Week 2 Bevans- Chapter 2 (Issues of Contextual Theology)

I appreciate Bevans emphasis on the positive aspects of cultural exchange. That is, many authors tend to argue that cultures are best if left alone and not damaged by outside intrusion. I think that one is badly mistaken to assume that cultures can ever remain outside of the effects of globalization or that it would be good for them to be so. Just as we do not want our culture to be insular and conceited, we dare not banish other cultures to that same fate. Therefore, it is encouraging to read in Bevans that a nonparticipant in a culture can actually aid the culture's theologizing simply by being an outsider (Bevans 1994, 15). I have heard missionaries advocate before that one can avoid paternalism if one is upfront about one's intentions and background. So, for instance, a missionary can be of use to a culture who is deciding and how to be a follwer of Christ in their culture, if the missionary simply steps back and interjects the conversations only to state, "Where I come from, here are a few things that we did; here is where the Christians back home differ... etc." This kind of attitude provides the natives a point of comparison and lacks the arrogant tone of simply telling the culture how to conduct itself.