How To Use An Understanding Of Culture

Let us learn to communicate Biblical culture to the responding people’s culture in ways than correspond with their perceptions of understand, knowledge, and beliefs.

Example - When the missionaries went to Korea they discovered that the Koreans name for God was Hananim, the Great One. Rather than forgetting about their cultural, historical, and religious symbolic name for God, the missionaries refused to impose a foreign name for God. Instead, they preached Jesus Christ as the Son of Hananim. Today, 30% of Koreans are Christians; nearly 15 million people have accepted Christ as their Savior as a result of cross-cultural efforts like this to communicate Christ in relevant means!

B. Communicate the gospel to the responding people’s world views.

1). How do the people view reality? What is real to them? What are their traditions, their experiences, their authorities, their gods, their sources of strength,hope and healing?

Example - For many African societies, the world is viewed as an interacting series of forces. Force is usually seen as a being. That being may be a god, a spirit, an ancestor, a tribe, people,or a person. When leaders come to the seminary’s graduation each year, the faculty has asked that the announcing of D.C.C. chairman’s name be left out in order to save time. However, this would be a cultural offense to many. Recognizing leaders by name is in effect acknowledging their authority. Neglecting to call their names and giving them an opportunity to be noticed is in effect somehow nullifying their power, their significance, and their people’s worth. In a similar way, the manner in which we greet people is a sign of their importance. We recognize different people’s power by the way we greet them. This is one of the reasons why greetings are so important! At a recent launching ceremony, one man introduced a certain man like this:

``Governor, Representatives of the military supreme council, Chairman, visiting dignitaries, the President of ECWA, The General Secretary of ECWA, D.C.C. Chairmen, Local Overseer, Pastors, Ladies and Gentlemen. It gives me great pleasure to introduce our chief launcher today, the honorable, benevolent, Alhaji Almasihu, Mai Girma, Mai Kauna, Mai iko duka . . . !’’

This introduction gives many cultural meanings to this man’s views of reality (His view of the real people of power learned from his experiences and traditions)! What do you think they are?

Example - A person’s role in society may determine his identity, importance, and responsibilities. One man lived in harmony with the people in his village for many years. However, when he received an opportunity by the local government to collect taxes, he suddenly became an enemy. Whenever, the man visited anyone’s home, the people would act like they were not at home. Whenever, he tried to find out any information from people they suspected he was spying for the government.

Eventually, the man had to move away from the village. Even though he was an indigent from that village, the people’s realistic view of the man changed when he had a change of jobs and status. How do people view your job and status as a missionary, as a Pastor, or as a teacher?