Storying, Redemptive Analogies, and Metaphors in Cross-Cultural

Ministry

Robert H. MunsonPhilippine Baptist Theological Seminary

2017

www.munsonmissions.org

Stories and Metaphors are used to share Divine Truth to those who do not share a common faith, because

we share a common humanity. Paul's imagery of the Unknown God to the

Athenians Jesus' description of salvation as “living

water” to the Samaritan woman at the well. Jesus' description of salvation as being

“born again” or “born from above” to Nicodemus.

According to Dennis Nineham

People today “find it hard to believe in God because they do not have available to them any lively imaginative picture of the way God and the world as they know it are related. What they need most is a story, a picture, a myth, that will capture their imagination while meshing in with the rest of their sensibility in the way that messianic terms linked with the sensibility of first-century Jews, or Nicene symbolism with the sensibility of philosophically-minded fourth-century Greeks.”

Metaphors Metaphors exist, according to Jacques Derrida,

somewhere between nonsense and truth. According to Paul Ricoeur, metaphors are true

only as long as they are untrue. That is because metaphors connect two things (typically one abstract and one concrete) that don't really fit together. It forces us to think.

For example, Jesus can be described truthfully as the “lamb of God” because, in part, Jesus IS NOT a lamb (baby sheep).

Metaphors Are not ornamentations. A good metaphor

cannot be replaced with a simple propositional statement. If it can, then a metaphor is not needed.

For example: The “1st member of the Trinity” is described by the metaphor of “Father.” God is not physically our father... husband of our mother. The term Father helps us to understand a wide range of things about who God is with respect to us.

Metaphors Metaphors are not “figurative language.” They are

“literal language.” That is because we accept both sides of the metaphor literally, and wrestle with the disconnection between the two.

For example: the mysterious abstract concept we call salvation, is sometimes explained by Paul as “adoption”-- as a married couple takes in a child of other parents as their own. The metaphor is valuable as long as we (1) take salvation and adoption as literal concepts, and (2) there is tension in the metaphor because salvation and adoption are NOT THE SAME THING.

Biblical Metaphors of Salvation Justification (courtroom) Redemption (slave market) Ransom (kidnapping) Saved (physical rescue) Born again (physical birth) Grafted (horticulture) And Many Many More.

Metaphors are Powerful, but Dangerous

Sometimes, people take metaphors or analogies or symbols TOO literally... sometimes theologizing them.

Jesus was our ransom... paying the price of our salvation. Who did He pay? The Father? The Devil? Someone else? Or does the metaphor point primarily to the depths of our sin? Or maybe our value to God?

This is because metaphors have a wide (but not unlimited) range of potential meanings.

Metaphors need some interpretation.

Metaphors need to be contemporary to have power

The metaphor that “Jesus is the bread of life” is highly instructive (as well as potentially confusing).

But in some cultures... it has little impact. To be impactful, Jesus may be:

Rice Taro Fish

We need to find Metaphors and Illustrations that people understand

today St. Patrick used the Shamrock to illustrate

the mystery of the Trinity. Don Richardson used the metaphor

(analogy) of Jesus as the Peace Child for one tribal group in Irian Jaya, and Sacred Space in another. He also explained salvation as village rebirth in a different tribe.

These are Sometimes Called “Redemptive Analogies.”

Don Richardson has promoted the use of Redemptive Analogies.

Look for areas of commonality with the Bible... or ways in which a culture provides justice, or mercy, rescue, or God.

The “Bridge Illustration” is a redemptive analogy... same thing with “The Two Ways” or God as the Good Shepherd who seeks lost sheep.

Many Redemptive Analogies are Resonant in one Culture and Confusing

in another. Consider the “Being Born Again” to a

member of the Asmat tribe, versus to a First Century Rabbi

Some people describe Coconut Palm as the “Tree of Life.” What are some ways that a Coconut Palm is like Jesus?

How is God like a gardener?

Redemptive Analogies Some believe that God creates redemptive

analogies. Some believe that we create them.

Missio Dei (God is at work both inside the church and through the church, but also in the world-- outside of the church and even at times in spite of the church.)

So we can discover RAs, but we can also create RAs.

Theostories We tend to think in terms of stories... and the

Bible instructs more often in stories than in propositions. We understand God and salvation more through stories than we do through concepts.

Theostory-- “the act of creative reflection on God, and our associated relationships with Him and each other, crafted artistically into the medium of the story, so as to allow the listener to join in the reflection through experiencing the story, being challenged by the story, and inspiring further questions.”

Creative Reflection Stories are creative... they are not simply

rehashing dogma... but not creating heretical teachings.

It should provide a new voice to old questions, as well as new questions.

Crafted Artistically Storying is an art, not a science. Stories should draw interest and entice the

listener... but regardless of the form, creativity and imagination are required to invent and transmit the story.

Medium of the Story The story is intertwined with the message...

they are inseparable. If the lesson of the story can be fully shared

without the text of the story, then the story may not be really necessary.

Experience the Story We are given the opportunity to be drawn

into the story. Our experiences in life are broadened as

we enter into the lives of one or more characters. As we experience the story, we reflect and learn.

Challenged by the Story A good story doesn't just tell us what we

already know, or what we already believe, or what we already believe we know.

A good theostory will challenge us culturally, theologically, and personally.

Inspire Further Questions Good stories do not give full answers. Good stories inspire questions. Perhaps this is because the story is

“unfinished” or because it does not explain everything, or because it suggests conclusions that are uncomfortable.

There are Many Types of Stories

A fairly useful way to classify them is in terms of relationship to culture.

One method would be to classify them as: Parabolic (Parable) Mythic (Myth) Illustrative (Illustration) Revelatory (Revelation)

Consider the Diagram

Stories can be culturally challenging or non-challenging

Stories can be Resonant or only Relevant

Relevance and Resonance

Cultural relevance is achieved when the audience recognizes what you've created as something that reflects their culture.

Cultural resonance is achieved when your audience uses what you've created to talk to each other about something meaningful that they've been observing in their culture.

Challenging and Non-Challenging

Challenging stories push the listener to rethink at least some aspects of his/her beliefs or culture.

Non-challenging stories support or justify the beliefs or culture of the listener.

Mythic and Parabolic

Mythic stories support, justify or explain a social or cultural norm or ideal that resonates with the people in that culture.

Parabolic stories challenge or contradict social or cultural norms, while still resonating with the values of the culture or counter-culture.

Illustrative and Revelatory

Illustrative stories give support to cultural beliefs or social norms. They are considered relevant to the culture, but not resonant.

Revelatory stories give new information to a society or culture, thus challenging it. Again, such a story may be seen as relevant, but not necessary resonant.

Another Way to Connect Stories to Culture is with the Story Wheel

Another Way to Connect Stories to Culture is with the Story Wheel

Action stories entertain, but don't really challenge, justify or teach.

Satires challenge culture by poking fun at its foibles. Generally, it does not provide a direct alternative viewpoint.

Apologues support culture. Also called fables or fairytales or cautionary tales... they have educative value.

Another Way to Connect Stories to Culture is with the Story Wheel

Myths explain and justify cultural beliefs or values.

Parables challenge culture by twisting myths to suggest something new... a better way.

Anti-Myths are simply the myths of a different culture. They judge the culture, and say it must be replaced.

Another Way to Connect Stories to Culture is with the Story Wheel

Missionaries often are blamed with sharing stories that are “Anti-myths” seeking to supplant and replace the local culture with their own.

Some missionaries however, have chosen apologues, seeking to support the culture and its ethics without seeking transformation.

Reminder...

Myths and Parables can be non-fiction or fiction. A myth is not of a necessity false or untrue. A myth simply supports or justifies a cultural value or worldview. Likewise, although we think of parables as fiction, they can also be non-fiction.

So what is the best type of story?

While all have their value... a minister should work to master parables. Learn the culture, develop resonant stories that encourage transformation.

How does one develop parables? Take cultural myths, and “twist” them. For

example, In the Good Samaritan, the person who is supposed to be the bad guy becomes the good guy, and vice versa. In the Prodigal Son, the bad son becomes the good son and the good son becomes the bad son.

Learn the culture and what resonates with the people... don't settle for “tossing in cultural references.”

What is the Power of Parables? They engender/encourage change. They are easily remembered and shared. They attract the interest of the hearer. If successful, they can become part of the

conceptual framework of the modified culture.

References The presentation is drawn from “Theo-

Storying: Reflections on God, Narrative, and Culture” by Robert H. Munson

Of course the book draws from Don Richardson, John Dominic Crossan, Sheldon Sacks, Paul Ricoeur, Jacques Derrida, Dennis Nineham, Mike Arauz, and others

Storying, Redemptive Analogies, and Metaphors in Cross-Cultural

Ministry

Robert H. MunsonPhilippine Baptist Theological Seminary

2017

www.munsonmissions.org