Missiologists have in recent years begun to think seriously about inculturation, and historians have begun to learn from them. When the Christian message is inserted into a cultural framework, if the messengers are insensitive to the local culture the result can be cultural imperialism. On the other hand, if they grant too much hegemony to the local culture, the result at best is 'syncretism' and at worst 'Christo-paganism.' Things are most wholesome when sensitive interchange takes place leading to 'a truly critical symbiosis.' But for this to happen, there must be a second stage - a time of 'pastoral follow-up work, ' of catechizing and life formation enabling the new faith to express its genius in the institutions and reflexes of its new host culture. Alan Kreider
About This Quote

If you want to change the culture of a society, you need to adapt to the local culture. It is not enough to bring in new ideas, but you need to adapt to the culture of the people you are trying to reach. People who are not willing to adapt will fail no matter how much success their ideas get. It is important that missionaries know how to adapt to the culture of the people they are trying to reach. If they do not adapt, their ideas will never take root.

Source: The Change Of Conversion And The Origin Of Christendom

Some Similar Quotes
  1. Want to keep Christ in Christmas? Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, forgive the guilty, welcome the unwanted, care for the ill, love your enemies, and do unto others as you would have done unto you. - Steve Maraboli
  2. Jesus Christ lived in the midst of his enemies. At the end all his disciples deserted him. On the Cross he was utterly alone, surrounded by evildoers and mockers. For this cause he had come, to bring peace to the enemies of God. <span style="margin:15px;... - Dietrich Bonhoeffer
  3. The spiritualization of sensuality is called love: it is a great triumph over Christianity. - Friedrich Nietzsche
  4. The word ‘sin’ is derived from the Indo-European root ‘es-, ’ meaning ‘to be.’ When I discovered this etymology, I intuitively understood that for a [person] trapped in patriarchy, which is the religion of the entire planet, ‘to be’ in the fullest sense is ‘to... - Mary Daly
  5. What you are is God's gift to you, what you become is your gift to God. - Unknown
More Quotes By Alan Kreider
  1. Missiologists have in recent years begun to think seriously about inculturation, and historians have begun to learn from them. When the Christian message is inserted into a cultural framework, if the messengers are insensitive to the local culture the result can be cultural imperialism. On...
  2. Of course, there were innumerable conversions during these years, as Christianity became the religion of Western Europe and Christendom took its characteristic shape. Many of these were undramatic — serfs responding to the importunity of their lords — or group events, as in the conversion...
Related Topics