepting a people for expert. “What must I do to inherit rethink and clarify our task in mis- who they are. It means lifting them up. eternal life?” he had asked. Jesus had sions. Consider the mission statement It means submitting to them and serv- responded with a question of his own, we operate under: ing them in ways that they perceive “What is written in the Law . . . How By demonstrating the love, the truth do you read it?” Forced to answer his and the power of Jesus, we desire to own question, he had replied, locate, evangelize and disciple (name of people group) who will grow and ‘Love the Lord your God with all your lead the indigenous (name of people heart and with all your soul and with all group) Church of Jesus Christ. your strength and with all your mind’ and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Loving a people God sends missionaries to peoples Jesus commended the man and called goes far beyond who have not heard the truth of the him to live out these words. The legal doctoring or developing Gospel. He sends them to proclaim expert had failed to test Jesus even the truth of Jesus Christ, to love the slightly, so to save face, he then fol- a people. people with the love of the Father and lowed with a new question, “And who to introduce people to the power and is my neighbor?” Jesus answered with guidance of the Holy Spirit. The vision this parable of the Samaritan and then is to see people transformed into the followed with one last question for the image of God as His church is birthed expert. “Which of these three do you and grows. A missionary is never sent will truly bless them, not in ways that think was a neighbor to the man who by God primarily to economically fulfill us or our development ideals. fell into the hands of robbers?” develop an unengaged people group as his first priority. A Christian develop- The missionary who arrives on the The answer was obvious to this Jew. The ment worker may have that role, but scene of an unreached nomadic people neighbor was the loathed Samaritan, not a missionary. group with an “I can help you” or an “I but the only words he could extricate can fix you” posture actually stands in So what does it look like when a mis- from his mouth were “The one who judgment of that people group. He has sion worker really loves nomads? After had mercy on him.” The story vexed judged them and found them wanting. all, dealing with people that are con- him. Jesus had created a story with a That missionary thinks he loves the stantly moving about is not easy busi- Samaritan as the hero. That was unten- nomads, perhaps comparing himself to ness. Some might be in the camp one able. But Jesus wasn’t finished with him. 2 the Good Samaritan who loved that week but off in a completely different “Go and do likewise,” he commanded. Jew, but he is actually not focused on location the next, while the others stay Jesus had made it clear to this Jew that the nomads’ real problems like the Sa- in the camp. This presents all kinds of the neighbor he was to love as he loved maritan was focused on the man’s real problems. Nomads can easily frustrate himself was in fact his own enemy. That injuries. He only pities their condition us because we cannot find the same is the point of this parable. and therefore wants to alleviate that people in the same place with any I’m suggesting we have the same prob- which makes them so pitiful to him. It regularity. That does not mean we give lem as this Jewish expert. We don’t is as if he has pulled out a comb and up. It means we find how the function

International Journal of Frontier Missiology Caleb Rome 117 of regular meetings in a settled culture might be matched in a different way in s we respect them and desire to learn from a nomadic community. them, we demonstrate love and begin to act We have already stated that it is best to less like the enemies they first expected. value nomadic culture in its own right. A 4 If we miss this, then we will most like- handlers who took a cut of the gener- needs and gifts. I am still fascinated ly struggle to be valued by the nomads osity. More than this, the city seemed with the way these people handle pos- we are trying to reach with the Gospel. to exude a beggar mentality. To me sessions and property for the benefit Our appreciation of them grows the everybody had his or her hands out, of all. including the government. I felt that I more we learn. Therefore, education When we learn to seek out that which is key, and we need to read all we can was little more than a bank with legs to many people. As a result, I closed is good in a society, even in the worst about the culture and then enter the of societies, we will find it. In the act culture as a continual learner. We know my wallet to multitudes of needs all around us in that city. of seeking, we demonstrate care, which that learning language goes hand in to a lot of people in that culture will hand with learning culture. We must Sometime later, I was travelling into look like real love. This kind of care and ask questions and seek to understand. the desert with my friend who was attention builds credit with nomads. The posture of an eager learner quickly one of the radio staff. As we came into When we first come to them, they are endears people to the learner. town, this excellent fellow asked if I severely suspicious, and rightly so. As Seek earnestly those ‘Aha!’ moments of could give him some money. My own we respect them and show our desire to discovery. Allow the Lord to fascinate concept of the private ownership of learn from them, we demonstrate love you with what He has revealed of money and property, (my wallet and its and begin to look and act less like the contents in this case), influenced by the Himself in their culture. It is easy for enemies they first expected us to be. constant begging in the city, caused me the Christian to point a finger at the to hesitate just slightly. I gave him the myriad number of godless and sinful Two Simultaneous Approaches money but I had betrayed my concern. customs in a culture. While a strong Long before we ever made contact working theology of the desperate A short while later, my friend took it with nomads in the desert, we had condition of mankind before God upon himself to teach me his nomadic determined to follow two approaches (Romans 1:18-32) is foundational in ways with finance. He explained that in that we believed would help us learn ministry, it is all too easy to point a a clan of extended family members, in- to love the people. For the first, I finger of judgment at any culture not dividuals hold all property on behalf of am indebted to Roland Muller, who our own. If we do, we pass judgment the clan. One man’s herds might grow 3 compares and contrasts Friend- on ourselves. It is much more useful very large and his family might become ship Evangelism with what he calls to look for the marks of God in the influential in the clan, but if one of his Teacher-based Evangelism.5 culture. Find out what they believe and relatives has need of a few dollars or why they believe it. Watch for customs a goat or even a camel, he would give Rather than making friends with Mus- that reflect the image of God. him whatever he needs. It wouldn’t be lims, while holding onto an ulterior a loan; he would give it outright. Later motive of someday exposing them to A Personal Experience on, the man who gave that gift might the Gospel, Muller espoused some- find himself in need of a few dollars thing he believed was more honest We were living in a large city in East when he goes to town. He would go to and loving. He claimed that of all the Africa, waiting for the day that God any one of his relatives, ask for what he practitioners he had interviewed, every would open up contacts with cer- needs and he would receive it with no successful evangelist had the reputa- tain nomads in a desert region. Our expectation of repayment. tion of being spiritual men and wom- primary work until then had been en of God in their own communities.6 radio. I was learning the culture of Then my friend turned to me and these nomads through the radio staff, reminded me of the way I had handed [They] all played the role of teacher, im- 7 who were from that nomadic culture. him money a short while before. I felt parting spiritual knowledge and truth. The dominant culture of the city came ashamed, because he is my brother, The advantage these evangelists had from different people groups and was my spiritual brother. Two things were was that it immediately became clear marked by systemic begging. People exposed that day: the tight grip I had to the Muslim that he was sitting at respond to incessant begging in vari- on my wallet, learned as it was from the feet of a man of God, who could ous ways and I had become aware that my culture; and the godliness and gen- speak with authority and communi- 8 many of these beggars were tied to erosity of his culture with respect to cate effectively.

31:3 Fall 2014 118 Consider the Nomad: A Felt-Needs Approach

Having learned this, we determined need approach, a tension arises. The those days, he was busy laying a founda- that upon our first encounter with any missionary with the reputation of being tion of truth in the region of Galilee that nomadic Muslims they should imme- an authoritative spiritual teacher will would later serve the early church well diately learn that we were worshippers become someone to whom the Holy in that region. As soon as he docked, of God who followed Jesus Christ and Spirit will draw men and women for he was swarmed by crowds of people. who taught with His same authority. guidance into all truth. That missionary According to Luke, Jesus may have This meant that our first agenda would will rightly take responsibility for put- been headed for the synagogue, but the be to share Jesus with these highly ting forward a teaching agenda as God synagogue ruler’s 12-year-old daughter resistant and fierce nomads and then to directs him or her. On the other hand, was dying, so he immediately started continue with a program of evangelism a felt need approach puts the ball in the towards the house where she lay. People and discipleship. nomad’s court. They pitch their needs pressed in from all sides. In the midst of the mêlée, one woman reached out Secondly, we determined that we and the missionary responds. How can and managed to touch the edge of Jesus’ would allow the felt needs of these these two strategies coexist? cloak and she was healed. Jesus stopped particular nomads to serve as a path- In matters of discipleship, we can have and ministered to her before continuing way of discovery for God to meet their a fair idea of what we want to pres- on to the young girl.10 ultimate needs. A felt need approach is ent and when, but if people have an 9 but for nomads especially it not new, urgent need to solve a basic human Jesus spoke as one with authority. He is a good approach. As described above, problem, then we need to give our had strong agendas and strategies, nomads are leery of outsiders and their immediate attention to that need. If but he followed his Father’s guidance, grandiose ideas of societal develop- ministering to needs that presented ment. If we can encourage them to themselves. In this case he may have voice their own needs, even if only been headed for the synagogue but their immediate physical needs, and a felt need changed his course. Then, then faithfully work to address those while on the way, yet another felt need needs with them, in so doing we will At times, delayed him. Love for the people cre- demonstrate God’s great love to them. this might lead us ated his agenda and love for the people We learned that the key was to listen changed that agenda. We need to be well at the front end so that we could down rabbit trails just as willing to live in this tension. head in the right direction with the and to unpredictable A mission to nomads ultimately needs right needs. As we developed ideas to to be a mission of God’s love. That love alleviate or address any need, we worked chaos. will drive us to learn the culture, value closely with the people, carefully incor- the culture and search for godliness porating our ideas with their plans. This already preexistent in the culture. That is very difficult for an educated mission- love will put the Gospel in front of the ary, but absolutely essential, especially people early and regularly as mission- in the context of nomads who may have we have planned to teach from the aries build up a reputation of being little or no formal education. On the Lord’s Prayer, but one of the people we captivated by God and speaking au- contrary, if we work to incorporate their wanted to teach has been called away thoritatively in their teaching. That love ideas into our own, ready-made plans, because his brother is dying a few kilo- will make us available to the myriad we could accidentally be responsible for meters away, then maybe we ought to number of felt needs with which people assisting nomads in becoming settled make the journey with the man. At the confront us. Some of these needs will people, for that is what we settled people very least, we must dedicate those days mobilize projects, which will create the naturally do. Instead, we must resist the to prayer for the brother and look to development that the nomads are ask- urges to create the best solutions our- find what our responsibility should be ing for and want. That love will allow selves, and allow nomads to direct their in ministering to him. the people themselves to shape and di- own development with our assistance. rect appropriate nomadic development. At times, this might lead us down rab- The Tension Between Teacher- bit trails and bring a certain amount of A Case Study of Nomadic Based Evangelism and a Felt- unpredictable chaos into our days, but Jesus had many days like this. After the Ministry Need Approach deliverance of the man with a legion Fourteen years earlier the leaders of a When we combine these two ideas of of demons, Jesus purposed to go back certain clan almost murdered the first teacher-based evangelism and a felt across the lake and continue teaching. In from their midst to encounter believers

International Journal of Frontier Missiology Caleb Rome 119 from a neighboring ‘Christian’ tribe. They brought a 15-year-old lad to a n the evening the elders would gather—we river, tortured him by drowning, and trusted that God would use the clan leader to then left him for dead, unconscious open the door at that meeting. and abandoned. When he regained I consciousness, he was forced to flee as invited us to visit his people. God had their biggest challenges might be. We an outcast. He wandered around in the dramatically answered our prayer. had prepared ourselves for many of the desert for ten years, slowly deepening felt needs they might mention. in his faith. Soon he began to testify The following is an account of our first of Christ. That led to imprisonments twenty-four hours (and some general After many hours of driving to this ex- and ultimately to banishment from results) of what turned out to be a tremely remote place, we arrived at the the entire people group of two mil- long-term encounter with this clan of main camp and asked for Mohammad. lion. God led him to a city hundreds of Muslim nomadic pastoralists. That first It turned out that we had driven right day we determined to do two things. kilometers away where he met several on past him. He was twenty kilome- First, we knew that in the evening the of us and was recruited to become ters back, staying with his daughter in elders would gather for their nightly the producer of a very effective radio a small town. We thought it wise that meeting. We trusted that God would broadcast to his own people. I turn around and drive back there and use the clan leader to open the door at pick him up, while my friend stayed in For three years we focused on prayer, that meeting. Then I planned to share the camp to rekindle relationships. research, and the development of a with them my deep heart for God and ministry strategy. We learned to pray begin to introduce them to Jesus. We An hour later, I arrived in the little in faith that a clan leader would be the believed that God intended for us to town and located Mohammad. He was first to come to Christ. Through dis- go way beyond friendship evangelism, excited to see me. God was working. cipleship and prayer, God prepared us just as Roland Muller had espoused. We ate together and then I prepared to return to the clan who had kicked to take him to the camp. We were on These nomads suspected that national task, but Mohammed had something our colleague out in the first place. evangelical Christians gain cultural he wanted me to do before we drove When we felt it was time, we prayer- dominance by doing good works. They off. His daughter’s husband was very fully visited an area to which his believed the agenda of Christians is to sick, so sick, in fact, that he was con- people sometimes migrate, an area commandeer all other cultures in order fined to the local clinic. Mohammad where another people group had to take over their land. This is not true, wanted me to visit him because he had settled. As I shared earlier, there we but it is a perception that must be rec- seen the Jesus film and knew that he had found one of his boyhood friends, ognized and reckoned with especially could be healed. I, on the other hand, and had been warmly welcomed. God where Christians are the dominant cul- figured that they probably wanted used that renewed relationship as the ture. For that reason, we had decided to money to transport this man to the means to cure a large herd of camels. use the Muslim name for God (Allah), hospital 300 kilometers away. Our dear brother instantly became a because the only other option was the We walked over to the clinic. I soon hero to his people. Two weeks later we name from the language of the domi- found myself at the bedside of an ema- learned that his clan leader, Moham- nant Christian culture. My friend was ciated figure. The doctor on duty said med (psuedonym), the one who had originally from the Muslim nomadic that the man had AIDS and would ordered my colleague’s drowning clan and I was a foreigner. Neither of us soon die. It turned out that my surmise years earlier, was sick and in need of was from the people group (of national had been correct, and the rest of the help. We provided a way for him to Christians) with whom the nomads family did indeed ask me for money. come to the city and go to the hospi- associated all “Christians.” Simply us- Foolishly, I had not brought extra tal. It turned out to be a severe case ing that “other” name for God would funds with me on that inaugural trip, of giardia (intestinal parasites). God instantly render us “the enemy” in the but suddenly I heard Acts 3:6 in my then decided a miracle was in order nomads’ minds. We wanted to pres- ent ourselves simply as surrendered mind, “Silver or gold I do not have, but and healed him instantaneously after worshippers of God who followed and what I have I give you. In the name of he had seen the doctor. Days later, we loved Jesus Christ, avoiding links to any Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” showed him the Jesus film and read peripheral issues that would put up a him Isaiah 53. This Muslim man was “Oh no, God!” I thought. “I cannot try barrier to the Gospel. in awe of Jesus and proclaimed, “A this. This is my first trip into this ter- great light is coming into the dark- Secondly, we desired to meet the entire ritory. We are at the beginning of our ness of our people.” Then he formally clan in order to learn from them what ministry. I cannot ruin my reputation

31:3 Fall 2014 120 Consider the Nomad: A Felt-Needs Approach with a failed healing attempt. This is words of the Holy Spirit and I needed to them. Now we had a wide open path asking too much!” them at that very moment.11 before us. Those three statements are still remembered by the people. I have heard But the same verse kept running I took a deep breath and the Holy Spirit them quoted back to me. From the be- through my mind. My attempts to put the words in my mouth. I said, ginning, they knew why we were there. argue with God were futile, so I finally God placed such a great love in my relented. I explained that I did not heart and in my family’s hearts for The next morning, about one hun- have nearly enough cash on hand, but your people that we had to leave our dred people gathered under a tree to I would pray that God would raise this country and come to you. Secondly, hear what we had to say. It was time man up and give him health. Before I we have come to be agents of God’s to begin a felt need approach and we prayed, I told him that I was about to blessing to you. Thirdly, we are here to left nothing to chance. After intro- give you the light of God’s truth. May pray in the name of Jesus Christ and ductions, I was given the floor. News I tell you a story that Jesus once told? that Jesus himself would be respon- had spread throughout the clan. They sible for any healing that occurred. Looking back at that answer, I mar- had all heard why I said we had come Then I asked for permission to pray. vel at what God led me to say. In to them. I gave them greetings and The sick man agreed. I put my hand no uncertain terms I had expressed expressed how blessed we felt to be on his chest and prayed that God not only our love for them but, more permitted to be with them that day. I would heal him. The man lay there just told the people that God loved them as sick as the moment I had arrived. I and loved to bless them. I said enough didn’t know what to think. I had been so that they could see our hearts. Then faithful, but he was still sick. I decided to be just as clear with them as they had been with me. I have I took that as my cue to drive back to The question since found that during the daytime, the camp with Mohammad. I won- nomads don’t tolerate much in the dered what he was thinking. Soon we came suddenly way of long conversations. That is for were onto other matters and then we without any warning, the nighttime. I simply asked them, arrived at the main camp. The welcome “What are your challenges?” was hearty. They fed us well, and even “Why did you come slaughtered a goat. After nightfall, the One of the men said, “Something in elders gathered for their meeting. My here?” our water is making us and our animals heart pounded with exhilaration. I sick.” I was not happy to hear that. knew we were on the very frontlines of Water work is expensive. Selfishly, I had reaching the unreached, but I was also expressly decided ahead of time not to keenly aware that what I had prepared do water development if asked. Once importantly, God’s love for them. I had to say might not be accepted. My again, I was forced to reconsider the also affirmed them by expressing God’s friend had warned me that these men ways we would minister to these people. desire to bless them and I had intro- would likely want to know why we had duced Jesus as the light of God’s truth. Another man followed with, “We want come to visit them. The answer to this our children to learn how to read and question had eluded me as I prepared Some might think that introducing write in our own language.” The most ahead of time. Nothing seemed like a ourselves as agents of God’s blessing outstanding challenge of doing any good answer. is dangerous, but most nomads are not education amongst nomads is the fact thinking of riches and comfort when After no more than a few minutes, the that the students keep moving with they speak of blessings. In the desert, question came suddenly without any their families. At that time, less than blessings are usually associated with warning. “Why did you come here?” 1.5% of the entire people group could the coming of the rains: they think of they asked. I could have flippantly read and that figure included nobody fat, healthy animals that produce lots of answered that Mohammad had invited in that particular clan. babies and milk; they think of a house- me, but I knew they wanted to know hold at peace without sickness; and I think it was an older woman who why I was interested in Mohammad they think of children growing strong spoke up next, “We need a hospital or in the first place. Nobody is permit- because they have enough to eat. a clinic.” ted to visit these nomads without an invitation and a vetted purpose. I was I was exhilarated and found it difficult I replied immediately to that one. suddenly on trial. I had the very real to sleep that night. God had not only In this country, it is the government sense that my reply would either bring opened an opportunity for us to come to that is responsible for clinics and they persecution or blessing. I needed the these people but he had clearly spoken are building them, but people still

International Journal of Frontier Missiology Caleb Rome 121

suffer. What we would be prepared to do is to train your women to han- ather than blindly obey the government dle up to 90% of all your sicknesses. and build another failed school, we tried to They liked that idea. Raccommodate their nomadic ways. Finally, a fourth person spoke up. “We reveal his glory and accomplish his will mandated—as required—despite mov- would like help to start up small busi- in that man and his family. ing with their families. The teachers nesses,” he said. That one surprised us. would live at whichever campus the Ever since that eventful first day with I looked around. All I could see in any students could access. To save money direction was camels, goats and a rela- the clan, we have been working by day and keep the classrooms cool, we would tively desolate landscape. My friend with these dear people to address their build adobe-like structures instead of and I smiled at each other. We would major felt needs and by night, reciting the usual concrete block buildings. certainly be looking to the people on Bible stories. Eight years later many that one. developments have taken place. They could see that we were wrestling with and trying to accommodate their The meeting was adjourned and we First, their felt needs. The problem nomadic ways. This pleased them great- were off to the water source, a large with the water turned out to be one ly. Eight years later this ‘mobile’ school stream, to collect samples to learn of extreme fluorosis. For two years we has several students who have reached what was wrong. Later that day we scratched our heads, researching the Grade 7. These are the first seventh drove away by another route. It had situation with the government until we graders in the region. The local govern- been a day of beginnings. finally came upon a little known fact. ment looks to the school as the model The entire area was a gravel pit with Before long we left the country for for others and relies on us to influence a massive reservoir of water only 30 all the schools in the whole area. home assignment. Upon our return meters below the surface. The people three months later, one of our radio welcomed this news. Today there are Life at the school has not been workers came to me with a story he four solar powered camel watering smooth. Many children would rather thought I should know about. “Do you centers, which they located, helped be out herding the goats. Parents are remember the man you visited in the design and continue to manage. sympathetic to children who do not clinic who was very ill?” It took me a want to go to school. With the direc- moment to recall but then I remem- Literacy was the need that we could tion of the school committee, we have bered, so he continued, “Two hours begin work on from the outset. There tried to stagger daily start times. We after you drove away he got out of that were two constraints we had to deal have also worked to provide other op- bed, packed up his belongings and left with. The first is that the government tions to help the community deal with the hospital.” insisted on classrooms with desks and the stresses that education brings into they demanded that schools be in ses- the lives of both the children and the My skepticism was noticeable. “Was sion when all the other schools across parents. Success with the children in he well?” I asked. the country were in session. That literacy has attracted adults who want “Perfectly well and he has not been schedule did not coincide with the to read. So now they attend night back to the hospital since,” he replied, best times of year to teach these no- classes with the aid of simple solar adding, “and he says that you are a madic children. The second dilemma powered lighting. holy man.” was that these particular nomads travel an annual circuit with three stops. Perhaps the most difficult of the needs With as much clarity as I could muster to address have been the health issues. I said, Rather than blindly obey the govern- These people have the worst levels You go back and remind him that I ment and build another failed school of health in the country. The average told him any healing that occurred among these people or clandestinely lifespan is 42 years. More than 125 live would be accomplished by Jesus work around the government rules, we births per 1,000 end in death before Christ, not me. worked to adapt to the variables with the age of 5. The women are the gate- which we were presented. We asked the keepers of treatment and medication. It was then that I learned that al- people to form a school committee and Their ideas of treatment often equate though this man was the clan leader’s then put an idea before them. We pro- with what we believe would be the son-in-law, he was a notorious figure posed to build two identical campuses very worst things to do. For instance, who had murdered many men and located at their two major encamp- when a woman is in her third trimes- abused many women. I believe that ments. This would allow the students ter of pregnancy, they believe it best God healed him that day in order to to go to school when the government that she not drink water and that she

31:3 Fall 2014 122 Consider the Nomad: A Felt-Needs Approach cut back on food intake. This results in added burden and expenses associated of Jesus. This addressed their felt needs widespread anemia and malnutrition with the market trips. This produces best. Today, stories from the Old in mothers and newborns. a healthy profit. Remarkably, the Testament abound. Scriptural discus- cooperative now manages a socialized sions now happen in public settings. A Health is a very spiritual topic for these healthcare program with these profits. few believers have now become more women. People equate health with Anyone who uses the store is eligible than a dozen. Two elders have been blessings and sicknesses with demonic for free medications and hospital chosen from among them to care for curses. In that respect they are not very treatment. (In case you were wonder- this burgeoning church. Those elders different from some Christians ing, these women paid the $300 back are linked to other elders who oversee The program we adapted established in full only three months later.) more than a hundred believers else- small groups of women for train- where among this vast group of desert Meanwhile the men in a nearby clan ing and discussion. These women nomadic pastoralists. run a similar store. With their profits, have held on fiercely to their tightly they buy young animals from the mar- We have endeavored with all that gripped, long held views about sick- ket and strengthen the clan’s herds. Now we are to come to these people with ness and health, so we proceeded these same men want to start a livestock the Father’s great love. That love has gently and lovingly even though that market in order to create economy in caused us to proclaim the Good News meant more sickness and even deaths the desert. Until now, these people have with hearts full of love and it has at the outset. The work is slow, but we only ever purchased camels from distant caused us to address felt needs in ways are seeing progress, especially as we al- markets, but have never sold camels to that the people believe are appropri- low these women to wrestle over time ate. I sat down with Mohammed and with new ideas of care. This kind of my friend not long ago. Muhammad approach builds the trust required to stroked his beard and said, enable effective change. What you have done with the camel The most surprising development The women watering centers is very good for us, from an expressed felt need has been but that is not the best thing that is the creation of small businesses. Today, were tired happening here. The best thing is that a women’s cooperative operates a of this arduous routine, my people are beginning to follow Je- storehouse. Before the existence of this sus, the Light of the World. IJFM store, all the women used to traipse to so they came to us with the nearest market twenty kilometers a business proposal. Endnotes away. One-by-one, each would go with 1 See David J. Phillips, People On the her baby, her donkey, and a few goats. Move, 2001, Piquant, Carlisle, UK. At the market they would trade the 2 Luke 10:25-37. goats for flour, oil and sugar. Then they 3 See Romans 2:1. would make their way back home. The them because outsiders run the markets. 4 Compare what I have described with two-day journey would force them to Little did we know what would tran- Acts 2:44, 45. sleep under the stars with their babies. spire when they expressed their need for 5 Roland Muller, Tools for Muslim business development. Evangelism (Belleville, CA: Essence Pub- The women were tired of this ardu- lishing, 2000), chapter 3. ous routine, so they came to us with At the very same time, we have been 6 Ibid., p. 30. a business proposal. For $300, they revealing Jesus and his Gospel to 7 Ibid., p. 32. would stock a storehouse, then sell the the people. We began in secret with 8 Ibid., p. 34. goods for a small profit. When the the clan leader. At first, much of the 9 See Tim Matheny, Reaching the Arabs: need would arise to buy more goods, teaching took place at night because A felt need approach (Pasadena, CA: William they would round up the goats that the night is when nomads have time Carey Library, 1981) pp. 140-155. they were owed, herd them to market on their hands. The night is when they 10 See Luke 8:40-56. and restock supplies. It has worked gather to reminisce and tell stories. 11 See Mk. 13:11. beautifully. Women in the community Surprisingly, these people consistently no longer need to leave their families, wanted stories of Jesus in the begin- the cooperative gets better prices at ning. Our training had predisposed us the market because of bulk buying and to use the Old Testament to prepare the women don’t mind paying a little Muslims for the Gospel, but these extra because they no longer have the people wanted more and more stories

International Journal of Frontier Missiology The Elusive Nomad God and the Nomads: Highlighting the Biblical Narrative by Malcolm Hunter

oes God have favorites amongst all the peoples of the earth? To be politically correct, if not theologically sound, we have to say no. But certainly in the Old Testament you get the impression that God has Da special interest in those who wander around in deserts looking after their animals. It is not just the experience of Abraham after God called him and his family out of the advanced urban complex of Ur. Right from the beginning of Genesis, the Book of Beginnings, it appears as if the nomadic experience was God’s preferred way of life for all peoples. I realize this is a bold assertion, but after a half century of working in and amongst nomads from Mongolia to sub- Saharan Africa, I have begun to see and feel the nomad’s preference for what most of us would consider stark and unreasonable circumstances. These are the very same circumstances that God called Abraham to enter. And it’s become more and more apparent to me that it’s in the particularities of this nomadic context that God is able to establish and shape his covenantal relation to a very special people. I offer here some reflections on the Genesis narrative and some concluding biblical perspectives. Filling the Earth . . . through Nomads? Malcolm Hunter and his wife Jean God’s favor is noticeable very early in Genesis. The two sons of Adam should went to Ethiopia in 1963 with a clear call to find the people who would have learned a lesson for the ages when the cultivator Cain brought the fruit be the least likely to hear the gospel. of the soil as an offering to the Lord, for “the Lord looked with favor” on He was an engineer and she a nurse, Abel who brought some of the first born of his flock. Instead, Cain murdered and under SIM they launched five de- cades of work among nomadic peoples his brother, and so began the enduring conflict between the farmers and the across the world. They lived for ten pastoralists which continues even today across Africa. years on top of a Land Rover in West and East Africa doing field research When Noah and his extended family came out of the ark and started life once that led to a PhD in Appropriate Development for Nomadic Pastoral- again on land, the Lord twice told him to “be fruitful and increase in number ists (OCMS). At the invitation of Dr. and fill the earth.” The fact that Genesis 8:1 (NIV) specifically says that there Ralph Winter, they started the Insti- tute for Nomadic Studies and founded were wild animals and livestock in the ark suggests that the only way God’s the Nomadic Peoples Network. command was going to be fulfilled was by hunting the wild animals and

International Journal of Frontier Missiology 31:3 Fall 2014•123 124 God and the Nomads: Highlighting the Biblical Narrative herding the domesticated livestock. This Different Types of Nomads your father’s household and go to has been the pattern all over the earth The nomadic way of life is described the land I will show you.” Perhaps he at different periods and places. Early by academics as “utilizing the resource was afraid to head out alone (chapter generations of men survived by hunting of special mobility,” and applies to 11), for there were at least five of his and gathering, and still do so to this hunter/gatherers and nomadic pasto- father’s house with him when he got day, until the time comes when they ralists, as well as to the other smaller stuck at a place called Haran, presum- find it more convenient to train certain category of nomads—the peripatetics ably named after Abram’s brother who animals to stay near them and to serve (service nomads). Before the farmers of died in Ur. In typical nomad practice, their needs. In fact, God gave even the world began ploughing up the best they waited in Haran for Abram’s father to die before Abram was ready more explicit details about the relation- grazing land for their crops, pastoral- to set out again “as the Lord had told ship between animals and humans: ism must have been successful all over him.” We don’t know how long they The fear and dread of you will fall the earth. A good herder can double stayed in Haran, but they must have upon all the beasts of the earth and the number of his animals every year been semi-settled for a number of all the birds of the air, and upon every and live off their milk before choos- years. The story tells us that besides his creature that moves on the ground, ing to kill one for special occasions or wife and nephew, and upon all the fish of the sea; they for visitors coming by. It is reckoned he took all the possessions they had are given into your hands. Everything that even today, up to one-third of accumulated and the people they that moves will be food for you. Just the earth’s total land surface (and as I gave you the green plants, I now had acquired in Haran and they set probably up to two thirds of Africa’s give you everything. out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there. (Gen. 12: 5) An even clearer example of God’s plan for all peoples to scatter and fill By this time, Abram was seventy-five, he had now arrived where God wanted the earth comes in Genesis 11 at the him, and the great promises began: tower of Babel. The stated reason for One-third of I will make you into a great nation this early construction project was for the earth’s and I will bless you; I will make your men “to make a name for themselves name great and you will be a bless- and not be scattered over the face total land surface ing. I will bless those who bless you of the whole earth.” God’s immedi- can only be utilized by and whoever curses you I will curse; ate intervention resulted in a total and all the peoples on earth will be breakdown of communication, with nomadic pastoralists. blessed through you. (Gen. 12:2—3) the inevitable outcome being, “The Lord scattered them over the face of The three dramatic encounters men- the whole earth.” Before the days of tioned above all took place during mass transportation, this could only a twenty-four-year period in which land surface) can only be utilized by Abram travelled throughout the land have been accomplished by nomadic nomadic pastoralists. These lands and then down into Egypt at a time of pastoralists moving with their animals include the low altitude deserts found famine, all the while acquiring more to occupy the vast empty spaces of mostly in Africa and the Middle East, and more wealth. Even when this the earth. This would have been in as well as high altitude lands, often nomad showed a serious lack of faith the paradisiac period when there were covered in snow and ice, inhabited by and moral courage in Egypt and Sarah apparently no deserts and the great nomads in Asia and northern Europe. was consequently taken into Pharaoh’s Sahara was a particularly fertile pas- The latter are frequently known as palace (Gen. 12:16), nevertheless, after ture land with many trees and animals. Vertical Nomads because they move up Pharaoh had sent him on his way, he Some of these global wanderers may and down according to the snow lines, ended up with many more possessions: have settled down in the most verdant as compared with the transhumant sheep and cattle, male and female don- areas to grow crops, but it was the nomad who migrates horizontally in keys, menservants and maidservants, nomadic pastoralists who kept moving lowland areas. and camels. This is the first recorded outwards, fulfilling God’s command instance of camels appearing in the to fill the whole earth. Farmers don’t Abram on the Move Again Bible, so Abram may have acquired like to move unless they are desperate At the beginning of chapter 12 we these most important additions to in times of drought, but nomads with read that the Lord said to Abram, desert nomadic life during his dubious their “harvest on the hoof ” can keep “Leave your country, your people and venture into Egypt, where he tried to moving to wherever the rain falls. give his wife away to the Pharaoh to

International Journal of Frontier Missiology Malcolm Hunter 125 save his own skin. Fortunately, for the fulfillment of God’s grand purposes hese examples from nomadic life help us for the seed of Abram, the Pharaoh understand why God took so long to get Abram had more marital scruples than the chosen patriarch. Tinto the place where his name could be changed. It is surprising, and yet can be encour- he had earlier placed his tent and built it certainly was not according to the aging for less celebrated chosen people an altar. “There Abram called on the promise God had given Abraham. He of God, that Abram (now called name of the Lord” (Gen. 13:3). At even tried to put pressure on God, Abraham in Genesis 17), showed the last he obeyed the command he had that if he did not soon produce a son same lack of faith when he moved received so long ago in Ur when he himself, then his servant Eliezer would into the territory of King Abimelech. had left his father’s house. He sepa- be his heir. Once again, he persuaded Sarai (now rated from Lot, who chose to go and Then the word of the Lord came to called Sarah) to say she was his sister pitch his tents near Sodom, showing him: ‘This man will not be your heir, for fear he would be killed because what would prove to be a fatal attrac- but a son coming from your own of her beauty were it known she was tion to that wicked city. After Lot had body will be your heir.’ indeed his wife. And once again, departed, the Lord said to Abram, And then came the promise which the Lord protected Sarah by telling Lift up your eyes from where you are would have been most meaningful to a Abimelech he was as good as dead if and look north and south, east and desert nomad: “Look up at the heavens he were to touch her. When the King west. All this land you see, I will give and count the stars—if indeed you can asked Abraham why he had done this to you and your offspring …. Go walk through the length and breadth of count them … So shall your offspring shameful thing, he could only come up the land, for I am giving it to you. So be.” This promise is followed by the with the pathetic reason, Abram moved his tents and went to statement for which Abram, despite I said to myself, there is no fear of live near the great trees of Mamre at his later lapses of faith, is forever re- God in this place, and they will kill me Hebron, where he built an altar to membered: “He believed the Lord and because of my wife . . . When God had the Lord. (Gen. 13:18) me wander from my father’s house- it was credited to him as righteous- ness” (Gen. 15:2–6). hold I said to her, ‘This is how you can These typical examples from a mean- show your love to me: everywhere dering nomadic life help us understand The result of Abram’s ready acquies- we go, say of me, “He is my brother.”’ why God took so long to get Abram cence to Sarai’s suggestion of using her into the place where his name could be This was no doubt the custom of the Egyptian maid servant, Hagar, to pro- changed and he would even be called day for sealing peace agreements and duce an heir led to another sub-narra- the friend of God. alliances by giving valuable unmarried tive in this nomadic wilderness. Hagar was probably one of the Egyptian sisters and daughters to important We might ask, then, just how signifi- servants collected by Abram and Sarai rulers. Again, however, the feared cant was Abram’s life in the desert, on their ill-advised attempt to escape ruler showed more honor and under- and his growing dependence on God, famine by going down into Egypt, stood the fear of God better than did to his ultimately achieving that sort contrary to God’s promise to give him Abraham when he returned Sarah to of personal relationship? It seems all the land of Canaan and bless them her husband with a thousand shek- likely that after more than a hundred there. Hagar had no experience of the els of silver “…to cover the offense years of trying to “help” God fulfill his living God, nor a God-fearing heri- against you.” To the erring Abraham, repeated promise of a son and heir, tage. And when she became pregnant, he brought sheep and cattle, and male Abram learned the lessons most ef- she began to despise her mistress to and female slaves, and additionally fectively from the consequences of his gave him the unexpectedly gener- own efforts. The narrative includes his the point that she was banished from ous offer, “My land is before you; live pitiful act of readily agreeing to Sarai’s the camp. God showed his amazing wherever you like.” (Gen. 20:14–16) false reasoning which blamed God for compassion for the victims of Sarai’s her infertility. and Abram’s compounded misadven- ture by sending an angel to meet this Desert Life and Dependence The Lord has kept me from having on God children. Go, sleep with my maid rejected pregnant mother. God called servant; perhaps I can build a family her by name when she was sitting On his way back from Egypt through through her. (Gen. 16:2) beside a spring in the desert, presum- the Negev we read that Abram went ably feeling very sorry for herself, and from place to place until he came to Again, this was no doubt a culturally understandably resentful of Sarai. The the place between Bethel and Ai where acceptable expedient at that time, but angel of the Lord told Hagar to go

31:3 Fall 2014 126 God and the Nomads: Highlighting the Biblical Narrative back to her mistress and submit to her, Hearing God in the Desert nearby he hurried to meet them and and added the unexpected promise It isn’t so much that God loves no- bowed low to the ground.” which presumably encouraged her to mads, but it appears that he is able to His gracious salutation and invita- do so. speak to men and women much more tion to rest under a tree while water You will have a son. You shall name easily in desert places than in the hustle was brought to wash their feet are him Ishmael, for the Lord has heard and bustle of the city. In the desert, it is your misery. He will be a wild donkey all normal traditions in most no- impossible to ignore God; in fact, you of a man; his hand will be against ev- madic societies. Abraham’s seemingly eryone and everyone’s hand against will never meet a pastoral nomad who minimal offer to get them something him, and he will live in hostility to all does not have a high view of a God to eat led to great efforts on the part his brothers. (Gen. 16:7—12) who sends rain, abundance, and health. of his wife and servants to bake bread Notwithstanding, they may still spend and to kill and cook a choice calf from Ishmael was born when Abram was much of their time and money trying the herd. Much later would come the eighty-six years old, so he must have to appease the bad gods, demons, or generous feast of curds and milk and been thirteen when God appeared to jinns (as they are referred to by Mus- well-cooked calf veal, which anyone the ninety-nine year old nomad with lims), or by trying to escape the curses familiar with nomadic pastoralist hos- the final covenantal promise that he of enemies. And they might not have pitality will appreciate. It is well worth would, indeed, have a son through heard yet of the power of the Lord Je- the wait! Sarai. When he heard the amazing sus, the one who has defeated all these promises Abraham fell facedown, evil forces, and who can bring them to The supreme test of Abraham’s trust laughing and saying to himself, “Will a in God came in chapter 22 when he son be born to a man a hundred years was instructed to take his son, his only old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age son Isaac, whom he loved, to a place of ninety?” And Abraham said to God, about three days walk away, and offer “If only Ishmael might live under your If we enter their him there as burnt offering on one of blessing!” Incredulous, Abraham found the mountains God would eventu- it easier to believe that Ishmael could world of relationships, ally show him. The fact that he cut somehow become the heir of promise enough wood to make a burnt offering than that Sarah could give him a son. it will require we before he set out presumably means “Yes,” the Lord replied, prioritize people over that he thought he would be going to I have heard you and I will surely a treeless place. But when Abraham bless him; I will make him fruitful and projects. got to the mountain, it must have been greatly increase his numbers. He will thickly wooded, as he did not see the be the father of twelve rulers, and I ram that was caught by its horns in a will make him a great nation. But my thicket until he took the knife to slay covenant I will establish with Isaac, the good God. This is a universal mes- his son. Abraham showed complete whom Sarah will bear to you by this sage for all people who are troubled by obedience and willingness to sacrifice time next year. (Gen. 17:17—21) demonic powers and curses! his son, even to the point of hauling the wood for three days. God, how- God continued his promise to the as- It is because of the saving power of ever, had already prepared a response yet-unconceived son that he would es- Jesus that Christianity is so relevant to Abraham’s unconditional obedi- tablish his covenant with him as an ev- to nomads. If we are prepared to enter ence. Such faith and obedience must erlasting covenant for his descendants their world of relationships, it will surely have impressed Isaac (whose after him in Genesis 17:19. Part of require we prioritize people over build- reaction as his father bound him and that covenant included instructions for ings, projects and programs. The other placed him on top of the firewood is the circumcision of all males. And so, great advantage to entering their world not recorded). We can imagine that as soon as God went up from Abram is the nomadic emphasis on hospitali- on that same day, he took Ishmael Isaac was much relieved to hear the ty—when you bow your head and enter and all those born in his household or voice of the angel calling out from the tent, you are welcomed to stay. This bought with his money and circum- heaven telling Abraham not to lay a common depiction of nomadic hospi- cised them, including himself, as God hand on the boy. Isaac must have been tality appears in Genesis 18:1–8 when had instructed (Gen. 17:10–14). This at least somewhat willing to submit to “Abraham was sitting at the door of his was the introduction to the sign of the his father’s readiness to sacrifice him, tent in the heat of the day.” Despite the covenant practiced by all Jewish males because he probably could have easily heat, when “he saw three men standing from that time until today. outrun the old man (Abraham would

International Journal of Frontier Missiology Malcolm Hunter 127 have been 110 years old) if he really had wanted to escape. ery few nomadic peoples take much trouble to I do wonder if such faith and confi- bury their wives; that is why the story of the dence in God comes partly from life death of Sarah is so impressive to nomads. in arid and semi-desert places where V a nomad has to be dependent on God Very few nomadic peoples take much Abraham thought that Isaac might be for his survival. In Abraham’s case, the trouble to bury their wives or even tempted to stay in that old homeland. totally unexpected gift of a son at 100 remember them. That is why the story Eliezer agreed to the instructions of years old, and the promise to make a of the death of Sarah is so impressive his master and swore an oath to him in great nation out of him, must certainly to nomadic people. Like most nomads, a manner that is peculiarly significant have taught him to trust God. This Abraham had no land of his own, in societies where nothing is written excruciating test of his faith in God’s so he had to buy a plot from one of down, putting his hand under the thigh promises is richly described in He- the alien Hittites among whom they of his master Abraham. He certainly brews 11:19: “Abraham reasoned that were living. The fact that the whole of did not make his journey alone, as he God could raise the dead, and figu- Genesis 23 is devoted to the elaborate had ten camels and many valuable gifts ratively speaking he did receive Isaac ritual of bargaining in the politest and clothes to carry and protect. (Note back from death.” manner makes for a fine example of that later in the chapter the men who culturally exemplary behaviour. Abra- formed the caravan are invited into the A Storybook Made for Nomads ham had probably chosen this grave house with Eliezer to eat and drink and site near the great trees of Mamre spend the night.) The middle chapters of the book of much earlier. The point of the seller The most fascinating part of this story is Genesis (chapters 23–37) are ex- overcoming his initial reluctance to when the caravan arrives at the precise tremely interesting to most nomadic take any money from Abraham is a well where God’s chosen wife for Isaac people, as they can so readily identify typical move in a game played among would make her appearance. As a shep- with the experiences of the patriarchs wealthy men. “Listen to me, my lord; herdess, she came to get water for her Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (up until the land is worth 400 shekels of silver, sheep. Eliezer prayed before she arrived, Joseph is sold into slavery in Egypt). but what is that between me and you?” O Lord, God of my master Abraham, Whether they are literate or not, all (Gen. 23:15). nomadic pastoralists are oral learners give me success today, and show and they love stories, especially those Even more interesting to nomads who kindness to my master Abraham. See that feature animals, deserts, and wells. have camels is the story in the very I am standing beside this spring, and next chapter, where Abraham sends his the daughters of the townspeople Another very important element of trusted chief servant to get a wife for are coming to draw water. May it be nomadic life is how people are buried. his son Isaac. Though his name is not when I say to a girl, ‘Please let down Some groups I have known will bury a your jar so that I may have a drink, actually given in this long chapter, the man who has died as a respected elder and she says ‘Drink, and I’ll water chief servant was probably the same or warrior above ground under a pile of your camels too’–let her be the one Eliezer that Abraham thought might rocks wrapped in the skin of his most you have chosen for your servant one day be his heir. The patriarch, now prized cow (whose meat is eaten as part Isaac. By this I will know that you too old to make the journey back to his of his funeral rituals). After a few years, have shown kindness to my master. relatives in Haran, gave strict instruc- during which the termites will eat all (Gen. 24: 12—14) tions to his servant: the flesh and organs, the bones will be I want you to swear by the God of Eliezer was no doubt a God-fearing uncovered from the rocks, wrapped in heaven and the God of earth, that man, and the way his prayer was a new cow skin, and the blood of that you will not get a wife for my son answered before he had even finished cow will be poured over the bones. All from the daughters of the Canaan- praying is a tremendous affirmation the warriors of that age-set will come ites, among whom I am living, but will of his faith. This sort of experience is to pay their respects and even pray to go to my country and my own rela- most significant to a pastoral nomad. the dead man for his protection from tives and get a wife for my son Isaac. sickness and enemies. Other nomadic Even more impressive to a camel herd- ethnic groups bury their men vertically He also twice reiterated that in no case er, and maybe only fully appreciated by in a well-like hole, so that they will should Eliezer take Isaac back to the them, is the offer that Rebekah made be remembered as standing tall to the old country at Haran, for God had to Eliezer: she did not just give him very last, while others place them in a promised the land of Canaan to him water to drink, but also drew water for crouching position, as if ready for action. and to his offspring, and presumably his camels “until they have finished

31:3 Fall 2014 128 God and the Nomads: Highlighting the Biblical Narrative drinking.” If his camels had traveled to leave immediately gives the im- different tribe, as they could not as- for ten days, as seems likely given the pression that she was quite happy to similate with the Egyptian people, for distance to Haran, they each would leave the shepherding life to pursue all shepherds were “detestable” to the drink about thirty gallons of water. The a more exciting future with marriage Egyptians (Gen. 46:34). There is no text says explicitly that the camels did to a wealthy kinsman she had never reason given for this strong repulsion, drink all they wanted “until they were seen. In proper pre-wedding custom, but this was the factor, which God finished.” The ten camels could have she would not travel alone with the and Joseph knew would keep them consumed as much as three hundred men, but took along her nurse and her from any possibility of being accepted gallons of water—about three thou- maids. The story concludes by saying, and assimilated by the powerful pagan sand pounds. The text also says that “they all got ready and mounted their peoples in Egypt. Joseph chose five she quickly emptied her jar into the camels and went back with the man. of his brothers to introduce them to trough and ran back to the well to So the servant took Rebekah and left.” Pharaoh, who asked them what their draw more water, and drew enough Eliezer was no doubt a very happy and occupation was. Joseph had advised for all his camels. (Gen. 24:20) successful man, departing on the day them to reply: following their arrival at the house. It is no wonder that Eliezer was im- Your servants are shepherds, just as our fathers were. We have come to pressed with this young lady, who was This story is one that only a camel- live here awhile because the famine also described as “very beautiful.” The herding nomad can fully appreciate; indeed, most of the book of Genesis is is severe in Canaan and your servants’ quickness was necessary since a camel flocks have no pasture. So now, please can drink those thirty gallons in seven best understood and perhaps therefore most interesting to pastoral nomads. let your servants settle in Goshen. Pha- minutes. raoh then said to Joseph, “Your father This story is so impressive that it is re- and your brothers have come to you and the land of Egypt is before you; corded twice in this chapter, as Eliezer settle your father and your brothers in recounts it again for Rebekah’s family the best part of the land. Let them live that night in their house where they in Goshen.” (Gen. 47: 3—4) were offered true nomad hospitality: This story is one straw and fodder for the camels first, Pharaoh finished his generous invita- then water for Eliezer and his men to that only a tion by adding what at first appears to wash their feet. The food came later, camel-herding nomad be a rather selfish request, “And if you but Eliezer refused to eat anything know of any among them with special until he had told the whole story of can fully appreciate. ability, put them in charge of my own his wife-searching venture. When they livestock.” This was probably an indi- had heard it, Rebekah’s brother and cation of Pharaoh’s high regard for Jo- father could only say, seph’s outstanding usefulness to all of This is from the Lord; we can say noth- Egypt, and the basis of his assumption ing to you one way or the other. Here God’s Purpose for the that one or more of Joseph’s brothers is Rebekah; take her and go, and let could be equally gifted and useful. her become the wife of your master’s “Detestable” Nomad son, as the Lord has directed. The narrative in Genesis 47:7–10 seems The tragic-dramatic account of how to indicate that immediately after the Joseph went down to Egypt is wor- It is typical that neither the lady introduction of his brothers to Pha- thy of a great operatic rendering, but in question, nor her mother, were raoh, Joseph brought his father in and it had to wait until the 20th century consulted; yet, it’s probably significant presented him before Pharaoh. Jacob, in when Andrew Lloyd Weber could do that the costly gifts were given to her true patriarchal manner, blessed Pharaoh it justice in his early musical, Joseph mother and Laban, the dominant and at the beginning and the ending of their and his Amazing Technicolor Coat. acquisitive elder brother, while her encounter before he exited his pres- Many of the lines in that show are father, Bethuel, is not mentioned as ence. It would be interesting to know receiving anything. Eliezer insisted highly memorable, but what seems to what words of blessing Jacob spoke to that they should return immediately, have been lost is that God is the one Pharaoh, as the record we have of Jacob’s but her mother and brother wanted who orchestrated the whole scenario. other spoken blessings shows them to be him to remain ten days with them And he did it to accomplish his grand most insightful and significant. before taking Rebekah away. When purpose for the children of Israel— Rebekah was asked what she thought that they would become a tribe and Jacob also had a personal encounter the next morning, her quick answer then a nation. They became a distinctly with God on the journey down to

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Egypt, where he heard the words of divine approval of this migration he description of the death of a family patriarch with a specific purpose. The opening is appealing to nomads who value venerable of Genesis 46 tells us that “Israel set old men and elaborate funeral traditions. out with all that was his and when he T reached Beersheba he offered sacrifices These funeral instructions were repeat- After his death he was embalmed and to the God of his father Isaac.” Beer- ed at the end of Genesis chapter 49, was placed in a coffin in Egypt. sheba was probably the last settlement which concludes with the moving ac- of any significance in Canaan, and the count of Jacob’s death. From Clan to Nation old man Jacob knew he was going into When Jacob had finished giving in- The first three patriarchs of the Abra- a very uncertain future, away from the structions to his sons, he drew his promised land, so he probably enter- feet up into his bed, breathed his hamic clan slowly learned the essential tained many doubts about this move. last and was gathered to his fathers. skills of herding animals that can be God met him in a vision at night call- (Gen. 49:23) found most easily in a desert, but God ing him by name, subsequently took their descendants This description of the timely death of into a very different environment. Jacob! Jacob! I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go a family patriarch at a ripe old age is They began their new life in Egypt down to Egypt, for I will make you appealing to any society that respects in great favor under the care of their into a great nation there. I will go their elders, but even more so to no- brother Joseph, and consequently their down to Egypt with you, and I will madic people who have such elevated birthrate exploded. Generally, spend- bring you back again. And Joseph’s values of venerable old men and elabo- ing nights away from home looking own hand will close your eyes. rate funeral traditions. How they die for pasture keeps population growth in (Gen. 46:2—4) and are buried seems more important check, but that was not an issue for the than anything in life. people in their new home in Goshen. Here we see the real purpose of this The Israelites were fruitful and multi- diversion of the children of Israel into The last chapter of the book of Genesis describes the forty days needed for the plied greatly and became exceedingly Egypt. Had they stayed in Canaan numerous, so that the land was filled embalming of the patriarch and the where everyone was a livestock herder, with them. they would no doubt have intermarried seventy-five days that the Egyptian na- with Canaanite women, as Esau had tion mourned for him. After this time Their population growth was such that very deliberately done to show his re- came the grand funeral procession that it began to frighten the later Egyptian sentment against his father and mother. Pharaoh ordered, led by prime min- rulers, who did not know about Joseph This conniving of his led to the loss ister Joseph, and accompanied by all or his extended family. Clearly the of the blessing of the first born which of Pharaoh’s officials—the dignitaries children of Israel were still very ethni- should have been his. Most important, of his court and all the dignitaries of cally distinct from the Egyptians, who there is no record of any intermarrying Egypt—as well as all the members of saw them as a potential threat. The amidst an Egyptian civilization. his father’s household. Chariots and new king said, horsemen also accompanied him (Gen. The Israelites have become much too The end of Genesis 47 relates the fulfill- 50:7–9). So Jacob’s sons did as he had numerous for us. Come, we must ment of that promise, as well as the death commanded them. They carried him deal shrewdly with them or they will of Jacob after seventeen years in Egypt. to the land of Canaan and buried him become even more numerous and, if The Israelites settled in Egypt in the in the cave in the field of Machpelah, war breaks out, will join our enemies, land of Goshen. They acquired prop- near Mamre, which Abraham had fight against us and leave the coun- erty there and were fruitful and in- bought as a burial place. To complete try. (Ex. 1:7—10) creased greatly in number… When the story, as Joseph neared his own the time came for Israel to die, he end, he said to his brothers, This suspicion led to the rulers’ pro- called for his son Joseph and said to I am about to die. But God will surely claimed policy of slave labor for all the him, ”If I have found favor in your come to your aid and take you up out people, and of male infanticide (an an- eyes, put your hand under my thigh of this land to the land he promised cient Egyptian version of the more mod- and promise that you will show me on oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Ja- ern pro-choice policies now prevailing in kindness and faithfulness. Do not cob. (Gen. 50:24) bury me in Egypt but when I rest with supposedly civilized western nations). my fathers, carry me out of Egypt Joseph then made his brothers swear to Over the four hundred years that the and bury me where they are buried.” carry his bones back to the land of Ca- tribe of Israel spent in Egypt, the in- (Gen. 47:27—30) naan. So Joseph died at the age of 110. creasing oppression of the slave masters

31:3 Fall 2014 130 God and the Nomads: Highlighting the Biblical Narrative and the forced labor did not seem to Egypt. Here again we see the spiritual This transition to the desert context diminish their birthrate. value of living under the big sky in must have been a devastating blow to The more they were oppressed, the the wide-open spaces of a desert or a Moses’ sense of his unique ability to more they multiplied and spread; so typical nomad grazing land. Midian is help deliver his people. But why did it the Egyptians came to dread the Is- in present day northern Saudi Arabia. last for forty years? Forty years was the raelites and worked them ruthlessly. To get there, Moses must have crossed length of time that God gave Moses to They made their lives bitter with hard the Sinai Peninsula, precisely where he enjoy all the wisdom and pleasures of labor in brick and mortar and with all would bring the Hebrew nation forty Egypt, and to learn that these would kinds of work in the fields; in all the years later. This initial crossing served never compare to his sense of pur- hard labor the Egyptians used them ruthlessly. (Ex. 1:11—14) as a useful learning experience of the pose in God’s call on his life to be the geography and rugged features of that deliverer of his people. It took another This brutal treatment was presumably rugged desert land. forty years to bring Moses to a place of brokenness and willingness to trust God’s way of ensuring that his people The most important lesson Moses entirely in God, rather than his own would never settle comfortably in needed to learn was dependence on leadership and eloquence. Egypt and of preparing them for that God, requiring him to give up his most momentous event, their exodus proud confidence in his own abilities from Egypt. From Leading Sheep to Leading People Boot Camp in the Desert I should note that sheep are the most Before they could leave Egypt, God foolish and uninspiring animal of all had to prepare Moses, their Deliverer, the livestock kept by nomads, and cer- who would lead them out of Egypt. This primal religion tainly the most unresponsive in con- Moses was an exceptional child from was based on the high versation. The breakthrough for Moses birth, and by God’s ingenious plan was came when he took those pathetic rescued from his papyrus basket and view of God which, to sheep to the far side of the desert, to from drowning in the River Nile by Horeb, described in Ex. 3:1 as the the daughter of Pharaoh. my knowledge, all mountain of God. Moses presumably The Bible does not tell us how long nomads maintain. had no idea of the significance of this Moses spent with his birth family place when he arrived, but later that before being handed over to Pharaoh’s day God said to him, daughter, but it must have been long I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have enough for him to learn his ethnic and in the ingrained training for identity. The scriptures do tell us sent you: when you have brought the leadership that had come with his people out of Egypt, you will worship that “Moses was educated in all the privileged upbringing. God knew God on this mountain. (Ex. 3:12) wisdom of the Egyptians and was there was no better way to bring about powerful in speech and action” (Acts that transformation than for Moses Before the exodus, Moses had a most 7:22). At forty years old he felt com- to spend the next forty years looking personal encounter with God, via a pelled to take action when he saw an after the sheep of his father-in-law, burning bush that was not consumed. Israelite being beaten by an Egyptian Jethro. This Jethro happened to be a Moses may have seen other bushes and he killed the aggressor. This could priest of Midian, presumably a simple burning in the desert, but this one got have been an impulsive reaction, but practitioner of a primal religion. his attention and he said to himself, it would have come from a long held Whatever other beliefs it held, this “I will go over and see this strange awareness of his ethnic roots, as well primal religion was based on the high sight—why the bush does not burn as from the injustice meted out to his view of God which, to my knowledge, up.” This is the first recorded evidence people. This action likely emanated all nomads maintain. Moses had tran- in forty years that Moses was ready to from his growing sense of personal sitioned from the Palace of Pharaoh, pay attention to a supernatural work obligation to his people. which had the most advanced techno- of God. Because of his impulsive actions, Mo- logical and high religious society of his When the Lord saw that he had gone ses fled from Pharaoh’s palace to the day, to probably one of the most basic over to look, God called to him from desert of Midian, where God wanted and simplest of societies there in the within the bush, ‘Moses! Moses!’ him to learn how to become the leader house of Jethro and his seven daugh- And Moses replied to God, ‘Here I who would deliver God’s people out of ters in the Midian desert. am.’ (Ex. 3:4)

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Moses may have thought that God had completely forgotten about him, he children of Israel needed to learn to trust but now the long-delayed dialogue their God all over again, and there is no begins with God’s historic declaration, better training ground than a desert. “I am the God of your father, the God T of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the And while the deliverance from Egypt were not like other nations, whose God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his must been an incredibly exciting time identity was tied to one piece of real face because he was afraid to look at for all those who joined the exodus, estate. The land was given on condi- God (Ex. 3:6). He had already been the transition from settled slavery tion that they would not be like other commanded to take off his sandals, as to freedom in the desert was both nations. If they did not remain faithful the place where he was standing was a traumatic experience as well as an to the God who gave it to them, they holy ground, so his experience of God’s enormous learning opportunity. The would lose it, but they would still be presence must have been overwhelming children of Israel needed to learn to his people, and when they repented he from head to toe. Here was a nomad trust their God all over again, and would bless and restore them again. being prepared for his big migration, there is no better training ground than The history of the Jewish people has in which he would lead a nation, not a a desert, where obtaining food and confirmed that covenant relationship, flock of sheep. They were to go into the water are a constant struggle. with a pattern of blessing followed by wilderness for another forty years. “So rebellion, rejection, exile, repentance, The Israelites wandered throughout at now, go.” God said, “I am sending you and restoration. to Pharaoh to bring the Israelites out of least forty-one different locations those Egypt” (Ex. 3: 9–10). The response of forty years, which are listed in Num- A Pilgrim People Moses is that of a broken man—“Who bers 33, but how long they spent in am I that I should go to Pharaoh and each location is not recorded. It must The principle of God’s pilgrim people bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”— have taken a great deal of time to get remaining set-apart from settled, unbe- showing that Moses had learned the several million people packed up and lieving people appears frequently in the essential lesson for a godly leader, true mobilized between each campsite, but New Testament. Peter gives an interest- humility. The conversation that ensued that was an important part of God’s ing new definition of the community between Moses and his now very teaching process: the Israelites were of believers in Jesus before the words personal God should be encouraging to learning to be a pilgrim people living ‘Christian’ or ‘church’ had even emerged: any who feel inadequate for the task to in very inhospitable country. They had You are a chosen people, a royal which God calls them. Not in our own to know that God was not only the priesthood, a holy nation, a people strength but in his! provider of all their food and water, belonging to God that you may de- he was also their protector from wild clare the praise of him who called The Discipline of Wilderness animals, plagues, and enemy tribes you out of darkness into his wonder- ful light. Once you were not a people, Conditions (like the attacks and seduction of the Amalekites and the Midianites). In but now you are the people of God, once you had not received mercy, Moses was eighty years old when he that hot and hostile desert, they began loaded his wife and children on a don- but now you have received mercy. to understand that God alone could Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens key and trekked back from the land of satisfy their deepest needs. There was Midian to meet Pharaoh as God had and strangers in the world, to abstain nothing in that environment to enter- from sinful desires, which was against commanded. The discipline of forty tain, amuse, or titillate them, just hard your soul. (1 Pet. 2:9—11) years of grinding, discouraging work grinding survival and communal living. in the deserts of Midian would have The King James Bible rendering of the Even before they finally entered the aided Moses when, after returning to key word “alien” as “pilgrim” gives what Promised Land, Moses gave them Egypt, he faced rejection by his people I believe is a more helpful picture of strict instructions not to forget what and by Pharaoh. people who are on the move to a more sort of people they were. Whenever He returned to the Lord and said, ‘O certain destination, rather than as they presented the fruit of the land Lord, why have you brought trouble suspect foreigners. upon this people? Is this why you sent to the priest they were to “declare me? Ever since I went to Pharaoh to before the Lord your God: my father Finally, the fact that deserts continue to speak in your name, he has brought was a wandering Aramean” (Deut. have an important purpose in the de- trouble upon this people, and you 26:5). God had indeed promised their velopment of strong leaders in the New have not rescued your people at all.’ forefathers that his descendants would Testament brings us again to a certain (Ex. 5:22—23) possess the land of Canaan, but they conclusion: it’s not a nomadic lifestyle

31:3 Fall 2014 132 God and the Nomads: Highlighting the Biblical Narrative that is so valuable in learning about the the earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a coun- nature and power of God, as it is the try of their own, they were longing outcome of having lived a nomadic ex- for a better country–a heavenly one. istence in the desert. That is where the Therefore God is not ashamed to be inevitable austerity and rigors of daily called their God, for he has prepared a survival concentrate the attention on city for them. (Heb. 11:13—16) the grandeur of empty space and the immensity of the heavens at night. This And more specific to the heavenly city: is presumably why certain key figures “Here we do not have an enduring [con- in the New Testament were sent into tinuing] city, but we are looking for the a desert or chose to spend time there city that is to come” (Heb. 13:14). There in solitude. John the Baptist, Jesus are more details of that heavenly city himself, and the apostle Paul found the called the New Jerusalem in the book of desert a threshold for new ministry. Revelation, but the concern of this study is what we do here on earth before we This is apparent in the book of He- arrive there. How then should we live? brews which adds several other helpful All examples indicate that we are meant insights to this principle of a pilgrim to be a pilgrim people, travelling lightly people. Referring back to the patri- through what is still a beautiful world, archs in the book of Genesis, we read, but alien to us in its present unredeemed All these people were still living by state. We are pilgrims moving to a won- faith when they died. They did not derful and assured destiny, but on the receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them at way there, as long as we are on the earth, a distance. And they admitted they we want to be available to do the work were aliens [pilgrims] and strangers on of the rightful ruler of it all. We will want to walk as does the nomad. IJFM

International Journal of Frontier Missiology The Elusive Nomad On the Road with Nomads in Central Asia: A Page Out of My Journal by S. Clement

t’s almost 6:00 p.m. on the twentieth of the month. This afternoon we left the small town around which our lives and travel have revolved for the last ten days, starting our trek back to the international border. The drive Iwould normally have taken about six hours straight through, but we bailed off of the national “highway” (much of it no more than poorly maintained gravel track) and headed across country to see the last of the nomad camps before crossing the border.

We’ve driven over miles of some of the most desolate country you can imag- ine. Were it not for the occasional scrubby tuft of grass, this area could be described as lunar.

Since about two o’clock, a light to moderate rain has been falling, the mist adding to the sense of dreariness already induced by the largely monochro- matic hills and barren rocks.

(Hours later) We are now seated in the round tent of a herding family. Rain is pattering on the roof. The camp is situated on the side of a valley, and sev- eral streams descend from the surrounding hills, converging in the middle of the little community of yurts. The roar of the running water makes a lulling backdrop to the sound of the rain and the quiet and familiar noises of nomadic housekeeping: the opening and closing of the stove door; the tapping of a metal poker as someone stirs the fire; the jostling of pots and kettles as tea is prepared.

Dusky light drifts down through the plastic sheeting that covers the center roof hole of the yurt, inducing a drowsy restfulness that follows nicely on a S. Clement spent nearly 25 years do- ing pioneer church planting, both in day of hard road. Latin America and among nomads Outside, most of this nomadic community is engaged in the evening milking of Central Asia. There, in partnership with local believers, he and his family of cows. The yard is muddy and wet, and everyone is bundled in what inad- saw a fully nomadic church formed equate rain gear they can muster: old coats, plastic sheets, damp hats and old among nomadic herders. He is active in the Nomadic Peoples Network. boots. Though I know that fairly intense work is being carried out in the

International Journal of Frontier Missiology 31:3 Fall 2014•133 134 On the Road with Nomads in Central Asia: A Page Out of My Journal rain just yards from me, I can hardly They tell us that the rain has been We may be locked inside later due to think of a more restful setting than falling for ten days straight. This is the inclement weather, but that may that which I have just described. problematic as they are in hay harvest prove to be beneficial. With nothing to season. If the rain doesn’t slacken up do but wait out the rain, we will, hope- One of the men of the family has soon, winter could be tragic. A good fully, have a good, profitable visit, learn- come in from the damp and a kettle supply of hay is critical to bring the ing more about life for herding families of tea has just been filled. It looks like livestock through the next few months in these harsh environs, and how people we guests will be treated to something of heavy snow and temperatures far like us can engage, serve and share. warm to drink—a welcome blessing below freezing. Muddy ground and (A few hours later) The sun has set: on a cool, dreary and damp evening. damp grass do not make good hay. the light of the full moon is diffused The colorful cloth is laid out on the Our driver tells us that the road will be through a heavy canopy of clouds, giv- floor before us and our evening tea difficult tomorrow due to the rain. We ing a luster to the country that makes is served. In addition to the cream, will see how that adventure develops. moving about outside easy, even in this unfamiliar place. yogurt, and baked bread, there are two For now, we’ll catch up on our rest. I kinds of fried bread offered. One is think I’ll take a stroll outside, survey I am sitting on a pallet of pads and like a fried pastry we called elephant the community, get the lay of the land blankets on the floor of our host family’s ears that we used to get at the state in case one of our party needs to step main yurt. The light of that full moon fair; the other more like a New Or- out during the night, and then come and the scant flickering of the dung leans beignet. Both are tasty, especially in to visit with our hosts as the night fire escaping from the stove box barely spread with fresh cream and sprinkled deepens. A pot of hot soup has been illuminate the inside of this tent. with sugar. promised later in the evening. The patter of rain on the tent has stopped, but the murmur of the mountain streams outside seems to have become nearly a roar in the dead quiet of this lonely mountain night. I seldom feel this at peace, this at ease, this at home. I almost don’t want to go to sleep, preferring to sit awake and enjoy the reality of where I am. The warmth of the stove bathes my face. The lightly acrid but pleasant aroma of the dung fire brings back memories of evenings spent with dear, beloved friends in other regions. After stepping out this evening for a bit of fresh air and a half-bowl of tobacco, I returned to the yurt to find our supper spread. Two plates were piled with boiled mutton, and we were each served a big bowl of steaming mutton broth. Finely chopped onion and fried bread crumbled into the broth made a thick and tasty soup. Our host served us happily, and the conversation—through our driver- cum-translator—was full of laughter and learning. Yes, I think that I’ll just sit here on my pallet for a while and enjoy where I am.

International Journal of Frontier Missiology S. Clement 135

Sleep is at my door, but she will have his is an inhospitable land, inhabited by a to wait. I must be sure to give thanks to my heavenly Father for blessing me singularly hospitable people . . . Who will be so richly. He is good, and here I find it willing to answer the call? most easy to deeply enjoy him in the T midst of his beautiful creation. livestock, our breakfast was brought in. lands and lives has allowed us to meet Rice boiled in milk was the main course, a few of them and learn some poten- (Next morning) As day was breaking, accompanied by the ubiquitous bread tially useful things about their world the first light sneaking over the eastern and dairy. Salted milk tea and black tea and the challenges facing them. With ridge and chasing away the tentative were passed around to finish it off. this information, we hope to be able to light of the full moon, our host, a mid- prepare and equip people who would dle-aged nomad man named Rachim, We visited a while longer with our be willing to answer the call and rise could be heard outside making his hosts while our driver checked over morning prayers. The soft singing of the truck. These are good people. As I to the challenge. shake hands with Rachim and thank “Allah hu akbar” drifted through the Will someone hear, as did Paul in him for his hospitality, he embraces me walls of our yurt. Corinth, the message that “I have kindly and the word “honorable” comes many people in this place”? The day starts early in a herding camp. to mind. Though I know that there is As the sun crests the horizon, livestock none righteous, there are some folk out How then will they call on him whom is milked, then turned out to graze. there that we can, by worldly stan- they have not believed? And how are The fresh milk is taken into the yurts dards, call good. I think these are good they to believe in him of whom they to be processed. Cream will be sepa- people. But they still need the good have not heard? And how are they rated; butter will be churned; yogurt news that we hope to share with them. to hear without someone preaching? will be started. This is an inhospitable land, inhabited Pray, indeed, that the Lord of the Once calm was brought to the activ- by a singularly hospitable people. Our harvest would raise up workers for his ity of milking and the turning out of quick, expeditionary pass through their harvest. IJFM

31:3 Fall 2014 136 The People of the Cornstalk

by Rowland V. Bingham the rafters of its roof by binding the cornstalks together, and then use the same material for their first thatch. When in these civilized (?) surroundings it is necessary to delimitate Editor’s note: This article was originally printed in The his landed possessions by fencing in his compound, the Evangelical Christian, May 1916, in Toronto, Canada. It is cornstalk serves him still, and I have known him to finish a reminder of the first call to reach the nomads of the world a up by making his gate of cornstalks. century ago. Reprinted by permission. The simple life is the life of the Fulani, and he regards it f one would like to get a picture of 1800 B.C. when as the superior life. He looks down on every other race but Jacob and his sons were the wandering herdmen of the white, with whom he claims equality. Since by conquest IPalestine, all one needs to do is visit the Fulani tribe of they brought under their sway the large cities of the north- Northern Nigeria today [in 1916]. ern central Sudan, they have furnished quite generally the With their ever increasing herds of cattle they scour the rulers of the cities, but not the subjects. country for the pasture which they need, in the rains inhab- The little bands of Fulani with their great herds of cattle are iting the upland regions, but in the dry seasons they are generally hated by the tribes into whose domain they travel, driven to follow the river courses to the valleys. but they have generally been able to look after their own Indignantly refusing to be classed with the negro races, interests in much about the same way and with sometimes but having so mingled the blood of his ancestors with the about the same principles as Jacob and his sons. The pagan captive women slaves which he was ever adding to his generally complains that he has been taken in by the Fulani, household from the native races through whose country he who has the name of offering his own price in the exchange wandered, at first sight there is often little in the color of of commodities, and failing a satisfactory bargain simply his skin to distinguish him, and little to warrant his claim helps himself to the thing he wants. to relationship with the white man. In trade, the women who generally conduct it, know how But there is no doubt that the Fulani is different. The long, to get value for their goods. They are shrewd and clever. We straight hair of the women, the absence of the flat nose, stopped a woman one day some miles from town who had the frequent reversion of the lighter skin and the gen- a calabash half full of buttermilk on her head. We were very eral demeanor separate them from the ordinary native of thirsty, but we put restraint upon our desire, as we enquired Central Africa. whether she had watered it, as they so often put in water from their filthy pools in order to increase the quantity. She looked Then they are the real nomads. While they do have a few as us as though we were lacking in intelligence as she said, towns and villages, the Fulani is “at home” when he is wan- White man, don’t you know how far it is from town? Do you dering through the country. He flourishes in the pilgrim life, think I would water it here when there is a stream right near he degenerates when he settles down. He has no love for the place at which to water my milk? any other occupation than herding his cattle, and he prefers ever to add to his milk and meat diet by raiding or trad- The Fulani loves his cattle. Before he was won over to ing. He despises the comforts of the settled life and builds the Moslem faith he worshipped his kine, and in some his only abode of the cornstalk. We have called them “the regions some few still follow the custom. They handle their people of the cornstalk,” because they are adept in its use for immense herds with consummate skill. We have seen them all purposes. Even when they degenerate to town life they lead them across rushing rivers from which the cows would still build the walls of their higher house of cornstalks, make certainly have turned back but for the voice of the herdman.

International Journal of Frontier Missiology Rowland V. Bingham 137

hey are worse off than their cattle—the cattle have a guiding voice, and protecting care, but the Fulani has no herdman to guard T or guide. Why are we writing of these people? Because they are worse off The bright-eyed little children that we met, of whom there than their cattle. The cattle have a guiding voice, and protecting are thousands, ought to have some further prospect than care, but the Fulani has no herdman to guard or guide. No mis- a cornstalk shack as the beginning and end of existence. sionary has mastered the language of this wandering race and The women and girls ought to know something more than no word of the Gospel has been translated into the tongue of this the milking of cows and the making of butter, and to be people, spoken, we think, by at least a half a million. able to possess other wealth than the trifling ornaments with which they lavishly adorn themselves. These men who The missionary to this tribe has no easy task before for long time have furnished the rulers for the strongest him, but a tremendous opportunity. He will need to be kingdoms of the Sudan surely ought to know of a coming another Gilmour, who lived in his tent and followed the kingdom and the King of Kings. nomad Mongolians in all their wanderings. He could learn their language and make his headquarters in one of Pray for God’s man, God’s men for this tribe, for the their few towns, and then he would have to spend half ambassadors of God who shall make known to them the of his time in the saddle following his flock, who are way of life, tell of the saviour of sinners, and invite them as wandering sheep having no shepherd, or to use the from cornstalk huts to become heirs of a mansion. IJFM Fulani figure, as a scattered herd with no herdman’s voice to call them together. The Christ who died for this people has bidden us to pray that missionaries be sent to them.

1 CITY. 800 LANGUAGES. 69 UNREACHED PEOPLE GROUPS.

SEE YOU THERE.

Find out more about church planting among the unreached in New York—and other North American cities—in the “Multiply” video series at Pioneers.org/Multiply.

31:3 Fall 2014

Orality Comes of Age: The Maturation of a Movement by Tom Steffen

“There’s truths you have to grow into.” H. G. Wells

ot everyone has the opportunity to live during the birth and matura- tion of a movement. Fewer still have the opportunity to participate in one. This article1 considers the present-day orality movement Nwithin the missions world, one in which I have had the privilege to participate over the years. It’s a movement that continues to offer opportunities for imme- diate participation at home and abroad in the majority of the world’s peoples. So, to set the stage, I will begin with a brief overview of its origins. Since I have already developed the details of the orality movement elsewhere (Stef- fen 2007; 2013), this article will focus primarily on documenting the pertinent directional changes and innovations within its almost 40-year history. The Orality Movement is Birthed In 1975, Dick Sollis of New Tribes Mission (NTM) organized the first South East Asian (SEA) Leadership Conference to be held in Manila. Since syncre- tism was a major issue found in NTM tribal ministries in Brazil and Colombia,2 Sollis sought someone who could provide a more effective evangelism model. Bob Gustafson, then NTM Field Chairman of the Philippines, suggested Trevor McIlwain as someone who had been reflecting on the gospel message and the syncretism that had emerged among the Palawanos of the Philippines.

In 1975, McIlwain spoke to these SEA field leaders on “The Gospel,” a presentation of his quiet experimentation with the Palawanos that would later provide a critical foundation for a chronological approach to tribal evangelism Tom Steffen served 20 years with New and church planting. McIlwain eventually returned to a NTM training center Tribes Mission, 15 in the Philippines where Chronological Bible Teaching in Australia from 1976-1979 where he taught and continued to develop the was birthed. He is Professor Emeritus chronological model before returning to the Philippines in late 1980. It was in the Cook School of Intercultural Studies at Biola University. He has then that I spoke with McIlwain in Manila and learned about the chrono- authored two books on the subject logical model. Seeing its potential for the SEA Leadership Conference in of this article, The Facilitator Era (written in story format), and Recon- Thailand just weeks away, I immediately talked to the Field Chairman, Dell necting God’s Story to Ministry. Schultze, about getting McIlwain on the agenda. Before heading to Thailand,

International Journal of Frontier Missiology 31:3 Fall 2014•139 140 Orality Comes of Age: The Maturation of a Movement

McIlwain presented an overview of A New Movement Pioneers in Phases 5-7 repeated the cycle focused his model to the Philippine field at the the Philippines on issues of sanctification for matur- annual conference in January of 1981. ing believers. Few storytellers, however, McIlwain returned to the Philippines have ventured into the final three phas- At the SEA Leadership Conference and taught seminars on his chrono- es. See Figure 1 on the next page. held in Pattaya, Thailand, in 1981, logical model to foreign and national McIlwain again presented his model. NTM missionaries on the various Jim Slack, church growth consultant He introduced his ideas daily for four islands. It should be noted that his for the International Mission Board hours from mimeographed notes, and model assumed extensive culture and of the Southern Baptist Convention was tape recorded and videoed. His language acquisition, and was designed (IMB), formerly known as the Foreign seven-phase story model was driven for long-term, incarnational, church Mission Board, served in the Philip- by biblical theology and emphasized, planting driven by an exit strategy. pines as a church growth consultant. among other things, that He had read Hans Weber’s book The McIlwain’s ever-expanding mimeo- Communication of the Gospel to Illiter- graphed notes eventually resulted in ates in a doctoral seminar with Cal • the Bible is history (His Story); a nine-volume series entitled Firm • the Bible is one story—the story of Guy at Southwestern Baptist Theo- Foundations. The first volume, pub- logical Seminary in the early 60s. He Jesus Christ; lished in 1987, provided the philoso- • the gospel requires a firm Old and his wife Mary, along with Susan phy for the CBT. It claimed that this Stokeld, had used both Weber’s ideas Testament (OT) foundation; was “God’s way,” “follows divine guide- • we should tell Bible stories and and George and Mary Ingram’s 30 define the nature and character of Bible Stories for Church Planters (from the God conveyed in the stories; India) at the Southern Baptist College • the Bible not only tells us what to in Mindanao in the early 70s. teach, but by example, shows us As friends of NTM’s Dell Schultze, how to teach it—chronologically; These types Slack soon heard about McIlwain’s • we should not talk about Jesus (the chronological Bible story model in the solution) until listeners understand of movements tend early 80s. Impressed, he invited McIl- their separation from a holy God. to morph in multiple wain to teach seminars for the IMB in The assumption at the time was that Luzon (Baguio, 1983) and Mindanao these steps (and others) would help directions. (Davao, 1984). Some 600 IMB mis- preserve an objective gospel, thereby sionaries and nationals attended one of resulting in a movement of authentic the two one-week seminars. So, CBT followers of Christ. had now moved beyond NTM to the IMB, who re-labeled it Chronological The SEA Leadership conference held Bible Storying (CBS). And it did not in Thailand in 1981 became the seminal lines,” and had a “divinely revealed stop with the IMB. moment when McIlwain’s chrono- order of teaching.” logical model began to spread within Changes Within the Orality The remaining volumes were Bible NTM beyond the shores of the Philip- Movement pine Islands. Field leaders returned to lessons designed specifically for tribal their respective fields of ministries with peoples. The evangelism phase (Phase Far from being monolithic, these types materials to disseminate with a singular 1) consisted of 68 lessons, 42 from of movements tend to find themselves goal in mind: multiplying tribal church- the OT, and 26 from the New Testa- morphing in multiple directions at the es that would remain true to the Bible. ment (NT). Five other CBT phases same time, often to the consternation followed the evangelism phase. Phase of the initial founder(s). The innovators, Eventually, McIlwain entitled his model 2 reviewed Phase 1, this time focusing however, usually feel that their adap- “Chronological Bible Teaching” (CBT), on security rather than separation from tations can increase the breadth and and while no one had anticipated or a holy God. Phase 3 covered Acts, health of movements. One can’t expect expected it, a modern-day movement setting the foundation for the Epistles. all to be in agreement or on board with had just been born. But this did not Phase 4 surveyed the Epistles, cul- the new directions, and this was cer- go unnoticed. In Scripture and Strategy minating with Revelation. In a rather tainly the case with the fledging orality (1994), David Hesselgrave identified short period of time, the listeners movement. I offer below some reflective CBT as one of the major contributions were exposed to the metanarrative of observations on significant develop- to missions in the twentieth century. Scripture from Genesis to Revelation. ments along this movement’s journey

International Journal of Frontier Missiology Tom Steffen 141

Figure 1. McIlwain’s Seven Phases of Chronological Bible Teaching

Old Testament Gospels Acts Epistles—Revelation

Phase I Unbelievers Separation Mixed groups Solution Believers

Phase II New believers Security

Phase III New believers Preparation for Epistles

Phase IV New believers Function of NT church Christian walk

Phase V Maturing believers Sanctification God’s work in OT individuals Training of disciples

Phase VI Maturing believers Expository teaching

Phase VII Maturing believers Expository teaching

Source: Adapted from McIlwain, 1981:12a-12c, 1987:131

(they are introduced chronologically al- recognizes that starting points matter would have begun translating the book though their development overlapped). because of the assumptions that drive of Mark5 now began with Genesis Observation 1: It’s More Than the different theologies. They also instead. Influenced by CBT, translators Systematic Theology recognize that the sequence matters in recognized that just as Jesus required which the theologies are used. Rather a forerunner, John the Baptist, so the Biblical theology drives McIlwain’s than stamping systematic theology NT required a forerunner, the OT. CBT, and the same could be said of as superior and beginning there, they Chronological Bible Storying (CBS). prefer to see its value when it makes The New Testament was never While a number of versions of biblical summaries from the concrete character intended to introduce Jesus Christ theology exist (see: Klink and Lockett, and events of Scripture. The biblical to the world; too much of the gospel 2012), McIlwain relied on the his- author’s questions should lead to our story ends up on the cutting floor (Is. torical events presented in “successive questions. Sequence matters. 40:90). CBT has been instrumental in changing the Bible translation culture installments” in Scripture to frame the Observation 2: It’s More Than the story of redemption. The parts (individ- New Testament from starting in the New Testament to starting in the Old Testament. ual stories) were embedded in concrete 4 3 CBT does not begin in John; it events that built the whole (big story). Observation 3: It’s More Than begins in the beginning, Genesis. This Chronology Systematic theology begins with our meant most evangelists and church questions. Biblical theology and narrative planters had no local-language Scrip- Jim Slack enlisted J. O. Terry, a media theology begin with the biblical au- ture from which to teach. To meet this specialist for the Asia-Pacific region thor’s questions. The orality movement need, Bible translators who normally with IMB, to help develop NTM’s

31:3 Fall 2014 142 Orality Comes of Age: The Maturation of a Movement

CBT. Terry had been experimenting Terry also wanted the storying to 1. chronological (CBT) represents with using stories in various countries become less dependent on chronology only one aspect of the way the beginning in early 1988. He joined and more conversational, situational, and model was being taught (see Slack in 1991, and they traveled the topical for those specific ministry oppor- Phases 1-3) world co-teaching CBT. Terry then tunities and contexts with time con- 2. Phases 4-7 are laid out in a more went out on his own to East, South- straints (such as short-term missions). logical sequence, as it pertains to east, and South Asian countries, He wanted to encourage the flexibility the believer’s spiritual growth and though he was heavily focused in Ban- and adaptability of Bible Storying to fit development, rather than telling gladesh, Orissa (India), Pakistan and different strategic situations and ministry Bible stories in historical sequence Myanmar, and in the process became needs rather than having one-size that 3. many only think of Phase 1 the quintessential Bible storyteller. He fits all (see Terry, Basic Bible Storying, (evangelism) when they hear the continued to update his materials from 2008). He also wanted to give one-on- term CBT what he had learned on his own and one storying opportunities the same at- 4. the title FBT better reflects an from information that began stream- tention that one-on-group had received. entire program premised on pro- ing in from his many contacts around And he wanted the evangelistic theme viding a strong OT foundation the world. From all this first hand field to be initially more subtle, with more for the gospel experience and this feedback Terry was focus given to a relationship with God, McIlwain’s concern, however, was that ready to announce a major change. but then becoming increasingly more dropping out the term “chronology” pronounced toward the latter stories. Over time Terry had become less would cause many to interpret FBT to and less comfortable with McIlwain’s mean a topical teaching of foundational highly expositional stories and the doctrines (rather than Bible stories rigidity of CBT. He also felt McIl- that were told chronologically). He wain’s model was too geared to the preferred, therefore, to reference the literate person. Terry preferred telling program as “Foundational Chronologi- the Bible story, not just talking about He wanted to cal Bible Teaching” or “Chronological it. He preferred to risk the power of encourage adaptability Expositional Bible Teaching” (personal the story and let the listeners discover communication, July 11, 2011). Today it the meaning. Interactive dialogue rather than is simply called Foundational Teaching. rather than top-down exposition one-size-fits-all. Fragmented topical teaching has would provide the necessary feedback. dominated the evangelical world and For Terry, providing guidelines with its mission arm for decades. McIlwain options would offset CBT’s rigidity. has helped Christian workers consider All of this led him to conclude that a the need for grasping and commu- name change was necessary. In 1992 nicating the big picture of Scripture, To meet these various felt needs, Terry Terry renamed CBT “Chronological sketched out over the landscapes of wrote Hope Stories from the Bible (32 Bible Storying” (CBS). both Old and New Testaments. stories), Food Stories from the Bible (44 Within two years, Terry made another stories), Death Stories from the Bible Observation 4: It’s More Than Story name change—to Bible Storying. (42 stories), Water Stories from the While he agreed that a strong founda- In the beginning of the orality move- Bible (22), Grief Stories from the Bible ment, “story” received the greatest tion to the gospel was necessary, he (39 stories), Bible Storying Handbook felt that this could be accomplished attention from most contributors and for Short-Term Mission Teams, Mission advocates. Being able to embed abstract through shorter story sets that fit the Volunteers (32 stories), Oralizing Bible doctrinal concepts and ideas into con- more limited contact times experi- Stories for Telling, and The Holy Rosary crete events and characters (stories) was enced with some people groups, and 6 Gospel Stories of Jesus (20 meditations). so liberating that often other genres would work better for short-term were unintentionally overlooked. mission trips. Terry was also explor- Sometime around 2005, another name ing what he called “fast-tracking,” i.e., change occurred. Some within the Even as Walter Ong’s Orality and covering Genesis all the way through NTM training schools were dissatis- Literacy educated the emerging move- to the cross in just a few minutes or fied with the original title CBT. So, ment about the distinctives of a con- over a few days by the telling of a they replaced it with Foundational tinuum covering both primary orality sequence of stories without stopping Bible Teaching (FBT) for the follow- (those who communicate through for dialogue or exposition. ing reasons: verbal and visual means because they

International Journal of Frontier Missiology Tom Steffen 143

Figure 2. A Holistic Model of Orality

ARTS FEEL

MEDIA DELIVER CULTURE INTERPRET

Orality

LITERACY LANGUAGE Framework UNDERSTAND RECEIVE

MEMORY LEARN NETWORK RELATE

cannot read) and secondary orality (lit- story. He concluded that seven disci- cosmic drama being fought between erate people who prefer oral and visual plines converge to define orality: culture the protagonist and an antagonist. means to learn, imagine, and com- (interpret), literacy (understand), net- A metanarrative lesson at the begin- municate), many understood orality to works (relate), memory (learn), language ning that introduced the series helped refer solely to stories. Scriptures such (receive), media (deliver), arts (feel) (see create an overarching mystery and as, “Listen to the village musicians Figure 2). The latter discipline of the give direction to the question, “Who 7 gathered at the watering holes” (Judg. arts alone could include drama, song, is the promised mystery man?” The 5:11, NLT), or biblical insights into symbols, visual literacy, testimonies, same lack of a metanarrative was true ethnodoxology, would have to wait. proverbs, folktales, poems, and so forth. of CBS, and the resulting problem was Story drove and defined everything that unanchored stories often ended for most within the movement in the Observation 5: It’s More Than up misinterpreted.8 early beginnings. But then that began Individual Bible Stories A growing number within the oral- to change. Following a linear biblical theology, ity movement have recognized this Charles Madinger (2010), a key McIlwain’s evangelism phase called shortcoming on at least two levels: strategist within the orality movement, for teachers to present one lesson after pedagogical and theological. On the designed a chart to capture the breadth the other until the 68 lessons were pedagogical level, many people from and complexity of orality, helping to covered. No introductory lesson pro- around the world seem to prefer to advance the movement beyond simply vided a brief overview or anchored the learn from whole to part to whole,9 a

31:3 Fall 2014 144 Orality Comes of Age: The Maturation of a Movement learning style that is the exact antith- the metanarrative, offering choices and volume, Firm Foundations: Creation to esis of the way most Westerners learn, consequences through concrete human Christ (1991) to be taught over a year. which is part-to-whole. When CBT and spiritual characters as it advances, CBT had officially shifted its focus from and CBS are taught in this Western sometimes even backtracking to a the country to the city within NTM. pedagogical style (part-to-whole), previously telegraphed conclusion or Building upon the shoulders of NTM, it makes author-intended meanings vague mystery. This “big story” becomes the IMB personnel have played a in the Sacred Storybook difficult for the rival metanarrative that challenges major role in the expansion and depth many to understand, opening the door deeply held worldview allegiances. of the Orality Movement both in the for misinterpretation. Jerome Bruner country and the city through research, (1996) captured the overall problem Where is the use of the metanarrative training, conferences, consulting, and when he said that, “Pedagogy is never applicable? A growing number within curricula. It was the IMB’s focus on innocent. It is a medium that carries its the orality movement would argue lowland Filipinos that took them al- own message” (p. 63). Mixing different that the metanarrative of the Sacred most immediately into cities. Reaching pedagogical styles can result in cultural Storybook is central not only for those 10 oral learners in the orality movement noise and the hijacking of intended “where the name of Christ has never slowly but steadily found the distinc- meanings of the biblical metanarrative. been heard” (Rom. 15:20, NLT), but tion between country and city begin- also for a post-Christian world. So, Teaching a series of Bible stories, ning to blur. The challenge of primary ”metanarrative evangelism” is central to therefore, does not necessarily tie the orality morphed into secondary orality, global outreach. individual stories to the intended and vice versa, across both rural and metanarrative of Scripture. To illus- urban worlds. trate, if each lesson heard by an audi- Observation 7: It’s More Than Non- ence represented a piece of clothing, Formal Education how would the listeners be expected to hold all the clothes without dropping It provided The orality movement has moved be- them? We might suggest a linear or yond non-formal seminars, conferenc- circular clothesline to remedy the situ- a clothesline as es, and Oral Bible Schools to formal ation. Metaphorically, this illustrates a place to hang courses and concentrations offered for the need for a metanarrative of the credit through the academy. In 1995, Sacred Storybook. Offering listeners a the individual I introduced the course “Narrative as clothesline provides not only a place to stories. an Educational Philosophy” at the hang the individual stories, but also a Cook School of Intercultural Studies, means to bring more informed defini- Biola University, to help (primar- tion to them (different types of clothes ily) graduates to recapture the power of story in ministry. In 2011, Cook representing different segments of the Observation 6: It’s More Than sacred story). Each single story finds added a graduate concentration of 8 Country Folk 11 meaning in the overall arrangement courses (24 units) on oral commu- of the big story. This is the preferred The Orality Movement has done much nication for those preparing to serve pedagogy of many, i.e., whole-to-part. more than just go global; it has also among “oral-preferenced” peoples (this migrated from country dwellers to city concentration addresses both primary On the theological level, the entire residents. It has accomplished this by and secondary orality). Roberta King metanarrative of Scripture, not just reaching both primary and second- introduced the course “Communicat- the New Testament story (Gal 3:8; Is. ing Christ through Oral Performance: 40:9; 52:7; 61:1), provides the frame- ary oral communicators. When NTM Storytelling & Song” at the School of work for the gospel story. Both Testa- missionaries returned on home assign- Intercultural Studies, Fuller Theologi- ments help guard the gospel against ment, many used CBT in small groups cal Seminary, in 2004. And through either detrimental abbreviations or and Sunday Schools and a problem the assistance of Avery Willis and “cultural and doctrinal biases” (Flem- arose: more focused lessons for a North Grant Lovejoy, Bob Dawson set up ing, 2005:301), even as the gospel American audience were needed. an orality minor at Oklahoma Baptist story drives the entire metanarrative To meet this growing demand, McIl- University in 2007 (the minor includes from creation to consummation. wain, along with the tireless efforts of two courses on CBS, plus a practi- The metanarrative serves to set direc- Nancy Everson (who was burdened cum).12 The different Southern Baptist tion from start to finish while the to reach the U.S. churches as well as seminaries13 now offer courses on individual Bible stories spiral around tribal peoples), published a fifty-lesson storytelling, and a growing number of

International Journal of Frontier Missiology Tom Steffen 145 dissertations addressing various aspects of orality are now available.14 One can hey normally have a good understanding of expect the academy to continue to the host culture’s worldview, but they often contribute theory-based application to fail to consider how locals actually tell stories. the orality movement. T Observation 8: It’s More Than Models: Contextualizing Theological power language dominates, such as Church Multiplication Education in Oral Contexts (2013) and animists daily in touch with the spirit Beyond Literate Western Practices: Con- world, will connect strongly with F-P. Over the decades the orality move- tinuing Conversations in Orality and The participants called for evaluation ment has formed multiple tributar- Theological Education (2014). of all non-formal and formal theologi- ies beyond the planting, maturing, cal education in relation to this trilogy and multiplying of churches. It has Observation 9: It’s More Than Guilt- of G-I, H-S, and F-P at every level. moved into the arts, home schooling, Innocence community development, TESOL, Part of the ION consultation’s focus Observation 10: It’s More Than the business, and so forth. As noted above, held in Houston in July of 2014 was Storyteller’s Worldview it is used in non-formal education, the role of honor-shame (H-S) in Some within the orality movement be- such as Oral Bible School, and courses formal and non-formal theological gan to ask questions related to world- and concentrations in formal educa- education. While anthropological stud- view studies: Is there more than simply tion. In the summer of 2012, Samuel ies address all sorts of cultural dynam- telling Bible stories? Should there be Chiang, Executive Director of the ics, what became immediately crystal some worldview studies conducted International Orality Network (ION), clear was the strong and unconscious before beginning to tell Bible stories? launched a related field that focused emphasis in storying that was given Would such research improve the se- on theological education in formal to guilt-innocence (G-I) and all the lection, development, and communica- as well as non-formal institutions. accompanying legal language which tion of appropriate story sets? Would it ION plans to investigate every area: typically dominates a Western mindset. help to understand the local pedagogy? curricula, textbooks, facilities, seating Would it help minimize syncretism arrangements, pedagogy, andragogy, Westerners tend to: or legalism? How much worldview and hermeneutics. • read the Bible through G-I eyes study is too much or too little? What One area of investigation focused on • teach the metanarrative of the cultural noise disrupts and distracts? helping faculty (who had been trained Sacred Story book, the Bible McIlwain’s CBT assumes that the through literate means) to interact books and topics, and even Christian workers have conducted ex- with oral-preferenced students, those theology through G-I eyes tensive anthropological studies before who Jonah Sachs identifies as “digito- • evangelize, disciple, and develop 15 beginning to teach. They normally rals.” These students prefer watch- leaders through G-I eyes have a pretty good understanding of ing over reading, screens over paper, • use G-I oriented review and the host culture’s worldview,17 and interacting over writing, dialoguing application questions have identified bridges and barriers to over listening to lectures, group activi- • conduct community develop- Christianity by the time they begin ties over individual activities. Knowing ment through G-I eyes. something was amiss, but not having evangelism. What they often failed the vocabulary or categories to identify Somehow most westerners have to consider, though, was how locals and articulate it (much less fix it), missed the strong emphasis given themselves actually told stories. to H-S where relational language an uneasiness began to grow among The IMB eventually introduced dominates in Scripture. This is true the more observant faculty. How can worldview studies to their personnel for them even when they teach it and orality impact theological education in 1995. While some in leadership demonstrate it through “good works” to minimize this pedagogical divide so pushed to plant more churches, Terry in countries that are driven by H-S that spiritual transformation has op- noted their lack of success was in part portunity to advance?16 moral values. Participants in the ION due to the use of imported story sets. consultation also noted how the U.S. Three consultations to date have been He concluded that their missionaries itself is fast changing from G-I to an held to discuss these interrelated is- needed at least the worldview perspec- H-S culture. sues: Wheaton (2012), Hong Kong tive to assist them in story selection (2013), and Houston (2014). Two Participants also discussed a third leg and to instill the means for discovering books compiled from papers that were to H-S and G-I: fear-power (F-P). evangelism bridges and barriers. While given, resulted: Beyond Literate Western Those engaged in cultures where storytelling does not require a lot of

31:3 Fall 2014 146 Orality Comes of Age: The Maturation of a Movement interesting and extraneous cultural What about worldview research? at home and abroad. The legacy of detail, it did need some. Again, Garrison interestingly gives the this movement attests to H. G. Wells’ same answer to worldview studies as adage that, “There’s truths you have to To call attention to the need to under- he did to pedagogical studies: “This grow into.” stand the host’s culture, Terry designed question presupposes that expatri- What might be some of those future a tool, labeled the Lome Y (after being ates are the driving force of what is introduced in 1995 in Lome, Togo). happening. That is an unfortunate ‘old growth areas? I believe we can expect The dual flow of worldview informa- paradigm’ misunderstanding.”19 new development and interaction with tion enters at the top of the “Y” and narrative theology, a theological orien- results in insights that inform the cur- How important are pedagogical and tation that Gabriel Fackre defines as riculum development process (as they worldview studies in helping to reduce “discourse about God in the setting of 20 siphon through the base of the Y). cultural noise? Will minimal research story.”21 I’ve noticed that while Chris- Missiological and theological themes, produce noise that results in nomi- tian workers may be well-versed in however, still take precedence over the nalism, legalism or syncretism? Are systematic theology, fewer are familiar cultural data discovered. The diagram pedagogical and worldview studies with biblical theology, and even fewer is presently entitled “Worldview In- part of an “old paradigm” that is no with narrative theology. Since the forming and Instructing Bible Story- longer necessary for today’s cross- Bible is a Sacred Storybook, a Sacred ing.” IMB continues to produce other cultural worker? Many within the Drama, with narrative as the pre- simplified worldview study aids. dominant genre of choice by the Holy Spirit (approximately 55% of scrip- At this writing, there are some within ture), I fully expect new observations IMB that feel that CBS takes way too in narrative theology to impact the long to story through the 40 to 60 les- We can expect orality movement in the next decade. sons in CBS. They feel that worldview But this is just one example. We can studies of the host cultures can help new development expect other new research to emerge select the Bible stories and make them and interaction in the near future that will influence more relevant. Besides, the effective- and mature this orality movement. Yes, ness of CBS was not always the drip, with narrative there is more to the story. IJFM drip, drip of one story after another! theology. This view raises a number of stra- Endnotes tegic questions. What do the locals 1 This chapter comes from a forth- consider too long? How do the locals coming book entitled Making the Case for view chronology? What are the local’s orality movement today would argue Symbol-Based Storying in the series There is More to the Story. pedagogical preferences? David Gar- that storying is much more than the 2 View this story of syncretism and the rison responded to the last question storyteller’s worldview. this way: “This question presupposes solution experienced by Tim and Bunny that expatriates are the driving force of Cain, who serve among the Puinave that Concluding Reflections reside along the frontier borders of Co- what is happening. That is an unfortu- In an evolving movement, not every lombia and Venezuela, through New Tribe nate ‘old paradigm’ misunderstanding” Mission’s DVD Now We See Clearly. traveler is in the same place on the (Schattner 2014:108). 3 C. S. Song’s perspective on story is path. Some recognize certain of these Kevin Pittle, an anthropologist at the appropriate for orality and theology: “Who observations and others do not. For says theology has to be ideas and concepts? School of Intercultural Studies, Biola example, a speaker in an orality session Who has decided that theology has to be University, teaches a course in the at Lausanne 2010 in South Africa doctrines, axioms, propositions? … God is orality concentration entitled “Tra- apologized for using ppt (powerpoint) not concept; God is story. God is not idea; ditional Oral Narrative: Analysis and in his presentation, as if story was the God is presence. God is not hypothesis; Interpretation.” This class challenges only thing that mattered. Many have God is experience. God is not principle; the assumption that all peoples tell moved on from fundamental observa- God is life… For in the beginning were stories, not texts… Story is the matrix of stories the same way. He considers tions, encouraging and incorporating 18 theology.” (in C. S. Song, In the Beginning various models to analyze stories so other observations like those I intro- Were Stories, Not Texts. (Cambridge: United that the storyteller can story in a way duce above. The orality movement is Kingdom. James Clark & Co) 2011, pp. 6, 7, that sounds natural to the hearers, a work in progress, and must remain 17, 18. making reproduction normal. This so if the disciple-making process is to 4 In 20-20 hindsight the problem is helps minimize noise. improve in its journey cross-culturally obvious. If one starts in John there is no

International Journal of Frontier Missiology Tom Steffen 147

Old Testament background which a quick orality. But it goes further, and includes dis- Madinger, Charles reading of John 1 would demonstrate. sertations with a number of chapters written 2010 “Coming to Terms with Orality: A 5 Translators chose the book of Mark in narrative style: Jay Moon, African Proverbs Holistic Model.” Missiology: An In- to begin translation, because it was the New Reveal Christianity in Culture: A Narrative ternational Review 38(2): 201-213. Testament, was the shortest book, and was Portrayal of Builsa Proverbs Contextualizing Matthews, Michael Vern written in simple Greek. This strategy was Christianity in Ghana, Asbury Theological 2013 Is there a Reader in this Text? The translator centric, not host-society centric. Seminary, 2005; and Aminta Arrington, Place of Metanarrative in the Prob- 6 Hymns of the Everlasting Hills: The Written lem of meaning. PhD. dissertation Forthcoming ministry-themed story presented to Canterbury Christ sets include: Heaven is for Women; God’s Word in an Oral Culture in Southwest China, Biola University, 2014. One can expect more Church University and Trinity Gift of Forgiveness; Peace for Hindu Women; Theological Seminary. Ebenezer Stories; HIV Hope; Let’s Just Talk. dissertations to follow these pioneers. 15 McIlwain, Trevor The books are available through www. Sachs, Jonathan 2012. 16 1987 Building on Firm Foundations: churchstarting.net/biblestorying/Books. Werner Mischke asks this provoca- Guidelines for Evangelism and htm. Digital downloads can be requested at tive question: “Could it be that the days of Teaching Believers, Vol. 1. Sanford, [email protected]. colonialism in mission methods may be largely FL: New Tribes Mission. 7 A metanarrative is “a trans-historical, behind us—while colonialism in theology is McIlwain, Trevor with Ruth Brendle all-encompassing, culture-specific, infor- still an issue?” (2014, p. 169). 1981 The Chronological Approach to Evan- mally learned, tenaciously held (T.A.C.I.T.) 17 Paul Hiebert defines (cultural) gelism and Church Planting. Sanford, story of reality, that provides a present-tense worldview as the, “fundamental cognitive, FL: New Tribes Mission, 1981. grid whereby individuals of a culture inter- affective, and evaluative presuppositions a Mischke, Werner pret and interact with all aspects of life.” group of people make about the nature of 2014 Global Gospel: Achieving Missional (Matthews, Michael Vern, Is there a Reader things, and which they use to order their Impact in Our Multicultural World. in this Text? The Place of Metanarrative in lives.” (2008, p. 15) Forthcoming book. the Problem of Meaning. PhD. Dissertation 18 Levi-Straussian and Proppian struc- O’Connell, John presented to Canterbury Christ Church tural approaches, Jungian psychological ap- 2004 Cultural Noise. The Blackwell University and Trinity Theological Semi- proaches, Campbellian literary approaches, Encyclopedia of Management. New nary, 2013, p. 230) to suggest a few. York: John Wiley & Sons. 8 19 Schattner, Frank One wonders how the lack of an Old Schattner 2014, p. 108. 2014 The Wheel Model: Catalyzing Testament foundation creates noise in the 20 “Cultural noise refers to impedi- understanding of The Jesus Film. See: Steffen Sustainable Church Multiplication ments to successful communication between Movements, Rocklin, CA: Wil- 1993. people of different cultures… (of) differ- 9 liam Jessup University. For Whole-Part-Whole Learn- ences in language (e.g., the same words have Song, C. S. ing Theory from a western perspective see different meanings), values (e.g., importance 2011 In the Beginning Were Stories, Not The Adult Learner, by Malcolm Knowles, of being on time or setting work schedule Texts. Cambridge, United King- Elwood Holton III, and Richard Swanson times in a culture), non-verbal cues (e.g., dom: James Clark & Co. (1973/2014). What adaptation could be made interpretation of body language), and many Steffen, Tom to make this useful in cross-cultural contexts? others.” (O’Connell, 2004, p. 86). 2013 Global Missiology. 4(10). http:// 10 “Noise can be external, internal, or 21 Fackre, (1983:343). ojs.globalmissiology.org/index. semantic. External noises are sights, sounds, References php/english/issue/view/107. and other stimuli that draw people’s at- Bruner, Jerome Steffen, Tom and J. O. Terry tention away from the message….Internal 1996 The Culture of Education. Cambridge, 2007 “The Sweeping Story of Scripture noises are thoughts and feelings that draw MA: Harvard University Press. Taught Through Time.” Mis- people’s attention away from the message… siology: An International Review. Fackre, Gabriel Semantic noises are emotional distractions 35(3): 315-335. 1983 “Narrative Theology: An Over- aroused by specific word choices.” Verderber, Terry, J. O. view.” Interpretation 37:4: 340-353. et. al., Communicate! (Wadsworth Cengage 2008 Basic Bible Storying. Fort Worth, Flemming, Dean Learning: Boston, 14th Edition) 2014, p. 12. TX: Church Starting Network. 2005 Contextualization in the New 11 Verderber, Kathleen S., Rudolph F. Verder- The Cook orality concentra- Testament: Patterns for Theology tion includes the courses: Narrative as an and Mission. Downers Grove: IL: ber, and Deanna D. Sellnow Educational Philosophy, Sign, Symbol, and InterVarsity Press. 2014 Communicate! (14th edition). Boston, MA: Wadsworth Cegage Learning. Structure, Comparative Mythology and Hesselgrave, David J. than Church Multiplication. Folklore, Learning the Story, Telling the 1994 Scripture and Strategy: The Use of Story, Narrative and Song, Scripture-In- Bible in Postmodern Church and Use, Oral Literature. Mission. Pasadena, CA: William 12 www.okbu.edu/go/academic/oralmi- Carey Library. nor.html. Hiebert, Paul G. 13 Southeastern, Southwestern and 2008 Transforming Worldviews: An An- Southern Baptist Theological Seminaries thropological Understanding of How People Change. Grand Rapids, MI: 14 One can expect continual contri- Baker Academic. butions of theory-based studies related to

31:3 Fall 2014

LIFE Scale: Exploring Eight Dimensions of Life in Christ by L. D. Waterman

he predicament of personal identity among those who turn to Christ in the Muslim world is not an abstract exercise. It often proves to be a very disorientating experience. “I’m really confused,” wrote Mahmud. “Since I started following Jesus, I’ve gotten Tdifferent advice from different people, and I’m not sure which ones to follow. My friend, Mustafa, who first told me about your broadcasts, says it’s vital to stay well connected to our community. So he advised me not to say or do anything that would shame or shock my family or the community. He continues to pray and attend the mosque just like he did before, and he says it’s not a problem to be a good Muslim and also believe in Jesus. He has some other friends who also think as he does.” “At the same time, I’ve visited a church in the city a few times, and they were excited to hear about my dream and that I’ve been listening to your broadcasts and that I believe in Jesus. But they told me if I’m serious about following Jesus, I should get baptized as soon as possible and start a new life with a new (Christian) name and renounce everything that’s tainted with Islam. I want to follow Jesus with all my heart and obey His commands, but I’m confused about where that puts me in relation to everyone else. I was born a [member of my tribe], and I want to truly follow Jesus as a [member of my tribe]. Is that possible? Is that what Jesus wants? And if so, how can I do that?”1

How would you respond to Mahmud? Would you tell him to follow the advice he has received from one group or the other and simply join one of those groups? What issues and factors would you want to consider and help

L. D. Waterman (pseudonym) is him think through? I suspect many of us have given significant thought to the an encourager of church planting challenges of spiritual growth for someone in Mahmud’s position: what trans- movements among unreached groups, formations might the Spirit of the Lord want to bring in beliefs, practices, serving with Act Beyond among Muslims in Southeast Asia and attitudes, and relationships? These questions loom for every new follower of beyond. He holds an M.Div. from Christ in every culture and for every group of his followers. Yet the questions Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. After 10 years of pastoral ministry in loom more sharply for those who come to follow Jesus while living in the the US he moved to Southeast Asia, midst of their Muslim birth communities. where he has served since 1993. He has also been a key facilitator of the Some efforts have been made to describe different choices being made by Bridging the Divide consultation on Muslim contextualization since its communities facing these issues in a Muslim context. Notable among the inception in 2011. tools to describe such choices is the “C Spectrum,” developed by John Travis

International Journal of Frontier Missiology 31:3 Fall 2014•149 150 LIFE Scale: Exploring Eight Dimensions of Life in Christ in 1998.2 This scale has been fre- is dependent on the quality of our inter- along with other key mission research- quently cited as a point of reference action with others. Yet the scale allows ers has given us a new way of view- to describe different types of com- and encourages us to sharpen a process ing identity among believers in the munities of Jesus’ followers in various that we already tend to do intuitively and Muslim world. He comments on his parts of the Muslim world (and to a somewhat randomly. It should simply three-dimensional scale: lesser degree, the Hindu and Buddhist refine what we already do. It hopefully This framework, while over-simplified worlds). While this scale has been use- will enable us to distinguish more pre- and too static to show how identity ful in many ways, it has also allowed, cisely a number of essential elements in evolves over time, at least enables us or perhaps reinforced, an ongoing the life and witness of a child of God or to explore relationships between dif- assumption that a group’s aggregate a church of God. Thus the scale can also ferent layers of identity. It also sheds representation of beliefs, practices be used as a diagnostic tool to discern light on issues of ‘multiple identity’ and identity can all be plotted at one areas in which the Lord might want within each layer which are highly relevant to believers from a Muslim and the same point on a line. It seems to transform a fellowship or a person, background. Finally, considerations that much confusion has arisen when ourselves included. of identity may help us develop more facing the reality that groups of Jesus’ multi-dimensional models than the ‘C followers (and the religious forms they A user of the scale can offer an estima- tion of where a group or individual Spectrum’ and a more nuanced dis- embrace) are often more complex than cussion of insider movements.4 can be represented by a single number stands by assigning a value of 1 to 5 to each of eight dimensions: (i.e. “C4” rather than “C5”). This article will contain just a brief In one discussion with a fellow worker look at issues of identity, utilizing among Muslims, I realized that he some insights I have found practical and I were discussing simultaneously and vital, on a topic very much under a number of categories that would current consideration in sophisticated be impossible to chart on a one-di- articles and books. As a simple way to mensional scale. Contributing to that Groups of summarize these eight dimensions de- realization was our interaction over the scribing a person or group, I’ve chosen past few years with a wide spectrum Jesus’ followers are more four broader diagnostic concerns that I of workers among Muslims (includ- complex than a single call the LIFE Scale: ing some from a Muslim background) Lifestyle in the Bridging the Divide network number can represent. Identity (www.btdnetwork.org). Foundations (heart and beliefs) One fruit of those discussions was the creation of a scale that can be used Expression (spiritual activities) widely to describe either a group or an individual following Christ (or some 1. Heart (“religious affections”) While for some of the eight dimen- other path). This multidimensional 2. Beliefs (doctrine) sions (especially the first six) a higher number can be seen as “better” or more scale aims to give a more comprehen- 3. Spiritual activities sive picture than could be offered by biblically appropriate, this is not nec- 4. Lifestyle a one-dimensional scale. By way of essarily the case with all eight dimen- disclaimer, the purpose of this tool is 5. Core (ego) identity sions. So it would be misguided to try not to judge a person or group from 6. Social identity to add all the scores and arrive at one the outside, but to help us all bet- 7. Collective identity number as a helpful descriptor. ter understand and discern where we 8. Cultural embeddedness Here is a description of the eight ourselves and others currently stand Note that dimensions five through dimensions: before God and the world around us. eight relate to different aspects of the Looking only at the “spiritual” issues is 1. Heart (“religious affections”): identity of an individual or group, insufficient; the multifaceted and vital toward Christ vs. away from Christ and increase our perception beyond questions of identity call for careful the more typical dimensions of one 1. Enmity toward Christ and pas- consideration as well. to four. The labels and descriptions of sion for false “gods” Admittedly, the assessment of many three of these dimensions (core, social 2. General desires away from of the dimensions on this scale will be and collective identity) are borrowed Christ and toward other things somewhat subjective, and any assessment from Tim Green,3 whose recent work 3. Significantly divided loyalty

International Journal of Frontier Missiology L. D. Waterman 151

4. Real but mixed affection for Christ he most important of the eight dimensions is the 5. Deep and primary love for heart, or what the Puritan theologian Jonathan Christ Ed ­wards described as “religious affections.” The first and most important of the T eight dimensions is the heart, or what The second dimension to be consid- patterns of behavior does the person the Puritan theologian Jonathan ered is the person or group’s religious or group carry out for spiritual or Edwards described as “religious af- beliefs or doctrine. To what extent devotional purposes such as worship? fections.” Proverbs 4:23 describes the are their beliefs consistent with or And what is the motivation behind heart as foundational to everything contrary to biblical teaching, especially those practices? It can be tempting to else: “Above all else, guard your heart, concerning the core doctrines of the (either mentally or in print) think in for everything you do flows from it.” Christian faith? Among those core terms of two lists of religious practices: While the heart is the most essential of doctrines could be listed the inspira- one set “good” and the other “bad.” For all eight dimensions, it is also the most tion of the Bible, the full deity and example, one might say that praying challenging to assess, since, as the Lord full humanity of Christ, salvation by to the true God and singing praise reminded Samuel, “People look at the grace through faith, forgiveness of sin songs are good, while going to the outward appearance, but the Lord through Christ’s death, and the neces- mosque and reading the Qur’an are bad. However, we know from Jesus looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). sity of obedience to Christ’s com- mands as an expression of faith. and the prophets that even the best of Yet consideration of this dimension religious activities can be unaccept- based on available clues is vital to a As the scale is applied by different able. God warned through the prophet useful assessment. individuals or groups, there could be Amos: “I hate, I despise your religious some variation in the precise criteria festivals; your assemblies are a stench This dimension addresses questions such used. The purpose of this dimension to me” (Amos 5:21). Jesus pointed out as: What does this person or group love? is not to get bogged down in specific that the prayers of many Pharisees What do they hate? What do they yearn denominational or sectarian points (theologically sound and addressed to for? What do they despise? Where of doctrine, but rather to consider the true God) were useless. do they look for their spiritual power? doctrines generally held by all believers What engages their spiritual affections? in the Bible as God’s Word. The com- Jesus also warned: To put it differently, how much do their mand Paul gave to Timothy was: Be careful not to practice your righ- affections and desires point toward Watch your life and doctrine closely. teousness in front of others to be Christ and his commands, and how Persevere in them, because if you do, seen by them. If you do, you will much do their passions and longings you will save both yourself and your have no reward from your Father in heaven (Matthew 6:1). point away from Him? This dimension hearers. (1 Timothy 4:16) aims to look at the foundation God laid 3. Religious activities: to glorify Thus he made clear that the reason or through Moses and that Jesus reiterated Christ vs. human conformity, motivation for a religious activity has a as the first and greatest commandment: attempted merit or selfish gain strong bearing on its usefulness or true Love the Lord your God with all your value. He also taught (in this verse as 1. Religious activities engaged in heart and with all your soul and with well as others) that doing “religious” ac- very intentionally for conformity, all your mind. (Matt. 22:37) tivities out of merely human-oriented merit or selfish gain motivation (to be seen by others or to 2. Beliefs (doctrine): biblical vs. 2. Religious activities generally unbiblical make a positive impression on others) engaged in for conformity, merit weighs against any true spiritual value. 1. Staunchly holding to numerous or selfish gain unorthodox and unbiblical beliefs 3. Religious activities engaged in The Apostle Paul applied this per- spective to a variety of pastoral issues, 2. Tentatively holding to some major with little or no intentionality as in Romans 14 and 1 Corinthians unorthodox and unbiblical beliefs 4. Religious activities engaged in gen- 8 through 10. The latter discourse erally aimed at glorifying Christ 3. Fuzzy and confused on some concludes with a principle of essential major biblical beliefs 5. Religious activities engaged in con- motivation applicable to a wide range 4. Generally holding to orthodox sistently aimed at glorifying Christ of activities: “So whether you eat or and biblical beliefs The third dimension to assess is drink or whatever you do, do it all 5. Solidly holding to orthodox and religious or faith-motivated activi- for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians biblical beliefs ties. What practices, expressions and 10:31). Thus even activities such as

31:3 Fall 2014 152 LIFE Scale: Exploring Eight Dimensions of Life in Christ attending a mosque or reading the patterns as described in texts such such as a noteworthy “church building” Qur’an (for the purpose of making as Romans 12, Ephesians 4-6 and or a distinctive class of clergy. effective connections to share the Gos- Matthew 5-7. This dimension seeks to 5. Core identity: “Who I am in my pel with Muslims) would be consid- measure not perfection but overriding inner self” (identity privately or ered by many mature Christians to be direction. Is a person or group growing unconsciously experienced by the useful and pleasing to God. in conformity to Christ’s will, or are individual) they stuck in patterns of the attitudes, In this dimension, the goal is not to thoughts and behaviors in the world 1. Identity solidly rooted in some- get muddled in dispute over whether a around them and their sinful nature thing other than following Jesus specific activity is right or wrong, good (with the attendant ties and vulner- 2. Identity generally found in some- or bad according to the opinion of the ability to spiritual powers of darkness)? thing other than following Jesus one assessing. (This can be a separate 3. Spiritual identity fuzzy or unclear In assessing factors of lifestyle, we and sometimes useful discussion.) 4. Identity generally found in per- need pastoral and missiological aware- Rather the goal is to try to discern as sonal relationship with Jesus much as possible the motive behind ness of the dangers of external confor- 5. Identity solidly rooted in per- various religious or spiritual prac- mity motivated primarily by the desire sonal relationship with Jesus tices. How much is the goal to glorify to be accepted by those considered Christ and how much is the goal “more spiritual.” This danger, known The fifth dimension looks at Core some contrary motive, whether human to many who grew up in conserva- identity: conformity (social habit or pressure), tive churches of an earlier generation, Who I am in my inner self…[identity] attempted merit, or some other selfish privately or even unconsciously expe- 6 gain? This dimension aims to help us rienced by the individual. consider various religious activities It addresses issues such as “Who am with the kind of discerning nuance I (who are we), at the deepest level of found in Romans 14 and 1 Corinthi- We need my/our being?” “Who or what defines ans 8 and 10. my/our existence and my/our ultimate 4. Lifestyle: increasing conformity an aware­ness of the meaning in life?” “Who or what is my/ to Christ’s will vs. patterns of the our lord?” The term “core” identity is world and sinful nature dangers of external used because this describes the deepest 1. Strongly ingrained in lifestyle pat- confor­mity. and most basic type of identity held by terns of the world and sinful nature an individual or group. In a Western (individualistic) context, this iden- 2. Tends to follow lifestyle patterns tity is “a personal choice, an achieved of the world and sinful nature identity.”7 In more collectivist contexts 3. A mixture of genuine biblical can be lethal to new believers from a such as most Muslim societies, the and worldly/sinful lifestyle habits Muslim background, especially when line between core and social identity 4. Tends to live in conformity to entering into the fellowship of non- (described next) may be less clear. Christ’s will BMB (Believer from Muslim Back- 6. Social identity: “Who I am in 5. Very intentionally attempts to ground) churches. Tim Green notes: relation to my group or groups” live all of life in conformity to The pressure to perform can be es- 1. No known identification with Christ’s will pecially strong for new believers Jesus in any social group The fourth dimension to consider is an already experiencing rejection from their own community and who con- 2. Identification with Jesus in few essential counterpart to the preced- sequently feel their survival depends social groups ing three, namely lifestyle. This is the upon acceptance within the ethnic 3. Identification with Jesus in some evidence of what is in the heart, the 5 Christian community. social groups outworking of beliefs and the daily 4. Identification with Jesus in most life complement of religious practice. The appropriate goal is not external social groups These are the works without which conformity, but transformation by the faith is dead ( James 2:17), the love for renewing of the mind (Romans 12:2). 5. Transparent identification with neighbor that evidences love for God The temptation to external conformity Jesus in all on-going social groups (Matt. 22:39), and the manifestation can also happen at a corporate level, The sixth dimension describes social of living as Jesus did (1 John 2:6). where a fellowship aspires to become identity: “Who I am in relation to This is the living out of Kingdom life “a real church,” as measured by factors my group or groups.”8 Involvement in

International Journal of Frontier Missiology L. D. Waterman 153 some social groups inherently implies a spiritual or religious dimension, with his highlights the challenge for those who have certain social assumptions (not neces- a core identity as a follower of Jesus yet a social sarily accurate) about one’s perspective identity as a Muslim. toward Jesus. Other social groups carry T no such attendant assumptions, so The tension of dual social identity is for a certain stage in some believers’ lives an individual may freely choose how usually felt most keenly by individuals it might actually be the most effective much or little to make known their who come to faith in Christ as a lone posture to accomplish the Lord’s purpos- identification with Jesus in the context individual (having no one else close to es, allowing them growing space before of that group. them at or near the same point in their they become more fully transparent with Green notes: “In reality, nearly every- faith journey). Though more mature more or all of their social groups. This point may be debatable, but such a debate one today learns to juggle several social believers may help and encourage 9 these individuals in many ways, they seems worth engaging. It seems to reflect identities.” For example, a person may have to navigate the journey of social a reality experienced by many who come have a social identity as a member of identity adjustment somewhat alone. to faith gradually, especially in a hostile their family (which in some contexts In cases of a group decision to follow environment. At first they reveal them- is a very strong identity marker), as a Christ, there is usually significantly selves as Christ’s followers when among member of a local religious institu- less dislocation experienced by the fellow-believers but not when they are tion or group, as having a certain role individuals involved, as they are bring- with their Muslim relatives or neighbors, at their work, as a member of a musi- ing part of at least one of their social at least for a period of time. In any case, cal performing group, as a member of groups with them in following Christ. the point of this dimension is not to pass a sports fan club, and so on. In many judgment on those who would best be cases, these diverse social identities are As mentioned above, in more collec- described as a 3 (for example) but to be not experienced or perceived to be in tivist contexts such as most Muslim able to more helpfully understand and significant conflict with one another. societies, the line between core and accurately describe the reality of their Only on occasion might the demands social identity is less clear than in current situation. or expectation of one identity conflict individualistic contexts. This highlights with the expectations of another—per- a significant challenge faced by indi- 7. Collective identity: “My group’s haps in terms of time or effort invested. viduals or movements who (sometimes identity in the eyes of the world… Yet when a shift in allegiance and faith as relatively new followers of Christ) identity as defined by the group” commitment enters the equation, it have a core identity as a follower of 1. Clearly labeled as not a group may impact various pre-existing social Jesus yet a social identity as a Muslim. associated with Christ identities in ways that cause tension or This social identity dimension considers 2. Labeled by most as a group not conflict. However, the best goal is not the extent to which a person is known associated with Christ to escape that tension by a simple shift as a follower of Jesus in one or more 3. Collective identity unclear from one social identity to another. of their social identities. It reflects the 4. Labeled by some as a group asso- In an earlier article, Green commented: possibility that one identity or another ciated with Christ Even in terms of biblical theology, let may be dominant or that a person or 5. Labeled by all as a group associ- alone sociology, it is reductionist to group may have a hybrid or mixed ated with Christ 11 insist that believers must opt for only social identity, or a social identity The seventh dimension measures collec- one social identity….Without believ- that is unclear or inconsistent. Various tive identity (group labels): “My group’s ers’ involvement in the world there contexts may give more or less space identity in the eyes of the world… can be no witness either. Witnessing for an individual or group to function identity as defined by the group.”12 This Christians, and especially first genera- with a dual identity. The social identity does not address many issues of group tion witnessing Christians, inevitably dimension does not attempt to tease identity, such as family, clan, club or have a dual social identity. They did in out all the nuances of possible mixed vocational identity. Green explains: the early church and they do today…. and hybrid identities. For our present Equal loyalty to both groups is not purposes, we simply note these possible From the moment of birth, people usually realistic. But to be a member are labeled with a collective identity, realities along with the importance of of one group and simultaneously an or rather a set of collective identities. affiliate of the other is often possible. distinguishing possible differences and Their nationality, ethnicity, and some- This in fact is the solution many con- tensions in a person’s various identities. times religion are entered on their verts achieve: not always a comfort- A score of 3 on the social identity dimen- birth certificates before they make 10 able solution, but survivable. sion might be less than the Lord’s best, or any choice for themselves. These are

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ascribed identities. The more collec- out in the Sanhedrin, ‘My brothers, I am reply, “I am Pathan,” and that is suf- tivist . . . a culture, the more control- a Pharisee, descended from Pharisees. ficient.’ This answer saves him from ling are such ascribed identities, and I stand on trial because of the hope of detection without having to deny the harder it is to change them even the resurrection of the dead.’ (Acts 23:6) Christ, perhaps the best that can be in adulthood.13 expected in a situation where ‘reli- Many societies hold a shared assump- gion’ and ‘ethnicity’ are so strongly Collective identity is often related to, tion that religion and ethnicity are fused at the collective level.17 but not the same as, social identity. To inseparably fused. Thus to state one’s distinguish collective identity from ethnicity triggers assumptions at the This might not be an ideal response, social identity, Green, quoting Kathryn collective level about religious identity. but it recognizes the tightrope some Kraft, writes: For example, Bosniaks are assumed to believers have to walk. Collective identity ‘is rooted in a sym- be Muslim, Croats assumed to be Ro- As already noted, a higher number on bolic group or a social category’ and is man Catholic, and Serbs to be Serbian this dimension (and the next) should ascribed to a person at birth as a label, Orthodox. A Bosniak friend comments: while social identity is absorbed grad- not be seen as “better” or more bibli- One cannot be a Serb and at the ually by that person through actual re- cally appropriate. In fact, if a person or same time a Muslim, or a Bosniak and lationships with ‘significant others.’14 family is from a group whose collective a Catholic. Nationality and religious identity is strongly Muslim (with all affiliation are synonymous. Kraft summarizes: that that label normally entails), yet While individual (or core) identity is This can constitute a great problem that person or family has a core iden- generally defined in terms of person- for those who desire to hold religious tity (and perhaps social identity) as a ality and development, and social (or follower of Jesus, this can be a point of relational) identity is defined in social interest and witness. The contrast be- interactions such as a person’s jobs tween reality and people’s assumptions and friendships, collective identity is can become an opportunity for God to about the social structures and groups surprise people with His amazing work in which a person roots him/herself.15 Collective identity of salvation. Surprised curiosity can Or one might rather say, open doors for giving a reason for the collective identity is about the social is about the groups in hope within: “What? You’re an ‘X’, but structures and groups in which a per- which a person you follow Jesus? How can that be?!” son finds him/ herself to be rooted 8. Cultural embeddedness (non- (by providence or fate). roots himself. spiritual aspects) Collective identity is very difficult, or in 1. Functioning essentially in the some cases impossible, to change; it is patterns of own birth culture ascribed by others, based on factors over 2. Functioning largely in the pat- which an individual often has no control. terns of own birth culture In some contexts, a person’s legal identity views different from the majority of 3. Evaluating many aspects of birth would be a part of their collective iden- their ethnic group. As Green observes: culture as they become aware of tity or their set of collective identities. Traditional societies tend to fuse col- other cultures For example, the Apostle Paul, when lective identities of religion, ethnicity, 4. Adopting many elements of arrested by Roman soldiers, stated: “I am and nationality. Therefore a person another culture—multiple cul- a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of who changes one element of these is tural functioning seen as betraying them all. It means no ordinary city” (Acts 21:39). He iden- 5. Functioning largely in the pat- ‘going over to the other side’ or even terns of a culture other than one’s tified himself with his ethnic identity as ‘going over to the enemy’s side.’16 a Jew and his legal identity as a Roman birth culture citizen, making use of this to gain an op- Yet on occasion it can provide a way The eighth dimension shows “cultural portunity to proclaim Christ. Later, on of avoiding unwanted conflict. Green embeddedness,” considering how trial before the Sanhedrin, he used his reports: much a person or group is connected collective identification with one Jewish Pathans make the same automatic with or functioning in their birth sect to gain support from them over linkage, and one of the tiny number culture’s patterns vs. other cultures’ against the opposing sect. He, of Jesus-followers among them told patterns. Some aspects of birth culture knowing that some of them were Sad- me how he uses this to advantage: (those directly related to obedience to ducees and the others Pharisees, called ‘If they ask me ‘Are you Muslim?’ I Christ) are considered in “Lifestyle,”

International Journal of Frontier Missiology L. D. Waterman 155 discussed above. Many other cultural factors and patterns do not inherently oices associated with other cultural influences also reflect closeness or distance from the need consideration . . . globalization has brought person of Christ, yet they significantly all manner of cultural narratives . . . (Barnett) impact a person’s or group’s sense of V connectedness with those of their birth multiple cultural functioning, or to live way intended to describe all individu- culture and/or some other culture(s). more like those of a culture other than als or groups which could be given the Jens Barnett describes one source who descriptor used, but showing how a 18 the culture of their birth. Thus a higher speaks of “cultural identity,” and Bar- number on the cultural embedded- specific fellowship or individual might nett describes another person, whom ness dimension reflects greater cultural be described. he calls ‘Awal,’ this way: diversity, but it would not necessarily As noted above, for the first five To presuppose Awal’s inner dialogue indicate greater spiritual maturity. involves only Christian and Muslim voic- dimensions (heart through core es is unhelpful. Voices associated with In addressing the challenge of bring- identity—the top, bottom and right other cultural influences also need ing the gospel to people of diverse side of the graph), a higher number consideration. Firstly, from the time of cultures, the Apostle Paul wrote: (more gray, out to the edge) is more his birth, Awal has internalized Arabic, To the Jews I became like a Jew, to positive (more consistent with the will tribal, and nationalist narratives as well win the Jews….To those not having of God). I consider these five to be as Islamic. Secondly, globalization has the law I became like one not hav- essential indicators of spiritual health. brought all manner of cultural narra- ing the law….To the weak I became For the three dimensions on the left tives into his life and home.19 weak, to win the weak. I have be- side (social identity through cultural One end of the cultural embedded- come all things to all people so that embeddedness), the different numbers ness spectrum portrays life patterns by all possible means I might save are an invitation to explore and try some. (1 Cor. 9:20-22) commonly found in the individual’s to understand the unique situation or group’s birth culture. The other end of any given group or individual as Thus cross-cultural witness will hap- they wrestle with the commands of describes functioning largely in the pen most effectively for those at a 4 or patterns of a culture other than one’s Scripture and the culture(s) of their a 5 on the cultural embeddedness di- birth culture. The middle portrays birth and current residence. Each of mension. Yet very effective witness and evaluating many aspects of one’s birth these categories reflects a vital issue for worship could happen monoculturally culture as one becomes aware of other kingdom dynamics and growth, but for those at a 1 or 2 on this dimension. cultures and other ways of behaving each resists a simple good/bad catego- and thinking. A “4” portrays simul- rization that can easily be reduced to taneous (mixed) or multiple cultural Pictorial Representation: numerical evaluation. belonging, a stance commonly desired Three Examples This believer, in Figure 1, is generally by those aiming for effective cross- These eight dimensions can be charted sound in doctrine, but sadly low in the cultural witness. on a radar graph to give a picture of other four essential indicators of spiri- It would be very possible for a person any given individual or group. Below tual health. Some would describe this or group to seriously follow Christ and are three possible examples, not in any person as a “carnal Christian”; others remain long-term at a “1,” functioning essentially in the (non-sinful) patterns Figure 1. A nominal Christian in the southern USA of their own birth culture. Also, a per- A nominal Chris-an in the southern USA Heart son following Christ might, in some Heart contexts, be more likely to become 5 Cultural 4 aware of other cultures and some posi- Cultural Embeddedness Beliefs Beliefs Embeddedness 3 tive elements of those cultures. By the 2 same token, though, a person far from 1 Christ could also become aware of Collective Spiritual A A nominal nominal Christian Chris7an in the in the Collec7ve Iden7ty 0 Spiritual Ac7vi7es other cultures in ways that might cause Identity Activities southern southern USA USA them to evaluate, change or question elements of their birth culture (a “3”). Social Social Iden7ty Lifestyle Lifestyle And it would be possible for both a Identity believer and an unbeliever to come Core Iden7ty to a place of simultaneous (mixed) or Core Identity

31:3 Fall 2014 156 LIFE Scale: Exploring Eight Dimensions of Life in Christ An Indonesian BMB fellowship that has Figure 2. An Indonesian BMB fellowship that has existed for five years the same time, others have sought to existed for five years describe cases where a core identity Heart Heart of biblical faith is paired with Islamic 5 religious practice and social identity. Cultural 4 Beliefs EmbeddednessCultural Embeddedness Beliefs 3 Still others have encouraged greater 2 acceptance of a mixture of Islamic and 1 AnAn Indonesian Indonesian BMB BMB Christian beliefs, Islamic and Chris- Collective Spiritual Collec7ve Iden7ty Spiritual Ac7vi7es fellowship that has existed Identity 0 Activities fellowship that has existed tian religious practices, Islamic and for five years. for five years Christian heart attitudes, and so on. Inadequate consideration of multi- Social Social Iden7ty Lifestyle Identity Lifestyle faceted identity issues has undoubt- edly contributed significantly to the Core Iden7ty Core Identity disagreements. Hopefully the LIFE Scale proposed here can help improve would consider it dubious that this Christ is very strong, yet some major on this shortcoming and increase the person has true saving faith in Christ. biblical doctrines are not yet clear, and fruitfulness of such discussions. many areas of life and identity are at a This fellowship of believers from a “low” level and in a tumultuous inter- Application of the LIFE Scale Muslim background, Figure 2, is quite nal process of struggle. strong in most of the essential indica- to “Insider Movements” tors of spiritual health, though many From just these three examples, we can I have intentionally chosen not to members and some leaders still struggle see that this model has potential to fa- chart an example of a socio-religious significantly with a mixture of bibli- cilitate useful discussion of case stud- “Insider Movement” of the C5 type, cal and worldly/sinful lifestyle habits. ies, especially those in which followers lest readers of one persuasion or Their fellowship (collective identity) is of Christ have different evaluations another react emotionally (either posi- known by most as a group associated of what is happening. In some cases, tively or negatively) to the example. with Christ and they have adopted strong disputes have arisen among I don’t want readers to assume I’m numerous elements of Indonesian those holding differing perspectives offering an example as my verdict on church culture (a 4 on the cultural on the cases in question. Some of the all socio-religious Insider Movements. embeddedness dimension). The social disputes have been less fruitful than Some of my questions and concerns identity score of 3 indicates that the they could have been, partly because of about Insider Movements and related concepts have been published previ- Figure 3. A Muslim secret believer in Morocco ously.20 For the purposes of this article, A Muslim secret believer in Morocco suffice it to say that Insider Move- Heart Heart ments and individual “insiders” could 5 potentially have significantly different Cultural Cultural Embeddedness 4 Beliefs Beliefs Embeddedness descriptions on the LIFE Scale. Also, 3 there could be a group which one 2 observer would describe as an “Insider 1 Collective Spiritual AA Muslim Muslim secret believer secret in believer in Movement” while another observer Collec7ve Iden7ty 0 Spiritual Ac7vi7es Identity Activities MoroccoMorocco might strongly reject that description. I have personally heard such discus- sions. Hopefully this tool can improve Social Social Iden7ty Lifestyle the quality of such interactions, at least Identity Lifestyle to spotlight differences of perspective CoreCore Identity Iden7ty and help take the discussion to a more profitable level. social identity of many members and misunderstandings and miscommuni- attendees is a mixed bag. cation. For too long, some Christians Conclusion have assumed that Muslim identity The LIFE Scale will not resolve all This dear believer, Figure 3, has (assuming collective, social and core differences or end debates about C5 recently come to Christ because of identity to all be identical) = Islamic and Insider Movements. Hopefully, a vision of Jesus. Heart affection for practice = orthodox Islamic belief. At though, it can serve as a tool to facili-

International Journal of Frontier Missiology L. D. Waterman 157 tate more fruitful discussion and help 14 Ibid.,“Dilemma,” Kindle Locations all interested parties better understand 15 Kindle Locations 1326-1329, quoting where we really disagree and where we Kathryn Kraft, “Community and Identity might agree. among Arabs of a Muslim Background who Choose to Follow a Christian Faith” (PhD I hope to see more effective reach- dissertation, Bristol: University of Bristol, 2008), 156. ing and discipling of people from all 15 nations come from such discussion. I Kraft, Kathryn, Searching for Heaven in the Real World: A Sociological Discussion of hope and pray the LIFE Scale can help Conversion in the Arab World, Kindle Edi- us move toward more biblical clar- tion 98. ity and faithfulness, more Christlike 16 Ibid., Kindle Locations 1441-1443. love and acceptance, and more energy 17 Ibid., Kindle Locations 1308-1311. invested in the launching and encour- 18 Barnett, Jens, 2013, “Refusing to aging of Christ-honoring lives and Choose: Multiple Belonging Among Arab IJFM movements throughout the world. Followers of Christ,” in Longing for Com- munity. Kindle Location 791. Endnotes 19 Ibid., Kindle Locations 876-879. 20 1 Waterman, L. D. 2007, “Do the Mahmud is a fictitious character; this Roots Affect the Fruits?” International scenario is a composite of real situations and Journal of Frontier Missiology, Summer people. 2 2007, 24:2; Waterman, L. D., 2008, “Con- Travis, John, “The C1 to C6 textualization: A Few Basic Questions,” Spectrum: A Practical Tool for Defining Evangelical Missions Quarterly, April 2008; Six Types of ‘Christ-centered Communi- Waterman, L. D., 2011, “What is Church? ties’ (“C”) Found in the Muslim Con- From Surveying Scripture to Applying in text,” Evangelical Missions Quarterly, 34/4, Culture,” Evangelical Missions Quarterly, 1998, 407-408. October 2011. 3 Green, Tim, 2013, “Conversion in the Light of Identity Theories,” in Longing for Community. David Greenlee, (ed.). Pasa- dena, CA: William Carey Library, Kindle Locations 1288-1300. 4 Green, “The Dilemma of Dual Be- longing” in Longing for Community, Kindle Locations 1778-1781. 5 Green, “Conversion,” ibid., Kindle Locations 1017-1019. 6 Green, ibid., Kindle Locations 1300, 1290-1291. I follow Green in preferring the more easily understood “core identity” over the technical term “ego-identity.” 7 Ibid., Kindle Locations 1348-1349. 8 Ibid., Kindle Locations 1300, 1289- 1290. 9 Green, “Dilemma,” ibid., Kindle Locations 1535-1537. 10 Green, Tim, 2012 “Identity Issues for Ex-Muslim Christians, with Particular Reference to Marriage,” St. Francis Maga- zine. August 2012, Vol 8, No 4, 471, 472. 11 For more background on these terms and concepts, see the writings of Green, Barnett and Kraft, cited in the notes below. 12 Green, “Conversion,” in Longing for Community, Kindle Locations 1300, 1288- 1289. 13 Ibid., Kindle Locations 1302-1305.

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benefit of this lens is that it avoids the temptation to reduce theology to objective propositions, subjective experiences, or to view theology as an individual rather than a corporate Reviews endeavor (pp. 15-18). Chan’s scope of analysis is quite broad. He looks at how Grassroots Asian Theology: Thinking the Faith from the elite theologians and faith communities living in Muslim, Indian (Hindu), and Chinese (Buddhist-Confucian) Ground Up, by Simon Chan (IVP Academic, 2014, pp. 217) contexts theologize about God (chapter 2), humanity and sin (chapter 3), Christ and salvation (chapter 4), the Holy —Reviewed by Patrick Krayer, Ph.D. Spirit and spirituality (chapter 5), and ecclesiology (chapter 6). Chan’s analysis is a bit weak when looking at the theol- estern theologians appear to ogy of God by those within Islamic contexts. This weakness have a reified understanding of is understandable, since one individual cannot master every “AsianW Theology,” and that reification area. However, his reflections about how faith communi- troubles one Asian theologian, Simon ties theologize about humanity, sin, Christ, and salvation Chan, professor of systematic theology (Chapters 3 and 4) are particularly valuable. Chan shows at Trinity College in Singapore. He how key contextual constructs of family, honor and shame feels this is due to an almost exclu- can shape grassroots readings of Scripture, and how these sive focus on the writings of a limited constructs, so central to Asian contexts, have been largely number of elite Asian theologians. His ignored in western theological discourse. For example, the recent Grassroots Asian Theology offers issue of shame arises 300 times in the Old Testament and western academic circles the opportunity to enlarge their 45 times in the New Testament. In contrast, guilt is men- field of vision. tioned 145 times in the Old Testament and only 10 times in the New (p. 83). This data alone should awaken us to the By comparing the theologizing of these elite intellectuals significance of Chan’s reflections. with that of actual faith communities across Asia, Chan is able to show the significant difference between grassroots Grassroots theologies also tend to emphasize Christ’s and elitist theologies. Ironically, these often Western- victory over our enemies, such as Satan, sin, sickness, and trained Asian theologians appear to use presuppositions and death. Chan is sensitive to a grassroots Christ who allays our methods shaped by Enlightenment thinking rather than fears. In contrasting elitist theologies with grassroots theolo- by those arising from Asian cultures. Chan also unveils the gies, he points out how elitist theologians tend to focus on theological diversity of these grassroots theologies, a diver- the socio-political dimensions of life. Such a view is largely sity that exists because these Asian faith communities seek irrelevant for those at the grassroots level. Chan writes: to address in a biblical manner the needs and questions that “It does not occur to these [elitist] theologians that the poor might be looking for another kind of liberation; spiritual lib- arise in daily life, and which differ from context to context. eration from fear and fatalism created by centuries of inter- Chan begins by laying a methodological groundwork for nalizing the law of karma; freedom from the fear of spirits; his reflections. Fully aware that such theological diversity deliverance from demonic oppression, real or perceived; heal- across Asian communities could be negatively perceived ing for their sicknesses, and so on” (p. 103). as relativizing the gospel, he asserts that these faith com- An intimate understanding of Jesus as the Victorious Lord munities demonstrate continuity with the Church and stems from personal encounters with Jesus and their recep- historic Christian traditions not by alignment with specific tion of the Holy Spirit (see Chapter 5). Liberating, trans- dogmatic articulations but by being an integral part of the formative, personal encounters with God in Christ through Church. As a “community with a history,” the Church is a the Spirit open new vistas for them. This emphasis on the faith community that exists across time and space in his- Spirit is drawn largely from Pentecostalism, a field in which torical continuity with the story of Jesus’ life, death, resur- Chan has tremendous analytic expertise, and this global rection, ascension, the sending of the Spirit, and his parousia movement tends to influence the shape many of these (pp. 11-12). Chan asks us to view these faith communities grassroots theologies take. through the Catholic and Orthodox lens of ecclesial experi- ence, thereby allowing us to affirm these faith communities. Chan points out how conversion in Asian contexts, though Their ecclesial experience clearly demonstrates their conti- sharing similarities with western cultures, has its own nuity with the historic, global Church: they live out the distinctives. In Asian contexts there is a dynamic interplay Gospel under the instruction of the Scriptures, and are led between an individual and one’s community, a dynamic by the Holy Spirit in each of their specific contexts. The very apparent in the Confucian family. Chan writes: “In

International Journal of Frontier Missiology Book Reviews 159

very intercultural worker should read this book in order to become sensitive to how local cultures not only do theology, but also how they E should impact the process of doing theology. a Confucian culture that highly values family solidarity, ecclesial continuum, all being in process towards the goal conversion transforms family relationships from that of of final unity as the holy city (p. 171). domination to that of respect and reciprocity” (p. 121). There is a particularly interesting development in the There is a complexity and variety to conversions in Asia Japanese Indigenous Christian Movements ( JICM). that defies the Western categorization of conversion as an Ancestor veneration is a major concern in the Confucian individual decision and momentary event. Conversions may cultures of East Asia. Recognizing that salvation is found begin with a hazy understanding of Jesus and faith may in Christ alone has led the JICM to institute rites for the develop over time, making conversion more of a process evangelism of and prayer and baptism for the dead (p. than an instantaneous event. In addition, group conversions 174). Since I personally have never lived in that context, I are more likely to occur in some contexts. acknowledge that I am unable to even fully consider this. I Variety also exists in the ecclesiology of these diverse look forward to the lively discussion that will arise among Asian grassroots communities (chapter 6). Chan addresses faith communities in East Asia about this important ritual. a cross-section of ecclesial movements that includes In conclusion, though some may take issue with particular “Churchless Christianity,” informal fellowships, and indig- aspects of the theologies of these Asian grassroots faith enous church organizations. Chan asserts that the estab- communities, every intercultural worker should read this lished institutional church does not “exhaust the meaning book in order to become sensitive to how local cultures of the church as the body of Christ since it is still in via not only do theology, but also how they should impact the … There are individuals, loose fellowships and informal process of doing theology. Chan clearly lays out the diverse ecclesial bodies that are not formally associated with the theologizing that is arising across the Asian world. He church, but that does not make them any less a true part also shows that the Spirit enables contextual theologies to of the body of Christ” (p. 170). He suggests that all these emerge as the church seeks to faithfully model and repre- individuals and groups be placed at different points on an sent Christ in each new situation. IJFM

31:3 Fall 2014 160 In Others’ Words

Ebola Cycle,” on p. 162. See also Time magazine’s “Person In Others’ Words of the Year 2014” featuring the Ebola Fighters, including Dr. Brantley, a medical doctor with Samaritan’s Purse. And in a web-exclusive article in Books and Culture Dec. 2014 look- Editor’s note: In this department, we highlight resources outside ing back at this year’s Global Medical Missions and Health of the IJFM: other journals, print resources, DVDs, web sites, Conference, resident Matthew Loftus reviews Dr. Kenneth blogs, videos, etc. Standard disclaimers on content apply. Due to Brantley’s reflections on Ebola presented to a crowd of med- the length of many web addresses, we sometimes give just the title ical doctors and medical students who are headed overseas. of the resource, the main web address, or a suggested search phrase. Finally, please note that this July–September 2014 issue is partly The Salvation Army’s Historic Holism composed of material created later in 2014. We apologize in Some critics have charged past generations of missionaries advance for any inconvenience caused by such anachronisms. with a truncated focus on evangelism only. In IBMR (Octo- ber 2014), there is a fascinating article on the missiology of Global Oppression and Martyrdom William Booth, founder of The Salvation Army. Written by The Center for the Study of Global Christianity (CSGC) Andrew Eason, a professor of religion and author of the 2003 puts its latest estimates of the numbers of Christian mar- book Women in God’s Army: Gender and Equality in the Early tyrs at 100,000 per year in the early 21st century. In that Salvation Army, this article is entitled “The Strategy of a light, here is a must-read article, a hard-hitting review Missionary Evangelist: How William Booth Shaped the Sal- by Mark Noll of two books, in Books & Culture July/Aug vation Army’s Earliest Work at Home and Abroad.” Nowa- 2014: The Global War on Christians: Dispatches from the days, Salvationists are held up as proponents of kingdom Front Lines of Anti-Christian Persecution by John Allen, Jr., theology, a gospel that is holistic and transformational. This Senior Correspondent for The National Catholic Reporter; article is a great example of how a focus on evangelism first, and Christianophobia: A Faith Under Attack by Rupert but contextualized for its different arenas, led naturally into Schortt, Religion Editor for The Times Literary Supple- holistic ministry (http://www.internationalbulletin.org/ ment. Also don’t miss Christianity Today’s cover story in system/files/2014-04-183-eason.html). To read this and all November 2014 by Philip Jenkins on “The Lost Chris- other IBMR articles for free, register on their website today. tians of the Middle East” (This is posted in its entirety World Religions on Baylor’s Institute for the Studies of Religion website). No one speaks with more authority on the subject of the Missiologists everywhere should welcome a brand persecuted Christians in the Middle East than Canon new Norton Anthology of World Religions, published in late Andrew White, known as the Vicar of Baghdad. There 2014. Edited by the Jesuit scholar Jack Miles, professor of is a poignant interview with him Nov. 18,, 2014 in The English and Religious Studies at UC Irvine, this anthol- Huffington Post UK. Another clergyman remaining in ogy has one distinguishing characteristic which will make Syria at great personal risk is the Chaldean Bishop Audo it invaluable to serious scholars of world religions. Each from Aleppo, Syria. Mindy Belz interviewed him for the of the world’s “‘six major, living, international religions’— Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Judaism, Christianity, and second time in an article entitled “Forgotten Survivors” in Islam—deliver their wisdom ‘in their own words.’” Jennifer the November 2014 issue of WORLD magazine. Schuessler, writing in The New York Times, noted the larger controversy in the academy over just what “religion” means: The Syrian Circle, a 30-day prayer initiative was launched in But it also comes at a moment when religious studies is caught December 2014, and called upon people everywhere to pray up in a continuing debate about its fundamental premises, for the Syrian people. Check out their website for the amazing starting with the term “religion” itself. In his introduction, Mr. details of what transpired: http://thesyriancircle.com/next- Miles cites an anecdote about a forum hosted by the Ameri- chapter/. Don’t miss the moving true story “I Kill People in the can Academy of Religion, where an effort to define the term– Name of Religion; You Pray for People in the Name of Jesus.” is it a matter of belief? practice? cultural and ethnic identity?– sent half the participants stomping out. Ebola More specifically, some scholars have questioned the notion Mike Soderling, M.D., Director of the Center for Health of “world religions” as a Western construct originated by in Mission at the William Carey International University, European scholars who “discovered” the East, transforming takes a look at the clash of worldviews that contributed to its dizzyingly complex practices into monolithic, text-based the sudden leap from virus to epidemic which has character- “-isms” resembling Christianity. Even today, such scholars ar- ized the spread of Ebola in West Africa (http://darrowmil- gue, the field is haunted by an “undead Christian absolutism,” lerandfriends.com/2014/10/20/ebola-crisis-worldview/). as Tomoko Masuzawa put it in her influential book The Inven- Check out GMI’s striking missiographic, “Breaking the tion of World Religions (2005). International Journal of FrontierZ Missiology In Others’ Words 161

Ms. Masuzawa, as it happens, is married to Donald S. Lopez more, in terms of audience retention, the average length of Jr., the editor of the anthology’s Buddhism section. view increased from 1:28 minutes to 1:41 minutes in just The full review can be found at nytimes.com/2014/11/03/ the last 90 days (when mobile phone use was even higher), arts/nortons-latest-anthology-explores-world-religion.html. leading some to speculate that length of viewing increases on mobile phones as opposed to computers. Global Trends From the Oct-Dec EMQ 2014 comes an article by Samuel General Links about Mobile Ministries: Chiang on a “Quintet of Issues” he sees as vital in the going The Mobile Ministry Forum has also posted details about forward of mission: its upcoming annual conference, this time in the Nether- There are five trends which have achieved ‘critical mass’ as lands. In case you missed T. Wayne Dye and Tim Hatcher’s we write: (1) multiplicative development of screens and de- outstanding article looking at the impact of Bible transla- vices impacting worldview and contextualization; (2) Busi- tion as it moves in a video format from the printed page ness as Mission providing ‘wholeness’ in discipleship going to mobile devices, see their January 2014 article originally forward; (3) orality speaking into matters of stewardship of published in Global Missiology: “Video Translation: Op- our resources, learning, and communications; (4) online edu- portunity and Challenge.” There is a fascinating article cation as distribution of theological knowledge; and (5) the documenting the use of Facebook across North Africa and incarnate Church taking responsibility to translate scripture. the Middle East which highlights especially how many are Chiang says, ‘Could this quintet drive the agenda of missions for the next decade? What magnitude of factors will they accessing it through mobile phones (Google “Facebook enact on planting churches and making disciples? What are Cashing in on Video Ads as MENA Users Reach 74m”). some things the Church must address and align in order to And check out this Pakistani mullah who is posting daily work to minister globally?’ sermon notes on Facebook via his mobile phone: “Afghan mullah offers ancient wisdom to youths on Facebook.” Nomads and Mobile Ministry Finally, there are some statistics you can find online about As the IJFM reported in 2010 (“The Little Engine that Twitter usage all across the Arab World: “Twitter in the Could: Mobile-Empowered Ministry”), nomads now pick Arab Region - Arab Social Media Report.” IJFM their camps by the location of cell phone towers instead of wells (IJFM 27:4, 2010). Mobile phone usage is rising steeply around the world. According to e-Marketer, 4.55 billion people are using mobile phones in 2014 and this number is projected to reach 5.13 billion by 2017. Last May 2014 Mission Frontiers took an entire issue to consider “From Gutenberg to Zuckerberg.” The editors looked at the orality movement and new technologies impacting it, including mobile phones. Here is a more recent compila- tion of further mobile ministry resources, courtesy of Sabeel Media. First and foremost, they recommend Mobile Min- istry Made Easy - 2014 by IMB (Southern Baptist Foreign Mission Board), a comprehensive introduction to the use of mobile devices in ministry. If you are new to mobile minis- try, this is a great place to start. The Preference for Mobile Phone Viewing To illustrate the rise in cell phone usage, Sabeel Media offered the IJFM some raw data. They tracked the views of their most popular short online video clip “The Wisdom of Solomon” in Bedouin Arabic which has a total running time of 3:38 minutes. With 319,000 views on Youtube alone, this video clip can also be found on Ikbis, Vimeo, and Facebook. In January 2013, when device analytics on this clip began to be gathered by Youtube, 58% of the views came from com- puters and only 33% from mobile phones. But in 2014, mo- bile phone views rose to 40% and in the past three months, mobile phone views have surged past computer views bring- ing them to 52% of all views for this single video! Further-

31:3 Fall 2014 Breaking the Ebola Cycle Traditional Belief, Secular Medicine & Christian Response FUNERAL Funeral - will Jesus wakes coming together Another American Chris- restart the Ebola death tians up to compassion (START) infection cycle? confirms the and repentance toward Liberia. beliefb in power of America’s creation of Liberia in the 1840s brought tensions Do not evil spirits. between repatriated Afri- release the can-Americans (seen as body for oppressors) and local traditional peoples. These fueled burial.. HELP 2 the recent civil wars. The Liberian Go to clinic or hospital, Increase foreign Church finds but there may not be personnel and effective but non- Distrust of room, nurses or medicine. equipment, customary, hygienic ways to health care staffing more INFECTION grieve with the families of system that has not clinics and Attend funeral the deceased and to yet recovered from training more of relative - encourage the families years of civil war local workers. share meal & to trust Jesus to protect dedevastation. condolences. them from the Tell people Outbreak revengeg of the dead. to use started at disinfectant a funeral. and not to touch bodies as customary. The spirits of Jesus frees the dead will be followers from fear Jesus angered and they of evil spirits as they changes the will bring trouble on adapt customs to new emphasis on fear those who do not information. Open and enemies to focus follow burial to hygiene and on trusting his customs. Mentioning disinfectants. a possible power and the sickness is a curse community of HELP 1 and may cause believers. Home remedies diseasse. Disease is and traditional 0.014 related to unseen healers. Liberia SYMPTOMS Faith in Public powers and curses. Jesus frees people health People fear that enemies Physicians Long incubation, Quarantine and 0.1 from fear of curses. education are spreading disease. Guinea then symptoms modern population God’s people pray for about Ebola. Traditional healers are

per 1000 medicine. of infection - expected to identify 0.22 victims and act on Forget those old Sierra fever & fatigue. the public health and counter-act Leone superstitions. information. theset forces.

0.408 Nigeria 1 0.776 South

Africa for medical & Pray Pray for Liberian Christians as they Pray for American Christians to come 2.452 spiritual breakthroughs: communicate Jesus to the nation in its to the aid of Liberian brothers and US Pray that embracing Jesus will free time of crisis. sisters, not treat them with indifference. people from fear, suspicion, and Pray for medical workers, secular and choices that allow Ebola to spread. Christian, as they battle the disease. Your prayers make a difference.

MoreMore about Two civilcivil wars ReligiousReligious MaMakeupkeup5 TraditionalTraditional ReReligionsligions 42.5%42.5% Liberia:Liberia: betweenbetween 11989-2003989-2003 (Compared(Compared to traditional ChChristianristian 41.441.4%% PopulationPopulation = 4.294 mimillionllion2 caused aann estestimatedimated religionsreligions of 23.31% in Sierra MusMuslimlim 115.5%5.5% EbolaEbola imimpactpact = 2,836 ddead,ead, 6,822 ininfectedfected 5500,00000,000 deaths and massive Leone and 6.9%6.9% in Guinea.Guinea.)) (as of Nov. 99,, 20142014))3 displacement of peoplespeoples..4 OOtherther 00.6%.6%

Sources: www.missiographics.com/medical-services-liberia

Sponsored by: Creating products that identify barriers and pursue solutions toward More infographics at William Carey Library www.missiographics.com Kingdom breakthrough www.missionbooks.org IJFM & Perspectives 163

Related Perspectives Lesson and Section Whether you’re a Perspectives& instructor, student, or coordinator, you can continue to explore issues raised in the course reader and study guide in greater depth inIJFM . For ease of reference, each IJFM article in the table below is tied thematically to one or more of the 15 Perspectives lessons, divided into four sections: Biblical (B), Historical (H), Cultural (C) and Strategic (S). Disclaimer: The table below shows where the content of a given article might fit; it does not imply endorsement of a particular article by the editors of the Perspectives materials. For sake of space, the table only includes lessons related to the articles in a given IJFM issue. To learn more about the Perspectives course, including a list of classes, visit www.perspectives.org.

Articles in IJFM 31:3 Lesson 1: The Living God is a Missionary God (B) Lesson 7: Eras of Mission History (H) Lesson 9: The Task Remaining (H) Lesson 10: How Shall They Hear? (C) Lesson 11: Building Bridges of Love (C) Lesson 12: Christian Community Devel - opment (S) The Spontaneous Multiplica - Lesson 13: tion of Churches (S) Lesson Pioneer Church Planting (S) 14:

Consider the Nomad: A Felt-Needs Approach Caleb Rome (pp. 113–122) X X X X X X

God and the Nomads: Highlighting the Biblical Narrative Malcolm Hunter X X (pp. 123–132) On the Road with Nomads in Central Asia: A Page out of My Journal S. Clement X (pp. 133–135)

The People of the Cornstalk Rowland V. Bingham (pp. 136–137) X

Orality Comes of Age: The Maturation of a Movement Tom Steffen (pp. 139–147) X X

LIFE Scale: Exploring Eight Dimensions of Life in Christ L. D. Waterman (pp. 149–157) X

31:3 Fall 2014 MIDDLE EASTCONSULTATION2015 Discipleship Today: Identity and Belonging in the Middle East & North Africa

The Institute of Middle East Studies at the Arab Baptist Theological Seminary, Beirut, Lebanon, will again be hosting its annual Middle East Consultation. MEC 2015 will focus on specific challenges related to “identity” and “belonging” that face followers of Jesus within the MENA context. These challenges are particularly important given the diverse socio-religious and cultural backgrounds of Christ-followers in the region and of the leaders who disciple them. We live in a world where belonging to multiple social and cultural traditions is the reality for many. Identity is a complex and multi-dimensional aspect of human life, formed in part as a response to a variety of dynamic social, cultural, historical, political, religious and spiritual experiences and commitments within today’s interconnected world. MEC 2015 will consist of listening to and reflecting on personal testimonies from those who live in the midst of specific challenges pertaining to identity and belonging. Conversations with diverse global missiological thinkers and practitioners, as well as round-table discussion groups will provide a unique context for reflection on the practice of discipleship in the MENA region. This hermeneutical dynamic (or process of accountable theological reflection) provides a framework for mutual enrichment within the worldwide Body of Christ, one that we are convinced will impact the future of Christ-centered witness in and beyond the MENA region. To apply for MEC 2015, please visit imeslebanon.wordpress.com | www.abtslebanon.org/mec2015

Have you considered a Master’s - MRel - degree to help you become more Master of Religion effective for God’s Kingdom in in Middle Eastern the MENA region and North African Studies The MRel is a unique and innovative multidisciplinary? program designed for individuals who want to be involved in addressing the real issues facing Middle Easterners in and beyond the Middle East and North Africa. Administered primarily online with two two-week residencies per year in Lebanon, this postgraduate degree focuses on providing a strong theoretical understanding of the region and the issues that it faces, combined with an emphasis on developing applied skills needed to work in the region and among MENA communities worldwide. It is based upon a strong theological and Biblical framework in that each module will weave scripture and theology into its theory and practice. The MRel aims at opening new doors for students with relief and development agencies that address poverty and humanitarian crisis, with church and mission organizations seeking to engage with Islam and historic Christianity, as well as with advocacy and peace-building organizations. These opportunities may be based in the MENA region or elsewhere. For more information or to apply, please contact:

[email protected] www.abtslebanon.org/mrel | IMESLebanon.wordpress.com/mrel