Accepting the gospel does not require someone to cease to be
indigenous, Afro-descendant, rural, urban, or a member of a specific culture. On the contrary, becoming a follower of Christ means living one’s identity in the light of values that promote life, human dignity, and the common good. Music, clothing, celebrations, and forms of community organization can become legitimate vehicles for expressing Christian faith at the local level. When embodied in culture, the gospel enriches that culture,
prompting new artistic expressions, new forms of solidarity, and a renewed sense of purpose. Faith that is not imposed from outside, but lived from within, remains authentic and meaningful to the community.
Cultural Colonialism in Latin America As a case in point, when Adventism traveled to Latin America, it was carried by missionaries trained in an American Protestant cultural context. As a result, these missionaries (mainly from the United States) presented not only a biblical religious message, but also models of church, Christian life, and social organization that they no doubt believed were superior and necessary. Tis led to situations where, for example, Latin American men living in lands that are blazingly hot and humid were taught that they must wear wool suits and neckties to church. Adventism spread hand-in-hand with institutions:
schools, hospitals, publishing houses, and highly centralized administrative systems. While this typically provided converts with better access to education and health care, the institutions also functioned as mechanisms for transmitting foreign cultural values that were, in some cases, in tension with local traditions.2 A central element of the colonizing effect of Adventist preaching
was its emphasis on doctrinal exclusivity. Te discourse of the “faithful remnant” in possession of “present truth,” which identified itself as God’s final movement in history, generated an asymmetrical relationship with other religious expressions. Te result was to delegitimize popular Latin American religiosity
and to reduce Catholicism and indigenous spiritualities to expressions of error or “spiritual darkness,” which created cultural rupture rather than contextual dialogue. Conversion, in many cases, involved not only a change of faith, but also a renunciation of symbols, festivities, and ancestral knowledge that foreign missionaries judged incompatible with Adventist identity. Adventist preaching was accompanied by a strong emphasis on
standards of behavior, dress, diet, and leisure. Although presented as universal biblical principles, these standards largely reflected middle-class Protestant cultural patterns from the United States and Europe. Te result of assimilating Adventist cultural values
in Latin America typically included: • elevation of individualistic spirituality in what were deeply communal cultures
• destruction of traditional community ties • introduction of church authority to replace ancestral leadership
• devaluation of local cultural expressions • homogenization within Adventist communities • internalization of an association between foreign influences and what was “spiritually correct”
Education and Colonizing Epistemology While Adventist educational institutions raised literacy and vocational training levels, they also transmitted a theological and moral epistemology that was foreign to Latin American contexts.3 Curricula, theological materials, and ministerial models were largely designed outside the region. Tis limited the development of a truly contextual Adventist theology and reinforced intellectual dependence on denominational centers of power. Tus, Adventist preaching not only evangelized but also
colonized religious thought, establishing which biblical interpretations were legitimate and which should be discarded. In Latin America, Adventist preaching was a historical phenomenon marked by power imbalances, external cultural influences, and colonizing dynamics. To recognize these effects does not deny the positive
contributions of the church, but it does insist that we take responsibility for our mission history. Only through honest self-criticism and contextual preaching can Adventism in Latin America overcome its colonizing legacy and participate in a mission that liberates, dignifies, and engages in dialogue. By rereading Adventist mission from intercultural perspectives, we can begin to reach people for Jesus in a way that does not impose our culture but engages in dialogue with theirs.
The Sower Te way to bring Jesus to other lands is nicely illustrated in the parable of the sower (Mark 4:1-20; Matt. 13:1-23; Luke 8:4-15), who scatters the seed widely. He does not study the soil and sow seed only where he wants it to grow. He neither forces the seed to grow nor manipulates the soil to guarantee results. Tis illustrates a central principle of the gospel: the message is
proclaimed, not imposed. Te kingdom of God does not advance by coercion, but by invitation. Te seed—the word—is identical in all cases. What changes is the soil: the path, the rocks, the thorns, and the good soil.
WWW .A T OD A Y . OR G 45
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48
