GURUKUL LUTHERAN THEOLOGICAL COLLEGE AND RESEARCH INSTITUTE

KILPAUK, CHENNAI-10

PAPER PRESENTATION

Class- MTh I (COMMUNICATION)

SUBJECT- MCOM008: COMMUNICATION, GOSPEL AND CULTURE.

Topic: The Relationship Between Gospel, Communication and Culture.

- How They Interact as Dynamic Forces

- Issues in Gospel-Culture Encounter
- Translating and Transmitting the Gospel: Grasping the Complexities
- Discussion of Rediscovering Christianity
- Cultivating Missional Communities: Faithful Leadership

Presenter: Johana Faculty in-charge: Rev. Dr. Daniel J. Kirubaraj

Date: The 9th September, 2019.

Introduction

Communication, Gospel and Culture are the inseparable elements of Christian life and works.
Gospel is communicated in the world where culture plays vital role in every walks of life of the
community.

The topics of this paper are so vast that each of the sub-points are also worth to be dealt with in
another topic. So, it is quite a daring task to compile all the topics and keep them in a single
paper. But the importance of the relationship of the three elements is so essential that attempt
will be made to clarify the meanings of them and their relationship. This paper will mainly focus
on the importance of Gospel, Communication and Culture in all the topics.

1. Definitions of the terms

In order to deal with the relationship between Gospel, Communication and Culture, it is apt to
have a look at first what they really are.

1.1. Communication

The word Communication has its root from the Latin word communis which means common,
sharing, equality, togetherness and fellowship.1Gulley opines that, “Communication means

1
Daniel Kirubaraj, Gospel, Culture and Communication: An unpublished assessment paper for the doctoral
study (Chennai: 2000) 7.

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literally to ‘make common’ –that is to create in a receiver’s mind an idea or image similar to the
one i the mind of the sender”2

Denis McQuail defines communication as “a process which increases commonality, but also
requires elements of commonality for it to occur at all”3

Communication is also a derivative of the Latin word ‘communicare’ which means ‘to share, to
impart or to have something in common.’4 In everyday use of the term, communication means
making common or sharing something by two or more people or group of people. Literally,
communication, according to Gulley, is to make something common, that is, to create in the mind
of the receiver of an information or message an idea or image similar to what is in the mind of
the sender.5 Most of the scholars in this field see communication basically as sharing of
information and ideas for the purpose of affecting the receiver in some predetermined ways.
“Theologically, communication should be understood from the church’s perspective in its missionary
nature. The church, by its very nature, is communication embodied. Missiologically, there is the
‘communication of’ and ‘communication between.’ ‘Communication between’ refers to communication
among humans as in evangelism etc, while ‘communication of’ refers to the Christian message in
togetherness in the communion with Christ.” 6

“Communication can be described simply as the process by which individuals share information,
ideas, and attitudes. A key word in this definition is share, which means to give or receive a part
of something or to enjoy or assume something in common.”7 Communication is dynamic as it is
an ongoing process which encompasses various components that interact with one another,
causing specific consequences.

Communication is a process which increases commonality among people involved in the

communication. In communication as sharing, it involves sharing meaningful messages. So,
human communication is the sending from one person to another of meaningful messages.

1.2. Gospel

The word Gospel is derived from the old English Godspel in which God means ‘good’ and spel
means ‘story’.8 The root word or Gospel is the Grik word euanggelion which means messenger.
Even though, initially the word euanggelion was used to denote the bearer of good tidings or
good news. It has later been used to denote the message itself and then particularly to the Gospel
of God or the message which a believer receives from God to be preached itself.

2
As quoted in Daniel Kirubaraj, Gospel, Culture …, 7.
3
As quoted in Daniel Kirubaraj, Gospel, Culture …,7.
4
As quoted by Raphael A. Idialu, Communication in Theological Enterprise(Methodist Journal of Theology,
MEJOTH, vol. 2, issue 1, (May, 2015): 30-40.
5
Raphael A. Idialu, Communication in... 30-40.
6
Raphael A. Idialu, Communication in ... 30-40.
7
James R. Wilson and Stan Le Roy Wilson, Mass Media Mass Culture: An Introduction (New York: The
McGraw-Hill Companies, 2001) 7.
8
Daniel Kirubaraj, Gospel, Culture, 2.

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The word evangelize (euangelizo) is used some fifty-four times in the New Testament; evangel
or gospel (euangelion) is used seventy-six times; and evangelist (euangelistes) is used three
times. These are good words.9

Communication is an ongoing complex and diverse social process in which Christians and
people and other faiths are engaged their daily life.10The purpose of communication is to bring a
receptor to understand a message presented by a communicator in a way that substantially
corresponds with the intent of the communicator11
“Communication is also the way in which God makes himself known to man, and man responds to God.
God speaks, the church proclaims; our doctrinal shorthand sees active and creative communication as the
source and motivating source of all life”12

Joshva Raja states that the role of God in communication is to make people known to God. The
content of Christian Communication is the information about Jesus.13

The Church is to take up the responsibility of communicating the Gospel to the world. But
churches should, while communicating the Gospel, not distort the message in order to suit the
medium of the people or to capture their attention. Christ is both the content and dynamic source
of the Church’s communication in proclaiming the gospel. The teachings and life of Jesus is the
content and source of information while people are receivers in their own culture.The churches
are called to use the media in order to communicate the Gospel and its values.

1.3. Culture

Edward B Taylor defines culture as, “that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art
morals, law, customs, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man (cit.) as a member of
society.”14 Kroeber also defines culture as, “the mass of learned and transmitted reactions, habit,
techniques, ideas and values – and the behaviours they induce.”15 Kluckhohn defines culture as,
“the total life-way of a people, the social legacy the individual acquires from the group.”16
Luzbetak defines culture as, “a dynamic system of socially acquired and socially shared ideas
according to which an interacting group of human beings is to adapt itself to its physical, social,
and ideational environment.”17

9
David J. Hesselgrave, Communicating Christ Cross Culturally: An Introduction to Missionary Communication
(Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1991) 24.
10
Joshva Raja, Facing the Reality of Communication: Culture, Church and Communication (Delhi: ISPCK,
2001) 1.
11
Communicating within Culture….. 147
12
As quoted by Joshva Raja, Facing …,30.
13
Joshva Raja, Facing …, 30.
14
As quoted in C. Lalhlira, The Role of Intercultural Communication in Christian Witness (Delhi: ISPCK,
2010) 16.
15
As quoted in C. Lalhlira, The Role …,16.
16
As quoted in C. Lalhlira, The Role …,16-17.
17
As quoted in C. Lalhlira, The Role ..,17.

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From the above statements of different scholars we can come into a conclusion to say that
‘Culture is all the ways of life, which is dynamic in nature, that human beings possess which are
formed and moulded by the society or community where and which they belong. Culture can
include morality, ethical values, laws, knowledge, beliefs, customs, habits, ideas, behaviours,
which are socially induced, learned and shared’.

Communication plays an important role in acquiring cultural behaviour and ideas that culture
exists through communication and communication could also be said as an expression of culture
or as culture in progress18

Culture is a way of life. The food we eat, the clothes we wear, the language we speak in and the
God we worship all are aspects of culture. In very simple terms, we can say that culture is the
embodiment of the way in which we think and do things. It is also the things that we have
inherited as members of society. All the achievements of human beings as members of social
groups can be called culture. Art, music, literature, architecture, sculpture, philosophy, religion
and science can be seen as aspects of culture. However, culture also includes the customs,
traditions, festivals, ways of living and one’s outlook on various issues of life.

From the above definitions of Gospel, Communication and Culture it could well be assumed that
none of the three elements is separable from one another. Communication in itself is relational
that it cannot happen within oneself alone, it happens in relationship with other in a particular
cultural milieu. Gospel is for all, for all the creations, that it could not be made known to all
without communicating it in and through culture. The right co-operation of the three elements
will bring about positive changes in and wherever it is preached.

2. Dynamic Forces of the Relationship Between Communication, Gospel and Culture

Hasselgrave opines that the best word available to succinctly summarize Christian missionary
task is the word Communication.19Christian Communication could be said as the preaching of
the Gospel by words or by deeds. Then, such preaching by words or by deeds happens in a
communication process. As Christianity was brought up in a particular culture, the Gospel has its
first form as being of Jewish in culture and language. But, it is the common call received by all
the Christians to preach the Gospel to all the nations. All the nations of the world have their own
cultures, languages, social systems. In order to let the Gospel achieve what it is intended to all
the three elements of Christian mission have to be taken up proportionately,

A proper proportionate application of the three elements always leads to a successful Christian
mission.20Gospel itself and Christianity are not seen as alien’s. Gospel, in its ultimate reality is
the need for all humankind. Therefore, if the way how Gospel is proclaimed is undertaken in

18
C. Lalhlira, The Role ...,19.
19
David J. Hesselgrave, Communicating …,25.
20
Here the author does not necessarily mean the success of a Christian mission as having a large number of
conversions or claiming political Christendom in the geographical aspects.

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such a way that it is seen as the natural habitat of where it is preached and acculturating it with
the culture where it is proclaimed, then, Gospel is seen as of that culture and never been seen as
an alienating force or dividing force of the culture. This appropriate way of synchronization of
Communication, Gospel and Culture always brings about changes in good manners for the
society, for the family, and for the individual as well.

The interaction of the three elements within themselves prove to be dynamic force that bring
about changes, freedom, equality, justice and all the good virtues that human beings can
accumulate. It is through the dynamic force of the three elements happen the ideal world where
God’s fellowship is experienced at hand.

3. Gospel Culture Encounter

The Encounter of the Gospel with culture began to take place with the incarnation. 21The Gospel
is already an inculturated document: the Aramaic discourses of Jesus as understood and narrated
in Greek in their own living context by four different communities.22Jesus was born in a
particular culture with a particular language. So was the gospel was first proclaimed in a
particular culture viz. the Jewish culture. Then it was preached to different countries of the world
which have their own language and their own culture. Those cultures were still the formation of
different sub-cultures.

If we take India for example as the Gospel-culture encounter, even till today many people could
not grasp the teachings of Jesus and that of Christianity as alien teaching with alien culture. Even
those who adhere to Christianity have been accused of being adhering to foreign religion. This
kind of negative encounter always happens in wherever Christianity is preached all over the
world. In India it is said that there are of course people from higher social level who agreed to
accept Christ as their Guru but do not want to openly profess themselves Christians. These kinds
of people are called Kristubhaktas.23At the same time to those who are from lower social
background like dalits and other outcasts there is no such kind of resentment to proclaim their
adherence to Christianity and profess themselves Christians.

But the problems of this encounter have to be addressed into a deeper level of communication.
Examples have to be drawn from Jesus himself. Jesus was born in a Jewish culture and was a
complete Jewish citizen. Then, there was no alienation from his fellow Jews as Jesus ministered
his gospel endeavour. As long as Jesus lived, he and his gospel were never seen as alienating
force by the Jews. But, when times came, Christianity was proclaimed into the vaster world.

21
Fr. Thomas D’Sa, Gospel-Culture Encounter https://rethinkingmission.org/wp-
content/uploads/2016/07/GOSPEL-CULTURE-ENCOUNTER.pdf [accesed on 7/7/2019]
22
Gospel-Culture Encounter as Intercultural and Interreligious Dialogue
https://sedosmission.org/article/gospel-culture-encounter-as-intercultural-and-interreligious-dialogue/ [accesed on
7/7/2019]
23
Gospel-Culture Encounter as Intercultural and Interreligious Dialogue
https://sedosmission.org/article/goshpel-culture-encounter-as-intercultural-and-interreligious-dialogue/ [accesed on
7/7/2019]

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Words like Non-believers, heathen, other religions took place. Even wars were declared to save
human beings from eternal damnation.

This Cross-Cultural Communication has been one of the most delved with issues in the Christian
mission. The factor being Christianity being seen as foreign religion which sounds so feasible to
those who are in the counter cultural position. To acquire cultural behaviours and ideas,
communication plays an important role; therefore, we may say that culture exists through
communication, and communication is an expression of culture or culture-in-progress.24

To many scholars, culture is the bedrock of religions of every society, so, to bring about change
through Gospel, though is out of love, has to be preconceived with negative notions. In such a
situation, Communication has to be taken up with genuineness to acquire cultural genuineness
and present the Gospel as being the root of the culture has to be the way how it has to be
proclaimed and how it has to bring about positive changes in the societies.

4. Translating and Transmitting the Gospel: Grasping the complexities

As the sub-topic says Christianity and even the Gospel has been seen as not of being local, and
that is the reason why the Gospel needs to be translated and re-transmitted. Unless and until
these complexities of cultural realities are grasped from the grassroots level, Christianity will
always be seen as alien force which tears down the unity of the culture which was attained
beforehand.

4.1.The Three Culture Model

For this kind of Cross-cultural communication, Hesselgrave propound the “Three-Culture Model
of Missionary Communication”25 by modifying Nida’s “Three Language model.” He says that
The Gospel is the message given by God through the Apostles and prophets in the languages and
cultural contexts of the bible. He firstly proposed the Bible Culture; then the Missionary Culture
and; lastly the respondent’s Culture.

S = source
M = message
R = respondent

Figure. Hesselgrave’s Three Culture Model of Missionary Communication.

24
C. Lalhlira, The Role ..., 19.
25
For details see David J. Hesselgrave, Communicating …, 107-112.

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Hesselgrave opines that,
“a missionary task is to attempt to understand/interpret the message intended by the Holy Spirit and human
authors of the Biblical text and then to explain/communicate that message in a way that is meaningful and
persuasive to respondents in the context of their culture.”26

He also thinks that the possible least of intrusion of a missionary’s culture should only be
incorporated. He also opines that Gospel, being communicated culturally this ideology of
unemploying one’s culture will build a bridge for the cultural gap between the missionary and
the respondent. The Bible has to be interpreted in a manner that can be observed by the listeners
in the life and witness of the missionary with an attempt to cultivate the real intended meaning of
the author. Scriptural interpretations have to be taken up in the cultural milieu of the
respondents.27By applying this Hasselgrave believes that the cross-cultural gap could be bridged.

4.2. Analysis of Three Culture Model

To a great extent the writer do agree with Hasselgrave in translating the Gospel in such a way
that the people will be able to get acquainted with it and hermeneutical tool gathered in the local
situation. The writer also agrees on incorporating the least possible counter cultural aspects of
the missionary and the respondents. But the theory has its limitation that Hesselgrave has in his
idea only the Missionaries and putting the Christian theology as being nonnegotiable. This point
really fails to see the hidden truth in the life of people of other faiths.

4.3. The Challenge Translation, transmission-

In order to translate the Gospel for the present scenario, especially in the context of India the
Gospel has to bear its Indianness in it. Unless the Gospel is re-translated in such a way that it
grasps the complex reality of India, there could never be a successful re-transmission of the
Gospel. So, the challenge is put beforehand so as to translate the Gospel to make it feel at home
in the context and culture where it is communicated with a proper acknowledgement of the
complex reality of the culture. Transmission of the Gospel preceded by re-translation with
genuine understanding will surely lead to a local Gospel with commonality as its core revelation.

5. Discussion of Rediscovering Christianity

In our today’s context rediscovery of Christianity is an urgent matter in the field of Christian
communication. The gospel preached, the way how it is preached, the way how the bearers of the
Gospel approach the world have to undergo a paradigm shift. Christianity should no longer be
the message being preached, rather Jesus Christ should be the message and the message should
bear in it the God value which could never be inhibited by any means of human counter culture.
A deeper understanding of the cultural reality has to be incorporated in the message being
communicated.

26
David J. Hesselgrave, Communicating …, 109.
27
David J. Hesselgrave, Communicating …, 109.

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The writer do not have any idea how to rediscover another completely new Christianity rather, it
is the way how Christianity communicates the message/Gospel has to be rediscovered. The
rediscovered way of communication of the Gospel will rather have a rediscovered impact on the
culture where it is communicated. The God’s value which is incorporated in the Gospel being
communicated will act as the winning factor. Hence, Christianity will be seen rediscovered.

6. Cultivating Missional Communities: Faithful Leadership – Theological implications

The present Missiological foundations of many churches still focus on making as many as
conversions. The traditional tendency to call a mission work without acquiring conversion
labelled as failure is now in need of re-contemplation. Of course, conversion by free will could
always be appreciated, but, a mission targeting solely on conversion has now been taken by the
counter culture as hampering the social unity of the Society. A re-cultivation of Missional
conviction is a must now.

All these have their roots in the theological formulation of the church from a conceptual
framework of her mission. The theological foundations of the church are the core issues of
communication failure among the church workers and leaders. Most of the failures stem from
communication failures that the claim of cultural supremacy always hinders the value of God in
the communication of Gospel in some particular cultures.

The theology of the church has to be cultivated in such a way that it will create a sense of
ownership and being in it towards the ones who a preached to. The present theological
frameworks are being seen as out of the context. Though it has been the endeavour of the leaders
of the church and theologians to bring them into the grassroots reality of the people, yet much
have to be done in this regard. It is the challenge being posed before theologians, especially of
communication pursuant to cultivate their theological frameworks to relate Gospel,
communication and culture first in themselves so as to lead others.

Conclusion

Communication always has to see the value of fellow human beings; their best utilities should
always be maintained. At the same time there is a demand of courage to forsake those elements
that devaluate the God’s value in the community. The dynamicity of the triune elements of
Christian endeavour is one of the most intrinsic features for the development and happening of
the real commonality among people of different culture, religion and society at large.

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BIBLIOGRPHY:

I. BOOKS:
Hasselgrave, David J. Communicating Christ Cross Culturally: An Introduction to Missionary
Communication. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1991.

Lalhlira, C. The Role of Intercultural Communication in Christian Witness. Delhi: ISPCK, 2010

Raja, Joshva. Facing the Reality of Communication: Culture, Church and Communication.
Delhi: ISPCK, 2001.

Wilson, James R. and Stan Le Roy Wilson. Mass Media Mass Culture: An Introduction. New
York: The McGraw-Hill Companies, 2001.

II. ARTICLES:

Idialu, Raphael A. Communication in Theological Enterprise Methodist Journal of Theology,

MEJOTH, vol. 2, issue 1, (May, 2015): 30-40.

Kirubaraj, Daniel. Gospel, Culture and Communication: An unpublished assessment paper for
the doctoral study (Chennai: 2000) 7.

III. ONLINE SOURCES:

D’Sa, Thomas. Gospel-Culture Encounter https://rethinkingmission.org/wp-

content/uploads/2016/07/GOSPEL-CULTURE-ENCOUNTER.pdf [accesed on
7/7/2019]

__________________. Gospel-Culture Encounter as Intercultural and Interreligious Dialogue

https://sedosmission.org/article/gospel-culture-encounter-as-intercultural-and-
interreligious-dialogue/ [accessed on 7/7/2019]

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