Applied Anthropology for Missions WM 722 Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary Fall, 2011 Paul T. Martindale, D.Min. PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES OF COURSE: Our Lord Jesus Christ has given us a mandate to communicate the gospel to every language, people-group and culture in the entire world. There are thousands of different languages, people-groups, and cultures in the world today, many of which have not received a comprehensible proclamation of the gospel in a way which effectively communicates within their, rather than our own, cultural context. The purpose of this course is to help prepare the student to effectively communicate Christianity to members of another culture. Upon successful completion of this course you will: 1) Become more sensitive to the multi-cultural world we live in and develop a truly cross-cultural understanding of Christianity. 2) Understand the basics of communication theory, with a special emphasis on the often neglected role of the responders or recipients in the communication process. 3) Be able to define and articulate the major religious world-views in the world today and be able to develop effective strategies for penetrating different world-views with the gospel of Jesus Christ. 4) Gain a deeper appreciation for how different cultures think, perceive reality, express ideas, behave, etc. Special emphasis will be placed on case studies which give specific application to the principles learned in the course. 5) Grow in your appreciation of the vitality and cultural translatability of the Christian gospel and develop a greater desire to effectively communicate the gospel of Jesus Christ to all the cultures of the world. Lecture Topics The Relationship of Missiology to Applied Anthropology Developing a Cross-Cultural Understanding of Christianity The Cultural Translatability of the Gospel The Rise of Non-Western Christianity as a Context for theological and anthropological reflection Perceiving Reality: Theory, Paradigm and World-View Epistemological Foundations for Missiological reflections Gospel and Culture Human Beings in Culture World-View and Its Relationship to Culture Cultural Forms, Patterns and Processes Christ and Culture / Gospel and Culture Homogeneous Unit Principle
2 Cross-Cultural Communication The N.T. Mandate to Communicate the Gospel The Structure of Communication Biblical Communication Theology and Missions Reflection: Absolute, Naïve and Critical Realism Bounded vs. Fuzzy Sets in the contours of theology/praxis Flaw of the Excluded Middle Principles of Contextualization Extractionism vs. Identificationalism Major Religious World-Views and Cross-Cultural Communication Africa/Primal World-View Case Study: African Christologies Africa as normative Christianity Implications of Southern Shift of Gravity Hindu World View Case Study: Hindu Conceptions of God The Emergence of Indian Christian Theology Contours of theological Discourse Case Study: Questions Hindus Ask Buddhist World View Case Study: Buddhist Conceptions of Reality / Ethics Chinese World View Case Study: Guilt, Fear and Shame Contours of Theological Discourse between Christianity and Buddhism Monotheistic World-View: Islam, Judaism Contextualization among Muslim and Jewish peoples Thinking and Perception Ways of Thinking / Perceiving Reality Cultural Differences in the Cognitive Process Decision making and motivation in cultural context REQUIREMENTS OF THE COURSE: 1. Required Reading A. Read All of the Following: Bediako, Kwame. Christianity in Africa: The Renewal of a Non-Western Religion Orbis Books, 1995, pages 3-265, ISBN: 0-7486-0625-4 Hiebert, Paul G. Anthropological Reflections on Missiological Issues. Baker Academic, 1994, pages 13-298. ISBN: 0-8010-4394-8. Transforming Worldviews. An Anthropological Understanding of How People Change. Baker Academic, 2008, pages 9-333. ISBN: 978-0-8010-2705-5 Kraft, Charles H. Anthropology for Christian Witness. Orbis Books, 2007, pages 1-474.
3 ISBN: 1-57075-085-8 B. Read one of the following: Kraft, Charles H. Christianity in Culture. A Study in Dynamic Biblical Theologizing in Cross-Cultural Perspective. Orbis Books, pages 3-404. ISBN: 0-88344-075-X Tennent, Timothy. Theology in the Context of World Christianity, Zondervan, 2008, pages 1-272. ISBN: 978-0-310-27511-4 Walls, Andrew. The Cross-Cultural Process in Christian History: Studies in the Transmission and Appropriation of Faith. Orbis Books, 2001, pages 3-277. ISBN: 1-5705-373-3 2. Research Paper: You are to submit a research paper on a topic of your choosing, although it must meet the following standards to be acceptable: a. The paper must be on a subject matter related to the material covered in the course. Your thesis statement, along with at least five sources, should be sent to me via e-mail pmartindale@gcts.edu (please include the word thesis statement in the subject line). This will be due by October 17 th. b. The paper must be a minimum of 10 pages, not including bibliography, and should not exceed 20 pages. c. It must be typewritten and double-spaced, following Chicago Manual of Style, footnotes (not endnotes or parenthetical notes) required. d. It must cite at least five outside sources, other than the required textbooks for the course. e. The paper must include a short synopsis of no more than 100 words that gives someone a short summary of your main argument and conclusions. (This does not count as a part of the 10 pages). f. The paper must include an outline of the paper (this does not count as a part of the 10 pages). g. It must be turned in to the professor by Friday December 7 th. 3. Examinations: There will be a take-home midterm exam given on Wednesday October 26 th on selected themes from the lectures and course readings. The exam will be due back to the professor by Friday October 28 th. The professor will clarify which materials will be covered on this mid-term examination. There will be also be a Final Exam given on the last day of classes Wednesday Dec. 14th. The exam will cover material covered in the lectures, readings and handouts. The Final Exam will be comprehensive. 4. Reading Report: The required daily readings are essential if you are to gain a proper understanding of the course subject matter. On the last day of the semester, you will be asked to turn in a reading report that lists the number of pages read for each of the required texts. In addition, there should be a one page, integrative paper on any four of the textbooks (4 pages total). This should demonstrate the following: 1. Overall, why was the book important for this course (1 paragraph). 2. What did you learn from this book in your own theological and missiological growth (2 paragraphs). 3. Any major insights in the book you want to mention. Be sure to be reflective and integrative, as this is not just a summary of the content. It is your responsibility to stay up-to-date in your reading assignments. Late reports will be penalized by 10%.
4 5. ATTENDANCE: Perfect attendance is encouraged and will greatly enhance your learning experience, ability to perform well on the exams, and to fulfill the course objectives. Please TURN OFF ALL CELL PHONES during the instructional period. GRADING: Midterm Examination 20% Thesis Statement and Research Paper 25% Reading Report 25% Final Exam 30% 100% GRADING SCALE A+ 97-100; A 94-96; A- 90-93; B+ 87-89; B 84-86; B- 80-83; C+77-79; C 74-76; C- 70-73; D+ 67-69; D 64-66; D- 60-63; F 0-59. Bibliography Anderson, Gerald. Asian Voices in Christian Theology. Orbis Press, 1976. Bamat, Thomas and Wiest, Jean-Paul, eds. Popular Catholicism: Seven Case Studies in Inculturation. Orbis Press, 1976. Bays, Daniel. Christianity in China: 18 th Century to the Present. Standford University Press, 1996. Bediako, Kwame. Christianity in Africa: The Renewal of a Non-Western Religion. University of Edinburgh Press, 1995. Bevans, Stephen B. Models of Contextual Theology. Orbis Books, 2004. Blincoe, Robert. Ethinic Realities and the Church. Presbyterian Center for Mission Studies, 1998. Bonk, Jonathan. Theory and Practice of Missionary Identification. Bosch, David J. Transforming Mission: Paradigm Shifts in Theology of Mission. Orbis, 1991. Bunkowske, Eugene W., and Richard French. God's Communicators in Mission. Fullerton, CA: Great Commission Library, 1988. Chen, Guo-Ming, Starosta, William J. Foundations of Intercultural Communication. Allyn and Bacon, 1998. Coote, Robert T. Toward the 21 st Century in Christian Mission. Grand Rapids, Eerdmans Publishing House, 1993. Dollar, Harold. St. Luke s Missiology: A Cross Cultural Challenge. Pasadena: William Carey Library, 1996. Donovan, Vincent J. Christianity Rediscovered, 2 nd ed. Maryknoll, New York: Orbis Books, 1978. Elmer, Duane. Cross-Cultural Conflict:Building Relationships for Effective Ministry. IVP. 1993.. Cross-Cultural Servanthood: Serving the World in Christlike Humility. IVP, 2006. Fee, Gordon. Gospel and Spirit. Issues in New Testament Hermeneutics. Hendrickson, 1991. Furuya, Yasuo, ed. A History of Japanese Theology. Grand Rapids, Eerdmans, 1997.
5 Geertz, Clifford. The Interpretation of Cultures (selected essays). New York: Basic Books, Inc. 1973. Gilliland, D. Pauline Theology and Mission Practice. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983. Glasser, Arthur F. Mission in the 1990 s, International Bulletin of Missionary Research, vol. 13: 2-8. Hall, Edward T. Beyond Culture. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, Anchor, 1977.. The Silent Language. Greenwich, CN: Fawcett, 1959. Hesselgrave, David J. Communicating Christ Cross-Culturally, 2nd ed. An Introduction to Missionary Communication. Zondervan, 1991.. Planting Churches Cross-Culturally. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1986. Hiebert, Paul G. Anthropological Insights for Missionaries. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1985.. Missiological Implications of an Epistemological Shift Theological Students Fellowship Bulletin, March, 1985: 5-10.. Critical Contextualization, International Bulletin of Missionary Research, vol. 1l: 104-112.. Missions and Anthropology: A Love/Hate Relationship, Missiology 6 (April 1978): 165-180. The Flaw of the Excluded Middle, Missiology 10, no. 1(January 1982): 35-37.. Cultural Anthropology. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983.. and Frances F. Hiebert. Case Studies in Missions. Baker Books 1987. The Gospel in Human Contexts. Anthropological Explorations for Contemporary Missions. Baker Academic, 2009.. Transforming Worldviews. An Anthropological Understanding of How People Change. Baker Academic, 2008. Hiebert, Paul G. and Frances F. Hiebert. Case Studies in Missions. Baker Books, 1987, pages 11-258. Hodges, Melvin. The Indigenous Church. Gospel Publishing House, 1976. Inch, Morris. Doing Theology Across Cultures. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1982. Ion, Hamish. Cross and Rising Son, vol. 1, 2, 3 (Protestant Missions in Japan, Korea and Taiwan) Wilfrid Laurier Univ. Press, 1990-1993. Johanns, P. To Christ Through the Vedanta, vol. 1, 2. Bangalore, UTC, 1996. Kaplan, Steven. Indigenous Responses to Western Christianity. New York University Press, 1995. Karotemprel, S., ed. Following Christ in Mission. Kenya: Paulines Pub. Africa, 1996. Kirk, Andrew. What is Mission? Theological Explorations. Minneapolis, Fortress Press, 2000. Klaiber, Jeffrey. The Church, Dictatorships and Democracy in Latin America. Orbis, 1998. Kraft, Charles H. Communication Theory for Christian Witness. Revised ed. Orbis Books 1991.. Christianity in Culture. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Press, 1979.. Communicating Jesus Way. William Carey Library, 1999.. Culture, Communication, and Christianity. William Carey Library, 2001.
. Anthropology for Christian Witness. Orbis Books, 2007.. Worldview for Christian Witness. William Carey Library, 2009.. Christian Conversion or Cultural Conversion. Practical Anthropology 10 (July-August 1963): 179-187.. Toward a Christian Ethnotheology, In God, Man and Church Growth: A Festchrift in Honor of Donald Anderson McGavran, edited by Allan R. Tippett, 109-126, Eerdmans, 1973c. Lambert, Tony. The Resurrection of the Chinese Church. Harold Shaw Publishers, 1994. Ligenfelter, Sherwood. Transforming Culture. A Challenge for Christian Mission. Baker Books, 1998.. and Judith E. Lingenfelter. Teaching Cross-Cultlurally. An Incarnational Model for Learning and Teaching. Baker Academic, 2003. Loewen, Jacob A. The Bible in Cross-Cultural Perspective. William Carey Library, 2000. Luzbetak, Louis J., SVD. The Church and Cultures. Maryknoll, New York: Orbis Books, 1988. Mayers, Marvin K. Christianity Confronts Culture. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1974. McGavran, Donald A. The Clash Between Christianity and Cultures. Washington, D.C., Canon, 1974.. Contemporary Theologies of Mission. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1983.. Understanding Church Growth, 3 rd ed. Eerdmans Publishing, 1990. McLuhan, Marshall. Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man. New York: McGraw Hill, 1964. Mbiti, John S. Concepts of God in Africa. NY: Praeger, 1969.. Some African Concepts of Christology in G. F. Vicedom, ed., Christ and the Younger Churches. London, SPCK: 51-62. Moffett, Samuel H. Early Asian Christian Approaches to Non-Christian Cultures, Missiology, vol. 15: 473-486. Mullins, Mark. Christianity Made in Japan. Honolulu, Univ. of Hawaii Press, 1998. Mununguri, Masumbuko. The Closeness of the God of our Ancestors: An African Approach to the Incarnation. Nairobi, Paulines Pub., 1998. Neils, Patricia, ed. U.S. Attitudes and Policies Toward China: Impact of Missionaries. Armonk, New York. M. E. Shapre, 1990. Netland, Harold, Globalizing Theology (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2006), 336 pages. Newbigin, Lesslie. The Open Secret, revised. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1995.. The Gospel in a Pluralistic Society. Eerdman s. 1989.. Foolishness to the Greeks. The Gospel and Western Culture. Eerdman s, 1986. Nicholls, Bruce J. Contextualization: Theology of Gospel and Culture. World Evangelical Fellowship Theological Commission. IVP, 1979. Nida, Eugene. Message and Mission. New York: Harper and Row, 1960.. Meaning Across Cultures. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Press, 1981.. Customs and Cultures. Anthropology for Christian Missions. Harper & Brothers, 1954. Niebuhr, H. Richard. Christ and Culture. New York: Harper and Row, 1956. 6
7 Padilla, C. Rene. The Future of Christianity in Latin America: Missiological Perspectives and Challenges, International Bulletin of Missionary Research, vol. 23, NO. 3 (July, 1999): 105-112. Phan, Peter. Mission and Catechesis. Orbis, 1998. Phillips, James M. and Cootes, Robert T. Toward the 21 st Century in Christian Mission. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1993. Pickett, J. Waskom. Christian Mass Movements in India. New York: Abingdon, 1933. Pieris, Aloysius. An Asian Theology of Liberation. Orbis, 1998.. Fire and Water: Basic Issues in Asian Buddhism and Christianity. Orbis, 1996. Pobee, John and Ositelu, Gabriel. African Initiatives in Christianity. Geneva: WCC, 1998. Pomerville, Paul A. The Third Force in Missions: A Pentecostal Contribution to Contemporary Mission Theology. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1993. Rheenen, Gailyn Van. Communicating Christ in Animistic Contexts. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 1991.. Missions: Biblical Foundations and Contemporary Strategies. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1996. Richard, Herbert L. Folowing Jesus in the Hindu Context. Pasadena, CA: William Carey Library, 1999. Richardson, Don. Peace Child. Glendale, CA: Regal, 1974. Rommen, Edward, ed. Spiritual Power and Missions. Pasadena: William Carey, 1995., ed. Christianity and the Religions. Pasadena: William Carey, 1995. Sanneh, Lamin. Translating the Message: The Missionary Impact on Culture (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1991.. Encountering the West: Christianity and the Global Cultural Process (Longdon: Marshall Pickering, 1993.. Piety and Power. Orbis, 1996.. Whose Religion is Christianity? The Gospel Beyond the West. Eerdman s, 2003. Schreiter, Robert J. Constructing Local Theologies. Orbis Books, 1985. Scherer, James and Bevans, Stephen, eds. New Directions in Mission and Evangelization: Faith and Culture. Orbis, 1999. Seelye, H. Ned. Teaching Culture: Strategies for Intercultual Communication. Lincolnwood, IL: National Textbook Co., 1993. Shenk, David and Stutzman, Linford., eds. Practicing Truth: Confident Witness in our Pluralistic World. Scottsdale, PA: Herald Press, 1999. Shenk, Kateregga. A Muslim and a Christian in Dialogue. Herald Press, 1997. Singer, Marshall R. Intercultural Communication. A Perception Approach. Prentice- Hall, 1987. Smalley, William. Translation as Mission: Bible Translation in the Modern Missionary Movement. Macon, GA: Mercer, 1991. Smith, Donald K. Creating Understanding: A Handbook for Christian Communication across Cultural Landscapes. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1992. Stackhouse, Max. Apologia: Contextualization, Globalization and Mission in Theological Education. Grand Rapids, Eerdmans, 1988.
Starosta, William J. Foundations of Intercultural Commuication. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon, 1998. Tennent, T. Contextualizing the Sanskritic Tradition to Serve Dalit Theology, Missiology, vol. 25, No. 3: 343-349.. William Carey as a Missiologist: An Assessment ABE, vol. 7, No. 1: 3-10.. Building Christianity on Indian Foundations. ISPCK, Delhi, 2000. Christianity at the Religious Roundtable: Evangelicalism in Conversation with Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam. Baker Books, 2002.. Theology in the Context of World Christianity, Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2008, 272 pages. Thorogood, Bernard, ed. Gales of Change: Responding to a Shifting Missionary Context. Geneva: WCC, 1994. Tippett, Alan. Introduction to Missiology. Pasadena: William Carey Library, 1987 (reprint of a classic). Van Engen, Charles E., Darrell Whiteman, and J. Dudley Woodberry. Paradigm Shifts in Christian Witness. Orbis Books, 2008. Van Rheenen, Gailyn. Biblical Foundations and Contemporary Strategies. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996.. Communicating Christ in Animistic Contexts. Pasadena: William Carey Library, 1997. Walls, Andrew. The Missionary Movement in Christian History. Orbis, 1996.. In Quest of the Father of Mission Studies. International Bulletin of Missionary Research, vol. 23, #3 (July, 1999): 98-105.. The Cross Cultural Process in Christian History: Studies in the Transmission and Reception of Faith. Orbis, 2002 (forthcoming). Winter, Ralph D. Perspectives on the World Christian Movement, 3 rd edition, Pasadena: William Carey Library, 1999. Wolfe, Regina Wentzel and Christine E. Gudorf, eds. Ethics and World Religions: Cross-Cultural Case Studies. Maryknoll, New York: Orbis Press, 1999. Woodberry, Dudley. Muslims and Christians on the Emmaus Road. Pasadena, CA: MARC, 1989.. Reaching the Resistant: Barriers and Bridges for Mission. Pasadena: William Carey Library, 1998. Wurzel, Jaime S. Toward Multiculturalism. A Reader in Multicultural Education. Intercultural Resource Corporation, Newton, MA 2004. 8