Resources compiled by WCIU Librarian, Timothy Skinner, MLS
Read MoreThe “People of the Book” are the people of the Story. There is an ancient and continuous biblical and Jewish storytelling tradition, with continuity to the present time in the Aggadic/Haggadic and Midrashic tradition in Judaism. Authors Tom Steffen and Bill Bjoraker re-dig some of these wells of Hebrew hermeneutics for effective use today.
Read Moreby Sunny Hong
This is a French translation of the original article in English, “Cross-Cultural Mentoring: A Brief Comparison of Individualistic and Collectivistic Cultures” that was originally published in the WCIU Journal Volume 1, Issue 3.
Read Moreby Sunny Hong
Where those involved in mentoring relationships are from the same or a similar culture, there are fewer misunderstandings and differing expectations due to different communication styles, corresponding perspectives, assumptions, concepts, and worldviews. In a mentoring relationship, similarity and shared experiences provide an easier interpersonal relationship between a mentor and a protégé, and it is therefore usually easier to have a mentoring relationship with someone from the same or similar culture. But to have a successful cross-cultural mentoring relationship, cultural differences behind mentoring issues, such as communication styles, need to be understood. The purpose of this paper is to briefly describe how individualistic and collectivistic cultures understand key mentoring concepts and to ponder how to use the strengths from different cultures so that cross-cultural mentoring can be even more fruitful than mono-cultural mentoring.
Read Moreby Anne Thiessen
(This article was originally published in Spanish.)
Native speakers of minority languages experience increasing pressure to abandon their languages and adopt the dominant trade language. Such pressure places the world’s minority languages under threat of extinction. This article explores the responsibility that cross-cultural workers have to value and learn minority languages, to recognize their own role in the displacement of these languages, and to offer help to indigenous communities in maintaining their languages through stable bilingualism. The author proposes ways that sending agencies can support cross-cultural workers in learning and championing minority languages.
Read Moreby Brett Molter
Navigating conflict in light of varying intercultural communication experiences is a learned skill and looks very different depending upon the context in which it is manifested. A growing body of research has emerged concerning how individuals manage and negotiate conflict, including face-negotiation theory (“saving face”) to help explain and work through interpersonal conflicts.
Read Moreby Jim Harries
When a European language is used in East Africa for making decisions and setting courses of action, the ability to communicate in that language will be hampered by its rootage in non-indigenous contexts. The author suggests this is severely limiting to healthy indigenously-rooted growth of African Christianity.
Read Moreby Dave Datema
Paul Hiebert championed “critical contextualization” and identified phenomenology (“exegeting humans”) as the weakest link in its practice that often led to split-level Christianity. In this paper I evaluate this assessment by locating the practice of critical contextualization among the Mende people of Sierra Leone, West Africa. I show how split-level Christianity took place there historically, examine phenomenological data to better understand Mende culture and ponder contemporary attempts of critical contextualization in Sierra Leone by Sierra Leoneans - all to support my thesis that critical contextualization is not so much a knowledge problem as it is a control problem. Cross-cultural missionaries will never have enough local knowledge to be the best contextualizers and until real control of contextualization is relinquished and given to nationals, critical contextualization will remain as a good idea rarely accomplished.
Read Moreby May Nor Clara Cheng
In this entry, WCIU Faculty member May Nor Clara Cheng reflects on her own experience as a Cross-Cultural Worker and the ways God directed her heart in her ministries.
Read Moreby Jim Harries
As a champion for the Luo people, I am aware of sensitive information that outside speakers are not able to know about. To Interpret or Not to Interpret African Customs to Westerners? Sometimes I agonise over what to say or not say. Sometimes I am with other Westerners in African contexts. Should I tell other Westerners when they do things wrong? Are there even wrong ways of doing things? Why should I care whether they say or do silly things? Who am I to speak to them?
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