Transcript FORM & MEANING

FORM & MEANING
Making the Gospel Language Meaningful
Cultural Forms & Meanings
Adapted from Darrel Whiteman Lectures
Asbury Theological Seminary, 2001
 Meanings always expressed through
cultural forms
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Cultural forms are on surface, but meanings
are beneath surface
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No sacred forms, but many sacred meanings
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Easily entangle evangelized in forms that have
no equivalent meaning in host culture
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If you want to get the meaning right, you must
employ the proper contextual form
Cultural Forms & Meanings
Adapted from Darrel Whiteman Lectures
Asbury Theological Seminary, 2001
 Language as unique cultural form
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Language forms designate a distinct reality
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Sapir-Wharf Hypothesis
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Worlds of different societies are distinct worlds,
not just same with different labels
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One's view of reality is influenced, if not
determined, by the language a person speaks
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Different languages direct us to different aspects
of phenomena
Cultural Forms & Meanings
Adapted from Darrel Whiteman Lectures
Asbury Theological Seminary, 2001
 Examples of language as cultural form
that shapes perceived reality
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Relativity of Color Terms
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How many colors in the rainbow?
Language forms impacting cultural
perspectives
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Continuum vs. Opposition language
Cultural Forms & Meanings
Adapted from Darrel Whiteman Lectures
Asbury Theological Seminary, 2001
 Conclusions: language as cultural form
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Language is a straight jacket that fits
comfortably
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Primary vehicle of culture
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Language as cultural form is a loop
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Contrary Hypothesis…
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Language is predominate means for interpreting
reality rather than shaping reality
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What is shaped is our understanding of reality, not
actual reality
THE AGENDA – DEFINING TERMS
Adapted from Paradigms in Conflict
David Hesselgrave
 Gospel

Both the whole Word of God (OT/NT) and the good
news of salvation in Jesus Christ
 Contextualization
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Making the message (gospel) meaningful to people
who are foreign in the ethno-cultural sense or who
subscribe to a non-biblical worldview
 De-contextualization
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Freeing the message (gospel) from elements of
sending culture, so intended meaning comes through
with minimum of interference
THE AGENDA – DEFINING TERMS
Adapted from Paradigms in Conflict
David Hesselgrave
 Verbal-Plenary Inspiration
 Human authors were inspired by Holy Spirit in such a
way that every word they wrote (all of OT/NT)
expressed the precise thought that God intended to
communicate
THE AGENDA – DEFINING TERMS
Adapted from Paradigms in Conflict
David Hesselgrave
 In an age of relative epistemology, the
trustworthiness of the “gospel” message (the
revealed message in linguistic symbols) is vital.
 If the language of the text is up for debate according
to subjective interpretations (of time / culture /
worldview), then we have no authoritative basis for
propositional truths.
- Hesselgrave
History of Contextualization
Adapted from Paradigms in Conflict
David Hesselgrave
 1970’s contextualization boom
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Explosion of “contextual theologies”
 Evangelicals and contextualization
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Lausanne Consultation on Gospel and Culture
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Down to Earth: Studies in Christianity and Culture
(Stott & Coote)
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Christianity in Culture: A Study in Dynamic Biblical
Theologizing in Cross-Cultural Perspective (Kraft)
History of Contextualization
Adapted from Paradigms in Conflict
David Hesselgrave
 National Association of Evangelicals – 1942
 Evangelical Theological Society (ETS) – 1949
 Lausanne Covenant – 1974
 International Council on Biblical Inerrancy – 1977
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Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy
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Chicago Statement on Biblical Hermeneutics
 International Church Council Project (ICC) – 2003
Types of Revelation
Adapted from Paradigms in Conflict
David Hesselgrave
1.
Mythological writings
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2.
Enlightenment writings
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3.
Knowledge of the divine mediated through personal
enlightenment experiences
Divine writings
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4.
Narratives and information that binds peoples together in
common loyalties and destinies
Directly from the divine apart from human involvement – merely
mechanical stenographers of divine orations
Divinely inspired writings
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God-breathed writings (OT/NT) in which God reveals
propositional truths mediated through human agency by
inspiration of Holy Spirit
Danger of Wrong Models
for Biblical Contextualization
Adapted from Paradigms in Conflict David Hesselgrave
 Contextualizing the Bible as mythological writing
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Perspective of “deconstructionists”
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Consequence: Left with the faith of various linguistic and
religious communities…Each of which relies on its own
language to describe God (functional reality).
 Contextualizing the Bible as enlightened writing
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Real meaning is to be found in the way words and forms
function in and among those who read them
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Meaning only emerges as person enters into the texts
(making it meaning-full)
Danger of Wrong Models
for Biblical Contextualization
Adapted from Paradigms in Conflict David Hesselgrave
 Impact of this approach for contextualization
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Formal Correspondence vs. Dynamic Equivalence
 Dynamic Equivalence Premises
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Focus is not on form, but meaning intended
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Origins of this strategy, not in Scripture, theology, but in natural sciences
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Revelation is subjective and changing
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Bible is potentially the Word of God, not error-free except in its intended
teachings
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Ethno-linguistic interpretation rather than grammatico-historical
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Scriptural words are subordinate to insights of contemporary interpreters
who define the impact of their supposed meaning
THE DEBATABLE ISSUE:
Functional Equivalence (F.E.)
 Meaning-full Translations
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"The world's most influential Bible translator, Eugene Nida, is weary of
'word worship.'"
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By David Neff
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http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2002/october7/2.46.html
 We Really Do Need Another Bible Translation
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As good as many modern versions are, they often do not allow us to
hear what the Holy Spirit actually said
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By Raymond C. Van Leeuwen
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http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2001/october22/5.28.html
Danger of Wrong Models
for Biblical Contextualization
Adapted from Paradigms in Conflict David Hesselgrave
 Dynamic Equivalence (Functional Equivalence)
now dominant theory
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Examples:
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C.E.V. (1995)
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TEV or Good News Version
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TNIV (Today’s New International Version)
Anthropologically enlightened, but theologically
dangerous approach
Danger of Wrong Models
for Biblical Contextualization
Adapted from Paradigms in Conflict David Hesselgrave
 Contextualizing the Bible as divine writing

Bible sometimes mistakenly contextualized in rigid/static
manner
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Dictation theories impose one cultural time-frame on the
form, and disallow any modification by time or space
Danger of Wrong Models
for Biblical Contextualization
Adapted from Paradigms in Conflict David Hesselgrave
 Contextualizing Bible as Inspired Writings
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Affirms reality of consistent (universal) propositional truth
revealed in Scripture
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Opposes postmodern “formalist criticisms”
Effective Evangelical Contextualization
Adapted from Paradigms in Conflict David Hesselgrave
 Meeting of minds for “critical contextualization
 Discussion is needed regarding non-negotiable
universals
 Must begin with commitment to authoritative Word of
God
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Tools afforded by relevant sciences then engaged as
helpful/necessary additions that enable us to understand
Scripture and communicate it meaningfully across
cultures