THE CONTEXTUALIZATION
of “WORSHIP” in ECUADOR
PART 1
INTRODUCTION
IMPORTANCE
A church that is not relevant to its context will be ineffective in its ministry.Worship that is not contextualized will be meaningless to the people of that context.Every culture has a distinct way of expressing its faith in worship.(The exception is when people adapt to a foreign context and leave behind their original identity.)
Divine Revelation
God´s manifestations have always been within a specific context.God has always accommodated himself to a specific context in order to communicate with humans.We must follow his example.
QUESTIONS FOR THOUGHT:
• How did the Thessalonians worship God?
• How does a people group develop their own style of worship?
• My missionary context: How can the indigenous Ecuadorian church develop their own style of worship?
INTRODUCTION TO “CONTEXTUALIZATION:
• In what language did God speak to Abram? (Gen 12:1)
• In what language did God speak to Peter? (Acts 10:13,15)
• In what language did God speak to Cornelius? (Acts 10:3-6)
• If God wants to communicate with us, what language will He use?
• What is God’s “mother tongue” or “natural language”?
PRINCIPLE OF DIVINE ACCOMMODATION
God will “accommodate” to a people’s language, mentality, and traditions in order to communicate with them. He will speak to them through their culture.
PRINCIPLE OF WORSHIP
God expects us to worship Him through our own culture.
The History of Missions
Missions in the 1800s and the 1900s was part of Western colonization.Western culture was considered “Christian.”Other cultures were considered pagan.New converts had to become “Western” in order to be “Christian.”Ecuador has been no exception.
Ecuador
The gospel came to Ecuador through foreign missionaries.The resulting evangelical church is a foreign implant.And has not yet been contextualized.This is especially true in the “pueblos.”
We need to create an “indigenous” church in the “pueblos” of the Andes of Ecuador
so that Christianity will be seen by the nationals as relevant to them
This study focuses on the contextualization of the music-worship-ritual, which is the principal expression of religious belief in the “pueblos.”
Part I – The Theoretical Framework
Worship is communication with God. God speaks and acts. We respond. Worship expression is cultural.
In cross-culture missions, worship must be contextualized to the foreign culture in order to facilitate communication with God. Historically, in South America, this has not been the case. Worship is still “Western.”
In order to facilitate communication, the communicator must accomodate to the receptor. God is our example. The missionary is NOT the communicator, but the facilitator. The worship event is the platform for that communication, and therefore the missionary needs to construct a worship event that allows the receptors to communicate with God THEIR way, not the missionary´s way.The missionary cannot simply adapt worship to another culture without really understanding the culture.The missionary needs to be aware of his or her culture so as NOT to impose it on the receptors. Also the missionary needs to have a good understanding of the receptors so as to help them construct a worship event in which they feel “natural.” The goal of this investigation is to gain a better UNDERSTANDING of the Ecuadorian Andean Indian so as to be able to create a worship event that facilitates communication between them and God.
One way to begin to understand a people is THROUGH their pagan worship ritual.One way to begin to understand ourselves is THROUGH our Christian worship.Participant observation, filming and discussion, and comparing the two.
Part II – A Brief Historical Analysis of Missions
The History of Contextualization
Colonization by Spain and PortugalTHE CONQUEST OF AMERICA – MIXED RELIGION WITH COLONIZATION
The History of the Ecuadorian IndianThese two are closely related.
The History of Missions in Ecuador – TOTAL LACK OF CONTEXTUALIZATIONChristianity was imposed. Paganism was supressed. Syncretism resulted.
Part III – The InvestigationContext - Chillo Valley and El TingoThe three stages of research
PART 2
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
Mission Mentality
In the past 40 years, mission terminology (and strategy) has been changing:From “Indigenization”To “Contextualization”And recently to “Appropriate Christianity.”
The Theory of “Contextualization”
Models of Contextualization The process of contextualization
Let us now combine contextualization with communication theory, emphasizing relevance theory because it emphasizes the need for accomodation. Code theory is more interested in the message and its transmission.
Sender ReceiverMessageEncodes Decodes
ChannelNoise
Feedback
Code Theory
Relevance Theory
CognitiveEnvironment
COMMUNICATOR
Intent MeaningEvidence
Context
Context
Cross-cultural communication: the communicator must adapt/convert to a new context in order to communicate effectively.
Cognitive Environment
RECEIVER
Context
ContextContextContext
Conversion
I propose that understanding must precede contextualization.
This comes from Relevance Theory as developed by Shaw and VanEngenUnless a missionary understands a people, the missionary cannot help them contextualize their Christianity. Instead the missionary will unconsciously impose his or her culture on them.
God
BibleWriters
Missionary
UniversalExperience
People
Goal: a people to know God from their perspective.
Error: to see God from the missionary’s perspective.
Missionary’s task: to facilitate from what God spoke to the Biblical writers, accommodate it through universals to the people’s perspective.
Our missionary biases:1. God has spoken.2. God accommodates to culture.3. The biblical writers did the same.4. We too must follow the pattern.
U S U A L R O U T E
P R E F E R R E D R O U T E
Evangelical worship
Change the form of our music ritual to theirs Indigenous festivals
CONTEXTUALIZATION THEORY
Change our understanding to that of their
music ritual
Leave our cognitive environment Adopt their cognitive environment
Traditional route
Proposed route
Let us now combine contextualization and communication theory with worship. Looking at worship from an ethnomusicological point of view as a musical event.
WORSHIP AS A CULTURAL, DIVINE COMMUNICATION
EVENT
The Starting Point for this dissertation is the following proposed model:
The Musical Worship Event
God
National Believers
MissionaryGod’s Revelation (Word and Works)
Musical Worship Response
My Theoretical Framework of WorshipThe missionary tends to impose their worship style on the nationals.The nationals see worship as something foreign.
The Musical Worship Event: A “Worship Service”
God
Evangelicals
Musical Worship Response
CONTEXTUALIZING WORSHIP
God’s Revelation (Word and Works)
IndigenousPueblos
?
Evangelicals expect indigenous folk to attend their service.
God
Musical Worship Response
CONTEXTUALIZING WORSHIP
God’s Revelation (Word and Works)
IndigenousPueblos ??
The Musical Worship Event: A “Worship Service”
Indigenous folk do not understand God through a service.
The Musical Worship Event: A Festival
God
IndigenousPueblos
EvangelicalsGod’s Revelation (Word and Works)
Musical Worship Response
CONTEXTUALIZING WORSHIPCan evangelicals create an event that will allow divine communication between God and the indigenous folk?
I also propose that a people can be understood through their worship.
This comes from anthropological theory combined with ethnomusicological theory.A missionary can better understand the spirituality of a people through their worship.
Music-Ritual
Tradition
Beliefs Extract
1
2
Ethnomusicological and Anthropological Theory
Music ritual is one way to discover deep-level beliefs.
Beliefs
We now not only have combined contextualization theory and communication theory with worship, but added ethnomusicological and anthropological theory. All four of these play a role in the theoretical framework and methodology used for this investigation.
Research BiasesEvery research project is based on a chosen theoretical framework which shapes the conclusions. Data is crucial, but secondary.
The study is exploratory, subjective and based on the researcher´s experience and reflection.
This investigation uses “phenomenology” as its principal way of knowing. Knowledge is progressively created during the investigation by both the researcher and the subjects.
Ecuadorians in the Andes will not give you a straight answer. They have a built-in hypocrisy. Therefore traditional methods of questionnaires and interviews are invalid.
DEFINITIONS
Worship is a “Music-worship-ritual”
“Pueblo”
“Contextualization”
“Cognitive environment”
“Folk-Catholic”
PART 3
THE INVESTIGATION
Ecuador: the Chillo Valley
Is filled with small towns (“pueblos”), which are traditionally “folk-Catholic.”Every town has a evangelical church. But not one town has been influenced by the Gospel.Because the church has not yet contextualized its “faith-expression.”
The Research Process
CRI: to understand the spirituality of the “pueblos” through their worship.This investigation took place over a three year period. Each year was a different phase of the research.2006 - The initial general investigation2007 - Case study in El-Tingo2008 – “On-site” reflection
Methodology 2006
Participant observation in various festivals in various towns.Film the worship service and hold workshops in five evangelical churches.
DATA 2006
Describe each festival and each workshop.
Results 2006
Evangelical worship and folk worship are TOTALLY different! (No contextualization has taken place.)Neither evangelicals nor folk-Catholics can clearly verbalize the meaning of their worship.Evangelicals see the folk-rituals as “pagan.”
PAGAN FESTIVALS EVANGELICAL WORSHIPOutdoors Indoors
Group Oriented Individual OrientedSeveral every year Weekly event
Every neighborhood participates Only leaders participateLong hours Short – 30-40 minutes
Social obligation VoluntaryDancing Clapping
Very little speech MonologueMeals included No meals
Children can participate No children allowedMobile Stationary
Acoustic Amplified electrically
Comparison of Events(Differences)
Methodology 2007
Focus on the Corpus Christi festival in El-Tingo.Historical research of the town.Workshop with town leaders lead by the local priest.
DATA 2007
Describe Corpus ChristiThe historical research of El-TingoThe town meeting led by the priest.
Results 2007
Town folk are more concerned about “how” to celebrate the Corpus Christi festival than about “why” they celebrate it. Decisions are made when everyone is present.The history of the town is very important to the people, but is disappearing with the older generation.
Methodology 2008
Participant observation in the Corpus Christi Festival in El-Tingo, focus on the “pingullero.”Personal reflection and interaction with the literature.
DATA 2008
Describe the pingullero.Go through my process of reflection.
3-axis of modernity Modern Thought
Post-Modern Thought
Relation of parts and whole Whole is the sum of its parts
Whole is a dynamic reality in itself
Function of Language Language represents reality
Language shapes experience
Knowledge Isolated propositions
Web of beliefs
3-axis Modern Conversion
Post-Modern Conversion
Metaphysics Individual Decision
Communal Living
Language Cognitive Dialogue
Epistemology Accept certain propositions
Paradigm change
3-axis Evangelical Worship
Corpus Christi
Metaphysics Individual Communion with God
Community Participation
Language Singing Shouting
Epistemology Doctrine Identity
SYSTEMATICTHEOLOGY
Ephesians 5:19Colossians 3:16
Worship is pre-scribed by Scripture
NARRATIVE THEOLOGY
The story of the People of God
Worship imitates Biblical
traditionMISSIONAL THEOLOGY
God accommodating
to a context
Worship is cultural
Theologizing about Worship
What happened in Latin America
MUSIC-WORSHIP-RITUAL
TRADITION
NativeBeliefs
ForeignBeliefs
MUSIC-WORSHIP-RITUAL
TRADITION
NativeBeliefs
ForeignBeliefs
Scripture
Syncretism Theologizing
Both are contextualization
What needed to happen
Results 2008
The “pingullero” is not the leader.They won´t celebrate unless everyone participates.The town folk theology is concrete, communal, and identity-based.My theology (as a Western missionary) is abstract, individualistic, and proposition-based.
Year Strategy Methods Findings
2006 Compare evangelical and indigenous worship.
Film the events.Discuss the videos in workshops.
•Evangelical music-worship-ritual and folk music-worship-ritual are TOTALLY different! (No contextualization has taken place.)•Neither evangelicals nor folk-Catholics can clearly verbalize the meaning of their ritual.•Evangelicals see the folk-rituals as “pagan.”
2007 Focus on the Corpus Christi festival in El-Tingo.
Film the Corpus Christi festival.
Informal conversations with people.
Historical research of the town.
Workshop with town leaders lead by the local priest.
•Town folk are more concerned about “how” to celebrate the Corpus Christi festival than about “why” they celebrate it. •Decisions are made when everyone is present.•The history of the town is very important to the people, but is disappearing with the older generation.
2008 Personal reflection Focus on the “pingullero.”
Interaction with the literature.
•The “pingullero” is not the leader.•They won´t celebrate unless everyone participates.•The town folk mentality is concrete, communal, and identity-based.•My mentality (as a Western missionary) is abstract, individualistic, and proposition-based.
THE INVESTIGATION
1 23
654
987
1
8
7
69
32
5
4
STRATEGY
INTERACTION REFLECTION
Philosophy of Research: “RESEARCH IS A SPIRIL WITH A NARROWING FOCUS”
PART 4
CONCLUSIONS
WESTERN EVANGELICAL THEOLOGY IS ABSTRACT, INDIVIDUAL, AND
DOCTRINE BASED
ANDEAN INDIAN THEOLOGY IS CONCRETE, COMMUNAL,
AND IDENTITY BASED
WorshipTradition
Identity
The Central Conclusion (so far)
Worship
Tradition
Doctrine
Implication: a North-American missionary needs to change from an abstract, individualistic, proposition-based theology to a concrete, communal, identity-based theology in order to help the nationals contextualize their worship in the rural Andes of Ecuador.
Implications for “El-Tingo”Worship needs to be a community activity, not an indoor meeting.The worship must reflect Jesus as the patron of the town.The Evangelical Church must become part of the town.The oral history of the town needs to be recorded and published.
Implications for the Andes of Ecuador
The Evangelical Church needs to recognize its foreign roots and “redeem” its national culture in order to create appropriate worship.The rural, Evangelical Church needs to develop a theology that is concrete, communal and identity based.
Implications for MissionariesThis process could be used by missionaries in a cross-cultural context in order to contextualize worship: 1. Reflect on one´s own worship in order to minimize one´s bias;2. Participate in the worship of the people; 3. Dialogue with them about it;4. Work together to create an appropriate worship event.
Extract
WESTERN EVANGELICALS
ANDEAN INDIANS
1
2
3
4
5
1. Use music-ritual to discover one’s own beliefs.2. Extract these from one’s cultural context.3. Participate with rural folk in their music-ritual to discover, with them, their beliefs.4. Dialogue with them about their beliefs and one’s own. Scripture?5. Create new forms of music-ritual.
Beliefs
Music-Ritual
A Process for Contextualizing Worship in Cross-cultural Missions
Tradition
Music-Ritual
Tradition
Beliefs Beliefs Beliefs
New music-ritual
Problems:
Who does the contextualization?The missionary or the town folk?Before or after their conversion?Difference in older and younger generations.Constant changes in identity and culture.Past influence of foreign missionaries in Ecuador.How does one define: who are the “town folk?”
PART 5
APPENDIX
A NARROWING RESEARCH CYCLE(by Jim Nelson and modified by Alan Gordon)
R. D. Shaw 2009 Fuller Graduate School of Intercultural Studies
Data
Theory/modelHypothesisInductive Reasoning
Deductive Reasoning
Use the theory for data collection
Test the hypothesis with the data
Formulate an hypothesis from the data
Create/modify the theory
I started with a theory, and collected data using that theory. Then I formulated an hypothesis/conclusion and began to test it with new data. This process needs to be repeated several times.
AppendixFurther confirmation: Year 2009
The Local Town Council: decisions are made as a group.Planning the patron festival of 2009: they never question its meaning or significance. It just HAS to be celebrated.The Association for Community Development: seen as dividing the town; needs to be part of the town, not a private organization.