Contextual theology or contextualizing theology refers to theology which has responded to the dynamics of a particular context.
Terminology
The term contextualizing theology was used in
missiology by
Shoki Coe when he argued that the
Venn-
Anderson three-self formula
The three-self formula or three-self principle is a missiological strategy to establish indigenous churches. Its principles are: self-governance, self-support (i.e., financial independence from foreigners), and self-propagation (i.e., indigenous ...
were inadequate in addressing the sociopolitical context of his native Taiwan. Coe popularized this notion through the Theological Education Fund of the
World Council of Churches. While it was initially understood as part of a
liberal approach to theology, it has grown in currency among
evangelicals
Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide Interdenominationalism, interdenominational movement within Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being "bor ...
and
Roman Catholics
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
.
An individual may come from a particular cultural
worldview, such as
Arabic or
Asian culture, or be faced with particular sociopolitical issues. Hence, examples of contextualized theologies include
Latin American liberation theology,
Minjung theology, and
African theology.
The
systematic theologian
Systematic theology, or systematics, is a discipline of Christian theology that formulates an orderly, rational, and coherent account of the doctrines of the Christian faith. It addresses issues such as what the Bible teaches about certain topic ...
Regunta Yesurathnam sees contextual theology as including "all that is implied in
indigenization or
inculturation, but also seeks also to include the realities of contemporary, secularity, technology, and the struggle for human justice."
The missiologist
Stephen B. Bevans
Stephen Bennett Bevans, SVD (born July 14, 1944) is an American Roman Catholic, priest, theologian, and the Louis J. Luzbetak, SVD Professor of Mission and Culture, Emeritus at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, Illinois, United States. He is ...
argues that there is no such thing as normative theology, that "doing theology contextually is not an option" since it is a human enterprise which is created within a particular human context.
According to Bevans, contextualization is a better term than indigenization to describe social location and particular experience because it "broadens the understanding of culture to include social, political, and economic questions," while indigenization merely focuses on the "purely cultural dimension of human experience."
Secondly, Bevans comments that indigenization tends to "see both the home culture and the culture 'out there' as good," while contextualization is usually "more critical of both cultures."
Thirdly, the term contextualization suggests that "theology needs to interact and dialogue not only with traditional culture value, but with social change, new ethnic identities, and the conflicts that are present as the contemporary phenomenon of globalization encounters the various peoples of the world."
Biblical studies
In the field of
Bible translation and
interpretation
Interpretation may refer to:
Culture
* Aesthetic interpretation, an explanation of the meaning of a work of art
* Allegorical interpretation, an approach that assumes a text should not be interpreted literally
* Dramatic Interpretation, an event ...
, contextualization is the process of assigning
meaning
Meaning most commonly refers to:
* Meaning (linguistics), meaning which is communicated through the use of language
* Meaning (philosophy), definition, elements, and types of meaning discussed in philosophy
* Meaning (non-linguistic), a general te ...
as a means of
interpreting
Interpreting is a translational activity in which one produces a first and final target-language output on the basis of a one-time exposure to an expression in a source language.
The most common two modes of interpreting are simultaneous inter ...
the environment within which a text or
action is executed.
Contextualization is used in the study of Bible translations in relation to their relevant
cultural
Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and Social norm, norms found in human Society, societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, Social norm, customs, capabilities, and habits of the ...
settings. Derived from the practice of
hermeneutics, it sought to understand the use of words borrowed into the
Hebrew Scriptures, and later their Greek and Latin translations.
The word continues to be used theologically, mainly in the sense of contextualizing the biblical message as perceived in the missionary mandate originated by Jesus in the
gospel accounts. However, since the early 1970s, the word's meaning has widened. It is now used by
secular, religious and political groups to render their message into different settings by adjusting or accommodating words, phrases or meanings into understandable contexts in
respondent
{{unreferenced, date=February 2012
A respondent is a person who is called upon to issue a response to a communication made by another. The term is used in legal contexts, in survey methodology, and in psychological conditioning.
Legal usage
In ...
cultures.
See also
*
Bible version debate
*
Contextualization (sociolinguistics)
Contextualization in sociolinguistics refers to the use of language (both spoken language and body language) to signal relevant aspects of an interaction or communicative situation. This may include clues to who is talking, their relationship, whe ...
*
Inculturation
*
Missional living
* ''
Models of Contextual Theology
''Models of Contextual Theology'' is a book written by Stephen B. Bevans which argues that all Christian theology is contextual and identifies six dominant models of contextual theology.
History
Bevans first sketched out his ideas of various m ...
''
References
{{Liberation theology
Christian missions
Biblical exegesis
World Christianity