Missio Pop

In the final episode of the season, Matt and Aaron examine the last three steps of contextualization: learn their perspective, speak truth, and be open to change. The good news of learning a new perspective is that the process can be fun. By hearing stories, watching movies and television, and building relationships with cultural informants, we can enjoy the journey of learning how others see the world. Then, after knowing our perspective and learning their perspective, we can begin to partner with locals to speak truth together. This is when contextualization happens best.

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“There’s culture happening all around you if you’re willing to watch, observe, and consume.” “God’s spirit lives in them just as much as He lives in you and He can work through them as much as He can work through you.” "In the long run, the local people will always do it better.”

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Episode Highlights:

✨ Recap of steps 1 & 2 for contextualizing well (4:33)

✨ Step 3: Learn Their Perspective (5:37)

✨ Finding Cultural Informants (17:21)

✨ Step 4: Speak Truth In Cooperation (31:37)

✨ 3 questions to ask yourself as you speak truth in cooperation (37:55)

✨ Step 5: Be Ready To Change Again (54:37)

✨ Final thoughts (1:02:59)

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As the season comes to a close, Matt and Aaron ask the final question, “How do we contextualize well?” Their answer is a five-step process, and this episode looks at the first two steps. Step One is to learn and grow in the discipline of contextualization, with Matt and Aaron sharing their favorite resources that they believe would be beneficial for those wanting to learn more. In Step Two, they discuss how a person wanting to contextualize must first examine themselves, learning the ways our understanding of faith is a product of contextualization that comes with its own strengths and weaknesses.

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“You need to see how the Christianity that you’ve understood and always practiced has been contextualized.” “Every culture has those blind spots, but sometimes we’re ignorant of our own and we’ve got to explore that.” "Be gentle and encouraging to others so that you can help lead others in that process later on.”

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Episode Highlights:

✨ Introduction to 5 steps on how to contextualize well (9:27)

✨ Step 1: Read - Do the Work and Learn (10:32)

✨ Step 2: Know your Perspective (31:40)

✨ Example of single perspective theology: the law (36:11)

✨ Challenges in examining your own bias (39:50)

✨ Conclusion - understanding Jesus’ heart & values (47:26)

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Dr. Scott Moreau, Dean of the Graduate School at Wheaton College, joins Matt and Aaron to discuss a variety of topics within the study of contextualization. Dr. Moreau is one of the world’s foremost voices on contextualization, having written numerous articles and books on the topic, as well as teaching courses on contextualization for decades in his time at Wheaton. His insight into the history of the topic, as well as the way in which it happens today both locally and globally, is an important piece of understanding how to contextualize well.

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“We tend to unconsciously find leaders who can act like us even when they’re not like us on the inside. The tendency is we reproduce ourselves through those we choose to become leaders in our own organizations.” “The Gospel is not naked. It comes in flesh in the language. It comes in flesh in rituals. It comes in flesh in stories we tell each other.” "You already are contextualizing. Become conscious of it.”

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Episode Highlights:

✨ Get to know Dr. Scott Moreau (4:11)

✨ The origins of contextualization (10:57)

✨ Dr. Moreau’s examples of contextualization (17:28)

✨ Contextualization gone wrong (24:39)

✨ Advice to missionaries crossing cultures (29:09)

✨ Advice to the American church (49:57)

✨ Dr. Moreau’s books & other suggested resources (54:38)

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In the second part of this two-part series, Matt and Aaron examine the danger of syncretism. Syncretism happens when contextualization goes too far, allowing for well intended efforts to make the gospel relevant end up allowing for the power of culture to taint the gospel itself. After defining terms and looking at examples of syncretism, Matt and Aaron give advice on how to see when syncretism has occurred. 

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“When you make Jesus a means to an end, you are way off track.”

“There’s also behaviors that are core to Christianity. It’s not simply our ideas and doctrines that we build.”

“Don’t let this danger become this boogeyman that prevents you from contextualizing well. This is going to happen in a lot of different ways. Anytime faith encounters culture, there will be an intermixing. Be aware of it, but don’t let it be a fear that paralyzes you from doing good work.”

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Episode Highlights:

✨ Defining syncretism (5:48)

✨ Examples of syncretism (11:01)

✨ Prosperity gospel (23:02)

✨ Loss of Core Doctrine (44:24)

✨ Loss of Core Practice (52:41)

✨ Subtle forms of syncretism we see today (54:59)

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In a two-part look at the dangers of contextualization, Matt and Aaron discuss the problem of irrelevancy. This form of traditionalism happens when contextualization gets cut short, or simply doesn’t happen at all. After defining terms and looking at modern examples, Matt and Aaron examine ways that the church can avoid the problem of irrelevance today. 

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“We have to know our Bible so we can know the difference between what is the nonnegotiable part of following Jesus and what is just a traditional thing.”

“To say that a way has become the way and will always be the way, that’s where irrelevancy starts.”

“How can we be a Christ-centered biblical church right now?”

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Episode Highlights:

✨ Defining irrelevancy, legalism, and traditionalism (7:33)

✨ Examples of Irrelevancy (26:49)

✨ “Church for the unchurched” (37:37)

✨ The Traditional Rural/Small town American Church (40:41)

✨ How to Avoid Irrelevancy (43:14)

✨ The “Big Three” (49:49)

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For contextualization to happen, we must be willing to lose. The process of loss for the sake of Christ hits at the great enemy of contextualization: ethnocentrism. After defining the term and acknowledging its place in the world of missions, Matt and Aaron discuss how discerning the difference between Christian behavior and the values of Christ give us a guide to getting over ourselves and allowing for the seeds of contextualization to grow.

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“Our goal is not maintaining a way of thinking, doing it our way, or being better. Our goal is following Jesus. Trust that that’s going to be enough.” “If we are ignorant, we’re far more likely to fall into ethnocentrism.” “Sometimes Jesus challenged culture, but he also cooperated with it.”

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Episode Highlights:

✨ Defining Ethnocentrism (5:47)

✨ Understanding monocultural perspectives (16:11)

✨ Looking to Jesus as the supreme example of contextualization (19:11)

✨ Review of Acts 10 & 15 (22:43)

✨ Examples of Ethnocentrism (25:42)

✨ Defining “Culture” (28:48)

✨ The separation of values and behaviors (35:22)

✨ Advice & takeaways (46:25)

✨ Solutions for those who struggle with ethnocentrism (49:11)

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After Peter and Cornelius open the door for Gentiles to come to faith, a young Jewish church is forced to wrestle with the task of becoming something new. At the heart of that conflict is what is required for this faith, and what Jesus calls us to release on the journey of community with him and his people. By looking at the story of the Jerusalem council in Acts 15, Matt and Aaron discuss how contextualization shakes the core of how we see the Bible, the church, and the controversy of allowing culture to break down our doctrines into a deeper faith in Christ.

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“This isn’t about creating new laws. It’s about promoting unity. It’s about bringing the Body of Christ together.” “Conflict is where unity is born.” “We lead change. We don’t force change, because we’re not doing this alone. We’re doing this in community.” “Syncretism is where, in your efforts to contextualize, you’ve lost the core.”

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Episode Highlights:

✨ Review of Acts 10 - Culture & Contextualization (1:58)

✨ Setting the scene for Acts 15 (5:42)

✨ Intro to the Jerusalem Council (13:14)

✨ 4 new “concessions” for the early church (18:00)

✨ Contextualization is a messy process (26:52)

✨ Concept of “weaker brother” (33:38)

✨ The struggle of syncretism (40:07)

✨ 3 audiences of letters (44:33)

✨Key takeaways from the 3 part conversation on Contextualization in Acts (49:02)

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Matt and Aaron shift the conversation on biblical contextualization from evangelism to discipleship by focusing on the story of Peter and Cornelius in Acts 10-11. Contextualization in the church requires us to ask a core question: what is essential and what is cultural? By looking at the shift that was required in Peter to welcome the Gentiles into the church, we can examine ways that contextualization sifts our hearts to focus more on Christ, his love for us, and the mission he gave us over our own expectations and traditions.

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“If we stop adapting, then we're failing at contextualization.” “There is a place for controversy. This is how we grow.” “Be creative. Try new things. Include the church.”

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Episode Highlights:

✨ Intro to Discipleship Practices in Acts (1:11)

✨ Church traditions as a product of contextualization (3:24)

✨ Acts 10 - Peter & Cornelius (10:28)

✨ The importance of staying adaptable (21:23)

✨ Acts 11 - The church approaches Peter with critique (27:01)

✨ Partiality in contextualization (32:42)

✨ Contextualization is constant and transformative (36:07)

✨ Approaching “insiders” and “outsiders” (38:21)

✨ Biblical Hermeneutics (44:24)

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In this second episode, Matt and Aaron ground the discipline of contextualization in Biblical examples found in the book of Acts. Here they examine the ways that Paul presented the gospel by using three different strategies for three different audiences in Acts 13, 14, and 17 - a powerful model of contextualization in practice. They then take this example and conclude with principles of how contextualization works in evangelistic strategy within a cross-cultural environment.

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“We have a delicate balance between what is true and what works.”

“In the greater context of culture, Jesus cooperates and challenges. He’s willing to meet people where they’re at.”

“You can’t control who’s going to hear it and how they are going to receive it and the response they are going to make - that’s the work of the Holy Spirit.”

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Episode Highlights:

✨ Intro to Acts 13, 14, & 17 (8:04)

✨ Setting the scene (11:46)

✨ Paul’s starting points for contextualization (15:40)

✨ Paul’s call to action (22:15)

✨ The response to Paul’s message (27:07)

✨ Lessons from Paul sharing the Gospel message (38:57)

✨ Key passage: 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 (32:04)

✨ Domestic contextualization (40:48)

✨ Dangers of contextualization (43:45)

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In this opening episode, Matt and Aaron set the stage for the season ahead. They begin with basic introductions about themselves, their credentials, and their history. Then they introduce this season’s topic: contextualization. By weaving through definitions, metaphors, examples, and the biblical basis, Matt and Aaron explain that contextualization is at the heart of God’s mission for the world and a vital piece of any mission’s effort.⁠

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Definition of Contextualization: The process by which the word of God is faithfully communicated and obediently put into practice in constantly changing human cultures in ways that are sensitive, understandable, and meaningful to any one culture so that the members of that culture may follow Jesus without leaving their culture.

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“The Gospel is love in any and every culture.”

“God has always from the beginning been a contextualizer. He wants to be understood. He wants to be known. He wants to be in union with his people.”

“God chooses to communicate to us in narrative and art - all contextualization.”

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Episode Highlights:

✨ Definition of contextualization (16:26)

✨ Examples of contextualization (19:20)

✨ Metaphor for contextualization (22:45) 

✨ Contextualization in the Bible (24:09)

✨ Missio Dei (27:22)

✨ Contextualization and missions (30:20)

✨ Key passage: 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 (32:04)

✨ Domestic contextualization (40:48)

✨ Dangers of contextualization (43:45)

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Missio Pop is a podcast of two overeducated white dudes talking about all things in the world of missions, missiology, and God’s hope for the world. Over our time together Dr. Aaron Wheeler, Professor of Ministry at Ozark Christian College, and Dr. Matt Cook, Assistant Professor in the College of Biblical Studies at Freed-Hardman University, will look at what God is doing both around the globe and in our own backyard. This first season will focus on the missionary task of contextualization - the way in which culture shapes and forms the way in which we share God’s truth.

Missio Pop will officially launch in May so be sure to subscribe so you are the first to know when new episodes drop. Thanks for being here!