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Introducing…

Dawn TrautmanLutheranLifeCoach.com

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To foster faithful, thoughtful and intentional leaders in congregations who follow Jesus in their daily lives.

7 WEBINARS

1.“Faith Formation in a Missional Age”2. “If Necessary, Use Words”3. “Theories of Culture”4. “Working Together in Solidarity”5. “Inculturating the Gospel”6. “Dog Eating Chicken”7. “Going Public”

Introducing…

Dr. Nathan FrambachWartburg Seminary, Dubuque, IowaWartburgSeminary.edu

Theories of Culture:A New Agenda for Theology, Ministry and Faith Formation

Three (3) AssertionsThree (3) Assertions

The Christian gospel and culture(s) cannot be The Christian gospel and culture(s) cannot be separatedseparated

We (human beings) live within a pluriverse of We (human beings) live within a pluriverse of culturescultures

Congregations are one of those culturesCongregations are one of those cultures

Workshop goal: cultivate an understanding of Workshop goal: cultivate an understanding of culture that will support and serve faithful, culture that will support and serve faithful, truthful, and effective ministry in a missional truthful, and effective ministry in a missional ageage

Three (3) BIG RealitiesThree (3) BIG Realities

1. Culture(s)1. Culture(s)

2. Context2. Context

3. Narrative (story)3. Narrative (story)

The “cultural turn” from text to context: “Scholars The “cultural turn” from text to context: “Scholars of religion have turned more and more to the of religion have turned more and more to the interactions and relationships between religion and interactions and relationships between religion and culture, and to do that requires embedding religion culture, and to do that requires embedding religion in its contexts.” in its contexts.” (Religion and Culture, p. xii)

In other words: understanding specific religious In other words: understanding specific religious beliefs/practices (e.g. Christianity) entails beliefs/practices (e.g. Christianity) entails “descending into detail” and engaging specific “descending into detail” and engaging specific cultural contextcultural context

What is Culture?What is Culture?

Here’s a topic: culture. Discuss.Here’s a topic: culture. Discuss.

The question is: What is culture? Engage. The question is: What is culture? Engage. Begin. Discuss.Begin. Discuss.

This should be difficult, perhaps even This should be difficult, perhaps even frustrating.frustrating.

Why? Because the “notion” of culture is Why? Because the “notion” of culture is inherently abstract and nebulousinherently abstract and nebulous

Check out the Check out the Websteresque definition, , specifically #5specifically #5

Culture: Not Culture: Not GeneralizedGeneralized

Generalized (decontextualized) attempts to Generalized (decontextualized) attempts to understand culture are seldom helpful unless you’re understand culture are seldom helpful unless you’re writing a textbookwriting a textbook

It’s an old analogy, but asking someone to describe It’s an old analogy, but asking someone to describe their “culture” is like asking a fish to describe water their “culture” is like asking a fish to describe water (assuming you can find a talking fish)—it’s hard to see (assuming you can find a talking fish)—it’s hard to see it when you are in itit when you are in it

““Culture includes all the things a group does Culture includes all the things a group does together…Culture is who we are and the world we together…Culture is who we are and the world we have created to live in. It is the predictable patterns of have created to live in. It is the predictable patterns of who does what and habitual strategies for telling the who does what and habitual strategies for telling the world about the things held most dear.” (Nancy world about the things held most dear.” (Nancy Ammerman, Studying Congregations, p.15; pp. 78-79)Ammerman, Studying Congregations, p.15; pp. 78-79)

Culture: Beyond Culture: Beyond Dictionary.comDictionary.com

To paraphrase anthropologist Clifford Geertz, any To paraphrase anthropologist Clifford Geertz, any road to truly understanding a culture runs through road to truly understanding a culture runs through the particular and means “descending into detail”the particular and means “descending into detail”

Or, Shrek was right—like ogres and onions, Or, Shrek was right—like ogres and onions, cultures have layerscultures have layers

Understanding culture begins with the outer layerUnderstanding culture begins with the outer layer—observable behavior, customs, rituals, symbols, —observable behavior, customs, rituals, symbols, language, etc.language, etc.

That’s why we need to shift our attention to That’s why we need to shift our attention to particular cultural contexts, specifically, particular cultural contexts, specifically, congregationscongregations

What about coNteXt?What about coNteXt?

Here’s another topic: context.Here’s another topic: context.

Describe your ministry context—the social Describe your ministry context—the social context of the congregation (e.g., context of the congregation (e.g., neighborhood, larger community) as well as the neighborhood, larger community) as well as the congregation itself. Be specific.congregation itself. Be specific.

So how’d that go? Easier than the earlier So how’d that go? Easier than the earlier conversations about “culture”? conversations about “culture”?

Probably so—because contexts are more Probably so—because contexts are more specific. And describing them is more like specific. And describing them is more like telling a story.telling a story.

Congregation as Congregation as contextcontext

““Each congregation sees it self as a community of Each congregation sees it self as a community of God, dedicated to sacred things. Yet congregations God, dedicated to sacred things. Yet congregations are also social institutions…they are places where are also social institutions…they are places where people interact, working with one another and serving people interact, working with one another and serving constituents…the congregation is analyzed as a unit, constituents…the congregation is analyzed as a unit, and as a unit interacting with other units in society: and as a unit interacting with other units in society: people, organizations, and cultures…Even as it is people, organizations, and cultures…Even as it is dedicated to God, your congregation is a human dedicated to God, your congregation is a human institution located in history (the date of its founding institution located in history (the date of its founding to the present), in a specific place in geography (your to the present), in a specific place in geography (your community), and in the lives of its members (the community), and in the lives of its members (the network “maps” of their lives).”network “maps” of their lives).”

Eiesland & Warner, Studying Congregations, pp. 40—Eiesland & Warner, Studying Congregations, pp. 40—43)43)

Descend Into DetailDescend Into Detail

A deliberate, specific focus on context means at A deliberate, specific focus on context means at least two (2) things for leadership in ministry:least two (2) things for leadership in ministry:

1. Moving beyond a “theology as projectile” view 1. Moving beyond a “theology as projectile” view of congregational context and unearthing the of congregational context and unearthing the theology that is embedded theretheology that is embedded there

2. In order to do this we need to learn how to 2. In order to do this we need to learn how to carefully attend to the context without rushing to carefully attend to the context without rushing to impose a “theology” on itimpose a “theology” on it

This demands some tools from the social sciences This demands some tools from the social sciences (e.g., ethnography, interviews, congregational (e.g., ethnography, interviews, congregational timeline)—a new skill-set for many of us, but skills timeline)—a new skill-set for many of us, but skills that can be learnedthat can be learned

Ethnography, for Ethnography, for exampleexample

It’s beyond the scope of this workshop to get It’s beyond the scope of this workshop to get into these various approachesinto these various approaches

Studying Congregations Studying Congregations is an excellent is an excellent resource (particularly chapter 7)resource (particularly chapter 7)

Ethnography is a focused, disciplined Ethnography is a focused, disciplined attentiveness to a particular context with the attentiveness to a particular context with the goal of understanding it bettergoal of understanding it better

It is a kind of holy listening that pays close It is a kind of holy listening that pays close attention to narrative and storiesattention to narrative and stories

Narrative & Storied Narrative & Storied LivingLiving

One more topic for discussion: storyOne more topic for discussion: story

Tell your congregation’s storyTell your congregation’s story

Or tell a story about the congregation where you Or tell a story about the congregation where you serveserve

Or tell a story about a significant ministry Or tell a story about a significant ministry experience connected to the congregation where experience connected to the congregation where you serveyou serve

The point is to help us conclude with a focus on The point is to help us conclude with a focus on practices that empower faithful, truthful, and practices that empower faithful, truthful, and effective ministryeffective ministry

Three (3) Practices of Three (3) Practices of StoryStory

We want to conclude by proposing some practices of story We want to conclude by proposing some practices of story that can help us unearth signs of God’s presence and that can help us unearth signs of God’s presence and activity in specific, cultural, congregational contextsactivity in specific, cultural, congregational contexts

1. Dwelling in God’s Story1. Dwelling in God’s Story

2. The practice of “story hearing”—listening, listening, 2. The practice of “story hearing”—listening, listening, listeninglistening

3. Story-telling and telling the Story3. Story-telling and telling the Story

One way to understand culture is to understand a cultural One way to understand culture is to understand a cultural context, and one effective approach to understanding a context, and one effective approach to understanding a cultural context is a focus on narrative—which begins with cultural context is a focus on narrative—which begins with the mutual relationship between hearing story and telling the mutual relationship between hearing story and telling story. story.

Thoughts…Questions…Reflections…

Nate Frambach

Dawn TrautmanPlease type your questions or comments

into the question box on your screen. We’ll try to get to as many of them as we can.

Recording of this Webinar

www.practicediscipleship.org

NEXT PRACTICE DISCIPLESHIP WEBINAR

Guest: Rozella WhiteDate: February 17, 2013Time: 3pm Central TimeTopic: “Working Together in Solidarity:

A Theology in Accompaniment”

NEXT 3RDTUESDAY CONVERSATIONGuest: Dr. Andy RootDate: February 19, 2013Time: 1pm Central TimeTopic: Taking Theology to Youth Ministry

THANKS!

FEBRUARY

3, 2013