When Jesus proclaimed the great commission (Matthew 28:18ff; Mark 16:15) He was speaking to the eleven disciples. It is clear that the New Testament, however, applies the great commission to all of Jesus' followers. In reality, no believer in Jesus Christ is excused from participation, in some form, in that command.
Affirming the above as a "given" in Christian life and doctrine, it follows that studying "missions" is a worthwhile pursuit. If you want to be a "front line" follower of Christ's command, then it makes sense to be involved in academic studies that prepare you for the task. The church of Jesus Christ has learned a lot about doing missions in the past 2000 years. Academic study allows us to absorb and apply the lessons of the past.
The study of the practical aspects of cultural anthropology is a pursuit well aligned with the study and practice of missions. They fit together "like hand and glove." Given that mission activities are very often performed cross-culturally, the approaches in cultural anthropology that emphasize practicality are of great benefit in fulfilling the great commission.
In cross-cultural ministry we need to learn and know certain things:
If you want to gain a hearing for Jesus in a community you have to gain acceptance for yourself and establish rapport with the people. That will require behavior modification on your part based on how well you understand the culture. In cultural anthropology we call this behavioral adaptation "code-switching." Obviously, however, you do not take the code-switching to the point of compromising your Biblical principles, but appropriate behavior modification is essential if you want the people to see that you really are interested in them, that you love them.
But how do you gain the proper familiarity with the culture to know what proper behavioral traits to adopt? Training in cultural anthropology makes you alert to the profusion of cultural traits and scenarios that are operating. Training in cultural anthropology gives you a new set of eyes, a new set of ears, and a new way of thinking about your cultural surroundings. And, when it comes to presenting the gospel message, it will make you aware that you have to ask some fundamental questions, foremost among which are, "How is my presentation of the gospel of Jesus Christ going to sound to these people? Can they relate to what I tell them? Do I know enough about their culture to pick out analogies to use in the presentation? Does my own cultural twist on the story obscure the relevance of the gospel in their culture?"
But perhaps you are wondering why the study of missions is necessary to someone interested in becoming an anthropologist. Training in missions provides you with a depth understanding of the larger context within which people are constructing their cultures and living out their lives. Missiology, the study of missions, is in effect a study of the history of the church as it has grown “from Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). That growth is no accident! It has been God’s mission, the missio Dei, to redeem humanity through the Kingdom that He inaugurated by the birth, life, death, and resurrection of his son, Jesus. That kingdom, the Kingdom of God, is here with us and, at the same time, yet coming. It exists in our hearts, but also in the world as a partially hidden work of God, yet to be made manifest on the final day. In the meanwhile, the Church testifies to its reality, and we as Christians are witnesses.
Secular anthropology views human beings as mere animals and cultures as inherently good. It has no external standard by which to evaluate cultural practices. Hence it lacks the ability to challenge evil in cultures or to recommend change. Ultimately, it cannot explain the real reasons for human life on earth or give hope in the face of human misconduct.
Missiology provides an understanding of why God instituted culture in the first place (Genesis 1:28), how He has worked through a particular culture (the Israelites) to prepare the world for His reconciling work in Christ, and how He now works through all the cultures of the world to redeem people from their fallen state. God’s interaction in and through culture is an exciting, dynamic process to consider! And missiology prepares anthropologists to see and understand the real purposes of God in people’s lives.
All people and all cultures need redemption, and, to use Paul's metaphor, they are still in the flesh, "and those who are in the flesh cannot please God" (Romans 8:8 NASB). The gospel of redemption has no problem going cross-cultural (Romans 10:12), but it won't get there if we don't take it. And how we take it makes a difference.
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