Discuss The Relationship Between Gospel And Culture In The Mission Of The Church. To What Extent Is All Mission Cross- Cultural?
Gospel meets culture and suddenly a plethora of issues are ejaculated into the stream of debate and conflict, in the excitement of the on-going mission of God and the perpetuation of his Kingdom. What arouses such fervour? God 's mission is the ultimate transmitter of love but what are the implications of Gospel and Culture, which lie within? This essay will closely examine and evaluate issues risen as a result of the confrontation of Gospel and culture. The relationship between Gospel and culture is an on-going challenge facing the church today, which with urgency and perseverance needs to be intensely addressed. The message of the Gospel is central to the practices and norms of Christianity and its existence. However, in the challenge of outreach, the conflicting issues of correlating and juxtaposing the two concepts in an attempt to relate the message comprehensively and effectively can prove to be a tedious task. To develop a proper understanding of this enthralling matter, a definition of terms is required.
Culture is "the learned, shared behaviour of members of society. ' The concept of culture governs those beliefs, behaviours and values, which are important and seen as necessary for survival to that particular society. The outstanding and important aspects of culture are language, values, norms, roles and status. Without a common language the individuals of a society would not be able to communicate effectively and relationship will be lost. Values are especially important for the "social unity or social solidarity ' because they define those things, which are seen in a particular society, as good and worthwhile. If everyone has the same values then there is less probability of chaos created by clashing of perceptions of what is good and worthwhile. Norms are the way in which the acceptation of these values is acted out. "Norms guide behaviour in all aspects of social life. ' Roles and statuses subtly command the way a community functions and perpetuates.
Culture is "the learned, shared behaviour of members of society. ' The concept of culture governs those beliefs, behaviours and values, which are important and seen as necessary for survival to that particular society. The outstanding and important aspects of culture are language, values, norms, roles and status. Without a common language the individuals of a society would not be able to communicate effectively and relationship will be lost. Values are especially important for the "social unity or social solidarity ' because they define those things, which are seen in a particular society, as good and worthwhile. If everyone has the same values then there is less probability of chaos created by clashing of perceptions of what is good and worthwhile. Norms are the way in which the acceptation of these values is acted out. "Norms guide behaviour in all aspects of social life. ' Roles and statuses subtly command the way a community functions and perpetuates.
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