Not a white man’s religion
WINNIPEG, MB–The complexity of making the Christian gospel culturally relevant to native North Americans is getting some serious study.
Nearly 150 Christians from throughout North America came to Winnipeg in late November to probe the issue at a Native North American Missiological Symposium.
It was convened by Terry LeBlanc, a Mi'kmaq/Acadian and the manager of Aboriginal Programs for World Vision Canada, and Richard Twiss, the Lakota/Sioux author of One Church, Many Tribes.
Participants, including native and non-native missionaries, theologians, pastors and scholars from many denominations, wrestled with vexing questions about cultural practices that may water down spiritual truths, and teachings by Christians that unnecessarily denigrate native culture.
In the past, missionaries fashioned the aboriginal church in a European image.
They discouraged native languages and names, built square buildings that shut out the natural world, exchanged drums, rattles and native chants for pianos, organs and western hymnology and replaced native dress and dance with European garb and processions.
The symposium attempted to navigate a middle road between assimilation (cultural genocide) and syncretism (blending incompatible beliefs). They blazed a path called "critical contextualization," which tries to avoid both absorption into the dominant culture as well as any compromise with animism.
The symposium also launched the North American Institute for Indigenous Theological Studies to encourage a truly indigenous expression of Christianity. "The anglo-hermeneutical community should trust the new, emerging aboriginal community that the Bible is their text too," said Michael Fullingim of Oklahoma Wesleyan University. "We should be in dialogue."
Although invited, critics of contexualization did not attend. Instead, one of their documents, "Boundary Lines: The Official Guidelines of the... Native American District of the Christian and Missionary Alliance (US)" written by Craig Smith, an Ojibwa pastor, sparked much discussion.
Smith argues contextualization will lead to syncretism, animism and universalism. "The idea of redeeming objects from spirit worship for Christian worship cannot be reconciled with the biblical position on separation from such objects and practises.... The material artifacts (sacred objects) used by animists are never neutral, but dedicated to the demons. In most instances they are actually indwelt by demons." He cites, "Touch no unclean thing" (2 Cor. 6:17).
Contexualists reply: "Nothing is unclean in itself" (Rm.14:14). They argue that many native cultural forms and ceremonies do have a religious meaning, but that they can still be redeemed or sanctified, rededicated for a Christian purpose. "My God is stronger than any demon," declared Daniel LaPlante, a Lakota/Dene from South Dakota.
No substitute
Smudging, the burning of sweet grass or cedar as a purification ceremony, would not be a substitute for the blood of Christ which can alone redeem, but could serve as a reminder of our need for forgiveness.
Contextualists believe Christian worship should never involve blood sacrifice, sexual immorality, physical torture or self-abuse or the use of mind-altering substances such as peyote.
"God alone is supracultural, above culture and unaffected by culture," said Douglas Hayward of Biola University, California. "God asks, 'Worship me in spirit and in truth and then worship me in culturally appropriate forms.'"
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