Contextualization
Bibliographies
|
General:
|
|||||||||
|
Religious
Dimensions: |
|||||||||
|
Theologies:
|
|||||||||
|
Topics:
|
|||||||||
|
|
|||||||||
|
Regions:
|
|||||||||
General: Introductions
| Biblio Format | Annotation |
|---|---|
| Andrew, M.E. "Contextual Theology as the Interpretation of God for the Peoples of a Region." Asia Journal of Theology 2:2 (1988): 435-439. | General attempt to define contextual theology based on the author's previous reflections and issues in New Zealand, with specific focus on how a people understand God. |
| Archer, Jr. Gleason L. "Contextualization: Some Implications from Life and Witness in the Old Testament." In New Horizons in World Mission: Evangelicals and the Christian Mission in the 1980s: Papers Given at Trinity Consultation No. 2, ed. David J. Hesselgrave, 199-216. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1979. | Task is to delve into the OT for implications for contextualization. It would, however, be an error to look in the OT for specific positive guidelines, as there is no conscious effort to make the law and Jewish life understandable to the nations. The basic orientation towards contextualization in this article is the effort or policy of the missionary to set forth the message in its most appealing and attractive form by couching it in terms suitable to the cultural context of the society or ethnic group in which he/she works. |
| Athyal, Saphir. "The Old Testament Contextualisations." World Evangelization Magazine(September/October 1997): 8-9. | Headings in this brief overview of contextualization issues in the Old Testament include context of God's self-revelation, God and worship, critical use of common cultural heritage, the key concepts of kingship and covenant, contextualized challenge to culture through the prophets, and changing contexts and progressive revelation. |
| Baasland, Ernst. "The Contextualised Witness of the Apostles." World Evangelization Magazine(September/October 1997): 16-19. | I will briefly suggest some guidelines: A. To underline the differences between accommodation and contextualisation: *The narrative structure of the creed ('The Great Code' --from creation to recreation) cannot be accommodated, but must be the transcultural pattern for every church. *The translation model is not sufficient, but can never be replaced; *The Jewishness of the gospel, due to the fact that Old Testament is our Holy Scripture and Jesus himself was a Jew, must be taken into account; *There is a richness in the concept of salvation and in the biblical images of Jesus, which opens up for perpetual actualisations/contextualisations. These actualizations must never end up in one-sidedness and reductionism. B. To underline some limitations of every kind of contextualisation. Contextualisation is always risky, but one has to be alert when: *certain concepts are totally reinterpreted; *The contextualised actualizations turn out to be contrary to what the Bible says; *It is not taken into account that God revealed himself in the Old Testament/New Testament (which makes it impossible to replace the core patterns and to break the links between Old Testament and New Testament. |
| Baoping, Kan. "On Theological Contextualization." Chinese Theological Review 7 (1991): 103-11. | Today, as people consider how to establish a Christian theology with Chinese church characteristics, the issue of contextual theology has been put on the agenda. Just what is contextual theology? Why must theology be contextualized? The issue must be conscientiously studied because such research will help us to find our own way in developing a Christian theology which fits the revelation that God is giving to Chinese Christians today, and which has both Chinese Christian characteristics and a close relationship to the context of the Chinese church. |
| Barr, William R. "Introduction: Re-forming Theology in the Global Conversation." In Constructive Christian Theology in the Worldwide Church, ed. William R. Barr, 1-9. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997. | Today and in the years ahead Christian theology will need to be developed through interaction and conversation among Christians around the world in the worldwide church, and with those of other persuasions in the world community. This is dear already, from the fact that increasingly we are rubbing shoulders with persons of other cultures in our local communities through our work, through the products we use, through the news media, and via the global Internet, as well as in many other ways. Furthermore, the need for global conversation is evident from the fact that creative theological voices are speaking out today from many lands and cultures. The European-American hegemony in modern Christian theology is rapidly passing as we enter what some speak of as a "postmodern" era. Here we encounter a rich variety of perspectives and ways of understanding, including theological understanding, among the world's peoples. This need for interaction holds true as well in the church, for the church has become a worldwide, community embracing peoples of many different languages, perspectives, customs, and ways of life, and these shape as well as are shaped by theological understanding. |
| Bate, Stuart. "Inculturation: The Local Church Emerges." Missionalia 22:2 (August 1994): 93-117. | Inculturation has become, in a very short time, one of the central issues of the church in Africa. This article provides a survey of the understanding of the term in recent missiological literature and an ecclesiology to serve the concept of inculturation, which is to be understood as the emergence of a local church within a specific context. Concludes: The process of inculturation touches deeply on the issue of the church's mission within a particular context. This mission expresses itself in terms of a diversity of ministries which emerge in response to mediated needs existing in the lives of people within the context. The inculturation model for ministry attempts to ground these ministries within an adequate theology which can aid in the process of discernment, which necessarily must go on as the local church attempts to emerge within a context to fulfill the missionary mandate which has been passed on to it. |
| Bevans, Stephen. "Models of Contextual Theology." Missiology 13:2 (April 1985): 185-202. | This article names and describes six approaches or models operative in current attempts to articulate faith within particular cultural, political, and religious contexts. After a brief discussion of the notions of "contextual theology" and "models," each model--anthropological, translation, synthetic, praxis, semiotic, and transcendental--is discussed according to four points: 1) the meaning of the model's name, 2) its basic presuppositions and features, 3) the method it suggests, and 4) its advantages and disadvantages. The article suggests that the effort to be faithful to context is important not just for Third World concerns but for contemporary theology in general. |
| Blomberg, Craig L. "Implications of Globalization for Biblical Understanding." In The Globalization of Theological Education, ed. Alice Frazer Evans, Robert A. Evans, and David A. Roozen, 213-246. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1993. | In terms of the agenda items most consistently raised under the banner of "globalization," five stand out: liberation theology, feminism, pluralism, economics, and contextualization. Though space permits only suggestive and programmatic remarks, each of these five topics deserves brief treatment. Each brings questions to the text, which Western Bible readers have not traditionally raised as often as other questions. Each elicits fresh answers which should have an impact on theological education. |
| Bockmuehl, Klaus. "Three Horizons for Theology." Evangelical Review of Theology 11:1 (January 1987): 5-20. | Why do theology? The answer required a rediscovery and recapitulation of theology's intrinsic purposes and horizons and the way they interrelate: the church, humanity, and God. The purpose of theology is to add to the praise of God, not merely for humans to think about themselves. |
| Brown, Robert McAfee. "Diversity and Inclusiveness: Notes for a Study of Experiential-Contextual Theologies in the US." Church and Society 67 (1977): 52-58. | Ten propositions (with discussion) about contextualizing theology from a widely respected thinker; originally a paper delivered the Division of Overseas Ministries of the NCC in 1977. |
| Brown, Robert McAfee. "What is Contextual Theology?" In Changing Contexts of Our Faith, ed. Letty M. Russell, 80-94. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1985. | The author explores definitions of "context" and several resulting issues from the interplay of context and theological process. He notes: If we are even going to begin to think contextually, and let that sort of thinking help mold our theology, the presupposition we must accept is that our own position, whatever it is, is not normative, but is itself the product of many factors that may heretofore have escaped our notice: our race, class, sex, economic status, geographical location, or whatever. It is this awareness of our own context that, as I shall argue later, can liberate us from seeking to exercise over others a kind of theological imperialism that is at best unthinking and shallow and at worst ugly and destructive. |
| Burtness, James H. "To Re-Contextualize the Text." Dialog 13:3 (Summer 1974): 208-12. | Discusses issues of "context" for contextualization. |
| Buswell, III, James Oliver. "Contextualization: Is It Only a New Word for Indigenization?" Evangelical Missions Quarterly 14:1 (January 1978): 13-20. | Clarifies what was meant by contextualization within the evangelical orbit, and explores the idea that it was not a new idea at all, but an extension of several concepts with some vocabulary switching. Three types of contextualization are seen: contextualization 1) of the witness (enculturation), 2) of the church and its leadership (indigenization), and 3) of the Word (translation and ethnotheology). |
| Buswell, III, James Oliver. "Contextualization: Theory, Tradition, and Method." In Theology and Mission: Papers Given at Trinity Consultation No. 1, ed. David J. Hesselgrave, 87-111. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1978. | Expansion of the article in Evangelical Missions Quarterly 14:1 (January 1978): 13-20, which clarifies what was meant by contextualization within the evangelical orbit, and explores the idea that it was not a new idea at all, but an extension of several concepts with some vocabulary switching. Three types of contextualization are seen: contextualization 1) of the witness (enculturation), 2) of the church and its leadership (indigenization), and 3) of the Word (translation and ethnotheology). |
| Cady, Linell E. "Resisting the Postmodern Turn: Theology and Contextualization." In Theology at the End of Modernity: Essays in Honor of Gordon Kaufman, ed. Sheila Greeve Davaney, 81-98. Philadelphia: Trinity Press International, 1991. | Many theologians are seizing upon the amorphous movement of postmodernism to legitimate their enterprise without adequately confronting the need for basic changes in the genre of theology. Most troubling, perhaps, is the way in which elements of this movement are being appropriated, indeed, co-opted many theologians for confessional purposes, generating theologies with little resonance to postmodern sensibilities. Even those theologies with impeccable postmodern credentials, however, do not help chart a direction for theology if it is to gain a footing and, perhaps, a hearing in the contemporary world. This essay will explore some of the costs, whether hidden or acknowledged, associated with the turn to postmodernism. I shall argue that the future of academic theology depends upon resisting the initial but, I think, temporary legitimization that this orientation provides. |
| Carson, Don A. "Church and Mission: Reflections on Contextualization and the Third Horizon." In The Church in the Bible and the World: An International Study, ed. D. A. Carson, 213-257. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1987. | No work proposing to discuss some of the more disputed biblical themes relating to the church can afford to ignore the current ferment over the mission of the church. The field is vast and the disputed areas many; but this essay focuses on the interface between the new hermeneutic and contextualization. In order to keep the subject narrowly focused, the rest of this paper proceeds in dialogue with the influential article of Daniel von Allmen on the birth of theology. Some essays capture a mood or put into words what many others have been struggling to articulate. When such essays are published, they immediately gain assent and wide recognition not necessarily because they are cogent or their arguments unassailable, but because they burst onto the theological scene just at the time when they seem to confirm the opinions of many readers. Apparently, something like that has happened to von Allmen's important essay; and so it provides a suitable backdrop to the following reflections on the third horizon. In what follows I shall first of all summarize von Allmen's arguments, and then proceed to a discussion of exegetical and methodological problems associated with his work. Finally, I shall try to assess von Allmen's judgment of the kind of contextualization that ought to take place as one attempts to evangelize people of the third horizon, and conclude with some slightly broader formulations. |
| Carson, Donald A. "Reflections on Contextualization: A Critical Appraisal of Daniel Von Allmen's 'Birth of Theology.'" East Africa Journal of Evangelical Theology 3:1 (1984): 16-59. | Critical review of Von Allmen's article on the birth of theology (International Review of Mission 64 (1975): 37-52) with ongoing reflections on issues of contextualization. Four guidelines for African work include: 1) theology must be based on the whole Bible; 2) historical theology is indispensable; 3) different cultures can learn from each other; and 4) Western and African theologies should encourage each other to do better jobs in their respective contexts. |
| Chan, Simon. "Second Thoughts on Contextualization." Evangelical Review of Theology 9:1 (January 1985): 50-54. | This article explains why the author does not share his Third World colleagues' enthusiasm about contextualization. As a catalyst, he seeks to stimulate discussion on the issue which points to new areas of study and reflection that are important for pursuing our theological task. Areas in which he raised concerns include: 1) is sociology the only model for cultural analysis, 2) can the differences of East and West ways of thinking be demarcated purely along cultural lines, 3) typically the synchronic is emphasized over the diachronic in contextualization; 4) must we always replace "theoretical" with "relevant"? |
| Chrispal, Ashish. "Contextualisation." AETEI Journal 10:1 (Jan. - June 1997): 23-35. | Our historical situation is not just a 'condition'; it should be incorporated as a constituitive element into our understanding of mission, which affirms that God has turned towards the world. This paper expands. from an evangelical orientation, on the idea of how the church can be true to the Good News of Jesus showing forth the love of God and the power and presence of the Spirit and yet be relevant in the context in which God has placed her. |
| Clapsis, Emmanuel. "The Challenge of Contextual Theologies." Greek Orthodox Theological Review 38 (1993): 71-79. | Contextual theologies, despite the fact that they serve as necessary correctives against ivory-tower academic theology, contain in themselves some dangerous tendencies. It is possible to accept or sanctify anything and everything in the name of contextual theologies and indigenous praxis as genuine and legitimate forms of expressions of Christian faith and hope. For the remedy of this problem, authentic criteria of detecting genuine Christian truth should be explicitly adopted. Contextual theologies cannot be absolute and exclusive articulations of Christian truth. They need to be complimented by the biblical, conciliar and patristic tradition of the undivided Church. It is also possible that the intrinsic provisionality of contextual theologies may become a temptation to deny the universality of Christian revelation and universal human contexts and values. Despite these claims, there is a basic human context or situation which is perennially and universally valid and applicable such as finiteness and sinfulness of man, the need of forgiveness, the need of communion, and so on. Hence, the task of theology does not seem to be exhausted by contextual theologies. These theologies must be situated in the greater context of the Church's catholicity which may enlarge their scope, leading them into the fullness of the truth. |
| Cochrane, James R. "Contextualization and Globalization in Theological Education." Ministerial Formation 72 (1996): 29-34. | For some years my colleagues and I have struggled to understand what theological education might mean in a context of deep hurt and systemic pain. We tried to respond to the challenge to the churches presented by the now internationally known Kairos Document. In a context of Christians killing Christians in the name of Christian values, many questions were asked. These questions led us to attempt a programme whose manifesto is contextualization. We know that the notion of contextualization is an empty category, capable of hiding many things, including many things we do not want. So what content were we to give to this notion? Why choose it in the first place? Why continue with it now that South African society has changed so dramatically, where miraculously we have a government of national unity on the way to replacing white domination with a normal democracy? I will try to share some of our learnings and reflections, choosing, I hope, those that may make most sense to you in your context. |
| Coe, Shoki. "Contextualizing Theology." In Mission Trends No 3: Third World Theologies, ed. Gerald H. Anderson and Thomas F. Stransky, 19-24. New York: Paulist Press, 1976. | In the developing theologies of the "younger churches" in the Third World, the emphasis has shifted from indigenization to contextualization. Why? How do they differ? Indigenization, according to Shoki Coe, derives from the idea of "taking root in the soil," and tends to suggest a static response to the Gospel "in terms of traditional culture. Therefore, it is in danger of being past-oriented." The context today, however, "is not that of static culture, but the search for the new, which at the same time has involved the culture itself." Therefore, he says, "in using the word contextualization, we try to convey all that is implied in the familiar term indigenization, yet seek to press beyond for a more dynamic concept which is open to change and which is also future-oriented." He sees dangers in contextuality but he also sees it as "the missiological discernment of the signs of the times, seeing where God is at work and calling us to participate in it." |
| Cole, Victor. "How Can We Africanize our Faith: Another Look at the Contextualization of Theology." East Africa Journal of Evangelical Theology 3:2 (1984): 3-20. | Though the term 'contextualization' has been around for over a decade, no clear consensus has emerged as to the meaning, the bases and the process involved in contextualization. This articles offers a perspective to the ongoing discussion. It also surveys the development of local theologies from around the world. Critical differences are noted in four areas: the view of theology, the data base for theologizing, the authority base in theologizing, and the hermeneutical principles employed. |
| Conn, Harvie M. "Contextual Theologies: The Problem of Agendas." Evangelical Review of Theology 15:3 (July 1991): 207-222. | In this article the author argues that the application of the biblical message to our contemporary world is necessary but not enough. We must go deeper into the historical and cultural context of the people with whom the gospel is being shared. The gospel must be inculturated, not just applied, Doing theology is more than a mental exercise; it comes from on-the-road involvement in the lives of people. It is the right relationship between text and context. The author discusses the agenda of the Early Church, of Anglo-Saxon evangelicals today and of the emerging churches in the Two Thirds World. This important article speaks to the heart of the hermeneutical crisis in developing a theology of communication which is both biblically faithful and culturally relevant. Reprinted from Westminster Theological Journal 52 (1990): 51-63. |
| Conn, Harvie M. "Contextual Theologies: The Problem of Agendas." Westminster Theological Journal 52 (1990): 51-63. | In this article the author argues that the application of the biblical message to our contemporary world is necessary but not enough. We must go deeper into the historical and cultural context of the people with whom the gospel is being shared. The gospel must be inculturated, not just applied, Doing theology is more than a mental exercise; it comes from on-the-road involvement in the lives of people. It is the right relationship between text and context. The author discusses the agenda of the Early Church, of Anglo Saxon evangelicals today and of the emerging churches in the Two Thirds World. This important article speaks to the heart of the hermeneutical crisis in developing a theology of communication which is both biblically faithful and culturally relevant. Reprinted in Evangelical Review of Theology 15:3 (July 1991): 207-222. |
| Conn, Harvie M. "Contextualization: A New Dimension for Cross-Cultural Hermeneutic." Evangelical Missions Quarterly 14:1 (January 1978): 39-46. | How much is theology and exegesis inevitably influenced by the ideological, cultural and socio-political values and commitments of the interpreter? This article examines the evangelical model of exegesis as developed through history as a directly pertinent methdological influence on our contemporary experience in cross-cultural hermeneutic. |
| Conn, Harvie M. "Contextualization: Where Do We Begin?" In Evangelicals and Liberation, ed. Carl E. Armerding, 90-119. Nutley, N.J.: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company, 1977. | In its understanding of contextualization is liberation theology's self-understanding "as a new way to do theology." What are the parameters of contextualization and the debate which surrounds, it? What part has the theology of liberation played in the formation of the debate? How shall we begin the erection of evangelical guidelines that respond in constructive dialogue to liberation theology's questions in the contextualization debate? |
| Conn, Harvie M. "The Missionary Task of Theology: A Love/Hate Relationship?" Westminster Theological Journal 45:1 (1983): 1-21. | The late arrival of missiology as an academic discipline has left it without a clear place in the theological curriculum. That place cannot be secured by defaming liberal disparagement of it or by continuing to support its place in the "practical" disciplines of theology. Rather, its place as the ground or basis of theology must be reaffirmed. The timing is appropriate for such a restoration. Contemporary theology is in a state of self-analysis, struggling with questions of ecclesiastical shift to the southern hemisphere, world hunger and poverty, and Third World questioning of traditional theological formulation. Placing missiology at the center of theologizing is not a new course. Calvin's renovation of the theological curriculum in the 16th century sought to put it there, only to have Western scholasticism return to the old models. The current call for contextualization can mean a return to the healthy models of the Reformation, models not so much "essentialist" as "functional". |
| Costas, Orlando. "Contextualization and Incarnation." Journal of Theology for Southern Africa 29 (December 1979): 23-30. | In the course of our discussion we stress the relevance of context for theology, the dynamic nature of contextualization, its theological roots in the incarnation and the imperative of incarnating Christ in our respective contexts of oppression for a meaningful communication of the gospel in today's world. The point, however, is not a matter of theological precision and missiological awareness, but rather of commitment and practice. The real issue is whether we as Christians are willing to be immersed in the concrete situations of the disenfranchised of our societies and witness to the lordship and saviourhood of Christ from within, a commitment which will have to be verified in our participation in the concrete transformation of these situations. Anything else is pure talk, and the kingdom of God "does not consist in talk but in power" (2 Cor. 4:20). |
| Cray, Graham. "Methods of Communication and Contextualisation." World Evangelization Magazine(September/October 1997): 14-15. | The purpose of the proclamation is that people hear the gospel. The choice of methods of communication raises four key questions. What can any particular medium of communication convey? What it assumed to convey within a particular culture? What parts of the whole process of evangelization does it fit best? What does it need to be faithful to the gospel? |
| Daly, T. V. "Some Basic Questions on Context: Can a Religious Message Pass from One Context to Another Unchanged?" In Toward Theology in an Australian Context, ed. Victor C. Hayes, 38-45. Bedford Park, S. Australia: Australian Association for the Study of Religions, 1979. | The notion of context is something that we first come upon indirectly, somewhat as we come upon the notion of consciousness indirectly. A first question concerns the contribution of the context to understanding the message which the expression is meant to convey. A second question concerns the possibility of conveying that same message in a different context, and there is a third main question about whether a new context, quite different from the context in which the message was first expressed, can, besides simply accepting the message and allowing it to be conveyed, even throw new light on it and deepen our understanding of it, so that the message can be said to have expanded to fill the new context, while remaining essentially the same message. |
| Davies, John R. "Biblical Precedence for Contextualisation." Evangelical Review of Theology 21:3 (July 1997): 197-214. | In this wide ranging article, the author traces the process of contextualisation in the Old Testament and then in the New Testament highlighting the cultural context of each. With numerous examples, he discusses the continuity and the discontinuity between salvation, history and the religious practices of the surrounding cultures. Following Barth, we may say the challenge is to relate the Bible on one hand to the newspaper on the other, he outlines a number of principles and calls for reactive experimentation in cross-cultural context with special reference to Thailand where the author has served as a missionary. |
| de Mesa, Jose M. "Doing Theology as Inculturation in the Asian Context." Kerygma 20 (1986): 151-73. | A Philippine Catholic perspective on inculturation in Asia. Presents discussion on doing theology in the local church, inculturation as the doing theology, agenda of theology in Asia, emphasis on positive resources of the culture, and a schematic description of doing theology as inculturation. Concludes: I hope that the foregoing exposition has made somewhat clear how doing theology in a specific socio-cultural setting contributes to the inculturation of the Gospel and of the local Church. Within the basic process of theologizing, i.e. the mutually respectful and critical interaction between the culture and the Faith Tradition, we emphasized the contribution of a specific theological method towards the achievement of cultural identity in contemporary society among the peoples of Asia. It was the intent of the method to bring the doer of theology to an appreciative awareness of and to utilize the positive resources offered not only by the cultural wisdom and genius of a people but also by the Judaeo-Christian Tradition. May it serve as an invitation to do theology which is culturally meaningful and situationally relevant. |
| Deist, Ferdinand E. "'Contextualisation' as Nomadic Existence." Scriptura S9 (1991): 47-66. | Botha (1991) refers to various approaches to 'contextualisation', some of which proceed from the assumption that Scripture should interpret present situations, while others insist on letting present situations interpret Scripture. In what follows I shall discuss a South African example of each of these approaches (Potgieter 1989 and Mosala 1989) to show that, since both approaches may for good reasons be viewed as either 'contextual' or 'non-contextual' our (intuitive) definition of 'contextuality' appears to be at the least ambiguous. Discussing the problematic nature of these two approaches I intend to show that (a) a contingent socio-political framework provides too narrow a basis for a truly contextual theology, (b) not every theology that is relevant for a particular contingent situation is necessarily contextual, (c) not every social theory that can explain a situation is suitable for constructing a truly contextual theology for that situation, and to suggest an approach that could assist us in speaking less vaguely about 'contextual theology'. |
| Dulles, Avery. "Theology for a Post-Critical Age." In Theology Toward the Third Millennium: Theological Issues for the Twenty-first Century, ed. David G. Schultenover, 5-22. Lewiston, NY: Edwin Mellen, 1991. | Dulles presents an analysis of the state of the theological question, arguing that Christian theology in the West has passed through at least three discernible eras: classical, critical, and uncritical, and is currently in a post-critical age. He describes the program of each of these phases but dwells on today's "post-critical theology" and deals with a series of questions posed to it: Who is the theologian? What publics are addressed? What is the goal of theology? What are the criteria of theology? What is the role of church authority? And what are the possibilities and limits of diversity and innovation? |
| Dussel, Enrique. "Towards a Clarification of Terms." In Theology by the People: Reflections on Doing Theology in Community, ed. Samuel Amirtham and John S. Pobee, 27-32. Geneva: World Council of Churches, 1986. | Theology by the people? This is not just an interrogation, it is a challenge, a questioning, and almost a utopia. Can the people make or produce theology? Who are the people? Is it possible to have a theology produced by the people themselves? In this short introduction, I do not pretend to answer these questions. Rather, I will leave them open for debate. We wish to speak of theology "by the people", with the meaning of theological work by the "social block of the oppressed" in the nations of our present world, but very especially the "social block of the oppressed" from the exploited, peripheral nations of the third world. Here "poor people" is a suffering reality that cries aloud to heaven as in the time of Moses. |
| Dyson, Anthony O. "Dogmatic or Contextual Theology." Study Encounter 8:3 (1972): 19721-8. | "Dogmatic" and "contextual" are vague and slippery terms apt to mislead, not least because they carry different connotations In different theological cultures. In this paper I understand them as referring to two relatively distinguishable tendencies in current theology. "What count as starting points and controls for these two tendencies?" By and large, the dogmatic tendency appeals in the first place to things like "revelation", "Bible", "Scripture and tradition". The contextual tendency on the other hand refers, In the first place, to data drawn as directly as possible from the (secular) world about us. Thus we may characterize "dogmatic" and "contextual" as respectively past-centred and present-centred In respect of norms. Further, both tendencies deal with God and the world. But whereas the dogmatic method tends to treat the world out of its understanding of God, the contextual tendency allows its understanding of particular "worlds" far greater priority and leverage in shaping its eventual discourse. These distinctions point, In turn, to different aims. The dogmatic tendency seeks for a comprehensive, connected and even synthetic structure. The contextual tendency works more with theological fragments, analyzing particular themes and situations which arrest attention. |
| Engle, Richard W. "Contextualization in Missions: A Biblical and Theological Appraisal." Grace Theological Journal 4:1 (1983): 85-107 | Evangelical missiologists have debated the validity of using the term "contextualization" in cross-cultural ministries. This article explores the matter from the perspective of one who is not a missiologist but is concerned about world-wide church planting. The recent history of the term is surveyed and the concept is traced through selected events in biblical history. While the term as originated is encumbered with problems, the basic concept has significant strengths. "Contextualization" may be defined as showing the whole Bible to be relevant to the total individual in all relationships of life. The term is appropriate to use in an informed, biblical manner in relation to separatist missionary effort. |
| Ericson, Norman R. "Implications from the New Testament for Contextualization." In Theology and Mission: Papers Given at Trinity Consultation No. 1, ed. David J. Hesselgrave, 71-85. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1978. | The NT literature arises out of specific contexts; the intent was not to be transhistorical but historical; not to be transcultural but culturally relevant, not antisocial or asocial, but directly instructive as to the proper expression of the Christian faith. Thus, the NT is a prime example of contextualization. The article then surveys examples of contextualization within the NT and notes three criteria for contextualization (truth, meaning, and communication) and stages in the process: 1) translation of Scripture; 2) informational presentation; 3) didactic presentation; 4) hortatory presentation (persuasion); and 5) existential presentation (speaking to the society). |
| Etuk, Udo. "The Theology of Contextualization in Africa: A Cover for Traditional Cultural Revival." Catalyst 16:3 (1986): 201-20. | The article shows that recent calls for the Africanization of Christianity (or contextualization) are an inversion of the perennial Christian task of evangelizing not only Africa but the whole world. To accomplish this, a number of practices from African traditional cultures are highlighted, and it is argued that these practices are inconsistent with the centrality, uniqueness, and soteriological role of Jesus Christ. Contextualization theology, the article argues, is fueled by several factors including political-cultural awakening. There can and needs be renewals in forms of worship which are culture-bound without compromising the essential gospel message. Also in Concordia Journal 11 (1985): 214-222. |
| Flemming, Dean. "The Third Horizon: A Wesleyan Contribution to the Contextualization Debate." AETEI Journal 9:2 (July - Dec. 1996): 3-30. | Focuses on the need of an adequate hermeneutic for the task of contextualization, since hermeneutics lies at the heart of of what it means to contextualize the gospel and our hermeneutic invariably determines the product of our contextualization. |
| Gehman, Richard J. "Guidelines in Contextualization." East Africa Journal of Evangelical Theology 2:1 (1983): 24-36. | Reviews literature and arguments with the following definition which is expanded on through the article: Contextualizing Theology is that 8) dynamic process whereby 1) the people of God 6) living in community and interacting with believers throughout time 'and space, 4) under the illuminating guidance of the Holy Spirit, 9) proclaim 7) in their own language and thought forms, 5) the Word that God has spoken to them 3) in their context 2) through the study of Scripture. |
| Gilliland, Dean. "Phenomenology as Mission Method." Missiology 7:4 (October 1979): 451-59. | All religions reveal the essence of truth held sacred by a people. It is important that missionaries respect and search for religious truths in a receptor culture rather than merely attempt to "convert". Phenomenology opens a way to understand the "other faith". Professor Gilliland asks that the Christian messenger be an intense observer as well as a faithful representative. |
| Gilliland, Dean S. "Contextual Theology as Incarnational Mission." In The Word Among Us: Contextualizing Theology for Mission Today, ed. Dean S. Gilliland, 9-31. Dallas: Word Publishing, 1989. | Our purpose is not to take the reader through the technicalities of contextualization. Rather, the main reason for this chapter is to show why contextualization opens the way to evangelize every nation, as our Lord commanded, without paternalizing, dominating, or setting up foreign and dependent churches. The contextual principle begins with the moment when the first message is preached and continues through the planting, nurturing, and witness of the church. We want to consider six reasons why contextualization is the mode for the mission enterprise today and for the future: 1) it guards against the imperialism of theology; 2) it provides for training in the Holy Spirit; 3) it cultivates a mission-conscious church; 4) it fosters the growth and multiplication of churches; 5) it provides a multi-dimensional gospel for multi-dimensional needs; and 6) it opens the way for incarnational witness. |
| Gilliland, Dean S. "New Testament Contextualization: Continuity and Particularity in Paul's Theology." In The Word Among Us: Contextualizing Theology for Mission Today, ed. Dean S. Gilliland, 52-73. Dallas: Word Publishing, 1989. | The ministry of Paul provides us with the clearest of case studies for contextualization in the New Testament. The intention of this chapter is to emphasize tile contextual methodology of Paul. The apocalyptic and Abraham themes are but illustrations of the way in which the whole of the apostolic gospel was presented. The central message of Jesus was carefully retained while, as the Spirit directed, this message was given incarnational expression. Paul worked in a variety of local situations with no text other than the Old Testament. In theologizing today, as we move from culture to culture, we have the Scriptures. Revelational truth is the foundation on which particular theologies are constructed. We must know the Word, and we must know the culture. The hermeneutic of the culture will guide us in appropriating the Word, while at the same time the irrevocable truth of the Word will judge and transform the culture. |
| Glasser, Arthur F. "Help from an Unexpected Quarter or, The Old Testament and Contextualization." Missiology 7:4 (October 1979): 403-10. | Seeing examples of contextualization in the OT. |
| Glasser, Arthur F. "Old Testament Contextualization: Revelation and its Environment." In The Word Among Us: Contextualizing Theology for Mission Today, ed. Dean S. Gilliland, 32-51. Dallas: Word Publishing, 1989. | It is the pattern of communication through incarnation that we find in the Old Testament, for it is replete with evidence that God continually used a contextualizing process in his progressive self-disclosure of himself to his people. At the same time, the Old Testament calls particular attention to the abiding validity of those non-negotiables that constitute normative truths for all peoples in all situations. It warns against being so preoccupied with the changing political and social context that these abiding truths are regarded as of only secondary importance. |
| Goldsmith, Martin. "Contextualization of Theology." Themelios 9:1 (September 1983): 18-23. | The context in which theology is done is socio-political and also philosophico-religious. Contextualized theology tends today to divide along these two streams. On the socio-political side, Latin American liberation theology is matched today by a deluge of political theological writings from all over the world. While much of the political theology produced in other countries seems to mimicking the current fashion, we still have to consider the reality and relevance of this whole movement to relate the Christian faith to its socio-political environment and to the needs of the poor. On the philosophico-religious side, we need to reiterate that contextualization of theology should follow the pattern of the New Testament in seeking to express the faith in terms of the surrounding religious and philosophical environment. The Hebrew faith of Israel needed to be bent to fit the context of a Greek Gentile civilization. It now requires further contextualization to adapt to current English, Indian or African approaches. |
| Green, Denis. "Guidelines from Hebrews for Contextualization." In Muslims and Christians on the Emmaus Road: Crucial Issues in Witness among Muslims, ed. J. Dudley Woodberry, 233-250. Monrovia, CA: MARC, 1989. | |
| Haleblian, Krikor. "The Problem of Contextualization." Missiology 11:1 (January 1983): 95-111. | Purpose of article is to identify and analyze a number of problems raised by the use of "contextualization" and offer potential ways to resolve them. Seven issues are chosen for discussion: 1) defining the term, 2) differences from indigenization, 3) the legitimate agents for contextualization, 4) syncretism, 5) the limits of contextualization, 6) the gospel core, and 7) hermeneutics. |
| Hao, Yap Kim. "Inter-Contextualization: Releasing the 'Theological' Frog From Underneath the Coconut Shell." Asia Journal of Theology 4:1 (1990): 36-44. | A general discussion on what contextualization is and what that means in the Asian context. |
| Harjula, Raimo J. "The Significance of Contextual Theology." Theology and Life 1 (1978): 37-40. | Theology is never done in a vacuum, but always in a given historical and cultural context. According to our new understanding, theology can never be like a ready book. In fact, theology never becomes ready. On the contrary, according to this functional understanding of theology, theology is an ongoing process. Theology is something that is being done, and it is something that is being done in many, many different ways. Christian theology is an ongoing process; it means translation and interpretation of God's self-disclosure. Now this translation and interpretation takes place at different levels (discusses with east African examples of each): 1) the semantic or linguistic level; 2) the mythological level; 3) the conceptual level; and 4) the life-situation level. |
| Heideman, Eugene S. "Syncretism, Contextualization, Orthodoxy, and Heresy." Missiology 25:1 (January 1997): 37-49. | Syncretism and contextualization are often heard by Third World and marginalized Christians as code words of power designed to maintain the traditional authority of missionaries and leaders of Western Christianity, with its roots in the Trinitarian dogma established in the fourth century. In our times, when the Christian Pith has to be thought out and lived in many non- Western cultures, it is important to focus more carefully on the second and third centuries, when the Christian apologists defended their faith and sought means to formulate liturgical and theological language in an age of pluralism, syncretism, and ritualism. |
| Hesselgrave, David J. "Contextualization that is Authentic and Relevant." International Journal of Frontier Missions 12:3 (July-Sept. 1995): 115-119. | Contextualization must balance faithfulness to the biblical text with meaningfulness to the audience. The process involves several steps which if overlooked can truncate the task of discipling the nations that still need to be reached. |
| Hesselgrave, David J. "Great Commission Contextualization." International Journal of Frontier Missions 12:3 (July-Sept. 1995): 139-144. | Contextualization must be done in light of the overall purposes of God and His redemptive plan for the world. Failure to contextualize without the "big picture" fragments the understanding of Scripture and significantly hinders the Church from fulfilling its mission. |
| Hesselgrave, David J. "The Contextualization Continuum." Gospel in Context 2:3 (July 1979): 4-11. | Attempt to lay out a model describing the major categories of contextualization approaches (apostolic accommodation, prophetic accommodation, and syncretistic accommodation). Focus on the controlling influence o four epistemological and theological background in determining our preferred definition. Later appeared as chap. 11 in Contextualization: Meanings, Methods and Models. |
| Hesselgrave, David J. "Worldview, Scripture and Missionary Communication." International Journal of Frontier Missions 14:2 (April-June 1997): 79-82. | A more serious and strategic use of God's Word, when accompanied by prayer, has the potential for effecting one of the most significant spiritual breakthroughs in the history of missions. Hesselgrave presents and discusses five initial assumptions about missionary communication, four axioms fundamental to Scripture use and mission strategy, and six corollaries of communicating Scripture on which he builds his argument. |
| Hiebert, Paul G. "Beyond Anti-Colonialism to Globalism." Missiology 19:3 (July 1991): 263-81. | Missions has always had to deal with cultural and religious pluralism. In the past its response has often been colonial. In recent years there has been a strong reaction that has sought to eradicate the ethnocentrism and arrogance of the previous era. This reaction is an important corrective, but in itself leads us into pragmatism, relativism, and a superficial acceptance of the other. We need to go beyond anti-colonialism to find a solid base for affirming the truth or guiding us in missions, and in our relationship to people of the gospel, and of other religions. |
| Hiebert, Paul G. "Critical Contextualization." International Bulletin of Missionary Research 11:3 (July 1987): 104-12. | Presents a model for that takes into account possible responses to traditional practices (uncritical acceptance or rejection; or realistic dealing with the problem to develop a genuine contextualized response) with case study to illustrate the model. Expanded from Missiology 12:3 (July 1984): 287-96 and reappears later in Anthropological Reflections on Missiological Issues (chapter 5). |
| Hiebert, Paul G. "Critical Contextualization." Missiology 12:3 (July 1984): 287-96. | Presents a model for that takes into account possible responses to traditional practices (uncritical acceptance or rejection; or realistic dealing with the problem to develop a genuine contextualized response) with case study to illustrate the model. Reappears later in expanded form in International Bulletin (11.3, July 1987) and Anthropological Reflections on Missiological Issues (chapter 5). |
| Hiebert, Paul G. "Form and Meaning in Contextualization of the Gospel." In The Word Among Us: Contextualizing Theology for Mission Today, ed. Dean S. Gilliland, 101-120. Dallas: Word Publishing, 1989. | Two questions face every cross-cultural missionary. First, what shall we do with the existing cultural practices, particularly those related to the people's religion? How should we respond to veneration of ancestors, witchcraft, magical charms, idol worship, and human sacrifice? Second, how can we best express the gospel in the new culture? Can we use the people's words for God when these are deeply tied to their existing religious beliefs, or should we introduce foreign terms which they do not understand? Can we reinterpret their marriage and funeral customs to convey a Christian message, or will the message itself become captive of their old beliefs? Central to the debates in missions that have surrounded these questions is the relationship of form and meaning. To understand these debates, we will look briefly at a history of missionary responses in the past century, and then at the nature of symbols in human cultures. |
| Hiebert, Paul G. "Metatheology: The Step beyond Contextualization." In Reflection and Projection: Missiology at the Threshold of 2001: Festschrift in Honor of George W. Peters for His Eightieth Birthday, ed. Hans Kasdorf and Klaus W. Muller, 383-395. Bad Liebenzell: Verlag der Liebenzeller Mission, 1988. | As the church in a given sociocultural setting seeks to contextualize the Gospel, it is most keenly aware of the needs that the Gospel must address within its own setting and of the foreignness of Christian forms that have been brought to it from without. It is often unaware, however, of its own cultural biases that it projects into its understanding of the Scriptures. Believers in other cultures are generally more aware of these. Consequently, churches in specific cultural settings need the check of the international community of churches to help them test where their theologies are too strongly influenced by their own cultural assumptions. Ironically enough, this metatheological process carried out on the international level may lead us to what Western theologians have long sought, namely a growing consensus on theological absolutes. In other words, it may bring us closer to the formulation of a truly supracultural theology. But such a formulation must be an ongoing process, for as the world and its cultures change, so do the problems that theology must address. |
| Hoedemaker, Bert. "Contextual Analysis and Unity of Perspective: An Exercise in Missiological Method." In Popular Religion, Liberation and Contextual Theology: Papers from a Congress (January 3-7, 1990, Nijmegen, the Netherlands) Dedicated to Arnulf Camps OFM, ed. Jacques Van Nieuwenhove and Berma Klein Goldewijk, 200-09. Kampen, Netherlands: J. H. Kok, 1991. | The discipline of missiology exists by virtue of a faith-hypothesis in which three things are welded together: first, the original story of the Christian gospel - put differently: the permanent covenant-question; second, the seemingly endless plurality of human stories produced by basic contextual experience; and third, the promise of the ultimate realization of "shalom", of salvation, for all humankind. That these three together finally form one over-arching story, that is the basic hopeful assumption, both of missionary work and missiological reflection. Contextual analysis and contextual theology are, in that sense, latecomers in the missiological enterprise, and as such they have created quite a disturbance in traditional method. They are, however, basic to the further development of the discipline. The integration of contextual analysis with missiology, as I have attempted to sketch it, will enrich academic theology as a whole and make it truly ecumenical, in other words: make it grow in the framework of world wide intercontextual communication. |
| Honeycutt, Dwight. "Contextualization: A Valuable Missiological Concept." Theological Educator: A Journal of Theology and Ministry 36 (1987): 9-15. | One of the liveliest topics in missiological discussions during recent years has been about contextualization. The debate surrounding this theme began in 1972 with a report published by the Theological Education Fund entitled Ministry in Context. Since that year, the discussion has moved in different directions, often with much attendant confusion. What has emerged with contextualization is a valuable missiological concept which has valid application to the expression of the church in any cultural setting, including Europe and North America. This appraisal does not pretend to deal with all issues within the contextualization dialogue, but rather focuses upon a definition of the term since, indeed, that is basic. Also, because of special interests related to the Latin American scene, attention is given to the contextualization emphases in that particular setting. Finally, some assessment of the value of contextualization is attempted. |
| Hutchinson, Roger C. "Contextualization: No Passing Fad." In A New Beginning, ed. Theresa Chu and Christopher Lind, 68-77. Montreal: Canada China Programme, 1983. | I have been asked to discuss Protestant resources for involvement in the struggle for social justice. Although I am not an experienced "China watcher," I know that participants will have differing attitudes towards the patriotic Christians in China and that the Chinese delegates will have interesting things to say about liberation theology in a post-liberation context. I have decided to focus on the process of contextualization itself, and to relate the Asian discussion of that process to some aspects of our Canadian experience. In the three parts of the paper I will introduce the Asian discussion of contextualization; apply the discussion to some aspects of our Canadian experience; and ask how the current stress on context relates to traditional preoccupations with catholicity, universality and transcendence. |
| Ingleby, Jonathan. "Tricking Down or Shaking the Foundations: Is Contextualization Neutral?" Missiology 25:2 (April 1997): 183-87. | Can we only focus on the dominant culture when we look at cultural context for contextualization or do we need to be more radical? |
| "Introduction." In Theology by the People: Reflections on Doing Theology in Community, ed. Samuel Amirtham and John S. Pobee, 1-26. Geneva: World Council of Churches, 1986. | Introduces the book, a collection of papers from a conference held in 1985 in Mexico under the auspices of the Programme on Theological Education of the World Council of Churches. This article discusses issues related to "people's theology" including definitions, assumptions, types (Minjung, African, Black, Feminist) and implications. |
| Jennings, George J. "A Model for Christian Missions to the American Indians." Missiology 11:1 (January 1983): 55-74. | The lack of cultural thinking in missions to American Indians; models that were historically followed. |
| Kan, Baoping. Translated by Peter Barry. "On Theological Contextualization." In Constructive Christian Theology in the Worldwide Church, ed. William R. Barr, 83-90. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997. | Today, as people consider how to establish a Christian theology with Chinese church characteristics, the issue of contextual theology has been put on the agenda. just what is contextual theology? Why must theology be contextualized? The issue must be conscientiously studied because such research will help us to find our own way in developing a Christian theology which fits the revelation that God is giving to Chinese Christians today, and which has both Chinese Christian characteristics and a close relationship to the context of the Chinese church. Our theology should not be an unexamined clone of western theology. |
| Kaplan, Steven. "The Africanization of Missionary Christianity: History and Typology." In Indigenous Responses to Western Christianity, ed Steven Kaplan, 9-28. New York: New York University Press, 1995. | The process of relating Christianity to an African setting has assumed diverse forms and has been guided by a variety of principles and motives. In this chapter six terms have been chosen to describe what appear to be six different modes of adaptation: toleration, translation, assimilation, Christianization, acculturation, and incorporation. Each term is discussed and illustrated with historical examples in the appropriate section below. The typology presented in this essay is, of course, tentative and intended to provoke discussion. Some readers may challenge the categories I have suggested; others may attempt to characterize the various historical episodes. Such debate is welcome. As the study of African independent churches has demonstrated, efforts to create an analytical framework, while no substitute for case studies, are a valuable supplement. The phenomena discussed in this chapter are of obvious relevance to the history of Christianity in other periods and regions and, while no attempt has been made to apply the typology outside Africa, this should be understood as a product of my own limited knowledge, rather than a function of inherent limitations of this framework. |
| Karamaga, Andrew T. "Mission and Contextualization." Reformed World 42 (1992): 53-62. | Some see mission as evangelization, while others as service to people. Despite the complex nature of the situation, this presentation does not try to rewrite the history of mission or to give it a new identity. My aim is only to clarify the global question which lies before us, and which seems to me to be the order of the day in our respective contexts. "What does mission mean in view of contextualization?" How is the Gospel made manifest in a world situation shaped by many diverse offerings of salvation, poverty in the widest sense and new secular orientations? |
| Kato, Byang H. "The Gospel, Cultural Context and Religious Syncretism." In Let the Earth Hear His Voice: International Congress on World Evangelization Lausanne, Switzerland. Official Reference Volume: Papers and Responses, ed. J. D. Douglas, 1216-23. Minneapolis, MN: World Wide Publications, 1975. | If there was a time in Africa when there was a need of the, clean-cut Gospel it is today. It is therefore, a great privilege for me to share with God's servants my understanding of the Gospel in Africa and the challenge it faces in the area of syncretism. The final word for the African Christian is to make Christianity culturally relevant without destroying its ever-abiding presentation. |
| Kinsler, F. Ross. "Mission and Context: The Current Debate about Contextualization." Evangelical Missions Quarterly 14:1 (January 1978): 23-29. | Outlines current issues in the early debates over the term contextualization: 1) it is concerned not only with the communication of the gospel, but its very nature; 2) in some circles the debate focuses on issues of syncretism; 3) it is also concerned with tradition and renewal in churches; and 4) there is an apparent conflict between biblical theology and contextual theologies. |
| Kirby, Jon P. "Inculturation of the Christian Message: Claim, Reality, Consequences." In Anthropology and Mission, ed. Joachim G. Piepke, 68-81. Nettetal, Germany: Steyler Verlag, 1988. | |
| Klem, Herbert. "Principles of Contextualisation." In Facing the New Challenges: The Message of PACLA, December 9-19, 1976, Nairobi, ed. Michael Cassidy and Luc Verlinden, 222-226. Kisumu, Kenya: Evangel Publishing House, 1978. | Contextualizing theology does riot mean that each culture group is free twist the Bible into its own form of heresy, Every group seems to have its special interests and is capable of using the Bible to defend its own cultural points of view. It is possible to find men using the Bible to support apartheid, various forms of racial segregation, various forms of economic oppression, and even indifference to the need for global evangelization. In these cases en have sifted the Bible to select what they wanted and have ignored the parts that would. have challenged their evil ways. Pastors involved in contextualized theology consciously assess the spiritual needs of a given people. The first step is to ask, what are the greatest needs of a given people before God? Then there is a conscious selection of the teachings about God and man that are most urgently needed to guide the lives of the people into a healthy walk with God. When these doctrines have been selected and defined they are explained in a way that is most understandable and most likely to be appreciated by the people concerned. |
| Kraft, Charles. "Contextualisation Theory in Euro-American Missiology." World Evangelization Magazine(September/October 1997): 10-11. | A brief history of how "contextualization" replaced "indigenization" in evangelical circles followed by a list of unresolved issues in contextualization studies, including: 1. How to get what we think we know academically across to field missionaries, to entrenched church leaders and to the administrators of missionary-sending organizations. 2. How to solve the problem of missionaries who know enough to work in culturally sensitive ways but who do not do it. 3. We have not dealt with the fact that there are important differences for the second and third generations from those faced by the first. 4. The contextualization of relationship. What about the allegiance dimension that is critical to Christianity 5. Most of the world is heavily into spiritual power. We have not adequately dealt with contextualizing spiritual power and spiritual warfare. 6. We need to look critically at our theories of contextualization in relation to what is really going on in the churches. Why do many of the largest, apparently most "successful" churches seem poorly contextualized? Are there factors that override cultural fit? |
| Kraft, Charles H. "The Contextualization of Theology." Evangelical Missions Quarterly 14:1 (January 1978): 31-36. | Contextualization is a technical label for the process of developing theological understandings of biblical Christianity that enables people to stand against pagan thought systems. It is of great importance, and this article introduces basic concepts and overviews the prospects and perils of engaging in it. |
| Krass, Alfred C. "Contextualization for Today." Gospel in Context 2:3 (July 1979): 27-30. | The switch from indigenization to contextualization was a necessary one, especially because the epistemological assumptions of Western thought ensured indigenization was trapped in Western categories. This article explores the epistemological and anthropological assumptions of indigenization and shows why they do not fit the contextualization paradigm. |
| Kudadjie, J. N. "Complementary Theologizing." In Theology by the People: Reflections on Doing Theology in Community, ed. Samuel Amirtham and John S. Pobee, 33-27. Geneva: World Council of Churches, 1986. | It is clear that "the people of God are the primary agents"--indeed, one may dare to say the only agents--"of the basic theological tasks of the church". For who can understand the mind of God or recognize God's purposes and interpret God's signs but the people of God? The theme and the intention cannot be questioned. They are relevant to our times--especially since in all aspects of life there is an emphatic demand for people affected or likely to be affected by any enterprise to be involved in the decision-making processes and the decisions taken! One is all too aware of the opportunities and advantages as well as the problems and disadvantages in the new trend. It is in this light that the following comments are made. |
| Lee, Peter K. H. "Contextualization and Inculturation of Christianity and Confucianism in the Contemporary World." Asia Journal of Theology 7:1 (1993): 84-91. | Discusses meaning of the two terms in the title and how both Christianity and Confucianism contextualize themselves for relevance in contemporary settings. |
| Lehmann, Paul L. "Contextual Theology." Theology Today 29 (1972): 19723-8. | An early philosophical editorial on the concept of contextual theology, including the inherent nature of systematic theology, the ability of theology to take into account the reality of contemporary contexts, and three characteristics of the contextual method of theological process: 1) the method exposes the confessional character of theology; 2) it exposes the dialogical character of theology; and 3) it exposes the catalytic character of theology. |
| Liggett, Thomas J. "Contextualization and Catholicity: Can the Tension Be Creative?" Impact 11 (1983): 21-35. | The author analyzes the tension between given unity of the church and the Christian commitment to contextualize the faith in each culture, historically seen in the Palestinian, Greek, Roman, and northern European forms. The article turns to the new issues posed by contextualization in the 20th century in traditionally non-Christian cultures. Principal issues are identified and the validity of both catholicity and contextualization are affirmed. |
| Loewen, Jacob A. "Mission Churches, Independent Churches, and Felt Needs in Africa." Missiology 4:4 (October 1976): 405-25. | The African independent churches often have to stand against the traditional churches in order to emphasize what is African - but often at the expense of spiritual development. Is it possible to help the independent churches become more biblical while continuing to meet the basic needs of the African Christian? At the same time, can the churches that came to Africa deeply imbedded in Western culture extricate themselves from this cultural encumbrance and become churches that will produce true African Christians? Bible Society Consultant Jake Loewen believes that the answer to both questions is "yes". |
| Losher, D. Jay. "A Wainscoted Gospel: Christian Mission and Enculturational." Asia Journal of Theology 3:2 (1989): 484-495. | There is always a conflict between the Gospel and cultures, and in the church between the essence of Christ's message and the cultural vehicles necessarily utilized to communicate that message. Traces various approaches in light of Indonesian context. |
| Mathew, K. V. "Indigenisation -- An Old Testament Perspective." The Indian Journal of Theology 32:1,2 (Jan.-June 1983): 1-8. | Traces models of indigenization in the OT and develops seven conclusions about indigenization seen in the OT. |
| McQuilkin, J. Robertson. "Problems of Normativeness in Scripture: Cultural Versus Permanent." In Hermeneutics, Inerrancy, and the Bible, ed. Earl D. Radmacher and Robert D. Preus, 217-240. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1984. | |
| Nel, Danie T. "Methods and Models of Context Analysis: The Challenge to Missiology." Missionalia 16:3 (November 1988): 146-56. | I would first like to draw your attention to the importance of context analysis to missiology; secondly to discuss some models of context analysis; and thirdly, to suggest a philosophical alternative which has the noble intention of equipping you with a built-in itch-detector which may enable you to scratch "missiologically" where context analysis itches. |
| Nicholls, Bruce J. "Doing Theology in Context." Evangelical Review of Theology 11:1 (January 1987): 101-106. | Contextualization is a dynamic process of the Church's reflection on the interaction of the Text as Word of God and the context as a specific human situation in obedience to Christ and His mission in the world. it is essentially a missiological concept. Contextualization is not a passing fad or a debatable option. It is essential to our understanding of God's self revelation. The incarnation is the ultimate paradigm of the translation of the Text into context. Concentrating primarily on the hermeneutical side, Nicholls clearly brings out the dynamics of the text, the context, and the church in the process of contextualization. |
| Nicholls, Bruce J. "Towards a Theology of Gospel and Culture." In Down to Earth: Studies in Christianity and Culture: The Papers of the Lausanne Consultation on Gospel and Culture, ed. Robert T. Coote and John Stott, 49-62. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1980. | As a broad generalization we may speak of two approaches to the task of formulating a theology of Gospel and culture--"existential contextualization of the Gospel" and "dogmatic contextualization of the Gospel. " The first approach begins with culture. It seeks to develop interaction between the subjective questions of man in history and an existential understanding of the Word of God. That is, it begins with two relatives and expects to find only tentative theological formulations in a progression to a synthesis of understanding. The second approach reflects a concern for biblical theology as a fixed and authoritative orientation point. It, too, seeks to translate and communicate the biblical message with understanding to each particular culture. But, unlike existential contextualization, it transcends the boundaries of particular cultural conceptual forms and practices and starts with a dogmatic framework rather than a cultural one. Of course, no approach, including dogmatic contextualization, can be "objective" in the absolute sense. All attempts at theologizing are colored by the pre -understandings of the enculturized receivers of the gospel message. Article rejects relativism of existential approaches and focuses on exploring the dogmatic approach. |
| Niles, D. Preman. "Example of Contextualization in the Old Testament." The South East Asia Journal of Theology 21:2 (1980): 19-33. | Examines three identifiable attempts at contextual thinking in the Old Testament: 1) where faith reinterprets the context; 2) where faith draws into the ambit the ethos of the context and internalizes it; and 3) where a changed historical situation requires a radical reinterpretation of the faith and its traditions in a new situation. |
| Okure, Teresa. "Inculturation: Biblical/Theological Bases." In 32 Articles Evaluating Inculturation of Christianity in Africa, ed. Teresa Okure, Paul van Thiel, et al. 55-88. Kenya: AMECEA Gaba Publications, 1990. | This study invites us to reflect on inculturation in the New Testament, and on its relevance for the Church in Nigeria and elsewhere, particularly in Africa. We note from the outset that the scope of the topic is immensely vast. We shall first focus our attention and reflection on highlighting the scriptural and theological foundations for inculturation. My basic assumption is that once we have established more clearly the scriptural and theological principles involved, we would then be better prepared to adopt apt strategies for promoting authentic and effective inculturation. Secondly, it needs to be noted that as an hermeneutical issue, inculturation is not just a twentieth century, and specifically an African problem, that grows out of the reappraisal of our cultural heritage, or consequent from our colonization |
| Olson, Duane A. "Contextualization: Everybody's Doing It." Word & World 10 (1990): 349-355. | Contextualization, however, has to do with more than just theology; it do with the shaping of the whole life of every Christian community--in theology--and needs to be spoken of in those broader terms. For the present discussion, I take the contextualization of the faith of the church universal to be the shaping of faith that takes place in the life and witness of any particular Christian community as it both thinks through and gives public expression to its faith, while living out its life and apostolate through full participation in the public life and language, that is to say, the culture, of the wider community of which it is a continuing and responsible part. There remains no question whether or not to contextualize the Christian faith. Rather it is our responsibility to attend to that contextualization intentionally, responsibly, and well. It is a matter of immense concern to all of us that every Christian community's understanding and expression of that faith and apostolate which we hold in common interdependence (or, perhaps better, in which we are held by God), be vitally, authentically and identifiably both Christian and contextual. All, of us have a profound stake in this task and need each other's understanding, concern, and critical--as well as prayerful--support. |
| Padilla, C. René. "The Contextualization of the Gospel." In Readings in Dynamic Indigeneity, ed. Charles H. Kraft and Tom N. Wisley, 286-312. Pasadena, CA: William Carey Library, 1979. | Padilla exposes us to some of the complexities of developing a dynamic process of theologizing in a local context. Can the Gospel be contextualized in any real or complete sense? To what extent will the message be compromised, altered or damaged in the process? Just how much heresy can be tolerated? And who will determine the criteria to judge what is heresy? Whether one agrees with Padilla's conclusion and/or inferences, one cannot ignore the movement that is taking place in that regard. |
| Padilla, C. René. "The Contextualization of the Gospel." Journal of Theology for Southern Africa 24 (September 1978): 12-30. | Defines contextualization from an evangelical perspective; deals with Gospel and culture, the Gospel in the Third World, and toward a contextualized Gospel. Concludes: The contextualization of the Gospel will not consist of an adaptation of an existing theology to a given culture. It will not be merely the result of an intellectual process. It will not be aided by a benevolent missionary paternalism intended to help the young church to select those cultural elements that can be regarded as positive. The contextualization of the Gospel can only be a gift of grace granted by God to a church that is seeking to place the totality of life under the lordship of Christ in its historical situation. |
| Pathrapankal, Joseph. "The Contextual and Universal Dimensions of Christian Theology: A Biblical Perspective." In Light from the East: Essays in Commemoration of the Golden Jubilee of Carmel Vidya Bhavan (19430'93), ed. James Aerthayil, 3-13. Bangalore, India: Dharmaram Publications, 1993. | In the historical development of theological interpretation which maintained the exclusiveness of Christianity, biblical passages were cited and interpreted, very often out of context, and a complacent theology of uniqueness and universality was made to stand above the bead and shoulders of all other theological reflections. In this paper we are trying to see some aspects of these contextual dimensions of Christian theology, at the same time highlighting the more radical and universal dimensions of the biblical thinking which should serve as the controlling factors of our contemporary theological discussions. |
| Pobee, John S. "Skenosis--The Tabernacling of the Word." Mission Studies 3:2 (1986): 4-13. | Introduces and discusses various terms to cover the need for translating the Good News of Christ into contemporary world, from Africanization to indigenization, to adaptation, inculturation, and contextualization. Proposes the use of skenosis (tabernacling) as a word to replace contextualization and more adequately describe what we are trying to do in theological reflection. |
| Pobee, John S. "Theology in the Context of Globalization." Ministerial Formation 79 (1997): 18-26. | The title of this piece is part of the theme EATWOT has chosen to be focus of its work until the next global gathering of EATWOT in 2001. The fuller title is "Struggle for the Fulness of Life: Theology ..". Of course fulness of life in a continent beset by poverty, marginalisation, brutal injustices etc. cannot but be concerned with how to put body and soul together in everyday living; it cannot but be concerned with systematic factors - whether sociological or economic etc. - which in diverse ways contribute towards people's unpleasant and unfortunate circumstances or other wise. But the theme also makes a claim that theology, the God-word or the science of religion, has something to do with fulness of life, either by being a factor in the denial or diminishing of life in its abundance or in fostering and enhancing life. As one looks at Africa today, the issues are stability, development and democratization.' If the God-word is to be able to make sustainable and viable contribution to Africa's well-being, theology will have to engage these issues. |
| Ryan, Charles P. "Mission and Contextualization." Mission 4 (1997): 159-71. | Concludes: In Africa, Asia, South America and other non-Western parts of the world there are to be found Christian communities that were established by heroic and long-suffering missionaries from the nineteenth century to the present. Their external appearances - their buildings, their liturgies, their music and vestments--are frequently incongruous imitations of the externals of the Churches from which the missionaries came. Even more profoundly, their doctrines, organizational structures and philosophies are reflections of those of the foreigners who came, rather than manifestations of the faith of a people in whose culture the revealed message of Christ has been preached. As long as this situation continues, the Churches will continue to be importations, if not impositions, and their members will continue to experience an unnecessary tension between their faith and the culture which is so intimate to them. This condition in Christianity is a major ongoing injustice which must be corrected with increased vigor. |
| Sanchez, Daniel R. "Contextualization and the Missionary Endeavor." In Missiology: An Introduction to the Foundations, History, and Strategies of World Missions, ed. John Mark Terry, Ebbie Smith, and Justice Anderson, 318-33. Nashville, Tennessee: Broadman and Holman Publishers, 1998. | Introduces the concept through defining the term and tracing its use in ecumenical and evangelical circles, with an analysis of key issues: 1) the nature of the gospel; 2) the authority of the scriptures; 3) the starting point; 4) the place of traditional religions; 5) the participants in the process; 6) syncretism; and 7) the types of tools which may be employed (e.g., is Marxist economic analysis appropriate?). |
| Saunders, John A. L. "The Trans-Cultural Gospel of Jesus Christ." Review and Expositor 82 (1985): 199-208. | In dealing with a subject of such breadth, certain preliminary statements must be made at the outset in order to set some guidelines. First, the issue involved is not the problem of "gospel," but the problem of gospel bearers. This means that the identification of the problem cannot be shifted away from people. Second, the focus is not on clarifying an adequate methodology, but on a reexamination of presuppositions which have given rise to certain methodologies. In other words, the problem of gospel communication across cultural lines is currently more a problem of inappropriate theologizing, not communication skills per se. Third, many would proffer that the inherent problem is "merely" semantics. This is true, yet the importance is directly at that point. It is through semantics that one's theology is framed, which subsequently informs certain methods which will obtain the results dictated as necessary by the theological schematic. Fourth, cross-cultural communication is generally taught from the bias of seeking ways to share congruously one's own theology, liturgy, polity, etc. In other words, the cross-cultural agenda turns into one of discovering suitable forms for channeling religious propaganda, not finding ways of mutually discerning the gospel presence in context Finally, this area of study leads into a multiplicity of implications which must, at least, be recognized, i.e., psychosocial and politico/economic understanding, questions of citizenship for missionaries, furlough philosophy, multinational mission agencies, etc. |
| Sawatzky, Sheldon. "The Contextualization Debate: A Synthetic Approach." Taiwan Journal of Theology 3 (1981): 129-144. | A basic difference in the theological starting point draws the line of the contextualization debate in two opposing directions: the process of contextualization that begins with humanity and the human situation, and that which originates with God's supra-cultural revelation. The purpose of the article is to demonstrate how certain features of both the "existential" and "dogmatic" approaches to contextualization, when regarded as complementary, shape a synthetic approach to the contextualization of theology. This synthetic approach, while subject to the authority of scripture, takes seriously the total cultural context. The gospel rendered in cultural forms is the judge and redeemer of culture. Individual salvation is not separated from concern for social ethics, nor is theological reflection divorced from praxis. At the same time, contextualized theological reflection cannot be separated from the life and mission of the ecclesial community. In such a contextualization of theology, syncretism and provincialism will be avoided as God is allowed to work through his people to incarnate the message of reconciliation by placing the totality of life under Christ's lordship. |
| Schineller, S.J., Peter. "Inculturation and Syncretism: What Is the Real Issue?" International Bulletin of Missionary Research 16:2 (April 1992): 50-3. | Discusses intersection of syncretism and contextualization, concluding that syncretism as a term cannot be redeemed (there are too many perjorative meanings associated with it). Explores syncretism as seen through several examples in church history (e.g., Jerusalem Council, Christmas, Christianity and modern culture) and then focuses on the criteria by which to distinguish adequate and valid inculturation from inadequate and invalid attempts at inculturation. |
| Schreiter, Robert J. "Christian Theology between the Global and the Local." Theological Education 29 (1993): 112-126. | Teaching theology from a global perspective is a theme that I had an opportunity to address a number of years ago for the ATS ("Faith and Cultures: Challenges to a World Church." Theological Studies 50 (1989): 744-760). In that presentation, I tried to sketch out a number of the methodological, pedagogical, and hermeneutical issues at stake in dealing with a tradition that considered itself normative, but which at the same time needed to express itself in a manifold of cultural settings. Those considerations then formed the framework for a discussion of how Christology might be taught from a global (or more specifically, an intercultural) perspective. What follows here presumes that presentation as background. The points made at that time will not be repeated here. In the interests of continuing to build a body of literature that addresses the globalization of theological education, I will try to take up some new points, and reflect on issues that have become clearer in the four years since that essay was written. Specifically, I want to dwell on five sets of issues: (1) the contexts of the globalization of theology; (2) themes to be highlighted in a global approach to theology; (3) the forms theology in its global contexts will take; (4) the sources of theology viewed from a globalized perspective; and (5) curricular suggestions. |
| Schreiter, Robert J. "Contextualization from a World Perspective." Theological Education 30 suppl. (1993): 63-86. | I have been asked to address the question of contextualization from a world perspective; that is to say, from the perspective of a Roman Catholic, as a member of an ecclesial body whose center of gravity is outside the United States. To hear about contextualization from a world perspective is an experience this Biennial Meeting has already had. Kosuke Koyama and Mercy Amba Oduyoye, the two previous plenary speakers, have already provided such a perspective, in their lives and ministries, and again in the words to us here. After extensive discussion on four theological assumptions, the paper is split into four parts: 1. What contextualization looks like from a world perspective; 2. A more concrete delineation of the issues that the world situation poses for contextualization; 3. A perspective on globalization to help understand contextualization; and 4. Implications f |