Pondering context from a taxi
Sitting in Bangkok traffic for over an hour can be frustrating, but it has given me time to ponder how to be a critical thinker without being overly critical, yet emphasize what is critical. I don’t know how many of you would admit with me that you looked at the rising scale on the Elder’s Stages of Critical Thinking Development 1and tried to figure out where you placed yourself? “Critical thinking is, in this context, not merely an academic affair. It is a learned skill that promises realistic, beneficial pay-offs in all kinds of human activities2
Often Christians have been accused of shying away from difficult conversations. Elder says, “Critical thinking is the art of analyzing and evaluating thinking with a view to improving it.”3 This week I have been in meetings talking about how to contextualize the gospel to places in what are referred to as, closed countries. With representatives from eleven nations, we discussed challe
nges that we were facing. I was humbled to be in the room listening and learning about struggles and concerns that made my heart hurt as tension between culture, religion and government pull people in different directions.“Tired of the false promises and disappointments of grand narratives, logocentric theories and dogmatic doctrines, we yearn for people who can make sense of complexity, and offer “common sense” answers to difficult questions. This is the goal of critical thinking” 4 I spent a week with some critical thinkers stretching my perceptive of ministry.
How can we as scholars and either present or future critical thinkers challenge ourselves and the norms around us? Context has more to do with the gospel than just making sure one is not proof texting from scripture. It has to do with understanding the culture that you are speaking to and understanding your own preconceived ideas and how they influenced you. “… humans do not naturally consider the rights and needs of others….As humans we liv
e with the unrealistic but confident sense that we have fundamentally figured out the way things actually are, and that we have done this objectively.” 5 It is easy to see and contextualize the gospel as it fits into our understanding of the world. Contextualizing the gospel is more than sharing our personal preferences; clothing, times and styles of worship, even that everything is clearly black and white. Contextualizing the gospel means seeing this world and the cultures with it as redeemable by God and being completely aware that we may be totally surprised by what that redeemed culture will look like in the end.
I say all that because ancestor worship was a discussion that was brought up by both the Asian and African representatives. Where can certain aspects of culture be redeemed and where do we have to separate things that do not glorify God? Each of us have a knee jerk reaction with topics like ancestor worship, but if we are critical thinkers, then how do we respond to a discussion like this? As an American who has not participated nor grown up in a family with this background, my opinion shouldn’t be sought out for cultural understanding. Do I have an opinion? I am an American. Elder defined an egocentric person as, “The uncritical tendency to place one’s culture, nation, religion above all others.”6 So entering into a discussion with the understanding that God is redemptive and I am teachable helps me see a culture, that I do not fully relate to, with a critical mind.
In China, the actions of one affects the reputation of the family. When someone dies, how they are honored is critical. Honor is not equal to respect. Chinese hear honor and they think, I will give my life and all my possessions if necessary. Understanding the context of truly honoring someone helps a westerner begin to understand what it means to honor grandparents even after they pass away. Part of the funeral process is for those family members to come before the casket, kneel and worship with incense. Som
e church leaders, many who are western, have said you can’t bow in anyway to those that have died. Can you image the shame it brings if a person says publicly they will not bow? What is heard by the community is that they do not honor, love nor respect their family. Following Elder’s Essential Intellectual Traits7 has reminded me that truth comes from what we can learn and is not seen through the lens of our culture.
Is there something done on the day of a funeral that is redemptive? After talking with many believers about how to honor family and not worship the dead, they have come to this solution. They publicly kneel when called to do so and pray quietly for the salvation of their family. Privately, they explain to the family what they did and that their prayer was to ask God to bring His love and peace to each member. This act has brought more conversations about spiritual issues within the family than the adamant defiance of excluding oneself from even considering the complexities of critically thinking.
“It is frustrating but important for critical thinkers to be and to stay aware of that not all persons with whom we communicate with are skilled in critical thinking or do not always exercise their critical thinking skills at every communication event.” 8 Unfortunately in the west, we have and continue to look for the easy answers. However, as we seek the ultimate authority, we can’t turn away from the messy cultural and spiritual issues leaders need to address.
1Paul, Richard & Linda Elder (2014). A Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking, Concepts and Tools. 7th ed. Thinkers Guide Library.
2Doughty , Howard A.. Review Essay.The Limits of Critical Thinking. The Innovation Journal: The Public Sector Innovation Journal, Volume 11.3, 2006, article 11.p 2
3Paul, Richard & Linda Elder (2014). A Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking, Concepts and Tools. 7th ed. Thinkers Guide Library. 29
4Doughty , Howard A.. Review Essay.The Limits of Critical Thinking. The Innovation Journal: The Public Sector Innovation Journal, Volume 11.3, 2006, article 11.p1
5Paul, Richard & Linda Elder (2014). A Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking, Concepts and Tools. 7th ed. Thinkers Guide Library.202
6Ibid 269
7Ibid 165
8Petress, Ken. “Critical Thinking: An Extended Definition.” Education 124, no. 3. 2004. p 463
About the Author
Greg
Greg has a wife and 3 children. He has lived and work in Asia for over 12 years. He is currently the Asia Director of Imanna Laboratories, which tests and inspects marine products seeking US Coast Guard certification. His company Is also involved in teaching and leadership development.11 responses to “Pondering context from a taxi”
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Hi Greg,
You apply this book to a very relevant and important ministry issue in Asia – cultural and ancestral differences. I know you and I have discussed this culture at length, but I feel most Americans exhibit high ethnocentrism scores and truly believe “our way is best”. You are in a challenging position – funded by Westerners (with their own objectives) but integrating into a culture that deserves to be understood and respected.
How can you/do you personally honor the culture (even if it means reverence to the deceased or other tradition) while still answering to your funders? Especially in light of hearing Mahlatse Winston Mashua speak about the harm from missionaries…
Jean, this is an issue but I can’t let funding determine the spread of the Gospel. If my job is to train up leaders that can think and wrestle with these issues than I have to as well. I do my best to teach the essentials and encourage them go to the Word for answers.
Greg,
Awesome post, once again. Thanks for sharing your thinking on this! First, I am jealous of your jet-setting ways (nice!). Second, I really appreciated how you applied this critical thinking booklet to those hard questions around the nexus of faith, culture and government, especially in “closed” countries. It seems really important for people in the conversations that you are a part of to really think and listen together, rather than just going on “gut instincts” or on the cultural norms of your own. Keep at it.
Just know the “jet-setting” lifestyle sounds more glamorous than it is. I am often challenged to reevaluate what is important and what is essential.
Greg,
I like your statement about what contextualizing the Gospel means to you with the goal that cultures are “redeemable by God.” Thanks for walking me through your questions, analysis, and some answers to the problem with Chinese ancestor worship. “Messy” is the right scholarly adjective to describe the challenges faced when living the incarnational life of Christ before others. You did not say it specifically, but your actions indicate your continued focus on your research problem that asks if Christian leadership is transferable in the Chinese context to other relational based societies.
When we went to the villages in African countries, where ancestor worship and the use of traditional medicine (in the evil witchdoctor context) were present, we had to be very careful by not eating, doing, or saying something that would damage our Christian witness. I know we failed at times. Nevertheless, those experiences help me critically relate to your analysis of ancestor worship.
In closing, we want you to know that we pray, support, and commend you for your service on the “front lines,” advancing God’s Kingdom, through your ministry to help transform people into Christian leaders. I look forward to following your research into the Chinese-Christian leadership context.
Stand firm,
M. Webb
Greg,
In reading your post I was brought back to Silence, the Martin Scorsese film from last year, which I would say was my top pick for that year. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqrgxZLd_gE I hope you can watch it.
The ending of the movie is dramatic and ambiguous. My interpretation would be the protagonist kept his faith, despite apparent heresy and public denial. I’d love to chat about it some time when we’re together.
Greg,
What a great discussion on the honoring of ones grandparents in the culture where you serve. To many times I hear about how our American culture has pushed people away from God. It reminded me of the time I went with a group to pray at a mosque for those inside to find Christ. We were invited in and asked if we would like to come pray to God. Through the leadership of a good man we accepted and went in and prayed for God to move in the lives of those who were there. I do not know what become of the people there but I do know coming in peace and praying for God to move in the lives of the muslims there was much more effective in my heart than to have begun an argument of what god they were worshiping. I think we would all do well to take a note fro your example, pray for those who don’t know God. Paul tells us to become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.
Greg,
I think you got to the heart of the issue in the quote regarding the we all believe we have figured out how things really are and therefor it is up to everyone else to catch up to us and think like we do. I am convinced as you seem to be that the transformation of the culture, ours or another, will be completely different than we envisage. If we remain open to that possibility it may prevent us from going into other cultures in an effort to try to ‘fix’ them. Your ability to see how readily the principles of this short text apply to your own cultural situation is excellent. I wonder how comfortable you would feel to share these insights with some of your fellow Western missionaries who may not share your openness to seeing things from a non-Western perspective.
Hi Greg,
Yesterday I was thinking about the speaker we had in Cape Town who was involved in the ancestral worship. Then you posted and said, “Each of us have a knee jerk reaction with topics like ancestor worship, but if we are critical thinkers, then how do we respond to a discussion like this?”
I have to be honest with you, Animism is so far removed from my radar I am embarrassed. I look forward to the next time we have together because I hope we can talk about this more.
I would have to shy away from any discussion because I have so little knowledge of the topic. Critically, I admit I should learn more from folks like you who have a wealth of experience. I am glad you are in our cohort. Your voice is important!
Greg, you nailed this post brother. I like have nothing to add. The conversation you were in last week sounds really interesting. Ancestor worship and how to properly honor the dead are not exactly the conversations were having in our community. Although, perhaps the latter of the two. But I appreciated the spirit of your post and the dialogue you shared through that week and hope to hear more about it.
Okay, very provocative thoughts here…wow! It really is amazing how we misunderstand, or maybe just fail to understand how many cultural differences there are out there.
So I have been questioning more of the “egocentric” view of my own personal thinking this week, due to the reading pointing out that egocentric people tend to hold their religion as a the ultimate belief system…which is truly me to a T. I don’t know if “struggle” is the right word here, but I will say that my sight in regards to society, culture, and even just personal people interactions has sometimes been disregarded for the sake of sharing the Message. Your story just posed more of a question regarding this position. I asked Trisha if there was ever a point that Christ may have chosen not to use critical thinking in His ministry, and here you are presenting such a scenario without even trying. In Matthew 9:21, Jesus is selecting disciples when one of them replies, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.”
Do you believe Christ’s response in Matthew 9:22 could be regarded as critical thinking or egocentric?