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THE CONTEXTUALIZATION of “WORSHIP” in ECUADOR

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.

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THE CONTEXTUALIZATION of “WORSHIP” in ECUADOR

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  1. THE CONTEXTUALIZATION of “WORSHIP” in ECUADOR

  2. PART 1INTRODUCTION

  3. 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.)

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

  6. 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.”

  7. 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.”

  8. PART 2THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

  9. Mission Mentality • In the past 40 years, mission terminology (and strategy) has been changing: • From “Indigenization” • To “Contextualization” • And recently to “Appropriate Christianity.”

  10. The Theory of “Contextualization” • Models of Contextualization • The process of contextualization

  11. I propose that understanding must precede contextualization. • This comes from Relevance Theory as developed by Shaw and VanEngen • Unless a missionary understands a people, the missionary cannot help them contextualize Christianity. Instead the missionary will unconsciously impose his or her culture on them.

  12. I also propose that “cognitive environment” can be understood through “music-worship-ritual” • Music-worship-ritual is not only a means of communicating, but can also serve as a channel to understanding. • A missionary can better understand the spirituality of a people through their music-worship-rituals.

  13. Research Biases • Every research project is based on chosen biases which determine its conclusions. “Data” is secondary. • This investigation uses “phenomenology” as its principal way of knowing. • The study is “subjective” and based on the researcher´s experience and reflection.

  14. DEFINITIONS • “Music-worship-ritual” • “Pueblo” • “Contextualization” • “Cognitive environment” • “Folk-Catholic”

  15. PART 3THE INVESTIGATION

  16. 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.”

  17. The Research Process • Goal: to understand the spirituality of the “pueblos” through their music-worship-ritual. • This investigation took place over a three year period. Each year was a different phase of the research. • 2006 - The initial general investigation • 2007 - Case study in El-Tingo • 2008 – “On-site” reflection

  18. Methodology 2006 • Participant observation in various festivals in various towns. • Workshops in five evangelical churches.

  19. Results 2006 • 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.”

  20. 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.

  21. 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.

  22. Methodology 2008 • Participant observation in the Corpus Christi Festival in El-Tingo, focus on the “pingullero.” • Personal reflection and interaction with the literature.

  23. Results 2008 • 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.

  24. PART 4CONCLUSIONS

  25. Implications for “El-Tingo” • Worship needs to be a community activity, not an indoor concert. • The music-worship-ritual 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.

  26. 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 music-worship-rituals. • The rural, Evangelical Church needs to develop a theology that is concrete, communal and identity based.

  27. Implications for Missionaries • This process could be used by missionaries in a cross-cultural context in order to contextualize music-worship-ritual: • 1. Participate in the music-worship-ritual of the people; • 2. Dialogue with them about it; • 3. Reflect on one´s own music-worship-ritual in order to minimize one´s bias; • 4. Work together to create an appropriate music-worship-ritual.

  28. 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?”

  29. 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.

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