Contextual Intelligence: One Intelligence to Serve Them All
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Digital Commons @ George Fox University Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations 9-2019 Contextual Intelligence: One Intelligence to Serve Them All Michael Adam Beck Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/dmin Part of the Christianity Commons Recommended Citation Beck, Michael Adam, "Contextual Intelligence: One Intelligence to Serve Them All" (2019). Doctor of Ministry. 359. https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/dmin/359 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses and Dissertations at Digital Commons @ George Fox University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctor of Ministry by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ George Fox University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. GEORGE FOX UNIVERSITY CONTEXTUAL INTELLIGENCE: ONE INTELLIGENCE TO SERVE THEM ALL A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF PORTLAND SEMINARY IN CANDIDACY FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF MINISTRY BY MICHAEL ADAM BECK PORTLAND, OREGON SEPTEMBER 2019 Portland Seminary George Fox University Portland, Oregon CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL ________________________________ DMin Dissertation ________________________________ This is to certify that the DMin Dissertation of Michael A. Beck has been approved by the Dissertation Committee on October 10, 2019 for the degree of Doctor of Ministry in Semiotics & Future Studies Dissertation Committee: Primary Advisor: Ron Clark DMin Secondary Advisor: Pablo Morales, DMin Lead Mentor: Leonard I. Sweet, PhD All Scripture references are from The New Revised Standard Version unless otherwise noted. Copyright © 2019 Michael Adam Beck All Rights Reserved ii DEDICATION To Jill, my beautiful bride, best friend, and partner in ministry. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This dissertation is the result of the collective intelligence of many beautiful minds. Many people have contributed both to this project and to my spiritual formation. Thanks specifically to my mentors, Len Sweet, Alan Hirsch, Michael Moynagh, Walter Edwards, Chris Backert, and Jorge Acevedo. Also, to the team that walked beside me on this journey, Loren Kerns, Ron Clark, Pablo Morales, and Clifford Berger. For the WildOnes, thank you for the incredible journey we have shared these last eight years. To my fellow Issacharian colleagues of the Portland Seminary Semiotics and Future Studies Cohort 16. Finally, to my fellow missional mischief makers of Fresh Expressions U.S., The Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church, and the pioneers of Generative Pioneer Leadership Academy Cohort 1. I am deeply grateful for all of you. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS DEDICATION……………………………...…………………………………………….iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS………………………………………………….………..…...iv TABLE OF CONTENTS………………………………………………………………….v ABSTRACT………………………………………………………………………….....viii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCING THE OPPORTUNITY...……………………………….1 Three Opening Vignettes…………………………………………...……………………..1 The Symptoms………………………………………………….…………………………4 A Blinded Mindset……………………………………………………………………….15 Opportunity—Reframing the Story of Decline…………………………………………..20 Contextual Intelligence.………………………………………………………………….28 CHAPTER 2: BIBLICAL MATERIAL—THE GOLDEN THREAD OF CI…………..33 The Intelligence of Issacharians………………………………………………………….33 The CIQ of Jesus…………………………………………………………………………36 Contextual Intelligence—The Word Made Flesh………………………………………..38 Philippians 2—The “Mind of Christ”…………………………………….……………...41 Ephesians 4—A Parallel Paraenesis of the Descent/Ascent Christology.……..………...47 Scriptural Synthesis of the Incarnation….……………………………………………….55 The Contextual Intelligence Framework..……………………………………………….57 CHAPTER 3: CHURCH HISTORY—CONTEXTUAL INTELLIGENCE AND THE MISSIONAL CHURCH…………………………………………………………………67 Paul and the Primitive Church…………………………………………………………...67 John Wesley and the People Called Methodists…………………………………………72 Fresh Expressions Movement….………………………………………………………...85 Pioneer Ministry………………………………………………………………………….88 CHAPTER 4: THEORIES OF MULTIPLE INTELIGENCE—CI ONE INTELLIGENCE TO SERVE THEM ALL………………………………………………………………...99 Rethinking IQ—Toward Multiple Intelligences…………………………………………99 Cultural Intelligence…………………………………………………………………….110 Jesus is King, Context is Queen………………………………………………………...111 Cultivating CI…………………………………………………………………………...113 CHAPTER 5: THE EMERGING CONTEXT—A NEW MISSIONAL FRONTIER…116 From Jungle to Desert…………………………………………………………………..116 Paradigm Shift………………………………………………………………………….119 The Network Society…………………………………………………………………...122 Liminality……………………………………………………………………………….128 The 60:40 Dilemma…………………………………………………………………….131 v CHAPTER 6: CONCLUSION—THE CONTEXTUAL INTELLIGENCE FRAMEWORK………………………………………………………………………...134 Unlearning………………………………………………………………………………134 Immersion………………………………………………………………………………143 Minding the Gaps……………………………………………………………………….157 Disorientation…………………………………………………………………………...165 Discovery……………………………………………………………………………….175 Embodiment…………………………………………………………………………….179 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………...189 APPENDIX A: CIQ Mandorla Ring—One Intelligence to Serve them All……………191 APPENDIX B: Exploration of Parallel Frameworks…………………………………...193 APPENDIX C: Blended Ecology Interviews…………………………………………..208 APPENDIX D: GPLA Curriculum……………………………………………………..229 BIBLIOGRAPHY…………………………………………………….………………...237 vi CONTENTS OF FIGURES Figures Figure 1. Wildwood UMC AWA………………………………………………………...11 Figure 2. Wildwood UMC POF………………………………………………………….12 Figure 3. Distinct Mental Models………………………………………………………..24 Figure 4. Bounded and Centered Sets……………………………………………………26 Figure 5. Incarnation as Contextual Intelligence Framework……………………………55 Figure 6. The Mind of Christ…………………………………………………………….58 Figure 7. Contextual Intelligence Framework…………………………………………...59 Figure 8. Acts 15. Blended Ecology: Then and Now…………………………………....68 Figure 9. The Blended Ecology Ecosystem……………………………………………...87 Figure 10. Edge and Mixed Economy Pioneers………………………………………….89 Figure 11. Causal and Effectual………………………………………………………….92 Figure 12. Causal Reasoning…………………………………………………………….93 Figure 13. Effectual Reasoning…………………………………………………………..93 Figure 14. Pioneer Spectrum……………………………………………………………..95 Figure 15. Contextual Intelligence Framework………………………………………...134 Figure 16. Edge of Chaos……………………………………………………………….170 Figure 17. CIQ Mandorla Ring…………………………………………………………191 Figure 18. Fresh Expressions Journey………………………………………………….193 Figure 19. Design Thinking Framework………………………………………………..197 Figure 20. Innovation Framework……………………………………………………...200 Figure 21. Cultural Intelligence Framework……………………………………………203 Figure 22. Three-dimensional Aspects of Context……………………………………..205 Figure 23. Contextual Intelligence Model……………………………………………...206 vii ABSTRACT The purpose of this paper is to explore the phenomenon of Contextual Intelligence (CI) and suggest a Contextual Intelligence Framework (CIF) for its cultivation in local churches. This will be accomplished by learning from both practitioners of pioneer ministry and inherited congregations, as well as researching the literature. While possessing CI has been shown to be a critical competency for leaders across multiple fields, it is yet to be explored theologically or assessed for practical application ecclesiologically. Amid symptoms of decline, a new breed of leaders first identified by the Church of England as “pioneers,” are planting “fresh expressions of church” with “nones and dones.” These pioneers possess CI, which is the ability to accurately diagnose a context and make the correct decisions regarding what to do. Eighty-six congregations and eighty-one fresh expressions in the North Central District of the Florida Conference United Methodist Church are the primary sample for this field research. Chapter One will explore the symptoms of decline, define challenges, and highlight the opportunity for CI cultivation. Chapter Two will explore the Biblical materials to establish a theological foundation for the CI framework. Chapter Three will explore three contextually intelligent movements in church history—specifically, the primitive church, early Methodism, and Fresh Expressions. Chapter Four will explore the concept of contextual intelligence across multiple fields. Chapter Five will examine the emerging missional frontier of the network society and the value of CI. Chapter Six integrates all learnings and outlines the CIF. viii 1 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCING THE OPPORTUNITY In choosing a problem the investigator takes a decision fraught with risks. The task may be insoluble or just too difficult. In that case his effort will be wasted and with it the effort of his collaborators, as well as the money spent on the whole project. But to play safe may be equally. wasteful. -Michael Polanyi1 Three Opening Vignettes 1. Cynthia is an ordained clergy person in a mainline denomination. As an itinerate preacher she has been successful at a series of revitalization appointments. Each church she has served has grown, and the episcopacy has noticed her gifts to lead congregations from decline into revitalization. She is deployed to a new appointment, full of hope that this will be another church that grows in collaboration with her leadership. Only it doesn’t. She is a gifted preacher, who spends many hours each week preparing sermons. She spends a good deal of time in the office, making herself accessible to the congregation. She visits the sick in the hospital and the matriarchs of the congregation in their homes. She does all the things she did in previous appointments where churches began to thrive, but none of it works. The congregation