communication or
Mike Abendroth
December 14, 2009
Is It Contextualization or Effective Communication?
by Thabiti Anyabwile
Right up front, let me admit my great uneasiness about "contextualization" conversations. In truth, I've not read a lot of the literature; so I'm probably overlooking the very best definitions and arguments for it.
But what I see and hear makes me quite hesitant. Here's why: I think a lot of what's done in the name of "contextualization" is a prostituting of the gospel and the church. It gives away the message of Christ's redemption and the people of Christ's love in the name of "being like others to win others." I know that's an oversimplification, but you get my point. Intentionally or unintentionally, I think more is lost than gained under this banner.
Let me give you an example from a post from our very good friend and brother, Juan Sanchez, writing on contextualization over at the Gospel Coalition Blog. Now, this is friendly fire, an intramural discussion between folks wearing the same jerseys. But I thought I'd comment here because Juan borrows from a quote in a recent 9Marks ejournal on missions. Here's the quote:
Contextualization is the word we use for the process of making the gospel and the church as much at home as possible in a given cultural context. . . .The question is not whether we’re going to contextualize. The question facing every believer and every church is whether we will contextualize well. (See, Putting Contextualization in Its Place, 9 Marks, eJournal, July/August 2009).
What's wrong with that Thabiti? It's written by a friend and published in
a 9Marks publication. Gee whiz!
I know there is the oft-cited text from 1 Cor. 9 about becoming all things to all men so that some might be won. But what is Paul winning them to? Are we really called anywhere in the Bible to make it our aim to "make the gospel and the church as much at home as possible in a given cultural context"? I thought our aim was to remain as strange, other-worldly, "pilgrimy" as possible in every cultural context. I just can't see warrant for that definition of contextualization. That would seem to be anathema to every "come out from among them" command in Scripture. The gospel and the church simply are not at home in the world.
And yet, we must communicate in the world, But we do that to "win some," which means to bring them into something new and wonderful. We must bring people into the church through the gospel and the call to make disciples. And that movement into the church is away from the world, distinguishing itself from the world, drawing a neon line around the church to mark it off from the world. it identifies as something alien, not something "at home in the world."
I know my friend Juan knows this and even says so in the post. He's not arguing for worldliness. But as I look at Juan's concluding thoughts about how contextualization might look, I wonder if it might not be better to drop "contextualization" altogether, and stick with "communication." Here is Juan's description of what good contextualization might look like:
First, we must identify, as much as Scripture allows, with the people we are trying to reach.
Second, we must realize that such identification requires that we forsake our Christian rights/freedoms in order to become a servant to all.
To these two points I say a hearty, "Amen!" But I think, at
bottom, these are the kinds of things we should always do if we want to
understand and be understood, in other words, if we want to communicate
effectively.
Is it oversimplifying to say that when we're talking about "contextualization" we're simply talking about communicating well?
And if that's so, does that help us escape the worldward pull of so much "contextualize" conversation and strategy? Does it help us to embrace a more biblical pragmatism rather than what may become at points an unprincipled pragmatism that mixes the church and the world?
December 14, 2009 in Gospel | Permalink
Thanks.
„Und das Wort wurde Fleisch und wohnte unter
uns; und wir sahen seine Herrlichkeit, eine
Herrlichkeit als des Eingeborenen vom Vater,
voller Gnade und Wahrheit.“ Johannes 1:1, 14
Wir wünschen euch ein gesegnete
Weihnachtsfest!
Mike Abendroth