7/29/2019 Cross Cultural Communication in Christ

1/3

Cross Cultural Communication in Christ

Thesis:

A communications gap exists between individuals within a given culture. That gap is larger between

individuals of different cultures. The gap is very large when individuals of different cultures communicate

about a third culturethe Kingdom of God. This gap can be effectively closed by entering the frame ofreference of the others culture and relating to him from his perspective as much as is possible. This process

is cross cultural communication. (Illustration A)

Introduction

1. God is oriented toward the receiver of information. As Jesus, he entered into mans frame of

reference by assuming the form of a human being (Joh 1:1-14; Php 2:5-8) so that he could be

maximally intelligible to them1.1. In order to follow in Jesus way, we also must learn to put ourselves into the receivers frame of

reference (1 Cor 9:19-22).

1.2. In a sense Jesus is both Gods personal message and his messenger. When we communicate Jesus

we are also part of the message (Eph 4: 12-16) and must imitate him (1 Cor 4:16; Php 3:17).

1.3. Communication, which comes from the Latin communis, or common, calls us to

commonness, that is, having a common ground with someone so that our communication is

mutually intelligible.

2. The aim of Christianity is forgiveness of sin, new life in Jesus, total behavioral change and themanifestation of the Kingdom of God, not the simple passing of information or knowledge about a

religious system2.1. The Gospel message is both personal and dynamically designed to move people in a particular

direction, which means we must model that direction.

2.1.1. Our message recommends, and our commitment requires, growth.

2.1.2. When we communicate the Gospel we are both the medium of expression. God uses

andby examplemajor components in the message itself.

Part 1

1. The communication process basically consists of a source (communicator), a message

that he encodes and transmits, and a receiver (or respondent or receptor) who decodeswhat was transmitted (Illustration B).

1.1. In missionary work we are concerned with two basic types of communication.

1.1.1. Verbal communication: This is spoken and written language.

1.1.2. Non-verbal communication: This is a code other than a linguistic one.

Gestures; the use of space, time, and color; ways of acting, includingattitudes; the arts such as music, drama, and dance; all of these and more

are ways of communicating nonverbally.

1.2. Missionaries involved in short term work in foreign cultures who are not familiar

with the host culture often must depend heavily on non-verbal communication.

1.3 Regardless of the communication type, the encoding and decoding process must

be understood or misunderstandings will arise.

2. The encoding and decoding processes are precisely the area where cultural knowledge

is of paramount importance.3. Culture consists of learned ways of acting, feeling, and thinking, rather than

biologically defined ways.3.1. Culture means a peoples whole way of life--all ideas, objects, and ways of doing

things devised by the group.

3.2. Culture includes arts, beliefs, morals, laws, customs, inventions, technology,

language, traditions, and even nationality and race.

7/29/2019 Cross Cultural Communication in Christ

2/3

4. Culture is acquired by people in a process called enculturation as a result of their

being members of a given society.

4.1. Culture is a complex whole of cultural traits (way of shaking hands, housing and

clothing styles) that make up cultural patterns (for example, related customs of

dating, courtship, and marriage form a pattern).4.2. All the traits and patterns in a given cultural group define that group and set the

internal parameters for acceptable behavior.5. In Christian cross cultural communication, the communicator is a conveying his

understanding of the biblical culture to a person of yet another culture (Illustration C).

5.1. The missionary is always the secondary source of information about the biblical

culture, never the primary one (1 Joh 1:1-2).

5.2. The missionary must conveyas much as is possiblethe biblical cultural

context of the Scriptures or teachings he is presenting, not what he feels themeanings is from his personal cultural perspective.

Part 2

Introduction:

At least seven distinctive principles are involved in the encoding process. The same seven principles

govern the decoding process. The difficulty lies in the fact that the principles take different form in the

communicator and the respondent.

1. World View is the way we perceive the world around us in particular, and the

universe in general (Illustration D).1.1. The natural, or materialistic world view sees the world more as machine than

mind. Humanism and evolutionism are in this category.

1.2. The supernatural is disregarded as the notion of a less developed stage in

mans evolution.

1.3. Nature is merely a habitat for man, and can be controlled by science.

1.4. Time is regarded as having no beginning or end.

1.2. The tribal world view incorporates the supernatural, sees man as united with

nature, puts a high value on the past, and sees the future as of lesser importance.1.3. The Hindu-Buddhist world view sees the universe as deity or ultimate reality.

1.3.1. God is ultimately impersonal and the world of experience ephemeral.

1.3.2. Man must look inward to find reality, beyond the screens of illusion (maya)that limit him, and by working out his karma, come to realize his true Self.

1.4. There are many other world views, such as those of the Chinese, Muslims, and

Multi-religions (like the coexistence of Shintoism and Buddhism in Japan) and

syncretism (like the African voodoo/Catholicism mix in Latin America.

2. Cognitive Processes are the way people within cultures think.2.1. Western cultures generally think from the particular to the general.

2.1.1. A dominant idea is the imposition of mans will on nature and society.

2.1.2. The thinking method is scientific, intellectual, aggressive.

2.2. Oriental thinking is generally mythological, emotional, artistic.

2.2.1. The emphasis is on meditative introspection and contemplation rather than

induction from observed phenomenon.

2.2.2. The thinker is more interested in what the reality behind observed

phenomena really is.2.3. A third way of thinking, shared by tribal peoples and some cultures like the

Chinese tends to express, persuade and inform others by referring to symbols,events, objects and so forth, rather than through general propositions and

principles.

3. Linguistic Forms are the ways people express ideas.

3.1.

4. Behavior Patterns are the ways that people act.

5. Social Structures are the ways that people interact.

6. Media Influences are the ways that messages are transmitted or channeled.

7/29/2019 Cross Cultural Communication in Christ

3/3

7. Motivational Resources are the ways that people make decisions.